A very warm welcome to Kaurilands School. At Kaurilands we constantly strive to live by our vision which is to continually improve the high quality education the children of Kaurilands School receive, to enable each child to reach their full potential.

The staff at our school are committed to education within an environment of high achievement. We have an open door policy and you will find our teachers approachable and always willing to discuss your child’s progress. Staff welcome parental involvement at Kaurilands and appreciate any support in class and with events such as outdoor education.

The Board of Trustees of Kaurilands School are dedicated to the staff’s professional development and have supported and continue to support many new initiatives within our school.

We trust your association with Kaurilands School will be a happy one. We are keen to foster close co-operation and communication within our school community for the benefit of all.

I believe your learning journey with Kaurilands School will be a warm and rewarding experience.

Principal

Ko Te Pepeha o Kaurilands

Ko Titirangi te maunga
Ko Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa te ngahere
Ko Manukau te moana
Ko Waikūmete te manga
Ko Te Kawerau ā Maki te iwi
Ko te wharekura te marae
Ko Ōkaurirahi te kura
Te whakataukī tērā
Ko Whaiā te Mātauranga
E tu pakari ana
E totoro teitei ana

Haumi e !
Hui e !
Taiki e !

Our vision is to continually improve the high quality education the children of Kaurilands School receive, to enable each child to reach their full potential. We will do this through:

Effective teaching strategies

- Providing a safe physical, emotional and caring environment

- Providing professional learning opportunities for all staff

- A partnership with students, staff, parents and the community

- Providing a broad education through a balanced curriculum

To provide and maintain a caring environment in which each child will be encouraged to develop his/her abilities to the fullest potential – academically, creatively, physically and socially.

1) When children leave Kaurilands School we would like them to be:

• Happy, with good self esteem and confidence
• Responsible and respectful of people and their environment
• The best writers, reader and mathematicians they can be
• Motivated learners who take pride in their achievement
• Risk takers and problem solvers
• Effective communicators
• Compassionate and accepting of others
• Critical and creative thinkers
• High achievers
• Equipped with a sound knowledge base
• Capable of persevering
• To develop communication skills
• To prepare students for further education
• To make learning enjoyable
• To maintain and encourage parental involvement throughout the school

The School Charter is an agreement between the Board of Trustees and the Minister of Education. Its purpose is to establish the mission, aims, objectives, directions and targets of the board that will give effect to the government’s national education guidelines and the board’s priorities. The School’s Charter must contain long term strategic and annually updated plans outlining the school’s priorities for improvement.

o View Kaurilands Charter

The Education Review Office (ERO) reviews schools every three years on average and publishes national reports on current education practice. An ERO education review gives a fresh perspective on a school’s teaching, and student’s learning. It affirms the things our school is doing well and helps identify areas for improvement. Kaurilands School had its last ERO review in 2008.

o View the ERO Report

Kaurilands school opened on 1 st February 1955 with just six classrooms and 170 pupils. The first headmaster was Mr Cedric Watson, and he established the school’s first motto ‘Tolerance Through Wisdom”.

Of the original block of classrooms the first room was the junior room as the lower walls sloped slightly. These walls were originally used as blackboards for the juniors. The dental clinic had no power for the first year and a treadle powered the drill.

Don Biel was appointed Headmaster in 1957. In 1963 the swimming pool was officially opened and two new classrooms were added in 1967. In 1972 new principal Ken Howie introduced a new kind of outdoor education by establishing a senior camp at Piha. These camps continue today having moved to Snells Beach in 1988 and then on to Karapiro in 2000.

In 1975 the hall and library complex were opened, the school roll had reached over 500 pupils and there were now 15 classrooms and a staff of 17.

In 1984 the school committee made a forward thinking decision and installed 3 Commodore computers for Standard 4 pupils to use. Due to the opening of Konini School in 1976, Kauriland's roll dropped to 405 at the beginning of 1985. Adrienne Rossiter was appointed principal in 1987 and with the advent of ‘Tomorrow’s School’s in 1989 the first Board of Trustees was elected and our first School Charter.

A second new hall was completed in 1992 and a new reception area in 1995 in the school’s 40th Jubilee year. In 1997 Dave Shadbolt was appointed principal and in the same year extensions of the staffroom and a new library were finished. The ICT network was instigated in 1998 which led to every classroom gaining access to the internet. In 1999 the present hall was officially opened and by the year 2000 the school roll finished the year with 705 pupils.

In the Christmas break of 2002/2003 a second school fire caused devastation to the resource area and brought about the redevelopment of the junior block and resource rooms in the middle school. Further building in 2004/2005 saw a new administration block and rooms 7 & 8 constructed.

In 2005 Kaurilands celebrated their 50th Jubilee and a new motto “Standing Strong, Reaching High’. In 2009 Dave Shadbolt resigned as Principal and Jo Augustine was appointed in his place. Room 8A was moved onto the school grounds in Term 4 2009. At the beginning of 2010, 9 classrooms in the middle school were refurbished.