Engaging the community (archived)

Students learn anywhere, at any time, and from anyone. This has implications for school curriculum design. It means that, as well as teachers, students, families, whānau, and the wider community must be involved in the process of designing curriculum – The New Zealand Curriculum assumes that schools will seek out and listen to the ideas and concerns of these different groups.

See Principles and Values.

In this way, the interests and needs of the students and the resources of the wider community become important ingredients of curriculum design. Student and community involvement supports the crucial leadership roles of principal, senior staff, and teachers.

Engagement can be thought of as having two phases: one initial, the other continuing. In the first phase, the principal/curriculum leader leads a participatory process: “What should we do and how?” In the second, they look for ongoing student and community engagement: “How are we going?”

 

Phase one: Leading participation in the design and review of the school’s curriculum

• What roles should our teachers, our students, our families, our whānau, and our wider community play in the design and review of our curriculum?
• What vital information can we set out to gather, and how can we use it for curriculum decision making?

Phase two: Developing processes for involvement and feedback that can be sustained in the longer term

• What processes can we use to stimulate interest in, and get feedback on, our curriculum, its impact, and its relevance?
• How will we assure students and the community that their feedback is valued and used?

Next - Focal points

Return to top