Kaponga Primary School's modern learning spaces create more opportunities

Kaponga Primary School's old buildings have been modified into new, modern spaces.

The classrooms have changed and so has the learning within them at Kaponga Primary School, says principal Shane Downs.

Shane says this year the layout of the senior and junior buildings was completely rearranged.

"We have been working on changing the layout since the start of the year. The work on the buildings was completed during the recent school holidays."

The change is about having the best learning process for the pupils, he says.

"It allows us to change the way the kids are learning and how we teach.

"Te Kohanga Ako (the junior block, Year 0-3) had a wall removed between two classrooms, creating a big open space with multiple learning areas.

"There are 41 kids in the block that are learning through play across the space."

The Year 0-3 learning space.

Ki Te Whangai (the senior block, Year 4-8) has 76 students working in three main classrooms and numerous breakout spaces.

"The kids complete their structured numeracy and literacy workshops and then when they're not engaged in those they're working on activities that improve on their essential skills including spelling, basic facts, and general knowledge," Shane says.

Year 7-8 teacher Dayna Downs says while the structural work started at the beginning of the year, the entire change was a two-year process.

"We have been working on this for a long time. I've viewed different schools across the North Island, witnessing their flexible learning environment and using their ideas to make something that suits our pupils' needs."

She says the pupils manage small parts of their learning each day.

"They have one hour grouped literacy and numeracy sessions and year group activities such as physical education, science and social studies. When they are not in their workshops they have a little time each day to work on their KEA and KEEP."

KEA (Kaponga Explorer Activities) are a set of activities pupils need to complete each week.

"We change the KEA each term to cater to the pupils' needs. Their small tasks like learning their spelling words, basic facts. If they complete their KEA in the given times for each task they have 20 minutes spare each day to work on their KEEP."

The Year 4-8 block has three classrooms and multiple breakout spaces.

Kaponga Explorer Educational Projects (KEEP) are passion projects the pupils work on.

"They are guided by the Kaponga explorer inquiry process. They come up with an idea and search for information. As teachers it is up to us to collaborate with the students, extending their ideas and steering them in the right direction."

She says there is no limit to how long the project takes.

"They could start in Year 4 and finish it in Year 8, it's all about expanding their ideas and taking the next step. We also have projects that are teacher-driven and linked to the curriculum to support the students with examples and ideas."

A whiteboard in the hallway tells the children their workshop times and groups and when teachers are available to help them complete their KEA and work on their KEEP.

She says the way the school is now is a complete change from two years ago.

"Both the buildings and programmes are completely different. As teachers we follow the inquiry process just like the students."