Our Principal
Kia ora koutou katoa ngā whānau o tenei kura
Greetings to all our families
To all our whānau, welcome to Te Kura ō Hinepōhatu – Maidstone Intermediate School. We are very proud of our kura and are pleased to welcome you on board.
Middle school, or Intermediate school, is an important stage of education. The main goal is to cater for the needs of emerging adolescents. At Maidstone, we take great pride in tailoring our programmes and teaching strategies to cater for the academic, social, and physical development of the ākonga. My commitment to each ākonga and their whānau is to ensure each and every one of you has a positive, empowering experience during your time at Te Kura ō Hinepōhatu.
I know that choosing the best kura for your child is not an easy process. I am confident that at Maidstone we have created a culture and are continuing to employ professional staff to ensure that:
- We provide outstanding educational opportunities with a degree of specialisation
- We introduce your tamaiti to new experiences, studies, and interests with a broad, flexible, and uncluttered curriculum.
- We provide an orderly, friendly and positive learning environment – focusing on citizenship, identity, morals and values.
- Financial and property management
I also want to assure our new parents and ākonga that our kura is committed to:
- Promoting the rights of the individuals to learn and teach without threats, bullying, intimidation, or harassment.
- Keeping our kura drug (and other related negative activities) free.
- Spending the majority of our time promoting and acknowledging successes and positive behaviours.
When students move on from Maidstone Intermediate we expect that they will have:
- Acquired the academic skills, knowledge, and attitude to succeed in their secondary schooling.
- Developed the social skills to interact successfully with all groups in the community.
- Developed pride in their environment and their personal achievements.
- Made the most of the opportunities available to them.
- Enjoyed a positive, happy, and challenging experience.
As a school, we encourage parents, caregivers and whānau to be actively involved in their child’s learning. If young people are to fulfil their potential it is essential that they are supported from the home – it is a shared responsibility between the child, the home, and the school. We have an open-door policy that encourages open communication, feedback, and discussion about any matter of importance to both parents, caregivers, and students.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the staff, and current students, we look forward to welcoming you to our school and developing a partnership with you over the next two years.
Wikus Swanepoel
Principal / Tumuaki
wikus.swanepoel@maidstone.school.nz
