Kaipara College is part of a K.hui Ako or community of learning. K.hui Ako o Kaipara is made up of schools in the local area and is formed around our students’ education pathways. The schools work together to help our students achieve their full potential. Sharing our teachers expertise and capability ensures we support our young people’s learning pathways, improving their transition through the education system. Moving from primary school to college is a time of great change in our rangatahi’s lives and can therefore be challenging and frightening.
In order to make the move more comfortable, Kaipara College involves itself in the lives of younger students in the area on a regular basis. We run the primary technology programme here at the College in which our K.hui Ako Year 7 and Year 8 students experience learning technology at the big kid’s school, utilising the specialized teaching spaces, equipment and teaching expertise. We also run primary school sports competitions, and catch up for K.hui Ako Kapa Haka workshops and special transition days.
The transition days are led by our students, who visit each primary school and run workshops with the Year 7 and Year 8 students. The students hear about the experience of moving from primary school to college and what life is like at College. They hear about the challenges, the opportunities and the learning, not only about different subjects but about themselves as people. The primary school students get an opportunity to work with and talk to the secondary school students, ask questions and have fun as they do it.
The transition visits are followed by the Kaipara College Open Night which is on Thursday the 20th of July this year. This is when we open the doors of our school to the community and showcase the very best of what we offer. We encourage all local Year 8 students to come along with their whanau to see the school in action, take part in the activities, ask lots of questions and get to know our staff and students. The benefits of attending your local college should not be underestimated. We know and value your students already through our K.hui Ako connections, surroundings are familiar, engaging teaching and learning programmes are the norm, siblings and whanau are here, many sporting and other opportunities are available and great teachers with high expectations are here ready to support your young person to be the best they can be.
