GENERAL SUBJECTS
The following subjects are taught by class teachers:
SPECIALIST SUBJECTS
Students also get the opportunity to study specialized subject areas led by teachers very well-qualified in the field and passionate about the subject.
Art; Science; Music; Physical Education; Hard Materials – Wood; Creative Media; Food Technology; Languages;
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics plays an important role in many aspects of everyday life. At Te Atatū Intermediate, our Mathematics and Statistics programme is aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum.
We aim to develop students’ understanding of mathematics while strengthening their ability to think critically and strategically. Students learn logical approaches to problem-solving across a range of meaningful contexts, making connections between new mathematical ideas and the knowledge and skills they already have.
READING
Students are taught to read and respond to a wide variety of texts, to make meaning of texts and to think critically. They are actively taught the literacy skills needed to be able to select the appropriate processes to use from their repertoire of literacy knowledge and skills, so they are able to apply them in many contexts across curriculum areas.
All students experience explicit reading instruction, at their level, in whole class, group and individualised lessons where they develop accuracy, fluency and independence. They are taught to locate, evaluate and synthesize information and ideas and to respond in a variety of ways, both written and oral.
Support programmes, offered at TAI, give students working below curriculum expectation the opportunity to reach the level necessary through small group instruction with a trained teacher aide.
WRITING
At Te Atatū Intermediate we ensure that our students understand the purpose of their writing, their audience and the effects that their well-crafted words can have upon their readers.
Using a range of testing tools, conferencing and exploration, students at TAI experience learning opportunities involving understanding how language works. Through developing their skills in writing, our children gain access to the understanding, knowledge and skills they need to enjoy success.
We want our students to be well-prepared for the writing challenges they have ahead, utilising their skills in competitions, publications and in their personal life.
Some examples of student writing:
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Unuhia te rito o te harakeke kei whea te kōmako e kō
Ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao
Māku e kī atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata!
Remove the heart of the flax bush and where will the kōmako sing?
Ask me, ‘What is the greatest thing in the world?’
I will reply, ‘It is people, people, people!’
This well-known whakataukī encompasses the ethos of the Social Sciences. At its heart, this learning area explores how societies function and how we, as individuals, find our place within them.
In the Social Sciences, students learn to participate as critical, active, and informed citizens. We draw our contexts from the past, present, and future, exploring stories from our local community, the wider Pacific, and the world. By examining the events and people that have shaped Aotearoa New Zealand, students gain a deeper understanding of our unique identity and heritage.
Our goal is to equip students with the tools to navigate an information-driven world. By engaging with authentic societal issues, we empower our learners to become responsive, active, and responsible contributors to their community and the world beyond.
HEALTH/PHYSICAL EDUCATION
At Te Atatū Intermediate, Health and Physical Education (HPE) focuses on the holistic well-being of our students, their peers, and the wider community. We strive to provide quality PE lessons that emphasize learning through movement, learning about movement, and learning in movement.
While HPE is formally timetabled for two periods each week—one with our specialist teacher and one with the classroom teacher—the core values of the subject are intertwined into the daily fabric of school life.
Our PE and Health programmes run in conjunction, focusing on core areas of sport, fitness, recreation, and personal safety.
Our curriculum is built upon four interdependent concepts that guide student growth:
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Hauora: A Māori philosophy of well-being encompassing taha wairua (spiritual), taha hinengaro (mental/emotional), taha tinana (physical), and taha whānau (social).
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Attitudes and Values: Fostering a sense of social justice and a responsible, positive attitude toward personal well-being and the environment.
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Socio-ecological Perspective: Understanding the vital interrelationships between the individual, others, and society.
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Health Promotion: Empowering students to take personal and collective action to maintain supportive physical and emotional environments.
Through this integrated approach, students gain the knowledge and motor skills necessary to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, reduce stress, and develop a lifelong interest in physical activity.
| Term | Theme & Focus | Contexts |
| Term 1 | Kotahitanga | Team Building, Striking and Fielding Games |
| Term 2 | Decision Making | Invasion Games, Challenge Games |
| Term 3 | Challenge by Choice | Fitness, Net/Wall/Target Games |
| Term 4 | Smart Goal Setting | Athletics, Outdoor Education |
ART
At Te Atatū Intermediate School, we have an experiential and creative Visual Art programme that allows students to develop their own ideas in response to the world around them. They are able to explore a wide range of media and techniques over their two year period at the school.
Programme Goal: To ensure that all children receive high quality, professional and equitable teaching so that they are able to achieve meaningfully. This is done in accordance with our Achievement Objectives:
Understanding the Visual Arts in Context: Investigate the purpose of objects and images from past and present cultures and identify the contexts in which they were or are made, viewed, and valued.
Developing Practical Knowledge: Explore and use art-making conventions, applying knowledge of elements and selected principles through the use of materials and processes.
Developing Ideas: Develop and revisit visual ideas, in response to a variety of motivations, observation, and imagination, supported by the study of artists’ works.
Communicating and Interpreting: Explore and describe ways in which meanings can be communicated and interpreted in their own and others’ work.
SCIENCE
Students explore how both the natural physical world and Science itself work so that they can participate as critical, informed, and responsible citizens in a society in which Science plays a significant role.
Students need to understand the importance of Science and learn about Science in relevant everyday context. To engage our students in Science we run a hands-on, interesting, varied and practical programme. The programme is designed so that students will experience all strands of the Science National Curriculum; the Living World, Planet Earth and Beyond, the Physical World and the Material World with a strong emphasis on the Nature of Science strand and the five Science Capabilities. Students are also given opportunities to develop and strengthen the five key competencies during the programme. Lessons have a strong emphasis on pupil interactive learning, for example, through the use of practical work (where they will learn valuable science skills), role plays, use of models, group work, digital learning, use of Science vocabulary and key terms.
Students will visit our unique local nature reserve Orangihina – Harbour View with Community Waitakere’s Wild About Te Atatu programme. Students will learn about the biodiversity of Oranighina and the wetland ecosystem found there and our roles as kaitiaki and how we can take action to help protect our big backyard.
Students are also encouraged to undertake science activities outside of the classroom programme. These include the Science Award Trust’s Science Badges http://www.sciencebadges.co.nz/badges.html and Trees for Survival https://www.tfsnz.org.nz/.
To extend our students we run a GATE Science Programme in Year 8. This programme has higher level teaching and learning opportunities. GATE students have the opportunity to take part in the EPro8 Challenge https://epro8challenge.co.nz/. They participate in a number of citizen science monitoring activities at Orangihina throughout the year with Community Waitakere’s Wild About Te Atatu programme. The GATE class also participates in the nationwide Marine Metre Squared project https://www.mm2.net.nz/ which this year is also part of a Hauraki Gulf Monitoring Project with other schools around the region. The GATE students will also take part in the Wonder Project https://wonderproject.nz/ where we work with a STEM ambassador and carry out the Rocket Challenge!
MUSIC
Learning through music stimulates creative action and responses by engaging and connecting thinking, imagination, senses and feelings.
In music, students learn to work independently and collaboratively. Learners in the arts are able to view their world from new perspectives.
All TAI students in Year 7 & 8 participate in the class music programme.
Students experience a diverse programme that includes hands-on playing, listening, creating, and some use of technology in music. They are also encouraged to reflect on how music expresses identity and ideas.
By the end of Year 8, students should be able to:
- recognise and discuss musical elements
- perform with increasing technical skill
- compose and structure simple musical works
- understand music from different cultural contexts
- evaluate musical performances and compositions
HARD MATERIALS – WOOD/METAL
An initial brief leads to a need or opportunity to create an outcome regarded as the final product that is fit for purpose. The Technological process entails the initial brief, design and development, conceptual statement, attributes and stakeholder needs, planning and construction log and fit for purpose. Among others, within reason, students will have a chance to design and make a push toy, mechanical toy, night lights and a holder with hanging space for personal items. Computers are available to do research, pencil sketches and formal drawings will all assist them with size and balance. The final product will be made by applying the correct techniques safely using poker machines, soldering irons, band saws, belt sanders, scroll saws, drill presses and hand tools. Pinewood is predominantly used but plastic, metal, cardboard and fabric can be included.
Student work, Images, slideshow presentations, YouTube video clips and websites for perusal.
CREATIVE MEDIA
Creative Media is a Technology subject where our students explore how digital media can be used to communicate ideas with an audience. Students also learn to work within the constraints of a brief, developing solutions that meet a specific purpose and audience.
Throughout the course, students combine storytelling and technology to create media that informs, entertains, and inspires. They develop practical skills in photography, camera techniques, filmmaking, video editing, stop-motion animation, while learning how creative media can be used to share messages in engaging and meaningful ways.
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Food Technology is the use of knowledge skills and practical resources to design and make good quality products. Our students all have an opportunity to study Food Technology for six months (one double period each week for two terms) as part of the Tech subject-rotation at the school.
Te Atatū Food Technology students should feel confident about:
* good health and nutrition
* carrying out research
* planning work carefully
* using information technology
* carrying out sensory evaluation
* working safely and hygienically
* reading and adapting recipes
* reading and understanding food labels
* using tools and equipment safely and accurately.
To see some of the recipes, click HERE.
For the Year 8 World Wide Kai recipes, click HERE.
LANGUAGES
Te Atatū Intermediate believes that the students of our school are students of the world. To prepare students to fully participate in the opportunities offered worldwide, and to treasure the Taonga of Te Reo Māori, Te Atatū Intermediate promotes the learning of Additional Languages.
Students extend their linguistic and cultural knowledge of the world around them when learning any of the languages offered at Te Atatū Intermediate. We have specialist teachers on our staff who are confident and capable of teaching Spanish, Chinese, Te Reo Māori, Samoan and French.
New Zealand needs people who are fluent in a variety of languages to participate successfully in cultural exchanges, diplomacy, education, trade and tourism. There are many areas of employment where extra languages are necessary. New Zealanders are increasingly recognising the importance of the indigenous language Te Reo Māori, which is an official language of Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Students (with parental permission and support) are offered the opportunity to enrol in one of two specialist classes which encompass all aspects of Te Ao Māori. Here they develop a sense of identity and turangawaewae (belonging) in our school and the wider Te Atatū community, shaping confident leaders who have a deep understanding of their place in the world as successful Māori achievers. These learning environments focus on the values of Tikanga and their importance in everyday life. Students also further develop their language through kōrero (speaking), whakarongo (listening), tuhituhi (writing), panui (reading), and through whakaatu, waiata and haka (performing).