Respect for the Diversity of People and Cultures

Respect for the Diversity of People and Cultures acknowledges the unique gifts, contributions and perspectives of individuals and groups, reinforcing the need for participatory decision-making in Enviroschools.

At Cromwell Primary School, we place great value on the individual experiences and expert knowledge of all our tamariki, Whānau and our wider community. This is displayed in everyday kura life at Cromwell Primary School in many ways.

ESOL Learners

We have a burgeoning ESOL community around us. The work of expert kaiako to assist classroom teachers and ESOL students is crucial for us to recognise, value and integrate what we can learn about these tamariki and their culture and experiences into our planning and classroom life. These specialised teachers can also help to bridge the gap between native English speakers and ESOL speakers to help them transition into school life. We also run a culture club one lunchtime per week to celebrate the diverse cultures we have in our kura.

Ruslan bee book

Valuing Expert Knowledge

Whenever possible, we have experts from our local community and within our school share their expertise and knowledge. This is often a jumping off point for our inquiry learning, rather than kaiako loading tamariki with information, we look at what skills and knowledge our tamariki, their Whānau and our wider community possess and harness this to make the learning experiences of our tamariki truly authentic and put into context within the wider world.

Picture 1 - Matua Tim working with our Kapa Haka

Picture 2 - Peter and Sharon Brass from Cherry Tree Farm

Home & School

We place utmost importance on the need for strong connections between home and school and this can be seen in the way we run Partnership Meetings for every child during the year. This is a process that involves the teacher, child and their Whānau in talking about the child holistically, getting to know what makes them 'tick', how we can best help them, and to ensure that Whānau feel empowered to be a part of their child's schooling and the decision-making around their child's learning.

School Culture

Every level of the school realises and reinforces the concept that we are all very different in the way we learn. Our brains are not all the same and this is important for kaiako and tamariki to realise, in order to cater to each and every individual child. We do this through learning about Growth vs. Fixed Mindset, learning about emotional regulation, different learning styles and allowing flexibility for tamariki to make decisions that empower them in their leanring, rather than kaiako making these decisions for them.

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