Our Strategic Plan calls us to action by creating an inclusive and innovative learning community where every student is empowered to excel to reach their potential, while embracing diversity, equity, and a lifelong love for learning.
- To enhance/grow well-rounded individuals, prioritising identity, belonging and well-being.
- Every ākonga is empowered to excel to reach their potential.
Mission statement and school vision
To be a welcoming environment that fosters creativity and life long learning:
He kura maioha, he kura manahau, he kura whakamana tamariki.
Drivers of Learning
At Winchester School Te Kura o Te Haonui, our curriculum prepares students for the future by teaching them important skills and knowledge, whilst fostering curiosity through our focus on real-world experiences to help develop learners who are Confident, Creative, Connected, Communicators.
Ngā uara / Values
Our uara underpin all of our learning, guiding students to develop not only academic skills but also a strong character and a sense of community.
Foundation Curriculum: Years 0-3
Our foundation curriculum emphasises a structured approach to Literacy and Mathematics, providing students with essential skills that serve as building blocks for their future learning. By implementing evidence-based methods such as Maths No Problem (Link for more information) and a structured approach to literacy, we are creating strong knowledge foundations.
Phase 1: Te tupu pāhautea i te taiao ako e haumako ana i te reo matatini me te pāngarau Thriving in environments rich in literacy and numeracy. (NZ Curriculum Refresh 2024)
Years 0-3
Our Junior classes integrate play as a vital learning tool, where they create strong and engaging environments where students can explore, discover, and develop a love for learning. A play approach also allows for a smooth transition from Early Childhood Education into school life. As well as play, our junior classrooms incorporate collaborative teaching spaces to foster teamwork, creativity, and active engagement in learning, this is again a nice transition from Early Childhood.
Expanding horizons of knowledge and collaborating: Years 4-6
Phase 2: Te whakawhānui i ngā pae o te mātauranga me te mahi tahi
Expanding horizons of knowledge and collaborating
Years 4-6
This phase of learning focuses on deepening students' understanding and application of foundational skills, particularly in literacy and math, through interactive and engaging activities. We empower students to apply their foundational knowledge to real-world contexts, enabling them to see the relevance of what they learn and develop practical problem-solving skills.
Winchester School Te Kura o Te Haonui do this by
- Authentic Science Inquiry
- EOTC
- Practical Applications
- Leadership and Responsibility
Literacy
We use a structured approach to literacy to ensure all students develop strong foundational skills in reading, writing, and comprehension through consistent, evidence-based practices.
Our learners will follow a scope and sequence based on the NZ curriculum and will use a variety of texts including both decodable and authentic texts to explore letters, words, sentences and meaning.
Learners will be explicitly taught Phonological Awareness, phonemes, fluency, comprehension & vocabulary, language concepts and how to communicate their thinking.
The Simple View of Reading
The simple view of Reading demonstrates that a reader must have strong decoding skills and strong language skills to achieve strong reading comprehension.
The Simple View of Writing
The simple view of Writing shows the importance of Composition, Transcription and executive function. We explicitly focus on these three areas to develop learners who are confident writers.
We explicitly teach spelling through our structured approach to literacy.
For years 0-2 they will follow our literacy scope and sequence. Years 3-6 will follow the IDEAL spelling programme scope & sequence.
Maths / Pāngarau
At Winchester School children will engage in meaningful and connected learning experiences that are designed to create a sense of awe and wonderment at the mathematics around them and in their everyday lives.
Mathematics during Phase 1 (yr 0 -3) will be posed in a structured, systematic and cyclical approach. Each learner will engage with all areas of the mathematics curriculum over the school year, with number being the dominant strand. The learning will be hands-on, highly engaging and allow for differentiation and enrichment. The aim for Phase 1 is to ensure our akonga form a strong and secure foundation in their mathematical journey. The structured Maths Programme that we will follow is Maths No Problem.
With a secure foundation, mathematics during Phase 2 (yr 4 - 6) will focus on application of mathematical skills and knowledge in a broad range of tasks, contexts and opportunities, while maintaining and refining foundation skills along with adding to this kete through regular number knowledge and basic facts practice. Phase 2 will see mathematics connection grow in the way it is interwoven through other curriculum areas and life contexts. The Phase 2 programme will cover all areas of the mathematics curriculum throughout the year.
Zones of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation are a helpful way to explore and support emotional development in our learners. All Zones are ok to be in, we all experience them. But, we want to be able to talk about, respond, and act well no matter what Zone we are in; this is emotional regulation.
The Zones provides a language to talk about our emotions, encourages learners to become more self- aware, and provides tools to support our learners through different emotional states.
Whanaungatanga
Our ākonga/students will value healthy relationships and build strong bonds with each other and a sense of belonging through the shared experience of working and learning together with others.
Manaakitanga
Kotahitanga (Unity)
Everyone working together for the benefit of all including tuakana/teina relationships where senior students help junior students.
Te Puāwaitanga
Each ākonga/student has unique mana, integrity, qualities, skills, gifts, and abilities. The school nurtures the student as a seed in preparation for their continuing journey through life.
Te Tuakiritanga
Our ākonga/students value the unique cultural identity of every ākonga/student and their whānau/family.
Māuitanga
Walking in the footsteps of Māui, our ākonga/learners will share a sense of fun, curiosity, creativity, and innovation, including Manahau to be happy, jubilant, cheerful, and well-balanced; Pākiki is to be inquisitive, inquiring, curious, questioning, analytical and probing; and Auaha to be creative and innovative.
