Tākaka Primary School

Kia Kotahi Tātou, Tū Tonu Mai!

Nau Mai, Haere Mai ki te Kura Tuatahi ō Tākaka

Welcome to Tākaka Primary School

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Naumai, Welcome to our Vibrant Place of Learning

Welcome to our vibrant place of learning, where we place children and their learning front and centre.

Our school is a diverse and happy place; we prioritise student wellbeing and engagement, knowing that progress and achievement will follow when students are happy, have friends, and feel safe!

Tākaka Primary is situated on 4 hectares of land with the local Kindergarten and High School just steps away. Our beautiful grounds back onto a forest and the community gardens, and we are a short walk from Tākaka town. We get the best of both worlds; being able to access the library, playcentre and other amenities, while still being close to nature.

We have fantastic facilities that enhance the learning opportunities we provide our tamariki. These include: a heated swimming pool, a pump track and an asphalt bike track with access to school bikes daily, a school forest for outdoor learning, school gardens as well as an orchard onsite.

Students at TPS are learning how to light fires, weave with harakeke, work with tools and collaborate to build huts and work together using natural resources. Our school prides itself on being able to provide opportunities for students to discover themselves, one another, and their environment. We actively teach our students how to manage risks and be safe.

Your children will climb trees, build huts and explore nature. They will ride bikes and scooters, zoom around in go-karts, and play bull rush and rugby. They will be kids and have a great time exploring and learning!

WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL AND UNIQUE?

We are a school of both English-Medium learning and Dual-Medium learning, with opportunities provided for tamariki to learn the curriculum in Te Reo Māori for up to 18 hours per week. Our dual-medium hub is blessed with clever kaiako (teachers) and kaiarahi (Māori Language Learning Support Assistants), some of whom are fluent Māori speakers, and others who are hugely experienced junior literacy teachers. This means that students get regular, quality literacy and mathematics in both languages.

We offer a rich and broad curriculum while also ensuring that we are developing a strong foundation in both Literacy and Mathematics, which is crucial to a students' academic success. All learning and teaching puts our learners' at the centre, ensuring we are catering for their individual learning needs.

Our focus is on Relationships based Learning (RbL); creating a family like context across our school. In short, we are a whānau and our relationships with students and between students are central to all of our mahi.

We value the development of competencies and values to ensure our tamariki are prepared for THEIR future. These are explicitly taught and embedded throughout life at Tākaka Primary School. We live our school values everyday!

Every child has their own chromebook, which is provided by the school (and remains the property of the school) to support their learning.

OUR KIDS ARE "KIA ORA KIDS"

Our KIA ORA Kid Values

Kotahitanga - Unity
Integrity - Pono
Adaptability - Autanga

Open to Learning - Kia Mataara
Respect - Whakaute
Aroha - Empathy

Our Values are the building blocks of our wharenui, within which we grow;

Kia Ora Kids; Connected, Collaborative, Life Long Learners.

KIA ORA KIDS THRIVE IN RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

We value the development of behaviour just as much as we do the development and progression of learning academics. When mistakes are made, we encourage ownership, accountability and responsibility and support students to repair the harm and restore the peace. Our vision states that our students thrive in respectful, restorative relationships.

Our school culture is underpinned by restorative practice and our mantra is :

“Own it, fix it, learn from it and move on”.

LEARNING AT TĀKAKA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Our tamariki begin their journey through a play based learning approach that evolves into project based learning where students increasingly take responsibility and agency over their learning.

We transition our children from kindergarten and our local early childhood centres, where possible, in groups to soften the transition. We have an open door school and value parent help and connections. It's a great place to be, supported by our strong focus on values, relationships, and creating a family like context.

Our committed staff work in partnership with students, families and one another to create learning opportunities that engage, excite and encourage our learners to lengthen their stride and reach the potential they deserve. We; tamariki, staff, support staff, and families are on the waka as we journey, grow and evolve to develop a learner-centric curriculum and place learning that is student driven, teacher powered, and well supported by whanau.

Our vision states that our students thrive in respectful, restorative relationships. We are committed to developing our local curriculum to cater for our 21st century learners with innovative learning practice at the core. We have a Graduate Profile of what we aspire for our learners to acquire during their time with us that guides our journey. Most of all, we have a fabulous community in which to learn, play and grow.

Do come and meet us, and join us as we journey together.

Kia Kotahi Tātou, Tū Tonu Mai!