Each year, the boys in Year 6 are presented with a unique opportunity – to undertake a significant and lengthy inquiry over the course of a term and then exhibit their learning journey for the wider school community in the form of an Expo.

Inquiry gives ownership of their learning to the students themselves, developing their research and critical thinking skills. With the theme 'How the World Works,' and with the focus on science and technology, they worked in small groups of two or three to brainstorm which path their own inquiry would take. First they picked an overall line of inquiry and from that each planned their own personal exploration within their chosen theme – these ideas were many and varied.

The boys were required to explore multiple perspectives including going beyond the school gates to talk to experts in the wider community, conducting all the organisation and safety information for this to take place. Some boys were so fired up they arranged some fantastic opportunities to further their learning, such as a visit to the medical department at The University of Auckland to learn more about the functioning of the brain! As the boys worked, they kept log books that recorded all their work and in the final stages, worked out how best to present their findings to engage an invited audience.

The parents were invited to visit the Expo to view the boys' displays and seek a deeper understanding of the different topics from the boys themselves. They proved to have a good understanding of the work they had done and were articulate in their explanations. In a frequently changing world, understanding how to inquire, how to sift through the ideas to make informed decisions is a valuable journey that these boys are just beginning to discover. The Expo brought all this into focus and the boys were very proud to present their own first public Expo.

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