Our Curriculum

Willow Park School’s curriculum is based on the New Zealand Curriculum, but localised to meet the needs of the school’s vision and values.

Our vision and values

Our aim with our curriculum is to allow our students to flourish with areas that they are passionate in, but to encourage growth into new and developmentally appropriate areas, through a range of play and inquiry-based learning. With an integrated approach, traditional subject areas such as English and mathematics can be combined in a range of meaningful contexts.

Our aim is for students to be ignited in their thirst for knowledge and skills, inspiring them to be lifelong learners, with opportunities to inquire collaboratively with their peers. 

Aspects of the curriculum that are special to Willow Park

Structured Literacy

Willow Park School is using research-based reading programs that emphasise phonological awareness, phonics, the rules of spelling and writing, as well as comprehension and fluency. A structured literacy approach uses the latest neuroscience research, and with world-class professional development through Learning Matters, our literacy support for all students is a real strength.

Learning Through Play

At Willow Park we want learning to be fun and inspiring for our students, to develop a love for coming to school and for learning. Learning Through Play helps with the transition from Early Childhood Centres, and particularly supports those children who are still developing their readiness for a more formal school setting. Learning Through Play works on foundation skills, oral language, social skills, gross and fine motor skills, self belief and independence. This approach weaves in seamlessly with the NZ curriculum, and fits wonderfully with our school vision and values. Children can explore and play both indoors and outside the classroom, with many opportunities to make connections with children in other Junior classrooms.

Specialist Curriculum

All students receive instruction in a range of specialist subject areas during their time at Willow Park. Each week students visit specialist teachers for music, physical education and health, environmental science, and Mandarin. 

Ms Erica Knights leads our music programme at school, teaching all students as part of the New Zealand Curriculum, but also enrichment activities through choirs, instrumental groups and orchestra. A range of opportunities are provided inside and outside of school performing as part of Willow Park School music programme. 

Mrs Becky Revell provides a comprehensive PE and Health curriculum for all year groups, ensuring the demands of the New Zealand Curriculum are met. The programme also provides opportunities for children to try new sports and games, to increase fitness and enjoyment of fitness and health, so it becomes lifelong enjoyment.

Mrs Clare Brockway has developed her own environmental science room within the school and introduces the children to action based programmes where they are empowered to design and lead sustainability projects in their schools, neighbourhoods and country. Such an important area for our children to be kaitiaki for the future, environmental science education is making a profound impact at our school. 

The Confucius Institute  based in Auckland University supports our Mandarin programme through funding and provision of a Chinese Modern Language Assistant to support our Chinese teacher, Mrs Sema Dancy. Children throughout school have the opportunity to learn and expand their understanding of Mandarin, and to discover the wonderful Chinese culture. The school also has a Lion Dancing group that performs at many events in our school calendar.

Quality Sports Provision

Mrs Sue Whiteman is the school sports coordinator and ensures that Willow Park School students have as many opportunities that are available throughout Auckland. A range of sports teams from netball, touch rugby, tackle rugby, basketball and flippaball are offered in a range of ages. Many of our parents support these teams through coaching and management. Our school also participates in cluster school, and Auckland-wide competitions. In 2020, Willow Park had the most families involved in the annual Shore to Shore fun run event. Sport is a real strength of our school.

Te Reo and Tikanga Māori

Willow Park School has a strong commitment to the use of Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Māori, honouring our Treaty of Waitangi commitments, and celebrating the unique bicultural environment of New Zealand. All teachers use everyday Te Reo Māori, and with the support of Kōkā Kelli Kawhia-Conrad, the school is developing school-wide Tikanga Māori practices. Willow Park School has a junior kapa haka group for Years 1-3 students and a Senior Kapa Haka group for Years 4-6 students. These groups perform at school events and the Senior Kapa Haka group takes part in the local Onepoto Festival each year.

Reporting to Parents about Learning

Parents, families, whānau, and wider community have a valuable role to play in supporting their children’s learning at and beyond school. Our aim is to share throughout the year, both informally and formally, your child’s progress and achievement in relation to learning entitlements set out in The New Zealand Curriculum, and their learning journey throughout school. We do this in a variety of ways:

Seesaw

Every student at Willow Park School is set up on an App called ‘Seesaw’. This App gives teachers and students the ability to record learning in many formats (photo, video, voice etc) and share it with parents, caregivers and extended family in real time - sometimes even as the learning is occurring. Essentially Seesaw is a student-driven digital portfolio. Your child/ren’s work is kept private and is only viewed by you and their class/teacher.

Whānau Connect

Each term there is an opportunity for whānau to come into school to meet with teachers or to see learning in action. During term 1 and 2, face to face meetings with teachers occur, with the focus on getting to know each other and to share learning goals and progress. During Term 3, an evening allows children the opportunity to share their learning in class with whānau in a more informal setting. Term 4 has community events to celebrate the success of learning, and parent - teacher conferences if required after end of year reports are shared.

Written reports

Students and whānau receive two written reports a year. The first is a brief, mid-year report towards the end of Term 2, that outlines key competency skills, attitudes to learning and reading, writing and maths curriculum information. This is used at the Whānau Connect meeting in Term 2.

Towards the end of the school year in Term 4, a longer end of year report is completed to give a summary of progress and achievement for each individual child. 

Our belief is that effective reporting of student/ākonga progress and achievement across the curriculum requires more than one-way transmission of information from teacher or student to parent. It requires meaningful, ongoing information sharing processes where the roles and expectations of students/ākonga, teachers, parents, whānau, and the wider community are clear. As such throughout the year, there are many opportunities to informally meet, celebrate together at assemblies and share experiences through the many community events.