Small school success may offer template (+video)

Rotorua Seventh Day Adventist School pupils Moana Esposito, 11 (right) and Cylest Benfell, 9, love their modern classrooms. Photo / Ben Fraser

A Rotorua school's innovative approach to teaching and learning could be used as a template for the rest of the country's small schools if it proves successful, according to its principal.

Rotorua Seventh Day Adventist School caters to 35 pupils from new entrant to Year 8 and is looking at ways to improve its collaborative teaching techniques across all age groups.

The school recently underwent a full refurbishment of its classrooms to aid in its transition to modern learning techniques. Principal Lanea Strickland said, among other changes, the classrooms were open plan with solar light panels and pupils sat at tables rather than individual desks.

"The pupils can be more fluid between classes depending on their academic level. There is a lot more natural light coming through the solar panels and having the children sit at tables rather than desks encourages conversation and teamwork."

She said they were working through a trialling process to figure out the best ways to engage pupils in the new learning spaces.

"It is hard because there is no research about small schools collaborating between such a variety of age groups - usually schools stick to collaboration between a couple of year groups, not new entrant to Year 8."

She said, under the new teaching technique, children were able to progress at their individual speeds.

"If a Year 4 student was reading at a Year 6 level, this new teaching environment will allow that student to sit in the senior reading groups so they can get the most out of their schooling.

"If our techniques for collaborating between all age groups is successful, it could be used as an example for other schools with small rolls."

Ms Strickland said she was already seeing an improvement in her pupils.

"We've only been in the classroom since the beginning of this term and already we are seeing a huge improvement in the pupils' behaviour, social interactions and willingness to learn.

"Before we renovated the classrooms, the children used to stick to their year groups ... Now, we are seeing much more integration in the children's social interactions as well as their learning."