Curriculum Learning
Core Curriculum
Mathematics
At Spreydon School, we take a structured and intentional approach to mathematics. Our maths programme, including Numicon and Mathletics, follows a clear and coherent learning progression, allowing concepts to build upon previous learning. This helps students make meaningful connections and grow in both confidence and competence.
Underpinned by the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, our programme is designed to meet the needs of all learners. It provides teachers with a well-organised framework that supports targeted instruction and ensures students are working towards clear progress outcomes.
By taking a purposeful and systematic approach, we empower every student to deepen their understanding, tackle challenges with confidence, and enjoy success in maths.
Structured Literacy Learning
Teachers are dedicated to laying a solid foundation in literacy through our Structured Literacy approach. Grounded in evidence-based practices, this approach systematically teaches the essential components of reading and writing: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
In Years 1–6, iDeaL, a highly regarded programme, introduces key literacy skills in a fun, explicit, and engaging way. This supports early decoding and builds confidence from the start.
Our Structured Literacy Programme reflects our commitment to high-quality teaching and learning, ensuring every child is supported to thrive in literacy.
If you would like to know more about the New Zealand Curriculum, you can access the Ministry of Education Parent Portal by clicking on the link below.
Local Curriculum
Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School focuses on the achievement and success of all students.
We support the strengths of all our students through our local curriculum to enable all students to experience success. Kaiako use their expertise to establish a supportive learning environment, identify their students’ learning needs, and make decisions on what to teach and how to teach it. In doing this, they draw on what they know about their students, about the curriculum, and about quality teaching practice.
While the New Zealand Curriculum sets out the national direction for learning for all students, Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School designs and implements its localised curriculum based on concepts, in ways that engage and motivate our students.
Our localised curriculum is unique and responsive to the priorities, vision and focuses of our community and our people. We believe our concepts should be authentic, deep and fun. We aim to cover all NZC learning areas in an integrated way, and incorporate our competencies.
The conceptual curriculum is a rich, integrated approach to learning that connects the essence of the NZ Curriculum. Learning through a concept is more effective than a single-subject approach.
We want children to explore a concept over the year, rather than starting with curriculum areas and making them fit into one topic in one term. Each Hub will be doing separate inquiries and experiences, but they will all fall under our conceptual understanding.
The Seven Learning Areas
The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) is set out in seven essential learning areas:
- Language (English)
- Mathematics
- Science
- Health and Physical Education
- Technology
- Social Studies
- The Arts (Music, Art, Drama, Dance)
All elements of the NZC are woven through our local curriculum. Our teachers use an Inquiry approach, incorporating Digital Technologies to provide authentic contexts through which students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, creativity and communication skills.
Our three-year cycle focuses on our values of Community, Hauora and Ako, along with key essential skills, knowledge and attitudes.
Conceptual Curriculum
“To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must:
(a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge,
(b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and
(c) organise knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application.”How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School. National Research Council, 2000, p.16
Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School 3 Year Cycle
Hauora
Practising hauora can produce a strong foundation to strengthen connections, relationships and understanding.
- Understanding Unicorn
- Connecting Caterpillar
- Relationship Rakiraki
Ako
Creativity, perseverance and resilience may lead to innovation.
- Creativity Cat
- Resilient Rhino
- Innovative Iguana
- Persevering Penguin
Community
Different perspectives present challenges and opportunities which may lead to change.
- Change Chameleon
- Perspective Poaka
- Challenge Chicken
- Opportunity Octopus
Swimming and Water Safety
Instructional swimming takes place during the year for all classes as part of a water safety programme. The development of confidence is the main aim of the school’s swimming programme. Parent help is an essential element in ensuring the success of the programme.
Digital Technology
The school uses a variety of Digital Technologies to support the curriculum as part of our local curriculum. The integration of Digital Technologies within our school curriculum involves exposing students to new technology, tools and skills. Children are taught and encouraged to develop their skills, ask questions, find information and present new ideas in a meaningful way.
Our school provides Chromebooks and iPads as tools for our learning.
Digital Citizenship
Spreydon School believes in a Digital Citizenship model for supporting safe and responsible use of the internet in teaching and learning. Teaching with a digital citizenship focus takes a proactive approach to cybersafety, and helps to prepare our students for an ever-changing digital world.
As part of this digital citizenship focus, we ask everyone – staff, students and volunteers working at the school – to agree to use the internet and other technologies in a safe and responsible way by following the rules laid out in a Responsible Use Agreement.
The Student User Agreement is linked below for your reference.
Publishing Agreement
When each child starts at Spreydon School, we seek permission from parents regarding the publication of your child’s work and image in the wider community – the world outside of our school. We do this so that you have control of where and when your child’s work and image is published.
Digital Platforms and Student Information
We use several layers of online protection as part of our device use.
All internet use at school is filtered through Network for Learning (N4L), the government provider for schools, and tools such as Linewize help us identify and respond early if a student may need additional wellbeing support. These systems help block inappropriate content, flag concerning online behaviour, and allow us to care for students proactively.
Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School uses the third-party, web-based service providers listed below to aid students’ learning. For your child to use the service, the teacher will need to register them as a user.