In order for us to ensure that our students are leaving Ellesmere College – Te Kāreti o Waihora with a skill set that sets them up to be able to thrive and flourish, we need to ensure that teaching and learning moves away from traditional classroom teaching which is more akin to Victorian Era England than to 21st Century Aotearoa. Our kura provides students with a stimulating environment and the personalised support to enable them to excel both academically and personally.
Our learning design offers a learner-centred, self-directed approach in which students have the opportunity to co-design their learning and develop their passions and interests, while strengthening their critical thinking skills, their ability to communicate effectively using a variety of mediums, learning how to more effectively self-manage their own learning by working to timelines and deadlines, hone their ability to relate to others and work more collaboratively in team dynamics as they positively participate and contribute both within and outside of class. These encompass the key competencies of the New Zealand Curriculum. Students self-report and track their progress through the use of SOLO Taxonomy and there is increased accountability on junior students as there is the expectation that they present the work they have completed in Ako and Connected Learning Modules to the public at Exhibition Evenings each term.
