By welcoming specialist teaching and a robust curriculum into the primary years, ACG Tauranga shows how nurturing each child’s needs at a younger age grows confident and successful future learners.
Principal Thea Kilian of ACG Tauranga is a passionate advocate for the importance of a strong educational foundation. “Maintaining the natural curiosity with which our children are born and developing it into a genuine love of learning requires careful cultivation from a very young age. Their self-efficacy, what they believe they are capable of, will be one of the most significant factors in their future success.”
Every child is valued and supported to achieve individualised success.
ACG Tauranga Primary Teachers are experts at creating an environment where every child is acknowledged and celebrated for who they are, both as an individual and a learner. By understanding not only their strengths and challenges but also how they approach the learning process, we gain the opportunity to positively influence how they perceive themselves in this space.
Kilian points out that embracing learning within a kind, caring and inclusive culture, helps young children value learning as a process. Understanding that challenges are part of the process, collaboration is a strength, and every success is worth celebrating, validates their own efforts within this space.
Accessible challenge through the Cambridge Primary Curriculum
Being great learners requires children to develop both skill and disposition. At ACG Tauranga these are crafted through the expert implementation of the Cambridge Primary Curriculum, providing structure, routine and repetition within the context of curiosity and enjoyment. With a strong focus on each child’s individual journey, purposeful tracking allows gaps to be identified and addressed early, deliberately crafting their pathway to future success. Where children excel, programs are adjusted and extension opportunities provided to ensure an engaged experience throughout their journey. By Year 6, students are taught many of their subjects by a specialist teacher, enabling them to truly appreciate each subject as a pathway to a much bigger world.
“Should students reach intermediate or secondary school, lacking the strong foundation they need, maintaining a genuine love of learning becomes much more challenging,” Kilian says. “
A holistic approach for life
Focused on a holistic education, children are active participants across all four of the ACG Tauranga Pillars; Sports, Arts, Learning, and Community as well as an opportunity to explore leadership skills, providing every opportunity for them to learn and experience well beyond the classroom. Ensuring our youngest learners are excited by opportunities in Sports and Arts; Music, Dance and Physical Education are taught by specialist teachers within subject specific facilities. Supported by the wide range of lunch time clubs and activities, and extra-curricular opportunities, students are active participants that extend well beyond the classroom.
Looking Ahead
With increasing attention on the value of personalised education in the early years, ACG Tauranga offers a compelling example of how implementing a robust curriculum in a kind, caring and inclusive environment focused on the development of the whole child, can transform a child’s school experience. Parents and teachers familiar with the school’s approach describe students who are notably confident, curious, and well-equipped for the challenges that lie ahead.
To learn more about ACG Tauranga’s philosophy, parents are invited to see the school in action by booking a personalised guided tour with the admissions team. Visit tauranga.acgedu.com to schedule a tour and discover more about the programme.
