Welcome to Ōropi School
We are very proud of our school's special features These being:
Outdoor learning environments (Gully, Grounds & Gardens)
Garden to Table Programme. We are a model school for this programme and host visitors from across the region and country. In 2021 we won the TECT Community "Sustainable Futures" and "People's Choice" Awards for this initiative.
Intercultural Strategy (including Languages - Maori & Chinese Mandarin). We are well known for the implementation of this in our school, having been recognised through AsiaNZ, CAPES, and various other Educational Institutions nationally, and globally. This is about equipping our tamariki with Global Competencies.
Play Based Learning & Passion Project Learning. We have many visitors to our place, witnessing the high levels of engagement we achieve for our learners in this field to promote holistic learning that engages, enthuses and inspire children.
From 2012-2018 we experienced a lot of roll growth and now have a stable roll of between 320-350 students. This growth has been because of population growth in the district and attraction to the special features of our semi-rural school.
We are within close proximity to Tauranga CBD. A major strength of the school is that we have been able to maintain a close-knit collaborative community where we have strong connections. This enables our children to interact with one another from Year 1-8.
We are very well resourced with property developments having occurred across the whole school over the past 8 years. Our classrooms are very flexible spaces with great indoor-outdoor flow. This is important to us.
We have an extensive range of other programmes on offer in the school including:
· Music Tuition: Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Singing, Keyboard, School Choir
· Summer and Winter Sports Teams
· Tennis Lessons
· Water confidence, water safety and swim lesson programmes
· Regular use with House of Science Resources
· A very well resourced library
Children are well known amongst staff, with an emphasis on catering for the individual and responding to the individual; not a ‘one size fits all’ approach in dealing with learning and behavioural needs.
Children feel like they are part of a team and close community in a school of our size, nature and location, where mixed age group interaction is a regular feature of our programmes and break times. This is enabled by intentionally minimising rules and compliance; allowing children to take calculated risks, play in the rain if that is what they decide and not setting strict boundaries of play areas for certain age groups. We believe that this has a positive effect in minimising peer pressure and behavioural issues and we are proud of the culture this freedom creates in our school.
You will find a relaxed, peaceful context on arrival at Ōropi School where children are immersed in a range of learning contexts inside and outside the classroom at any one time. We are proud to note that our school context is earning local, national and international recognition.
Please make a time to come and see us!
Kind Regards
Andrew King
Andrew King
Principal