A STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Student-centred Learning

Our Learning Pathway

INSPIRED

My mindsetisthinkingandlearning

AND PA S S I O NATE TEACHERS

I understandandcanexplainmylearni

A Visible Learner

I seekfeedbackandrespond

LearningProcesses

Iunderstandwhathelpsmeto learn

HAPPY AND EN G A GED LEARNERS

High Expectations

“The Curriculum supports and empowers all students to learn and achieve personal excellence, regardless of their individual circumstances.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College:

• the personalised learning environment provides students with targeted opportunities at their current level and is designed to allow students to achieve growth and success;

• students are given a scaffold to achieve higher order thinking and outcomes;

• the whole school publicly acknowledges the successes of individuals, groups and teams with awards and certificates through assemblies, College publications, visits to the Principal, letters to parents, and prizegivings;

• the Head of Learning Enrichment and the Head of Learning Support work with staff to ensure that class programmes meet the needs of all levels of learners in the College;

• the Goal Setting Report focuses on maximum growth and individual success where goals are set for student learning;

• students learn to take responsibility for their learning to complete set tasks and meet deadlines;

• students are involved in setting and evaluating targeted goals;

• learning intentions and success criteria are shared and able to be verbalised by students;

• students develop a high level of respect for College and Preparatory School values and demonstrate a high levelof respect in a variety of situations;

• staff have high expectations for behaviour supported by the StAC-UP expectations of Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Respectful

Cultural Diversity

“The Curriculum reflects New Zealand’s cultural diversity and values the histories and traditions of all its people.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College we:

• understand and respect that different cultures make up New Zealand society;

• promote understanding, knowledge and use of Te Reo and tikanga Māori across the school;

• promote non-racist attitudes and behaviours;

• recognise that students may need to meet more than one set of cultural expectations;

• consider and respect the traditions and beliefs of cultural groups within the local community;

• build partnerships with parents and extended family.

Inclusion

“The Curriculum is non-sexist, non-racist, and non-discriminatory; it ensures that students’ identities, languages, abilities, and talents are recognised and affirmed and that their learning needs are addressed.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College:

• students are nurtured to find individual talents within an academic, sporting or cultural context;

• gifted and talented students are catered for through curriculum differentiation in classrooms;

• we offer additional extension programmes such as World Scholar’s Cup, Extension Writing, Robotics Club, Future Problem Solving etc.;

• we provide learning support to identified students with learning differences;

• students are extensively involved in co-curricular activities both sporting and cultural;

• a range of assessment strategies are used to inform learning and identify next steps for students;

• students receive weekly Religious Education lessons and all students attend a weekly daytime chapel;

• students are given many opportunities to participate in education outside the classroom;

• a strong pastoral and counselling team, backed by classroom programmes, supports the well-being of our students;

• StAC-UP expectations for students of Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Respectful provide common understanding and guidelines.

Coherence

“The Curriculum offers all students a broad education that makes links within and across learning areas, provides for coherent transitions, and opens up pathways to further learning.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College:

• teachers develop children’s core competencies and knowledge in Literacy and Numeracy and ensure the process of learning includes the development of skills and strategies;

• integration and inquiry learning underpin other curriculum areas such as Science, Social Studies, Health and Technology;

• ICT use is integrated in a variety of ways to enhance student learning and outcomes;

• opportunities are provided for students to share experiences and resources from Pre-school to Year 13;

• strong relationships and links exists across key transition areas and students are well supported as they move through each stage of their schooling.

Future Focus

“The Curriculum encourages students to look to the future by exploring such significant future focused issues as sustainability, citizenship, enterprise, and globalisation.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College:

• teachers utilise opportunities wherever possible for transfer of learning into authentic real-life contexts;

• social action is an important part of the inquiry learning process;

• students are given opportunities to develop leadership through service to the school;

• broad themes are selected to allow for exploration of global issues;

• students explore their learning and inquiry through current trends and new technologies including 3D design and printing, coding and robotics;

• students use a variety of digital tools to support their learning;

• students use the inquiry pathway model to explore areas of group and individual interest and passion.

Treaty of Waitangi

“The Curriculum acknowledges the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand. All students have the opportunity to acquire knowledge of Te Reo Māori me ōna tikanga.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College:

• during their time in the Preparatory School all children are involved in programmes which reflect New Zealand’s bicultural heritage;

• the principles of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi are incorporated in classroom programmes;

• all students in Years 4–8 have the opportunity to be part of our Kapa Haka Group and paticipate in the Tūhono Kapa Haka Cultural Festival annually;

• staff integrate Te Reo and tikanga into everyday classroom learning;

• all students in Years 3–8 receive specialist lessons into Aotearoa New Zealand Histories.

Community Engagement

“The Curriculum has meaning for students, connects with their wider lives, and engages the support of their families, whānau, and communities.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College:

• we operate an ‘open door’ policy in which teachers are readily accessible;

• parent education meetings are regularly offered to inform parents of new developments or programmes in the school;

• parents, past pupils, current students and staff are invited to offer support in various ways;

• connections are developed between students at different levels of the school;

• an awareness of individual and community responsibility is fostered through class programmes;

• students use community and personal resources to enhance their learning.

Learning to Learn

“The Curriculum encourages all students to reflect on their own learning processes and to learn how to learn.” NZC

At St Andrew’s College:

• learning is made visible to students in a variety of ways;

• a range of thinking and learning strategies are specifically taught and implemented in authentic contexts;

• students are involved in setting and evaluating specific goals for their learning;

• teachers and students collaboratively develop learning intentions and success criteria;

• teachers provide specific feedback about learning and identify next learning steps.

3 VALUES AND STAC-UP

Students will be encouraged to value:

• excellence, by aiming high and by persevering in the face of difficulties;

• 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;

• integrity, which involves being honest, responsible, and accountable and acting ethically; and to respect themselves, others, and human rights." NZC

St Andrew’s College is the only independent co-educational preparatory and secondary school in the South Island. We are a Presbyterian school that focuses on Christian values, and an education with outstanding teachers, facilities and a positive, caring environment. The most natural way for children to learn is in a safe family environment and this is what we offer along with a balanced and holistic education in an environment steeped in tradition and yet firmly facing the challenges of the future.

Our College values are Truth, Excellence, Faith, Creativity and Inclusivity. At St Andrew’s College we encourage, model and develop the New Zealand Curriculum values through our school charter and our own founding values.

Truth

Integrity in everything we say and do.

Excellence

Reaching beyond what people expect of us.

Faith

In self, others, and our future.

Creativity

Daring to imagine; turning ideas into reality.

Inclusivity

Valuing diversity; embracing different perspectives.

As well as weekly Religious Education in the classroom, all students attend a weekly daytime chapel. The services are led by a mix of the chaplains, Rev. Paul Morrow (College Chaplain), Mrs Jillian Fenton (Preparatory School Chaplain) and Religious Education staff. The school values are profiled in services and supported by classroom programmes. One of these values is a focus each term.

StAC-UP

Supporting our teaching of values is StAC-UP. StAC-UP expresses our values through explicit expectations for students. It underpins all interactions with students, colleagues and the community and guides our response when approaching situations of conflict or difficulty. It enables students, staff and parents to feel safe and cared for in their learning community. StAC-UP consists of the following core expectations which ensures that our school is a productive happy and safe place for everyone.

Be Safe – inside, outside and online.

Be Ready – to learn in all situations.

Be Respectful – towards others and yourself.