The Refreshed New Zealand Curriculum

At St Thomas’s School, we deliver the Refreshed New Zealand Curriculum through high-quality teaching, clear learning progressions and a wide range of rich learning experiences.

The refreshed curriculum provides greater clarity about what students should know, understand and be able to do at each stage of their learning. It includes structured teaching in literacy and mathematics, clear curriculum progressions, regular assessment, and a strong focus on building confident, capable learners who are well prepared for the future.

Alongside strong academic foundations, our curriculum reflects our school values of Respect, Responsibily and Resilience and provides students with opportunities to develop creativity, resilience, collaboration, critical thinking and a lifelong love of learning.

English

Developing strong literacy skills is a priority at St Thomas’s School. We provide explicit, evidence-based teaching in reading and writing to ensure every child develops the skills and confidence to become a successful communicator.

We teach and assess using the New Zealand Curriculum English Learning Area Scope and Sequence Progressions. From Years 1–8 we implement the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA), providing structured teaching in phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading, spelling and writing.

Students complete the Ministry of Education’s required 20 and 40-week phonics checks, with DIBELS assessments used in Years 4–6 to monitor reading fluency and identify students who may benefit from additional support.

Every class participates in one hour of reading and one hour of writing each day, ensuring students have regular opportunities to build strong literacy skills across the curriculum.

Mathematics and Statistics

Our mathematics programme develops confident, capable mathematicians who can think critically, solve problems and apply mathematics in meaningful ways.

Teaching and assessment are aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Mathematics and Statistics Scope and Sequence Progressions. Our balanced mathematics programme combines explicit teaching with rich learning experiences, integrating the government-funded PR1ME Mathematics programme alongside.

All teachers are trained in the use of Numicon, providing practical, hands-on learning experiences that strengthen number understanding for all learners. The Numicon Intervention Programme is also used to provide extra support for students that require it. 

As part of a balanced maths programme, students also participate in Number Talks, rich mathematical investigations, collaborative problem-solving and other activities that encourage mathematical reasoning and communication. We also participate in the Mathematics Acceleration Programme (MAP) for students in Years 3–6.

Every class receives one hour of mathematics instruction each day.

The Arts

The Arts play an important role in developing creativity, confidence and self-expression.

Students participate in classroom programmes across visual art, music, dance and drama, with regular opportunities to perform through assemblies and school events.

Specialist programmes further enrich learning, including:

• Specialist Visual Art teaching for Years 4–8
• Music in Schools instrumental tuition
• Dance Curriculum Programme every second year
• School Production (Years 4–8) every second year

These experiences encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence while allowing students to discover and develop their talents.

Health and Physical Education

We believe healthy, active students are better learners.

Our specialist Physical Education teacher delivers a comprehensive programme that develops movement skills, teamwork, resilience and lifelong healthy habits.

Students enjoy a wide variety of sporting opportunities arranged by our Sports Coordinator, including participation in Bay Suburbs (Years 5–6) and Eastern Zone (Years 7–8) sporting events and tournaments.

Our health curriculum supports students’ physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing. This includes the Mitey programme, which promotes positive mental health and emotional resilience, alongside age-appropriate Pubertal Change education for students in Years 5–8.

Learning Languages

Learning languages broadens students’ understanding of cultures, communication and the wider world.

All students learn te reo Māori with our specialist teacher, developing language skills while strengthening their understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.

Junior students also enjoy learning a range of world languages through our specialist languages programme, where they are introduced to Spanish, Italian and French through engaging, age-appropriate learning experiences.

Science

Science at St Thomas’s is hands-on, authentic and connected to the world around us.

Students investigate scientific concepts both inside and outside the classroom through inquiry, experimentation and real-world experiences.

Our specialist Environmental Science teacher leads a range of exciting programmes, including Māra to Kai (Garden to Kitchen), environmental investigations and sustainability initiatives.

Students also benefit from opportunities such as:

• Year 6 Science Fair
• Year 8 Mountains to Sea Programme
• Local stream monitoring and water quality testing
• Beach and bush clean-up projects
• Moth Pod gathering and monitoring competitions
• On-site beehives and honey production

These experiences help students develop scientific thinking while building a strong sense of environmental responsibility.

Social Sciences

Through Social Sciences, students develop an understanding of people, places, cultures and the world they live in.

Classroom inquiry units encourage students to explore local, national and global issues while developing critical thinking, research and decision-making skills.

GATE students also have opportunities to extend their thinking through the Future Problem Solving programme, where they tackle complex, real-world challenges using creative and collaborative approaches.

Technology

Technology learning encourages students to innovate, create and solve authentic problems.

Our dedicated STEAM department delivers specialist learning experiences across Years 1–8, integrating science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Students explore areas including:

• Robotics
• Coding
• Engineering
• Physics, Biology and Chemistry
• Electrical circuitry
• Design thinking
• Digital technologies
• Construction

Additional opportunities include participation in the EPro8 Challenge, our Learning Enrichment Programme (LEP), and our BYOD programme for students in Years 5–8, which supports digital fluency and responsible use of technology.

Together, these experiences prepare students with the knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills needed for an ever-changing world.