Our NZ Curriculum

Journey
Vision, Values, Parent
Consultation, and Student
Engagement

Heriot School
 Einstein's definition of
insanity….

“Doing the same

thing over and
over again and
expecting
different
results”
 History

 2008 all new staff

 Limited teaching and curriculum
experience
 No ownership of previous Mission
Statement and Charter
 Needed to set new direction
 Collaborative Engagement –
Engaging the Community
Students learn anywhere, at any time, and
from anyone. This has implications for
school curriculum design. It means that
teachers, students, families, whanau,
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.
 Communication
Current Communication
 Weekly newsletters

 Community newspapers

 Formal/informal interviews

 Class wikispaces

 Blogging – junior class communication

 Vision-Values Planning

 Staff critiqued various models

 Staff created draft vision - values

 Teased out into ‘Childspeak’

 BOT reviewed drafts

 The Vision

1. Create Opportunities

2. Release Potential

3. Achieve Success
 Values
HONESTY
EXCELLENCE
RESPECT
INDEPENDENCE
OPEN MINDEDNESS
TENACITY
 Student Involvement
 Years 2 – 6 brainstormed their understanding
of values
 Each class’s ideas were used to create a
‘wordle’
 BOT-Staff Involvement with
NZC
 Employed private consultant
 The new curriculum: implications for our school
 Aim to:
• Explore new curriculum and meaning
• Build understanding of learning for future and our role
in this
• Develop a plan for engaging community
• Explore/reflect on where we are at and where to go
next
 Programme for the Day
 Back to the Future:
 A typical Heriot 5 year old
 A vision for a Year 6 leaver

 The New Curriculum

 Community Engagement
 ‘The Heriot Community’
 Key themes and direction
 KWL evaluation
 Parent Consultation Evening
 Programme
 PowerPoint – Video clip
 Break out groups (x4)

 Vision

 Values

 Curriculum (Learning Areas)

 Where to next?
 Parent Focus Questions
Group 1
What skills, attitudes, knowledge do you
believe a new entrant displays upon entering
Heriot School?

Group 2
What skills, attitudes, knowledge do you
expect a Year 6 leaving Heriot School to
display?
 Learning Areas

What skills, knowledge, and

attitudes do you want your
child to gain in this learning
area?
 Where to next …
 Key Competencies
- ‘tease out’ into ‘child speak’

e.g. Thinking
With the children, your homework is to think about
thinking

* How will it help me to get to be a really good thinker?

* What things will I need to do to be a really good thinker?
* How will I know that I’m getting to be a really good thinker

We are being supported by Lynelle Woods