The New Zealand Curriculum

Te Marau o Aotearoa

The New Zealand Curriculum states that ‘all students, regardless of where they are situated, should experience a rich and balanced education that embraces the intent of the National Curriculum’. The St Andrew’s College Curriculum, ‘broad and balanced’, is based on the vision and requirements of the National Curriculum. We interpret this vision in our aspiration that ‘St Andrew’s College students will be active participants in a dynamic community of learners and inspired to become valued citizens and enthusiastic learners for life. St Andrew’s will nurture the development of talent and creative ability through a balanced exposure to academic, cultural, service, social, spiritual and sporting opportunities.’

The New Zealand Curriculum outlines what is considered to be important in education, and envisions young people who are lifelong learners, confident and creative, connected, and actively involved.

The five Key Competencies of thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, are key aspects in learning and in living, and our students learn to develop them as an integral part of their learning.

The five Key Competencies of thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, are ‘key aspects’ in learning and living, and our students learn to develop them as an integral part of their learning.

The New Zealand Curriculum has clear principles on which to base all curriculum decision making. At the heart of St Andrew’s College teaching and learning lie the principles of high expectations, the Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi, cultural diversity, inclusion, learning to learn, community engagement and involvement, coherence, and a future focus. In addition, we cherish and promote our Scottish and Presbyterian heritage which has done so much to make us the College that we are today and will be in the future. In their planning, teachers create programmes of learning that are based on the ‘bigger picture’ aspects of the Curriculum, as well as on the detail from the eight Learning Area Statements, each of which provides a rationale, a broad focus, and key emphases for learning. Teachers develop those into coherent and effective programmes that are experienced by students on a day-to-day basis through a whole range of learning activities.

Teachers plan for, reflect, and seek to improve on those ways which are deemed to be effective in promoting students’ learning. Our teachers engage in a process of ongoing inquiry and try to make learning a stimulating and challenging experience, so that we work towards the achievement of our vision that we share with the curriculum of students who have a lifelong desire to learn.