Teaching & Learning

Curriculum

Knowledge-rich, informed by the science of learning, and framed within the whakapapa of Te Mātaiaho.

Mātai aho tāhūnui,
Mātai aho tāhūroa,
Hei takapau wānanga
E hora nei.

Lay the kaupapa down
And sustain it,
The learning here
Laid out before us.

The New Zealand curriculum is knowledge-rich. It prioritises and explicitly describes what must be taught each year and is deliberately sequenced to enable students to build knowledge, skills, and competencies systematically over time. It supports teachers to design teaching programmes that bring learning to life in the classroom, using local, national, and global contexts.

The science of learning informs curriculum sequencing and teaching practice. The curriculum builds on scientific understanding to identify five characteristics of how we learn:

We learn best when we experience a sense of belonging in the learning environment and feel valued and supported.

Students bring with them different cultural identities, knowledge, belief systems, and experiences. They need to see that these are valued and reflected in a school environment characterised by strong relationships and mutual respect. Students’ sense of belonging is enhanced by sensitivity to their individual needs, emotions, cultures, and beliefs.

A new idea or concept is always interpreted through, and learned in association with, existing knowledge.

The amount of existing knowledge students have, and the degree to which that knowledge is interconnected in long-term memory, influence both the quality and ease with which they can build on that knowledge. Recognising and drawing on students’ prior knowledge therefore improves their learning.

Establishing knowledge in a well-organised way in long-term memory reduces students’ cognitive load when building on that knowledge. It also enables them to apply and transfer the knowledge.

Establishing new knowledge and skill in long-term memory requires active engagement and multiple opportunities to engage with them, practise them, and connect them to existing knowledge structures. When knowledge is well organised in long-term memory, students are more likely to be able to build on it and apply it in novel ways. If knowledge is not well established in long-term memory, students’ working memory is likely to be overloaded when they attempt to build on or apply it. This cognitive overload can cause confusion, anxiety, and disengagement.

Our social and emotional wellbeing directly impacts on our ability to learn new knowledge.

Social and emotional wellbeing reduces anxiety, which frees cognitive capacity to learn new knowledge and skills, leading to deeper, more durable learning. Conversely, anxiety and negative emotions inhibit students’ ability to learn. The factors that impact positively or negatively on social and emotional wellbeing vary between students. The influence of these factors is dynamic – it fluctuates over time, even during the course of a single day.

Motivation is critical for wellbeing and engagement in learning.

Motivation develops when students feel that three basic needs are met: autonomy – developing increasing self-direction in learning; competence – experiencing success in learning and seeing oneself as a successful learner; social connection – belonging and contributing to a group from which one learns. Success in learning helps to build motivation.

The design of this framework encompasses seven curriculum components. Te Mātaiaho as a whole weaves together these components, all of which begin with the word ‘mātai’, meaning to observe, examine, and deliberately consider.

Mātairangi | The guiding kaupapa

The overarching kaupapa guiding the curriculum, based on the science of learning and ensuring excellent and equitable outcomes for students.

Mātai ki te rangi, homai te kauhau wānanga ki uta, ka whiti he ora | Look beyond the horizon, and draw near the bodies of knowledge that will take us into the future.

The outer rings represent our guiding kaupapa.

Mātainuku | Creating a foundation

The curriculum principles (e.g., holding high expectations, and enabling all students to access the full scope of the curriculum).

Mātai ki te whenua, ka tiritiria, ka poupoua. | Ground and nurture the learning..

The centre rings represent the foundation and calls to action.

Mātaitipu | Vision of young people

The educational vision of young people, as conceived by young people.

Mātaitipu hei papa whenuakura | Grow and nourish a thriving community.

The inner rings and circular space represent the vision and students at the centre

Mātairea | Supporting progress

The whole schooling pathway and the overarching focus for year-by-year learning and progress.

Mātai ka rea, ka pihi hei māhuri. | Build and support progress.

Niho kurī lines represent building and supporting the development of students.

Mātaiahikā | Relationships with tangata whenua and local community

Learning through relationships with tangata whenua and local communities.

Mātai kōrero ahiahi. | Keep the hearth occupied, maintain the stories by firelight.

Poutama curves represent relationships with tangata whenua and the community.

Mātaioho | National curriculum – contextualised

The process by which schools bring the national curriculum to life through local, national, and global contexts.

Mātai oho, mātai ara, whītiki, whakatika. | Awaken, arise, and prepare for action.

Unaunahi scales represent wealth of knowledge, purpose, and know-how.

Mātaiaho | Learning areas

The eight learning areas, which each include a purpose, big ideas, knowledge, and practices, year-by-year.

Mātai rangaranga te aho tū, te aho pae. | Weave the learning strands together.

Taratara-a-kae niho notches represent diversity, resilience, and mana

The Curriculum has Eight Learning Areas:

  • English
  • The Arts
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Learning Languages
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Technology

Together they provide the basis for a broad, general education for the first four phases of learning (years 0–10). Each learning area is knowledge-rich.

This knowledge has been carefully chosen to support all students in their schooling pathway and is framed using Understand, Know, and Do.

Understand, Know, and Do

Understand: the deep and enduring big ideas and themes that students develop understanding of over the phases.

Know: the meaningful and important content, concepts, and topics at each phase that enrich students’ understanding of the big ideas and themes and that students study using the practices.

Do: the practices (skills, strategies, and processes) that bring rigour to learning and support the development of the key competencies.

The Progression Model

The progression model provides the structure that sequences the knowledge. It supports all students to develop greater:
  • Breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, through engaging with increasingly complex and ambiguous contexts.
  • Refinement and sophistication in their use of competencies, practices, strategies, processes, and skills.
  • Ability to connect, transfer, and apply new learning in meaningful contexts.
  • Knowledge and awareness of themselves as learners.
  • Effectiveness when working with others.

Knowledge and progression are reflected in how the learning areas are organised. Each learning area has the following main sections:

Purpose Statement and UKD Overview
A purpose statement describes the learning area’s contribution to the lives of students. It is followed by an overview of Understand, Know, and Do. This gives a view of the big ideas, themes, concepts, topics, and practices that underpin the learning area.

Teachers use the purpose statement and UKD overview to develop an understanding of the learning area, so that they can share its benefits with students.

Learning Area Structure
For each learning area, this section outlines its structure and the changes it undergoes over five phases of learning, particularly in the final phase, where students specialise and choose from a range of subjects.

There are five phases of learning, spanning years 0–13. Each phase covers two to three years of schooling, which reflects how most schools organise learning across year levels.

A critical focus for each phase establishes a sustained, strengths-based, focus on the student and their social, emotional, and cognitive learning at this stage of their schooling journey. Each critical focus builds on the phase before and is reflected in the content of the learning area for the phase.

The critical focuses are: 

  • Phase 1 (years 0–3): Thriving in environments rich in literacy and maths
  • Phase 2 (years 4–6): Expanding horizons of knowledge, and collaboration
  • Phase 3 (years 7–8): Seeing ourselves in the wider world and advocating with and for others

Teachers use the critical focus of each phase in their selection and design of topics and activities.

Teaching Guidance
Each learning area also draws from the science of learning and wider education theory to provide a knowledge base and guidance for teachers. Teachers use this to help them make purposeful decisions about how to teach the learning area’s content in ways that are inclusive of all students.

The guidance is organised under three headings:

  • Designing a comprehensive teaching and learning programme
  • Using assessment to inform teaching
  • Planning

Progress outcomes

In each learning area, there is one comprehensive progress outcome for each phase.

The progress outcomes act as signposts that describe expectations for what students should sufficiently understand, know, and be able to do at key points in the schooling pathway.

The content of each progress outcome is organised using the Understand–Know–Do framework. While the Understand statements repeat across the five phases, students’ depth of understanding increases as their knowledge of the learning area’s content (Know) grows and their use of the practices (Do) develops.

When read alongside the progress outcomes for prior and subsequent phases, the progress outcome for a phase helps teachers maintain an overview of the learning they are building on and the learning they are preparing students for. Progress outcomes are therefore key for planning, along with the more detailed teaching sequences (described below).

Teachers also use the progress outcomes to help them form a comprehensive view of each student’s progress, achievement, learning needs, and strengths. Schools can use information from twice-yearly, standardised assessment tools to help develop this view, which can also be used to report to parents.

In forming a view of progress and achievement, teachers should ask themselves: 

  • Are students using learning from the progress outcome of the previous phase to make sense of new learning in the current phase? This demonstrates how well they can connect new learning to what they already know. It generally occurs in the first year of a phase.
  • Are students consolidating the learning expressed in the progress outcome in a wide range of contexts? This demonstrates how well and confidently they are using their new learning. This generally occurs in the second year of the phase.
  • Are students secure in the learning described in the progress outcome within an increasingly complex range of contexts? Are they showing greater depth of knowledge, understanding, and application as they use their new learning and prepare for the challenges of the next phase? This generally occurs towards the end of the final year of the phase.
  • Are there gaps in learning that are going to restrict students’ ability to make progress in the next phase of their learning? This is a question teachers should ask across all years of the phase, drawing on the section Using assessment to inform teaching to consider how to adapt their practices to meet students’ learning needs.

Ko te pae tawhiti whaia kia tata, ko te pae tawhiti whakamaua – from your basket to my basket, we are going to achieve – home school relationship.

Cultural Dimensions of Nga Pae Tawhiti
Ngā Manawa Tūhono/ Hearts That Connect
Through Nga Pae Tawhiti, Hamilton West School embraces cultural diversity and unity, highlighting our common threads of connection and mutual respect among different cultures. “Ngā Manawa” means hearts, and “Tūhono” means to connect or join.

Mātauranga Tāwhiti/ Distant Knowledge
Through Nga Pae Tawhiti, Hamilton West School  celebrates gifted and talented individuals who bring unique and diverse knowledge from various cultures. “Mātauranga” means knowledge or education, and “Tāwhiti” means distant, indicating far-reaching wisdom.

Te Hononga Ātaahua
Through Nga Pae Tawhiti, Hamilton West School emphasises cultural responsiveness by recognising and valuing the beauty in the connection between different cultures. “Te Hononga” means the connection, and “Ātaahua” means beautiful.

Ngā Wairua Kaha
Through Nga Pae Tawhiti, Hamilton West School embodies the spirit of gifted and talented individuals whose strength and resilience inspire others. “Te Wairua” means the spirit or soul, and “Kaha” means strong, emphasising the inner strength that ties diverse cultures together.

Tūhono Tāngata
Through Nga Pae Tawhiti, Hamilton West School emphasises the importance of building connections and relationships among diverse cultures. “Tūhono” means to connect, and “Tāngata” means people.

A Multi-category Response
Hamilton West School has adopted a multi-category approach to gifted and talented education. We acknowledge a wide range of special abilities exists including in areas such as: academic, cultural, artistic, physical, social, emotional and high motivation   We are all gifted and talented in our own unique way.

Throughout any year a number of programmes are run for our students who are selected in a number of ways.

Inquiry Learning

At Hamilton West School we operate a two-year cycle of inquiry learning to cover curriculum areas such as Science, Social Sciences, Technology, and Health & Physical Education. We focus on the following concepts, which are linked to big ideas developed in the inquiry. English and Mathematics is interwoven into our Inquiries.

Concept Examples:

  • Sustainability
  • Relationships
  • Change Movement
  • Traditions
  • Connections Systems Production & Consumption Diversity Processes

Inquiry Learning Diagram

Other Forms of Learning

EOTC - Education Outside the Classroom

The school provides exciting Education Outside The Classroom (EOTC) opportunities to provide  real-life learning experiences for our tamariki.

Class Trips
From time to time classes go on educational, sports or cultural trips. Parental transport or buses are used. Parents are also asked to assist with trips when applicable as our Health and Safety requirements relating to student / adult ratios.

Notification about details is sent home by the class teacher prior to the trip, this will include dates, times and costs.

The school also offers a variety of EOTC camps such as:

  • Senior Camp (Year 5 & 6)
  • Intermediate Camps (Years 7 & 8)
  • Samoa Trip (every second year)

Learning from Home

Information for Parents and Whānau
Learning happens in every language. If your home language is a language other than English, use that language when communicating with your child. You can use your home language to talk about activities provided and the activity can be completed in English (or in your home language).

Supporting learning from home resources
Below you can view resources you might find useful selected by the Ministry of Education to support learning at home. You can download and print them to create a learning pack for ākonga.

View Resources

ESOL - English as a Second Language

At Hamilton West School, we’re proud to offer ESOL support to help our students thrive. This support is available for:

  • Migrant students who have moved to New Zealand.
  • Former refugees.
  • New Zealand-born students with at least one parent from a migrant or refugee background, where a language other than English is often spoken at home.

When you enrol your child, we’ll ask if they meet this criteria so we can provide the right support.

From Year 2, many of our ESOL students take part in small-group sessions (up to three times a week) with a caring ESOL teacher aide. These sessions help build confidence in speaking, reading, and writing English. Most of the support happens in the classroom, so students can learn alongside their peers while getting the extra help they need.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask Susan, she’s here to help!

Contact Susan

eLearning

Learning—or electronic learning—is the delivery of educational content through digital devices like computers, chromebooks and ipads.

Hamilton West School is committed to providing IT resources (devices & infrastructure) for students to have access to educational resources to enhance their learning.

Note: Hamilton West School is not a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) School. The Board of Trustees is committed to providing devices for students to use in the classroom. To support this there is a replacement plan to continually update the supply of devices.

Reporting to Parents

Hamilton West School reports to its whanau in a variety of ways including:

  • Meet the Teacher Afternoon
  • Parent Interviews
  • Individual School Reports – mid year / end of year
  • Appointments – parents / whānau are welcome to book an appointment with their child’s teacher to discuss their progress at school
  • Informal – there are many informal meetings with parents/whānau and staff about student learning