Our Approach

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At our school, Tuakana-Teina is a core principle guiding how our students learn and grow together. This powerful concept, where older or more experienced students (tuakana) support and guide younger or less experienced students (teina), is woven into various aspects of our curriculum, fostering a supportive and collaborative learning environment.

Sport 

Beyond the classroom, sport offers fantastic learning opportunities. All of our Year 5-8 students regularly participate in Eastern Zone events and Wellington Regional sports days.

We also embrace a school-wide tuakana-teina model for many sports (e.g. Jump Jam, Skipping, ball skills, etc.), where students support, teach, and learn from each other. This approach empowers less experienced students, builds strong teamwork, and cultivates manaakitanga, and excellent sportsmanship.

The Arts 

We believe in developing a wide range of artistic skills across visual art, music, dance, and drama. While external providers offer optional music lessons (at an additional cost) and a dedicated drama program for Year 7-8 in the latter part of the year, our tuakana-teina model also plays a vital role in the arts. Students regularly support, teach, and learn from each other in classroom settings, enriching their creative journeys.

Digital Technology at St Anthony’s 

Our classrooms are equipped to support modern learning, with Apple TVs and access to laptops, iPads, and Chromebooks. With parent consent, tamariki may bring their own device—iPads are recommended for Years 1–4 and Chromebooks for Years 5–8.

We take cyber safety seriously. Every child and staff member signs a Cybersafety Agreement annually, helping keep our kura safe and focused on learning.

Education Outside The Classroom (EOTC) 

We believe that some of the most memorable learning happens outside the classroom. From museum visits and local walks to beach days, the zoo, and our Year 7–8 camp, every experience connects meaningfully to classroom learning.

Excursions are an important part of our programme, and we make sure every trip is purposeful, well-organised, and enriching for our tamariki.

Living our R.E.A.L values every day

At St Anthony’s, we follow the PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) approach to help our tamariki grow into confident, respectful learners. Our school values—Respect, Excel, Aware Learners—guide how we learn, how we treat one another, and how we celebrate progress.

Each day, tamariki earn R.E.A.L points for showing respect, staying focused, helping others, and striving for excellence across school life. It’s a simple but powerful way to support wellbeing, build positive behaviours, and grow learners who live our values in everything they do.