Coatesville School

Our wonderful school is situated in an attractive rural setting five kilometres north west of Albany, twenty kilometres north of Auckland city.

We have a stunning natural environment, making it a wonderful place to maximise teaching and learning. Coatesville School provides a basis for high quality learning through a challenging, supportive, stimulating and caring environment. Opportunities are created to develop and support the strengths and talents of all individual students. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for, and be involved in, their own learning.

Positive partnerships between the school and the community are valued and nurtured. The school is highly regarded for its academic and sporting achievements and innovative programmes. The students' attitudes and interpersonal relationship skills are reflected in very positive work habits and high standards of behaviour. Our experienced staff are constantly striving to further improve the achievement of all students.

Staffing includes a principal, two Deputy Principals, nine full-time teachers and nine part-time teachers. We have a part-time specialist teachers for Music. We run Special Needs programmes, a Reading Recovery programme and a 'Thriving Thursday' programme that caters for a wide degree of individual student talents and interests. Support staff include five teacher aides, an office manager, an office assistant and a caretaker. Facilities include a large administration block, four resource rooms, a multi-purpose room, music tutor spaces, withdrawal rooms, storage rooms and sheds. We have a large, well stocked library, well equipped Arts and Technology Centre, and a spacious Music room and numerous instruments. There are several well developed playground areas and a fitness circuit. A bus service was introduced five years ago, although most children are transported to school by private car.

The New Zealand Curriculum describes English as learning the language, learning through the language, and learning about the language and that by engaging with text-based activities, students become increasingly skilled and sophisticated speakers and listeners, writers and readers, presenters and viewers. This is what drives our teaching and learning at Coatesville School.

The ability to communicate and respond effectively is fundamental to success across the curricula and underpins success in all areas of life. As effective communicators, students will make meaning of ideas or information they receive and create meaning for themselves or others.

To ensure that all children receive high quality and equitable learning, our teachers implement programmes that exemplify best practice as is articulated in the New Zealand Curriculum, and specifically according to the Coatesville Literacy Progressions.

As students’ take greater responsibility for their own learning, so will their understanding of the literacy processes, and their role in achieving success, develop. The parent and school partnership is vital for the progress of our students and is inclusive of home literacy programmes.

Our classroom environments and programmes reflect New Zealand’s bi-cultural heritage and our modern multi-culturalism, and teachers select from content so that students are able to consider their understanding of the world now and for the future.

Teachers at Coatesville School are passionate about providing a range of exciting opportunities across the curriculum, enabling our students to develop their English skills, showcasing their strengths and maximising their potential.

Integrated Curriculum includes student learning in Science, Social Sciences and Technology. These are usually covered in a 'topic' which often encompasses a whole term so there is depth to learning. However, in addition, shorter topics, one-off lessons and 'Thriving Thursday' options ensure that there is plenty of learning completed in these three areas.

The Arts at Coatesville School includes:

Each class completes their own art programme. We have a part-time specialist art teacher Ms Gunnell who takes each class for an art programmme at least once per year. She also takes a group of students each Thursday who show a special talent for art. We consider our Art programme to be of an extremely high quality.

Each class has a weekly music session with our part-time teachers Mrs Craigie or Mrs Leefe. They also run an instrumental group and a separate choir group which practice during class time each week. We consider our Music programme to be of an extremely high quality.

This element of the Arts is incorporated into teaching and learning programmes wherever possible. It is sometimes offerred as a 'Thriving Thursday' option for students.

This element of the Arts is incorporated into teaching and learning programmes wherever possible. It is sometimes offerred as a 'Thriving Thursday' option for students.