Modernising a 110-year-old school without losing its historic character is a challenge for Tauranga Primary School.
The school, like others in Tauranga, is moving towards a Modern Learning Environment (MLE), with open-plan classrooms and collaborative teaching, but has the extra challenge of keeping its iconic old-fashioned look.
Principal Fiona Hawes said the school had begun the transition to MLEs and had converted one classroom for collaborative teaching, but there were still improvements that needed to be made.
"The school has a long history. It has beautiful old pavilion buildings and we want to maintain that history and link to the classes. However, the classes look how they did when we went to school."
She said all of the students at the school were born in the 21st century and the teaching spaces had to reflect that.