Curriculum

The existing National Curriculum document was introduced in 2007 and is the document that provides a framework for schools and kura in New Zealand to develop teaching programmes that are relevant to their students. It sets out what is important in the education of our children.

The curriculum outlines a range of values and key competencies, or capabilities, that students need for study, work and lifelong learning so that they are able to succeed in life.

These are all woven into the teaching of learning areas, or subjects.

These learning areas are: literacy, numeracy, science, technology, social sciences, health and physical education and the arts.

At present this curriculum is undergoing a refresh and the revised document is called Te Mataiaho. The revised curriculm document will need to be fully implemented in schools by 2027.

The main focus, in Primary Schools, is on developing the foundational skills of reading, writing and maths but we provide many other opportunities to engage and broaden students’ learning and develop individual skills.

At Waipu Primary School we introduced the Structured Literacy Programme in 2021 and this is now well embedded into the Junior School – we are also using a similar programme ‘IDEAL’ – in the senior classes.

For writing – we are beginning to implement ‘The Writers’ Toolbox into some of the senior classes and early indicators are that this programme is very engaging for students and that by increasing the motivation to write, achievement levels in. writing are positively impacted.