Our local curriculum “foster’s students’ dispositions to learn and to contribute as active members of society.” 
Rosemary Hipkins – Weaving the coherent curriculum.


Our local curriculum is developed from our vision ‘empowering learners today to create their tomorrow’ and is guided by the unique needs of the emerging adolescent and the connection to our place.

Ko Mātau Tēnei provides us with rich opportunities to learn, connecting ākonga to our community, strengthening our relationships, celebrating our places and spaces, and allowing us to make our vision come alive for every learner, every day.

It is underpinned by the principles within Te Mātaiaho, the New Zealand Curriculum, of: holding high expectations for all ākonga, holding a broad view of ākonga success and giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Key Competencies are our capabilities for living and lifelong learning. They provide direction for ākonga to explore and create within our concepts, and guide kaiako in making decision about learning – what are the learners able to do because of their learning.

At Te Kura Kakawaenga o Ōtātara Taradale Intermediate, these are explored through the lens of learnership. 

At Taradale Intermediate we want all ākonga to:

  • Be happy and experience a sense of belonging.
  • Make personal progress enabling them to grow and reach their individual potential.
  • Be part of enriching and challenging experiences that prepares them for their lives as global citizens, now and in the future.

“Schools that create a culture of learning and growth develop students who not only do well in school but also thrive in the world after school.”   
James Anderson

Ko Ōtātara Pa te maunga
Ōtātara Pa is the mountain

Ko Tūtaekurī te awa
Tūtaekurī is the river

Ko Tākitimu te waka
Tākitimu is the canoe

Ko Tāreha Te Moananui te tangata
Tāreha is the chief

Ko te kura takawaenga o Ōtātara te kura
Taradale Intermediate is the school

Our whakataukī encourages our people to strive for excellence, and having attained excellence, celebrate that achievement.  Implicit in the whakataukī, is the understanding that having achieved a goal we should not be complacent - but identify the next challenge.

Pae tawhiti, Pae Tata
Our future, our opportunity.

Our school logo depicts the War Memorial Clock which stands at the centre of our Taradale township.  The clock tower is symbolic for Taradale Intermediate as we are the centre of learning for Year 7 and 8 ākonga /learners in our area.

The road map in the background, of the Taradale township, symbolises the numerous learning pathways available to ākonga, and the stopping, starting and redirection taken on their learning journeys.

The poutama pattern relates our to school whakataukī. 

Ko te pae tāwhiti whāia kia tata. 

Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina. 

Our school encourages its ākonga to strive for and attain excellence. In the same way the poutama pattern emphasises, not only, stepping up but stepping out with learning. The more growth and confidence ākonga attain in their learning journey, the more independent and agentic they are in moving onto their next pathway.

Our school has four whanaukura / learning teams.  Each team has it’s own identity within our school and work together like a school family.  
​​​​​​​Our whanaukura are:  Tākitimu, Mohaka, Tareha and Kaweka.  

The 4Cs, Character, Communication, Curiosity, Capability, are our dispositions for learning.

Our 4Cs are one way our kura communicates a shared understanding of what a future-oriented learner looks like. They reflect the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that ākonga need to develop, to positively participate in a range of contexts beyond our school.

When our ākonga leave Taradale Intermediate we want them to have the following dispositions:

  • Show positive character
  • Can communicate with clarity
  • Are curious about the world within and around them
  • Are capable of growth

Character

Character is a learner’s expression of their values and principles.

Communication

Communication is the act of transferring information from one place, person, or group to another.

Curiosity

Curiosity is… “I just want to know so I can understand _______?”

Capability

Capability is the ability to do something, to learn something new.

RESTORATIVE PRACTICE
This is a relational approach to school life grounded in beliefs about equality, dignity, mana, and the potential of all people.

Restorative Practice focuses on building and maintaining positive, respectful relationships across the school community and offers school staff evidence based, best-practice tools and techniques to restore relationships when things go wrong.

By building and maintaining positive, respectful relationships within a school, adult to adult, adult to learner and learner to learner, challenges are more easily managed and resolved.

Learnership is the overarching term we use that encompasses the three subsets of agency: the environment to act, the will to act, and the power to act.  This includes the dispositions and frameworks employed to build learnership and agency in our ākonga.  James Anderson defines learner agency as “the degree to which an individual is able to take initiative to meaningfully influence their world, particularly in the face of challenges”.

Learnership provides us with a shared vocabulary and an understanding of the learning relationship between teachers and ākonga.  Learnership places responsibility of ākonga growth with them, as learning is not the product of teaching, it’s the product of activity. 

Using frameworks such as the Mindset Continuum, the Habits of Mind, the Learning Zones, the Challenge Pit, and the Effective Effort Matrix assist ākonga with developing their learnership and are resources that promote continual growth.

Use the Learner Agency tab on our school website to access further resources and to view video content provided by James Anderson as he partners with us on our Learner Agency journey.

Te Kura Takawaenga o Ōtātara, with guidance from Ngāti  Kahungunu (iwi),  Ngati  Pārau (hapu)  and  our  school  community ensures our ākonga leave with an understanding and knowledge of te ao Māori that is grounded within our local places and spaces.

Whakapapa o tēnei wā is one of the ways TIS acknowledges all our ākonga, honours the Treaty of Waitangi, and creates ākonga who understand their place in the bicultural nature of Aotearoa.

ĀKONGA AT TIS WILL LEARN:

  • Local waiata and haka
  • Pūrākau (local stories)
  • Rongoā (medicinal uses of plants)
  • How to lay a hangi
  • About local rangatira (chiefs)
  • Our whakatauikī, gifted to us by Ngati Pārau, as the foundation of our local curriculum

Taradale Intermediate  believe ākonga are more likely to make progress and succeed when parents and whānau, and their kaiako:

  • work together in a way that is focused on learning.
  • share information and acknowledge expertise.
  • understand and celebrate similarities and differences. 

Our kura supports parents, whānau, and ākonga to be active partners in learning. 

Get Connected

Beginning of year

Our Get Connected meetings are held before the start of the school year. Ākonga attend with their whānau. These are an opportunity to make connections and share information.  The sharing of taonga is a first step in getting to know each other.  


Keeping Connected

Mid Year

We keep connected mid-year through our learner led conferences.  A learner led conference is a hui run by ākonga for their whānau, focused entirely on learning.  These keeping connected sessions are supported by our Hero platform.

Curriculum Connection Events

Mid Year



Whānau Connect

End of Year

Our Whānau Connect evening is held in Term 4 for the whānau of all ākonga enrolled for the following year. This is an important part of the transition process for our whānau/families from other settings.  Whānau learn about the TIS way and let us know what they’d like from us as a kura.

Taradale Intermediate School’s aim is to have every learner reach their full potential in all areas of school life: ACADEMIC, CULTURAL, SPORT and CITIZENSHIP.  This means providing a range of learning experiences and opportunities to ignite passions, creating a love of lifelong learning and develop their curiosity.  Learning at our school enables all ākonga to experience an enriching journey which empowers them to create something new! 

AWARD SYSTEMS

  • Merit, Excellence, Honours and Special Honours Programme
  • 3Rs - Bands, Tags and Stars
  • 4Cs Certificates 

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

  • Leadership/Citizenship roles: Kaitiaki Leaders, Librarians, Road Patrol, and other roles
  • Mihi Whakatau Group
  • Students Coaching Students

SPECIAL PROGRAMMES & EVENTS

  • Cultural - e.g.  Dance, Choir, Kapa Haka, Visual Arts, Speeches, Digi Awards, Languages
  • Sports - e.g. Sport Challenge, Super 6, AIMS Games
  • Academic - e.g. Robotics, External Competitions, Lit Quiz

Our School Vision

‘Empowering learners today to create their tomorrow’

HERO: Our portal

Hero is our Online Portal that allows kaiako, ākonga, and whānau to view and share content anytime, anywhere, on any device. The software is secure, easy to use and brings together all school-related information in one place. 

Learning posts combined with curriculum information and goal setting will form an online learning story designed to build year on year so that over time you will have access to written posts, images, video, work samples, and helpful resources all in one place.

We are excited about the features that Hero has to offer whānau. 

These include the ability for parents and whānau to:

  • Read posts relating to your child’s learning
  • View information on your child’s progress and goals
  • Connect in real time with your child’s learning goals, progress and achievement

ASSESSEMENT, Our Why:

  • Assessment guides improvement in learning and teaching
  • Assessment builds student agency
  • Assessment is equitable and serves the learning of all ākonga

  • Evidence of progress and achievement is gathered using a range of assessment approaches
  • Our assessment is interwoven through our learning.

Digital information has rapidly overtaken print as the main form of communication. Digital technologies are increasingly evident in our home, work, and social lives.  It is essential that digital fluency is fostered within our curriculum and in the pedagogical practices of our school so ākonga can thrive in the digital age.

Digital fluency is understanding how to use digital technologies, deciding when to use specific digital technologies to achieve a desired outcome, and being able to explain why the technologies selected will provide this outcome.

OUR PROGRAMMES PROMOTE:

  • Digital Capabilities – being digitally adept and innovative; able to confidently choose and use digital tools to learn, create, and share
  • Digital Principles – demonstrating values when working digitally; being an ethical, respectful, and responsible digital citizen
  • Digital Literacies – being discerning and critical; able to locate, understand, organise, evaluate, and adapt digital content.

OUR TIS INQUIRY MODEL

During the two years at our kura we ensure coverage of the curriculum through the following concepts.  

These concepts are flexible and driven through the lens of Te Whakapapa o tēnei wa, our whakataukī, our learner needs, interests and the connection to community, places and spaces. 

2025


Term 1

Whanaungatanga and Kotahitanga


Term 2

Innovation/Enterprise/Discover


Term 3

Perspective/Communication/Creativity


Term 4

Personalised Inquiry