These stories provide examples of ideas and approaches some schools are using to reshape their curricula.
Story 31: Leading change at Ilam School
Story 30: Effective pedagogy at Ilam School
Story 29: E-portfolios at Ilam School
Story 28: Improving whānau-school partnerships and learning te reo at Ilam School
Story 27: Student voice at Ilam School
These stories tell how the voices of students, teachers, and whānau are integral to learning and teaching at Ilam School.
Story 26: Te reo Māori at Three Kings School
The school has a commitment to implementing programmes that include the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and to the teaching and learning of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori.
Story 25: Professional learning groups at Wellington Girls' College
Teachers at Wellington Girls' College work in learning groups for professional development that relates to the school's annual goals. All teachers belong to a cross curriculum learning group.
Story 24: Inquiry learning at Weber School
Story 23: Leading change at Weber School
Story 22: Engaging with the community at Weber School
Weber School has a vibrant community where everyone is involved in teaching and learning. Inquiry is embedded in practice, leadership is distributed and everyone has something to teach and something to learn.
Story 21: Introducing Taihape School (external link)
School leaders, teachers, students, and parents/whānau/iwi at Taihape Area School have partnered to undertake an extensive programme of change.
Story 20: St Joseph's School Onehunga - Te Reo Māori curriculum change
At the beginning of 2008 St Joseph’s School began working through the process of developing their school wide Te Reo Māori programme.
Story 19: Living the principle - Te reo me ōna tikanga at Rotorua Boys' High
Rotorua Boys’ High School illustrates how embedding te reo me ōna tikanga Māori throughout the school provides a framework for successful teaching and learning. The teaching of te reo Māori is inseparable from tikanga, and other programmes being offered by the school are Māori centered.
Story 18: Port Kids ALIVE at Port Chalmers School
"We talked to our students and our community about the head – the things they needed to know, the heart – the things they needed to feel, and the hands – the skills or things they needed to do, that they needed to have when they walked out our gate."
Story 17: Exploring parallel documents - what are the issues?
Story 16: Exploring parallel documents at Merivale and Maungatapu Schools
Jan Tinetti from Merivale School and Sue Horne from Maungatapu School have been looking at using both The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aoteoroa in their schools.
Story 15: Supporting transitions from primary to secondary at Hauraki Plains College
Staff at Hauraki Plains College thought it was important to value the learning their students brought with them from primary school. This led them to look at how they could better connect up with the surrounding primary schools to engage in conversations around student learning?
Story 14: Creating a culture of learning at Peterhead School
Part of the philosophy of Peterhead School is an awareness that change in education is ongoing and necessary if teaching and learning is going to reflect the needs of the community and a changing world.
Story 13: Schoolwide teaching and learning philosophy at Rototuna School
"If there is any one thing we would like to be recognised for it would be the use of formative assessment practice as our teaching and learning philosophy that underpins all of our teaching programmes."
Story 12: Opportunities for Māori student success at Chisnallwood Intermediate School
The Chisnallwood Intermediate staff and community decided one of their key goals would be to ensure the school and its programmes were providing best opportunities for Māori students to succeed.
Story 11: Empowering students at Clevedon School
While we will continue always to follow the school motto, “Enter to learn, go forth to serve”, we are now also sharing in our school vision: "Our lifelong learners will develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
Story 10: Te Awamutu - You have a message
This video is the result of much discussion, planning, filming and editing by 27 Year 6 to 13 students from the Rosetown Learning Community who have a clear message for their teachers and community about how they learn and what they want from school.
Story 9: Southland Girls High - for all the right reasons
In 2005 Southland Girls’ High School became New Zealand’s first Year 7-13 state girls' secondary school. This opportunity was used to implement a new approach to the traditional Year 7 and 8 Intermediate School.
Story 8: Integrating the curriculum at Opunake Primary
Four years ago the Opunake School Board of Trustees began a consultation process with the community, which resulted in a strong mandate from the community to make changes at the school.
Story 7: Wellington High School - Tukutahi
For years Wellington High School has had a philosophy that aims towards inclusive classrooms. In examining the question of what makes an inclusive classroom today the school is attempting to move to a more collaborative, connected model of teaching and learning.
Story 6: Creating a learning environment at Elmgrove School
Teachers, parents and children at Elmgrove School discussed what was important for children to learn. These discussions formed the basis for the school vision.
Story 5: Learning and growing together at East Taieri School
East Taieri began examining their school curriculum following the merger of schools on the Taieri. An introduction to thinking skills, and upskilling teachers in the use of ICT was conducive to a shift in pedagogy and more consistency throughout the school.
Story 4: Towards enriched and responsible citizenship at Orewa College
The foundations of teaching and learning at Orewa College are Manaaki, which underpins the discipline system; ako, the philosophy behind teaching and learning; and the middle school, which served as the pilot area for implementing and expanding the philosophy.
Story 3: Teaching and learning at Takapuna Grammar
"When by simply sailing in a new direction you could change the world."
In 2003–2004 Takapuna Grammar School saw the need to respond to a number of imperatives in its thinking about teaching and learning.
Story 2: Coley Street's development as a learning community
Coley Street's recipe for change has involved a strong commitment to:
behaviour management, sport, LEOTC programmes, community buy-in, changing attitudes to learning, ICT, curriculum change, and professional development.
Story 1: Developing a vision for Red Beach School
During 2005 the staff and board of trustees of Red Beach School worked on the creation of a new vision for the school. The school spent six months consulting and discussing the key question:
'What do we want our school to stand for?'
Have a story to share? Contact jane.nicholls@core-ed.net to arrange an interview.
As the site grows we hope the information will enable schools to make connections with others (either nearby or at a distance), share practice and extend professional conversations.
There are more school stories available on Educational Leaders. These stories highlight the thinking and strategies that are being applied to improve outcomes and benefits for students, staff, and communities.
Promoting healthy lifestyles has a series of school stories which highlight how schools are tackling food and nutrition issues. These inspiring stories will provide some fresh ideas for improving health and well-being at your school.