Curriculum / Teaching and Learning The Preparatory School curriculum is developed under the guidelines and philosophy of the New Zealand Curriculum and takes into consideration the special nature of St Andrew’s College. It takes, as its starting point, a vision of our young people as lifelong learners who are confident and creative, connected, and actively involved. It includes a clear set of principles on which to base curriculum decision making. It sets out values that are to be encouraged, modelled, and explored. It defines five Key Competencies that are critical to sustained learning and effective participation in society, and that underline the emphasis on lifelong learning. Literacy remains the largest and most important learning area (includes Reading, Writing, Spelling, Visual and Oral Language). Literacy accounts for 60–65 per cent of the weekly timetable. Numeracy (Mathematics), Enrichment (specialist areas), and Units of Inquiry make up most of the remaining time in the timetable. The school is committed to enhancing strategies and skills for learning and high levels of understanding. A quality learning environment encourages discussion and questioning, and for the student is engaging, differentiated, and meaningful. It also develops interpersonal skills. A significant development in interpersonal skills for teachers and students during 2021 was the introduction of the new pastoral care and values system, called StAC-UP. StAC-UP was developed
following a school wide pastoral review in Term 4, 2020. It provides a valuable blueprint for a positive and encouraging learning environment, in which all children feel safe and cared for. In the classroom, playground, and extra-curricular activities students and staff have implemented the following expectations:
• Be Safe – inside, outside, and online;
• Be Ready – to learn in all situations;
• Be Respectful – towards others and yourself.
StAC-UP underpins all interactions with students, colleagues, and the community and guides our response when approaching situations of conflict or difficulty. StAC-UP is brought to life through explicit teaching and learning in the following areas; Bounce Back, Restorative Conversations, Key Competencies, as well as a raft of health programmes. A Student-centred Learning Approach where learning is visible, has continued to underpin and drive teaching in the Preparatory School. In 2021, the focus has been on teacher clarity, which according to Professor John Hattie, is one of the most important learning interventions available. Specifically, the following areas were a focus:
• learning intentions and success criteria
are visible to students. Students know what they are learning and what success looks like; • students have opportunities to self‑assess their work; • formative feedback is given to students; • feedback is related to the learning intentions.
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