Our Learning

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. 

Socrates


Whakatipua ngā manawa me ngā hinengaro

Growing hearts and minds.

This is our guiding vision and it inspires everything we do at Arataki School. While the two can operate individually, it is when the heart and mind are nourished together that real learning occurs. Our goal is to teach our students to use their brains while following their hearts.

Our school takes a whole-child approach to education. We are here to help young people become confident, connected and actively involved lifelong learners.

Learning is driven by authentic contexts, real-life problems and finding purpose. Guided by the New Zealand Curriculum, we help students develop the skills, dispositions and opportunities to investigate for themselves.

Educational choice

Arataki School is fortunate to be able to offer classroom programmes that embrace our whole-child approach to learning. Alongside our mainstream programmes we also run:

Reo Rua (Bilingual) programme

Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria — My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul.

Arataki School proudly offers tamariki the chance to participate in a Reu Rua (bilingual English and Māori) programme. Here, tikanga are authentically woven into daily life and Te Reo Māori is spoken by tamariki and Kaiako at least 30 to 50 percent of the time. 

We operate through a te ao Māori lens and Māori values of taukiri (identity), whanaungatanga (relationships) and manaakitanga (caring) are fundamental to our learning. This programme is delivered in partnership from Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and The New Zealand Curriculum.

Montessori programme

Based on Montessori philosophy that children are the leaders of their own learning, this programme is fully integrated into our school and is designed to nurture children’s natural desire for knowledge, discovery and respect. 

Available to children from age six to 11, this programme is delivered through a Montessori philosophy within the framework of The New Zealand Curriculum and in accordance with the expectations of Arataki School.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

For more information on these programmes click here.

Graduate Profile

At Arataki School, we have a clear picture of the attributes that will lead to a successful learner and citizen. In each successive school year, there are authentic opportunities to understand, develop and strengthen these traits. 

The values of our school are embedded in our graduate profile. By the time they are ready to move on beyond the walls of our primary school, an Arataki School graduate will:

Be able to communicate effectively

Be able to set and achieve their own goals

Be curious and creative

Be confident, courageous and resilient

Be able to stand comfortable in Māori and Pākehā worlds 

Know how to use various tools for learning

Care for Papatūānuku

Live our school values of whakahii (pride), whakaute (respect), kawenga (responsible learner) and manaaki (caring).

Home-School Partnerships


Home-school partnerships refer to relationships between the child, home and school. The best educational and social outcomes arise when teachers and parents/caregivers collaborate, taking a shared interest and responsibility in a child. When whanāu and teachers form strong partnerships, children develop positive attitudes towards learning and feel more motivated to give it their all at school.

 

We support families to strengthen home-school partnerships by:

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  • Respecting your role as parent/caregiver
  • Scheduling meetings with you throughout the year 
  • Hosting student-led conferences bi-annually 
  • Welcoming new families once a term with a pohiri and new whanāu hui
  • Ultilising our online platform HERO​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Meet Hero

Keep in contact with your child’s teacher and communicate about their individual learning journey in real time through Hero.

Hero is an online platform that Arataki School uses to:

  • Communicate with families

  • Share your child’s progress and achievement in real time

  • Share reflections from both your child and their teacher

Learn more about Hero by clicking here

Sports

We provide a range of sporting opportunities for children of all ages.

This includes our school-wide events of cross country, athletics, swimming sports and tabloid sports.

There are also opportunities to represent Arataki School in local sporting competitions such as basketball, netball, flipperball, hockey rippa, and touch rugby.

Learn more about our school sports by clicking here

Culture/Arts

There are a number of culture and arts activities to enrich your child’s primary school experience. This includes weekly Kapahaka sessions for all students as well as the opportunity to join a number of optional activities, including:

  • The Kapahaka performance group

  • The Pasifika Group, which performs at the Pasifika in the Bay festival in term four each year

  • The choir, which performs at the Primary School Music Festival in term three each year

  • The gardening club, a very active club that operates during school hours and is open to all students.

At times, we also work with outside providers who offer optional music, dance and art classes that run during the school day at the parents’ expense.

To learn more about our school, please download our school prospectus