The Nga Tawa curriculum places a strong emphasis on academic excellence, offering students the ability to choose from a broad range of subjects. With a strong emphasis on each individual learner we create flexible and personalised learning programmes with the needs of the learner at the centre. Students have excellent pastoral support from their Deans and Boarding Managers, plus close monitoring of their progress towards their academic goals by their Mentors via Personal Development Plans (PDPs). This network of pastoral and academic support has proven to be a successful strategy for students as they progress through the school.
Our daily structure engages students through longer teaching and learning periods (75 minutes) to support deeper and more authentic learning activities and has the addition of our unique flexitime. Flexitime is three 1 hour sessions per week which are learner-directed and self-managed time when all staff are available to support and extend students outside of regular class time. In addition, there is scheduled evening prep where teachers and prefects are on hand to support student’s completion of prep (homework).
We embrace blended eLearning at Nga Tawa which means teaching strategies are empowered by digital technology. Digital tools are selected for their potential to enhance the teaching and learning performance of our students, all of whom use their devices in multiple ways every day to facilitate their learning.
In year 9 we employ an integrated theme approach with a broad range of learning experiences and cross curricular connections, and from Year 9 learning languages is through the AIM immersion method. The emphasis for year 10 and 11 is a two year curriculum programme focusing on readiness for Year 12, which includes a Year 10 Impact Project - using and developing a wide range of skills in a student designed and led endeavour to make a difference in our local community.
