Learning
At Poroutawhao School we acknowledge a wide variety of learning styles and tailor our curriculum to meet the needs of our learners. We are able to do this through adopting a range of modern and researched approaches to get the best outcomes for our learners. Some of these approaches include but are not limited to:
Play-based learning
We are living in a time where our children have more structure and organisation in their lives than ever before. While play has been on the decline, mental health and anxiety in young people has been on the rise. Play contributes positively to a child’s sense of well-being and enhances their natural capacity for self-motivated learning. Students that transition from early childhood into a play-based learning environment benefit from a smoother transition into a new environment while also strengthening their creative thinking, reasoning, and socio-emotional skills. We see smiles on students' faces every morning when they are given the opportunity to have a choice in their learning.
Class environment
At school, students are able to access a range of learning spaces. With the beautiful Tararua ranges in the background, students are able to have the flexibility to work outside in our spacious environment. Students also have a range of quiet and collaborative learning spaces and furniture that meets a range of learning comforts. Our school pool is an excellent learning space to reinforce swimming skills in the summer. We have a newly equipped technology space that allows students of all ages to explore through food technology, science, and other tactile experiences.
Curriculum-based learning
Students at Poroutawhao School have access to balanced and meaningful curriculum-based activities throughout the schooling year. All year levels cover a range of aspects within all eight curriculum areas including; English, The Arts, Health & Physical Education, Learning Languages, Mathematics & Statistics, Science, Social Sciences, Technology. A range of evidence-based learning approaches are used to deliver these subjects including a variety of mixed ability and ability groupings, cross-curricular designed activities, and most importantly teaching approaches that meet the needs of the learners.
Digital learning
To ensure that our students can be prepared for the future we offer a range of online learning programmes.
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Bring Your Own Device is encouraged. This ensures your child always has access to a device when they need it, but also allows them to take their learning home, continue their exploration of the concepts learnt (consolidating the learning) and also to get ahead of the learning, by investigating concepts to be taught the following day/week. This nurtures self management of time, skills and work ethic.
The Hero app allows teachers and students to share their learning activities with parents and whanau. Hapara workspace is an online classroom that allows teachers to assign activities to students in any curriculum area to grow capabilities in ICT and flexibility in presenting information for learning. Wushka is an online reading programme in which students have access to a large range of readers which are set at their individual level. Prodigy (Maths program) is an online learning platform for students to strengthen their mathematical understanding and practice any new learning through a wide range of tasks on offer. Core 5 and Power as well as Sunshine Online, is funded for All students across the school to support their literacy learning from struggling to advanced. These online programmes are available to students and can be used at home to further support their learning.
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Digital learning is engaging and fosters a love of learning and and the individualised pace ensures every child feels successful, therefore enjoys it and wants to strive higher.