Leading Learning at BBPS
Academic Excellence
The building blocks of our curriculum are Reading, Writing and Maths. Our academic results are high and we work constantly on raising them even further. While we acknowledge that students have different starting points and progress at different rates, our aspirational goal is for all students to meet or exceed the appropriate curriculum level. We focus on achievement but place a high value on progress as well as effort.
Our teachers provide a future focussed curriculum with an emphasis on Science, Technology and Inquiry. They explore significant future-focussed issues such as sustainability, digital citizenship, enterprise and globalisation. They benefit from up to date, evidence-based teaching and learning practices.
Personalised Learning
Our teachers specialise in personalising learning to meet the diverse needs and interests of all our students. We work hard at engaging and extending our students. There are special programmes in place to support students with specific learning needs. We ensure the well-being and learning needs of our priority students (Maori, Pasifika and students with special education needs) are met. We have a specialist teacher to support English Language Learners.
Learning How to Learn
We want our students to be active and engaged learners who are curious, discerning life-long learners. We teach our students how to think critically, to ask questions, innovate and problem solve. We teach them how to make informed and ethical choices. We teach them how to collaborate and work productively with others.
Our students can talk about their achievement, their next learning steps and how to accomplish them.
Our students love learning!
e-Learning / BYOD
We are committed to engaging students through e-learning. We use technology to support and enhance students’ learning. We have a range of digital technologies in every classroom that are supplemented in the senior school by devices that students can bring from home.
We teach students to be highly competent digital citizens who have the appropriate skills to critically interpret information, create new knowledge and collaborate with a global audience in a safe and effective digital environment. We encourage students to learn to learn at any time, in any place and to see that learning is a lifelong process.
For details on BYOD for Years 4, 5 and 6 students please click here:
e-learning and BYOD guidelines
Enviro
As a Silver Enviro School promote a genuine commitment to sustainability. It provides a context for learning that is real, relevant, gives students responsibility for their learning and provides an opportunity to work together to create a sustainable school.
Our guiding principles are:
- Sustainable communities
- Empowered students
- Respect for diversity of people and cultures
- Learning for sustainability
- Maori perspectives
What we have achieved so far: Well-established gardens, orchards and vegetable plots, ongoing programmes like ‘Trees for Survival’ programme, a full paper and waste recycling system, ‘Garden to Table, Walking Bus, Travelwise, produce markets, Green Days. We are active in ‘cleaning up’ projects in the local community.
We are working towards Green-Gold Enviro status.
Sports, Arts and Culture
In line with our community, we value a broad and enriched curriculum. We have a specialist sports teacher, and opportunities for music tuition. There is a solar heated swimming pool, astro-turf, and a library/information centre.
All our students learn Te Reo and have the opportunity to participate in kapa haka. Other activities provided include a range of sports, dance, robotics, enviro, a school newspaper and chess.
- To find out more about our Sports programme, click here
- To find out more about our Arts and Culture programme, click here
- To find out more about our other Events and Activities, click here
High Quality Pastoral Care
Positive relationships between teachers and students is a top priority. Our teachers respect the students and are welcoming and warm. We encourage students to make good choices and teach them positive social skills. Our values are Respect (manaakitanga), Responsibility (tiaki), Relationships (whanaungatanga) and Resilience (manawaroa) and these are encouraged, modelled and explored on an everyday basis.
Strong Family Partnerships
We believe students learn best when teachers, students and parents work together. We work hard at open communication with parents. In return, we value the active support of our parents for the school. We have a strong and enthusiastic PTA and Board of Trustees.
- To find out more about our BOT, click here
- To find out more about our PTA, click here
Student Leadership
We build student leaders. Students are encouraged to take on responsibilities at every level of the school. They can be
- Enviro leaders
- Student Council leaders
- Whanau leaders
- Travelwise leaders
- Kapa haka leaders
- Leaders of sports teams
- Peer tutors
- Techsperts
- Senior school monitors
- Class monitors Years 1-6
Each class has a buddy classes so that older students can take care of younger and newer students (tuakana/teina)