OUR LEARNING
Key Competencies
The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five key competencies:
We use these competencies to live, learn, work, and contribute as active members of our communities. More complex than skills, the competencies draw also on knowledge, attitudes, and values in ways that lead to action. They are not separate or stand-alone. They are the key to learning in every learning area.
Learning through an inquiry approach provides opportunities for students to develop a range of skills:
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Thinking, creating and communicating skills
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making connections between ideas
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interpreting and making meaning
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asking rich questions
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thinking critically about ideas and information
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checking for relevancy, bias and accuracy
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forming opinions based on evidence
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drawing conclusions
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conveying ideas, opinions or messages to an audience
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Strategic problem solving skills
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developing and following a plan
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identify challenges and problems
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applying an inquiry process
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selecting appropriate strategies
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making decisions
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innovating on the ideas of others
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transferal of knowledge and skills
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managing time constraints
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Attitudes, qualities and dispositions of powerful learners
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understand and demonstrate the school values
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being imaginative and creative
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being resilient self-managers, focused and persevering
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being rational evaluators, analysers and evidence seekers
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being empathetic, cooperative and collaborative
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being inquisitive, questioning and flexible thinkers
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being reflective goal setters, revisers and self-assessors who learn from mistakes
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Inquiry
Reporting and Assessment
The purpose of assessment at Waimauku School is to improve student learning, to provide information on student learning and to contribute to the efficacy of learning programmes. Assessment is the ongoing process of gathering evidence for and of learning. This evidence will be used to give recognition and timely feedback to the learners and all other stakeholders. Assessment will reflect best practice that supports the learner and the teacher in the promotion of student achievement.
At Waimauku School we believe assessment is integral to all teaching and learning. Our approach to assessment recognises the importance of assessing the process of learning as well as the products of learning.
The main aim of assessment at our school is to provide feedback on the learning process and the development of the various elements of learning such as the development of knowledge, skills, concepts, key competencies and values to inform further learning. Students and teachers are actively engaged in assessing the students’ progress as part of the development of their wider critical thinking and self-assessment skills.
The assessment component in the school’s curriculum can be subdivided into three closely related areas
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Assessing – how we discover what the students know and have learned
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Recording – how we collect and analyse data
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Reporting – how we communicate information about assessment