CLIFTON TERRACE MODEL SCHOOL

INFORMATION BOOKLET

MISSION:

To inspire in each child a thirst for learning,

drawing on the rich opportunities available
to a small inner-city school.

Ki te whakatenatena i te tamaiti te hiringa mō te

mātauranga, mā ngā mea tino angitu i tēnei kura pakupaku
kei roto i te tāone nui

15 Clifton Terrace, Kelburn, Wellington, New Zealand

Telephone: (04) 472 7519
Email: staff@ctms.school.nz
 Website: www.ctms.school.nz
CONTENTS

Page

Who We Are 3

Clifton Terrace Model School Profile

Home Groups

How We Operate 4

School Today and the Board of Trustees

What Guides Us 5

Charter
Our Core Values
Our Vision
School agreement
Think Again Plan
Unique characteristics of CTMS

Teaching and Learning 7

The New Zealand Curriculum

Assessment
Home Learning

Communication 9

Communication Book
‘Events’ - School Notices
Assembly
Newsletter
Notice Board
Concerns
Reporting to Parents

Practical Matters 10

Enrolling
Starting School
Attendance
Peanuts

Ways You Can Help Your Child and the School 11

Other Aspects of the School 11

Parents, Caregivers and Teachers’ Association (PTA)

 WHO WE ARE

Clifton Terrace Model School Profile-A Community of Learning

Clifton Terrace Model School is a small inner-city full primary school and is situated on Clifton
Terrace, just west of the central Wellington business district. It provides a unique opportunity for
those living in the inner city to obtain a high quality education in a small learning environment,
capable of providing personalised teaching programmes for its pupils. Our zone is in the lower
Kelburn area but many out of zone students come from the wider Wellington area.

The ethnic and socio-economic characteristics of the school, reflects a high number of professional
people working and living close to the CBD. The school draws upon skills from this professional
community for its Board of Trustees.

Like all New Zealand state primary schools, we follow the New Zealand Curriculum. A special
difference includes unique characteristics maintained by the school charter. These characteristics
include:
 To promote self-confidence and skill in self-expression through, and to encourage
appreciation of music, drama, dance, and the visual arts.
 To expand students’ formal educational experiences and progress through the use of
relevant resources, places and activities outside the school.
 To assist students to acquire safety and personal survival skills for city living
 To learn about the Spanish language and the culture of Spanish-speaking countries. This
community initiative sits comfortably with the emphasis on the value of learning about other
cultures.

The school’s proximity to the city allows us to respond to these goals and make use of the city as a
valuable resource. This access to our wider community, being Wellington's professional,
government, academic, business and cultural institutions, also gives the children the opportunity to
respond to the quality experiences our capital city has to offer. We also use the local parks to
compensate for our lack of playground space. Being small, means our children are growing and
learning with a group of children from the ages of 5 to 12 years within a family-type atmosphere,
where children of all ages work and play together.

Clifton Terrace Model School also aims to integrate short, medium and long term practices that are
holistically sustainable.

The school welcomes parents and caregivers to participate in the children's programme within and
outside the classroom. Our open door policy means there are many opportunities for the children to
work with a variety of adults including teacher trainees. Our Model School status also allows our
staff regular opportunities to support the professional learning community.

Home Groups
Kahikatea: Senior Years 5 – 8 classroom upstairs
Kowhai: Middle Years 2 – 4 classroom downstairs
Kauri: Junior New Entrants – Year 2 classroom downstairs

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 HOW WE OPERATE

School Today and the Board of Trustees

“Tomorrow’s Schools”, as the official education policy is called, evolved following a Task Force
report in 1988 which found that the administration of the New Zealand school system needed to be
decentralised. The result was to devolve responsibility for schools from central government to the
local community. In 1989 the Boards of Trustees (BOT) were elected, charters written and
approved and “a new era in education began - the self managing school”. Elections are held in
three year cycles.

The BOT has the overall governance responsibility for the school, including certain legal obligations
covering responsibility for property, personnel, the proper management of school finances, the
charter undertaking and reporting to the Ministry and school community. Every school’s charter
and mission statement reflect local needs and priorities. The BOT ensures effective delivery of the
curriculum, employs staff, establishes goals, and develops and reviews policies, monitors
performance, and employs and supports the principal(s).

Essentially, Boards of Trustees are responsible for ensuring their schools meet the requirements of
the National Education Guidelines.

NATIONAL EDUCATION
GUIDELINES
(“NEGs”)

NATIONAL NATIONAL NATIONAL

EDUCATION GOALS CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATION
STATEMENTS GUIDELINES
(“NAGs”)

The NEGs automatically, by law, form part of a school’s Charter. Every school must have an
approved written Charter of goals and objectives. The Charter, including the NEGs, is the
undertaking between a school (acting through the Board) and the Government.

Accordingly, the Board has a significant role to play in ensuring the Charter is being carried out and
adhered to. Under the Education Act 1989, Boards are responsible to the Government for
overseeing the management of their schools. The NAGs provide direction to Boards in
management/operational/governance areas.

Board meetings are generally held twice a term. These meetings are open to the community to
attend.

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 WHAT GUIDES US

Charter
The school charter is our guiding document for school organisation and learning programmes.

Clifton Terrace Model School (CTMS) is a, small, full primary school (years 1-8) situated about a
10-minute walk to the Wellington central business district. The size of the school means that pupils
are generally known throughout the school, and our teachers are resourced to ensure every pupil
receives an education focused on quality. We strive to be innovative, versatile and successful in all
that we do, from the warm, welcoming environment to the approaches of our teaching and learning
to our partnership with families in the CTMS community.

As a model school we contribute to the training of student teachers, and the school and community
benefit from our ongoing commitment and contribution to teacher training.
For example, our teachers are required to be at the forefront of teaching knowledge, both in theory
and practice. This commitment also means that our students have the opportunity to learn from a
structured range of teachers within the confines of a familiar environment. This latter benefit is
consistent with our belief that learning is enhanced when everyone has the opportunity to work
with a variety of children and adults.

Shared decision making and shared management are fundamental philosophies of CTMS. In
alignment with these philosophies is the school’s flat management model of shared leadership,
which we believe fosters an environment of teamwork and cooperation. Our philosophy also
extends to the pupils: our effort demonstrates to pupils the benefits of a collaborative approach to
making decisions; in addition, the teachers and pupils collaboratively draft an annual school
agreement.

Finally, we believe all CTMS pupils should be encouraged to realise their own intellectual, social,
physical and creative potential. To this end, we encourage our pupils to take responsibility for their
own behaviour and learning, and we focus our learning and development opportunities to teach
self-confidence, leadership skills and group co-operation. The success of our aims is evident as we
travel out of CTMS to take advantage of what the city has to offer. When our pupils are out and
about in Wellington, they are recognised, and often receive compliments, for their pleasant and
caring, dispositions, self-management (i.e., good behaviour), curiosity, and intelligence. We are
proud of the fact that our pupils understand how they should conduct themselves in different
situations and that they are comfortable expressing their curiosity and demonstrating their
intellectual abilities. Overall, these successful outings provide evidence that we are achieving our
mission and our vision.

1. Core Values

 We love learning and discovery.

 We respect relationships and cultures, are inclusive, and promote culturally sensitive
attitudes and practices.
 We hold in high regard self-confidence and leadership.

2. Vision
 Our vision is to instill the core values in our pupils so that they;
 Embrace learning and problem solving opportunities;
 Interact well with a wide variety of people;
 Actively demonstrate a bicultural partnership with Māori and commitment to the Treaty of
Waitangi;
 Feel good about themselves and lead by example;
 Participate within an inclusive learning environment;
 Hold clear aspirations about the skills and abilities they wish to achieve to realize their
future potential and to feel well prepared for Secondary School and beyond;

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3. Applying the Vision
There are a number of approaches through which we uphold our values and achieve our mission
and vision. The approaches listed below are of particular importance to the school and school
community. Some approaches, such as teaching safety and finding one’s way in the city, utilising
learning opportunities in the city, drafting the annual school agreement, having a strong
appreciation for the arts, holding clear aspirations for Year 8 students and teaching Spanish, make
CTMS unique. The approaches appear in categories based on the CTMS vision, though some
approaches could easily be placed in more than one category.

Vision 1: CTMS pupils embrace learning and problem solving opportunities.

Approaches toward achieving this vision include:

 Providing a safe, trusting environment conducive to teaching and learning

 Sharing our community-wide excitement for learning
 Encouraging pupils to express their curiosity
 Celebrating individual academic success
 Recognising the arts as important to the development of the creative spirit
 Drafting the school agreement with the pupils (see copy on the website)
 Utililsing arts and educational opportunities in the city
 Offering opportunities for pupils to be innovative (and to take some risk)
 Placing an emphasis on constructive feedback
 Supporting student-led activities (such as artistic performances)

Vision 2: CTMS pupils interact well with a wide variety of people.

Approaches toward achieving this vision include:

 Promoting respect for others

 Guiding pupil’s understanding of appropriate behavior for different contexts
 Ensuring that pupils interact with all of the teachers across the school
 Offering opportunities for pupils to learn from individuals outside of the school
 Creating situations where children work together, including across age groups
 Promoting inclusiveness
 Appreciating cultural differences within the school
 Teaching Te Reo Maori and Spanish
 Fostering conflict resolution abilities
 Working together with families as partners

Vision 3: CTMS pupils actively demonstrate a bicultural partnership with Māori and
commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi

Approaches toward achieving this vision include:

 Guiding all students to ensure Māori students in the school have their ethnic and cultural
heritage affirmed as part of increasing their participation and success in New Zealand’s
education system
 Allowing Māori students to achieve as Māori (such as, Kapa Haka, oratory, ability to
whakapapa family genealogy, te reo skills etc.)
 Integrating a seamless practice between te reo and tikanga Māori, Spanish, The Arts
programme and other learning areas in the school
 Developing a whole school community where opportunities are given to learn about and
respect the unique status of Māori as the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa
 Guiding students towards recognising and valuing whanau and the home/school partnership
as part of enhancing the mana of Maori and raising achievement levels for all Māori
students.

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Vision 4: CTMS pupils feel good about themselves and lead by example.

Approaches toward achieving this vision include:

 Valuing pupils for who they are

 Showing an appreciation for good conduct (e.g., self-management, honesty)
 Teaching safety and navigation in Wellington
 Having pupils make presentations (within the school)
 Encouraging physical well-being through fitness and sport
 Giving pupils responsibilities within the school
 Providing opportunities for pupils to lead and to support others

Vision 5: CTMS pupils participate within an inclusive learning environment.

Approaches toward achieving this vision include:

 Where pupils with special learning and development needs have the same rights to a high
quality education as children who do not have such needs.
 Where staff are committed to identifying and meeting the specific special needs of children
who require extension, enrichment and/or support in any area of their learning and
development.
 Where clear processes are in place for identifying the educational needs of pupils with high
needs
 Where the home/school partnership fosters the ongoing inclusion of pupils with special
needs.

Vision 6: CTMS Year 8 pupils hold clear aspirations about the skills and abilities they wish
to achieve to realize their future potential and to feel well prepared for Secondary School
and beyond.

Approaches toward achieving this vision include:

 Developing leadership capacity and capability by actively initiating and leading interest
groups important to them at CTMS and to their wider community
 Attaining core curriculum knowledge and skills in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy
 Having the ability to apply Literacy and Numeracy skills and confidently accessing other
learning areas using a variety of communication and technology tools
 Valuing core environmental values of sustainable living practices and are proactive in
preserving our natural environment and resources
 Valuing and contributing to our school ethos by interacting and working with a range of age
groups, ethnicities, gender groups and diverse learners to achieve individual and collective
goals
 Knowing themselves as learners within a global community by showing resilience, honesty,
creativity and the ability to make considered choices

Activities towards developing aspirational skills and abilities include:

 Developing responsible, reliable and self managing capabilities through the use of the Year 7
& 8 Student City Passports
 Developing Technological capabilities through participating in the Mount Cook School
Technology Programme
 Expanding personal knowledge and experience of the wider community work environment,
and developing social skills and capabilities through the Year 8 City Work Programme
experience
 Developing leadership capabilities, thinking and decision making skills through participating
in the ‘The National Young Leaders’ Conference’
 Developing leadership capability, organisational and problem solving skills through leading
the School Environmental/Health Group

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  Developing thinking, organisational and decision making skills through Leadership
opportunities on the School Student Council
 Leading and modelling to younger students positive learning attitudes through tuakana-
teina (‘Buddy Teaching’) opportunities
 Developing skills of care and respect for personal spaces entrusted to them as senior
students through the organisation and use of the Year 7 & 8 Common Room
 Developing Leadership capability through the active contribution and development of the
content and structure of our ‘School Agreement’

2. CTMS e-Learning Vision

Our vision is to instill the core values in our pupils so that they:

 Embrace learning and problem solving opportunities by using a wide range of digital tools to
assist and progress learning through authentic learning inquiry.
 Are able to demonstrate an awareness and respect of Maori within their e-learning
opportunities.
 Are competent, confident learners who operate with integrity within online and e-learning
environments.
 Are self managing, adaptable and open to change, problem solving and exploring ever
changing digital platforms and maintaining a ‘balance’ and know the place of technology in
our world.

School Agreement
The School Agreement is an integral part of the teaching and learning philosophy at Clifton Tce
Model School and sits within our Charter framework. There are many opportunities where the
school agreement can be used by staff, children and parents throughout the day to guide them in
their actions and thinking.

At the start of every year the student and staff focus on the School Agreement, contributing their
ideas on what sort of place they would like Clifton Tce Model School to be and what actions they
would like to see to ensure their vision is achieved. This year the students have responded to the
Key Competencies that are embedded in the New Zealand Curriculum and have used these as a
framework to develop our School Agreement.

The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five key competencies and identifies them as ‘capabilities for
living and lifelong learning’. We believe that the Key Competencies framework forms the basis for a
more holistic approach of being able to ‘live, learn, work and contribute as an active member of
society’.

Following the development of the School Agreement, the students worked together on a set of
guidelines to support any students who, from time to time, are unable to follow these agreements.

The guidelines follow a practice of owning an issue and taking steps to rectify the situation. This
practice is followed to resolve any issue that may arise either in the classroom or in the
playground.
 Declare-own up to actions
 Share-talk about the issues
 Repair- take action to put things right
Further opportunities to develop these guidelines are given during school programmes such as
“Class Circle Time” and “Student Council”. These programmes provide a safe, supportive and
structured environment for children to develop appropriate behaviours, attitudes, and practices.

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Think Again Plan
For those students who need support beyond this process, the school has developed a ‘Think Again
Plan’. This is a written or pictorial flow chart where the student works through the process above
and then shares the incident with their parents at home. After three ‘Think Again Plans’ the
CoPrincipals make a time to meet with the parents and discuss the issues in more depth.
Various strategies are implemented to support the student at this point in the process. These
strategies might include;
 Behaviour modification programme
 RTLB (Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour) support
 Specialist, outside agency support
 Group Special Education -Ministry of Education (for severe behaviour/gross misconduct)

We have attached the School Agreement for you to share with your child. We hope that you will
keep the School Agreement in a safe place in your home so that it is available to refer to.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The New Zealand Curriculum

The New Zealand Curriculum is a statement of official policy relating to teaching and learning in
English-medium New Zealand schools. Its principal function is to set the direction for student
learning and to provide guidance for schools as they design and review their curriculum.

The New Zealand Curriculum applies to all English-medium state schools (including integrated
schools) and to all students in those schools, irrespective of their gender, sexuality, ethnicity,
belief, ability or disability, social or cultural background, or geographical location.

Curriculum is designed and interpreted in a three-stage process: as the national curriculum, the
school curriculum, and the classroom curriculum. The national curriculum provides the framework
and common direction for schools. It gives schools the scope, flexibility, and authority they need to
design and shape their curriculum so that teaching and learning is meaningful and beneficial to
their particular communities of students.

The New Zealand Curriculum describes the elements that are fundamental to teaching and learning
in New Zealand schools. It states the principles, values and key competencies that give direction
to all teaching and learning. It specifies eight learning areas. The learning associated with each
area is part of a broad, general education and lays the foundation for later specialisation.

Assessment
All teachers plan programmes with objectives and monitor learning, so that ongoing programmes
are relevant to learner needs. If you would like more information on any of these areas, please
don’t hesitate to ask.

Evidence of learner progress can be seen in a variety of ways. Some of these are;
 Individual assessment profiles
These contain a variety of assessments carried out throughout the year, for example running
records, standardized achievement tests and writing assessments
 reports and parent/teacher interviews
 teacher planning/evaluation
 exercise/work books
 record of learning books
These contain self-evaluation work, personal goals and samples of work
 physical environment - outside and inside the classroom
 weekly Children’s Assembly
 parent/community feedback
 staff member’s feedback
 feedback from Wellington College of Education trainees and

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Home Learning
The following are general guidelines for homework:
 homework will be relevant to the individual child’s need
 children will know what is required and should, by Year 3, be able to convey to an adult at
home what is to be done
 parents are encouraged to acknowledge their child’s efforts and communicate their observations
to the teacher
 teachers will inform parents of homework requirements via the communication book
 regular practice activities include reading, spelling and basic mathematics facts. Approximate
daily time for this would be:
- Yrs 0-3 10-15 minutes
- Yrs 3-6 15-20 minutes
- Yrs 7-8 minimum 30 minutes
 other work related to current topics will be included as homework and this will vary in quantity
 parents/caregivers may also wish to follow up some school-based work with their children
 for older students, unfinished school work is often taken home for completion

COMMUNICATION

Communication Book
To encourage regular communication between home and school the students have a
communication book. This contains a weekly class newsletter detailing the week’s programme,
homework and whole school activities. The books are checked daily and parent notes and written
communications are acknowledged and replied to as necessary. Parents/caregivers are also asked
to check and initial this book daily.

School Notices
Classroom newsletters are sent home every Monday. Our school-wide newsletter “Events” is
uploaded on our school website every Friday so you can read about the events coming up for the
following week.

Assembly
These take place every second Thursday morning between 9:00 - 9:30am. Assembly provides an
opportunity for children to practise performance skills and to show what they have learnt at school
or at home. An adult audience is welcomed and appreciated.

Concerns
If you have any concerns, in the first instance talk to a teacher. The school has a complaints policy
for dealing with grievances for serious issues. A copy of the policy is available in the Policies and
Procedures manual in the foyer, from the office, any board member, or your child’s teacher.

Reporting to Parents
The monitoring of your child’s progress is an on-going activity that is part of the teacher’s role in
the classroom. CTMS has a structured programme to update you with this progress as follows:
March/April: Parent/Teacher interview to discuss performance and goals.
August: Written report.
August: Parent/Teacher interview following written report.
December: Final written report.

Interviews can, however, take place at other times as well. All you need to do is talk to the home
group teacher and make a suitable time.

Staff are available to talk to after 3.00 p.m. If you would like to talk without interruptions, please
arrange a suitable time with the teacher.

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 PRACTICAL MATTERS

Enrolling
Clifton Terrace Model School is guided by an enrolment policy. The policy sets out the boundaries
for a distinct catchment zone and details priorities for enrolment from both within the zone, and
outside the zone if there are vacancies. There are circumstances which may allow enrolment for
families outside the catchment zone. For details please contact the office.

Attendance
Please note that children are legally required to attend school everyday during term time. Any
absence must be reported to the school office by phone call before 8.55 a.m. on the day of
absence, or notification via our website using the ‘contact us tab’ or in writing the day prior to the
absence. Children are not to be dropped off at school before 8.30 a.m. Children are to have left
the school grounds by 3.15 p.m. or be supervised by an adult in the playground after this time.
(Please refer to the Attendance Policy/guidelines).

Peanuts
CTMS is a peanut free school. (Refer to peanut notification letter)

Ways You Can Help Your Child and the School

1. Make sure that children have adequate and healthy lunches. We do our best to ensure that the
children eat enough at lunchtime.
2. Monitor your child’s television viewing and get them to bed at a reasonable hour.
3. Look after the reading books that are sent home. Please return them daily.
4. When sending money to school, please put it in an envelope with the child’s name on it, the
amount and its purpose. Please post it in the box located outside of the office.
5. Keep children who are sick at home. This limits the spread of infection and is best for the
child’s recovery.
6. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have a change of address, or if a contact number
has changed.
7. Name children’s clothing and check for anything that is mislaid. The Lost Property box outside
the cloak bay can be accessed at all times. Ensure that your child has clothing and footwear
that will be appropriate for learning activities, including physical education.
8. Talk to your child’s teacher if you have concerns.
9. Please ensure your child brings their library bag on library visit day (which normally fall on
alternate Mondays) and that books are regularly returned.
10. Ensure you read Events and prepare your child for all EOTC events.

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOL

Comprises of a group of parents and teachers who work together to support the schools’
community activities. Some of the events include:
 Community Takeaway Nights at school (setting up furniture and tidying up at the end)
 Sausage sizzles (cooking on the BBQ and supporting senior students)
 Gardening and playground maintenance (such as raking bark chips)
 Talent Quest/Wearable Art Show/Discos etc. (providing baking, collecting money on the door,
support for teachers backstage)
 Student Council Days assistance once a term

AFTER SCHOOL CARE: parents are using: Kelburn Kids, 2 Boundary Road, , ph 475-9212

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