Creating Independent Learners
Intellectual growth comes from having a positive and independent attitude; where a mind is open to other possibilities and enables the vision of new purposes and the development of new responses.
At St Andrew’s School, Turi we believe autonomy of thought and questioning enables intellectual growth to flourish and it is the quality of the mental process that is the measure of educative growth. So, we give pupils authentic learning experiences. We let them be creative, establish innovative ideas, problem solve, think critically and know they will be leaders of their learning.
British Curriculum
St Andrew’s Preparatory School follows the British curriculum. Pupils are taught in a class setting from the Early Years Foundation Stage. Subject teaching is introduced gradually, until all areas of the curriculum are taught by specialist subject teachers. By the end of Year 8, students are well prepared.
The majority of our students move on to St Andrew’s Senior School, whilst others move to Senior Schools overseas.
Teaching style
From an early age, children at Turi are encouraged to express their own ideas, to defend their viewpoint coherently and courteously and to work as independently as possible. General knowledge is recognised as being important and, despite the School’s rural location, students are well informed about current affairs and are perfectly at home with many aspects of communication technology. Even our youngest children are confident negotiating the Internet and e-mail.
The classrooms are equipped with direct Internet access and interactive white boards are widely used.
Pupils’ use of the internet is supervised and controlled to ensure they access sites that contribute to their academic, social and spiritual well-being, whilst guarding them mentally and spiritually. As a school that respects the Christian ethos we are careful to bring up your children in a spiritually healthy environment. The school constantly updates Internet security for the safety of pupils.
Pupils are afforded the opportunity to enhance their education outside of the classroom, using our beautiful 300-acre estate, through visits to local community projects and excursions to places of educational interest.
The Learning Success Centre
We offer an experienced Learning Success Department to assist individuals with specific difficulties, ensuring that they are given appropriate help and support.
Class Structure
The academic progress of each pupil is monitored by a class teacher in Years 1 to 5 and by a tutor in Years 6 to 8. Parents and staff regularly discuss progress during VISO weekends, when all teaching staff are available for consultation.
Class sizes are small in order to maximize teaching time and individual attention for each pupil.