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With a good grounding in their Junior years, our boys make the transition to the Middle School at Year 4, well settled into school routines and ready for new learning challenges and opportunities.
At this age, they are beginning to take on extra co-curricular activities and to develop a real confidence in their abilities. There are two classes at Year 4, and three classes at Year 5 and Year 6.
Our programmes continue to encourage the distinctive learning style of boys. Many learning opportunities are ‘placed based’.
The Year 4 students immerse themselves in environmental matters, including a visit to Tiritiri Matangi, a wildlife sanctuary and one of New Zealand's most important and exciting conservation projects. The Year 4 boys explore science, technology and social science through excursions and the inquiry process.
Year 5 go back in time to explore the Treaty of Waitangi and our Anzac heritage through drama and role play at Karaka Bay and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Marine environments are explored while at camp and geographical landforms are traversed across Auckland, both above and below the ground.
Year 6 bring student-initiated place-based learning to the fore as they connect with the community and interview a variety of industry leaders, professionals and business owners to gather expertise and knowledge to work towards an exhibition of their learning in Term 3. The inquiry process gives ownership of learning to the students themselves, developing their research and critical thinking skills.
English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science are all taught by the homeroom teachers. Additional teachers are employed for the teaching of Mathematics, to lower the teacher/pupil ratio per Mathematics class and to extend the more able mathematicians.
In English, the classes are ability grouped by the teacher to allow differentiation for individual needs. Students who may need extra assistance are also catered for with a personalised programme and are supported by the Learning Support Department.
Music, French, Christian Education, Art, Technology, Food Technology and Physical Education are taught by specialist teachers at all Middle School levels. Year 6 homeroom teachers impart Computer Science as part of their Options programme.
The Middle School gathers each week for our own unique assembly. It is here that we celebrate achievement, excellence, our values and service as well as boys sharing their learning. The Year 6 boys lead these assemblies while other leadership opportunities present themselves in the form of Middle School monitor roles to help the wider school community.
The boys leave the Middle School well prepared for their senior years.
