School Structure
Here at Huapai District School we are seeking to develop children who are confident and self assured in purpose, who carry a voice of positive influence and consistently deliver at their best.
Our School Structure
We see our school as a learning community. Our approach will be school wide whilst providing and enabling high levels of autonomy for staff to build on the interests and needs of their children. Our school is focussed on building the collaborative capability of both staff and students. Teams are constructed around year-level groups to allow higher levels of support and interaction. Our school has opened the equivalent of 16 classrooms in a modern learning environment where children enjoy interactions and the support of more than one teacher. Our goal is powerful learning programmes assisted by empowered teaching staff and outworked through real life learning contexts.
PB4L
Our school is part of the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) initiative. Through this we are very intentional in supporting children to develop positive learning habits and make positive decisions in managing their behaviour. We offer a number of strategies to “notice” children exhibiting and making good choices in managing their behaviour and focusing on giving their absolute best. Within our school you will see clear guides for children to follow in expected behaviour, lots of positive strategies to reinforce this, and staff intent on noticing our children positively.
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
Learning a language can be a long process, so at Huapai District School, we support our ESOL students in a variety of ways including:
- Structured language lessons in small groups with an ESOL specialist.
These classes focus on teaching the language which is appropriate for the learner’s stage of development.
- In-class support.
Learners who can communicate effectively in their speaking and writing may still need support in their use of vocabulary and language structures.
Learning Support
At Huapai District School we are always working hard to provide the best learning support we can to as many students as we can. Learning support can range from students with mild learning difficulties to more significant learning difficulties. We work closely with outside providers when needed e.g. Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), Ministry of Education, Learning Support, Speech Language Therapists, Private Tutors, or Specialist Teacher Outreach Services to get the best outcomes for our learners. We have a wonderful group of learning assistants who are very experienced and who support students with their learning 1:1 or in small groups, as well as helping students develop positive relationships, social skills and/or positive behaviour for learning. We also have an amazing group of volunteers through the ‘Parent Tutors of Reading’ programme who support groups of students throughout the school.
NPDL – New Pedagogies for Deep Learning
At Huapai District School, we believe every student deserves to learn deeply and want to take action, make a positive impact and grasp opportunities that will lead to success in life. We are part of a global partnership known as NPDL, where we seek to design learning experiences that build on learner strengths and needs, create new knowledge using real-life problem solving and help all students identify their talents, purpose and passion.
We focus on providing a pathway to develop the six global competencies (6Cs) needed to flourish in a complex world:
- Character
- Citizenship
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativity
- Critical thinking
Making these 6Cs come alive in the classroom is accelerated by integrating four elements of learning design to deepen learning:
- Pedagogical practices
- Learning Partnerships
- Learning Environments
- Leveraging Digital
Using the 6Cs and the four elements in our learning design, provides a powerful foundation for learning and enables our learners to become the main source of fuel for the future.
Science
Building knowledge of science content and science processes are integral in the development of science capable students. At Huapai, our senior students (years 5 to 8) participate in weekly specialist science lessons throughout the year. Our students need to be ready, willing and able to use their inquisitive science know how through thinking and questioning the science in the world around them.
The yearly programmes being offered build and extend on each other from year to year. In year 5 they are developing the essential building blocks, skills and knowledge needed as they progress through Primary School and into College. By Year 8 they will have developed an understanding of the five fundamental areas of science: Nature of Science, Living World, Material World, Physical World and Planet Earth and Beyond. Through using their knowledge to build upon learning, Our students are able to integrate their science knowledge across other aspects of the curriculum, in particular leading into the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) learning areas.
Science in the Junior Classrooms is taught through integrated learning with other curriculum areas by classroom teachers.
Te Reo Maori
Tena koutou! He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata he tangata!
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!
Our vision here at HDS is to normalise Te Ao Maori through the understanding of and daily use of Te Reo. Through haka, waiata, pūrakau (story telling), powhiri and normalising Te Reo Maori in the classroom, students and teachers are able to gain confidence and use Te Reo Maori in everyday settings.
Literacy
Developing strong literacy skills is a key feature of our class programmes and a core component of our school goals.
We are committed to developing:
- Competent readers who are able to understand, question, think critically and respond to texts.
- Students who have a love of reading and read for personal enjoyment.
- Students who are able to write to meet a wide range of purposes and for a variety of audiences.
- Students who can communicate effectively and confidently with others in a variety of situations.
Mathematics
Being numerate is really important. A variety of different approaches across the school are used depending on the age, stage and needs of the learners.
For example:
- Targeted teaching workshops based on learning goals.
- Engaging learning experiences based on authentic, connected and creative scenarios, applying practical, theoretical and digital opportunities.
- Independent and collaborative learning opportunities, promoting critical thinking and real-life problem-solving experiences.
