Classroom Learning

Classroom Learning

We encourage our students to take an active role in their learning, setting goals and evaluating their own progress. Our aim is to set students up to be life-long learners and this requires a sound understanding of learning processes as well as the content of the learning programmes.


The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five Key Competencies that, when mastered, set students up to be successful in life and learning. These Key Competencies are specifically taught and practised within the learning programmes. They are:

Thinking – creatively and critically making sense of ideas, experiences and information

Managing Self – self motivation and a ‘can do’ attitude; resourceful, resilient

Relating to Others – interacting effectively with a variety of people with different points of view

Participating & Contributing – being actively involved in communities; local, national, global

Using Language, Symbols and Texts – competence interpreting words, numbers, images

Classroom Learning

At Maidstone Intermediate, students explore the curriculum through an integrated approach, along with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy skills. Over their two years here, our students will learn from the context of our 6 unifying ideas. 
 
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At our kura, our teaching teams develop their own, unique programmes that are centred around the concepts of:
 
  1. Systems & Sustainability, 
  2. Whanaungatanga, 
  3. Cause & Effect, 
  4. Ko Wai Au, 
  5. Culture & Diversity and 
  6. Change. 
 
Students learn about each of these concepts through projects and bodies of work that integrate all curriculum areas in a range of authentic and meaningful contexts. We aim to provide platforms where tauira (student and teacher) can be a part of this process, contributing their ideas and making choices along the way. Additionally, Literacy and Numeracy skills are taught explicitly, based on the unique needs and learning styles of all of our students. We pride ourselves on offering an engaging and ever-changing curriculum, fuelled by our students’ interests and unique to our local area and community.
 
The Learning Programmes at Maidstone Intermediate is based on Levels 3 and 4 of the New Zealand Curriculum. Students who are learning outside these levels are catered for by adapting or extending the programmes. Extra learning support is provided by our very able teacher aides, who work alongside the teachers providing for students who find areas of learning challenges. Our very able students have a variety of opportunities for extension throughout the year and this supplements the in-class extension provided by the teacher.

Assessments

The Maidstone Intermediate philosophy is that our students’ learning is much more than summative assessments. Teachers use a combination of summative and formative assessments, and ongoing work in the classroom to determine with the students, where they are at with their learning and what their next steps are.