Curriculum

Te Kura Māori o Waatea uses the New Zealand Curriculum as the foundation of our school-based curricula, providing our tamariki with the necessary skills, expertise and knowledge to succeed in the 21st century. It is important that our tamariki are prepared to enter intermediate and secondary school with the required and knowledge and skills to succeed at NCEA. At our Kura, our use of the curriculum is guided by the interconnecting philosophies of Kaupapa Māori and Steiner education. These interconnecting philosophies aim to:

• Develop a school-wide appreciation of te reo Māori me onā tikanga.
• Emphasise student achievement at an expected leveal and certain age.
• Underpin priorities that are established from a shared school-wide decision-making that takes into account community voice.
• Incorporate Steiner pedagogis to support and enhance the holistic and intellectual development of the child, placing them in their appropriate stage of student readiness.
• Achieve ‘Tamariki Ora, Whānau Ora’ by:
  • Supporting the whānau to maintain their wellness, fulfil their whānau aspirations and become confident and active participants within their hapu, iwi and society.
  • Encouraging whānau and children to learn together.
  • Ensuring that children are academic champions, socially adept, well versed in te reo Māori and English, with the confidence to operate across two worlds, te ao Māori me te ao Pākeha.

Learning Areas

Our key learning areas include:

• Pāngarau (maths)
• Putaiao (science)
• Hangarau (technology)
• Tikanga-ā-Iwi (social sciences)
• Ngā Toi (the Arts)
• Hauora (health and wellbeing)
• Te Reo Māori (Māori language and literature)
• Te Reo Pākeha (English language)
• Pānui (reading)
• Tuhituhi (writing) and
• Kaupapa Māori, including Tikanga and Pukenga me te Mātauranga Māori (cultural identity and self-worth).

Curriculum Framework

Our curriculum framework is influenced by our vision, principles and values as they encourage our students to value:

• excellence, by aiming high and by persevering in the face of difficulty;
• innovation, inquiry and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively and reflectively;
• diversity, as found in our different cultures, languages and heritages;
• equity, through fairness and social justice;
• community and participation for the common good;
• ecological sustainability, which includes care for the environment; and
• integrity, which involves being honest, responsible and accountable, and acting ethically and to respect themselves, others, and human rights

Curriculum Delivery

Our Kura delivers the curriculum using various delivery methods, including:

Ako

Māori pedagogy and practices

Experiential Learning

Learning through everyday experiences (‘teachable moments’), through play and through hands-on learning.

Differential Learning

Starting points for students are different, so we tailor the learning programmes to fit with students’ ability and knowledge.

Tuakana/Teina

Tuakana play a role as a mentor for the Teina students by providing advice and support.

Integrated Learning Approach

Integration of planned programmes and naturally occurring life events and experiences. It also looks at theme-based, cross-curricula learning which is based on a chosen overall theme.

Reciprocated Teaching and Learning

Teachers and students learning from each other. These occur naturally throughout all teaching and learning experiences.