The Otaki College Community

Otaki College is a Year 7 to 13 co-educational school in sunny Otaki, on the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand. Otaki is a beautiful town, just 1 hour drive from Wellington and Palmerston North Cities.

Otaki College is a school committed to meeting the needs of the community. Otaki is one of New Zealand's oldest communities with a rich history and our College has a proud record of service to it. Our graduates continue to achieve in a variety of areas. We believe this success is based on many factors unique to our school.

Scroll down or click for:

  • Purpose, Vision and Values Statement
  • Te Kawa o Te Ako - Ways of Learning
  • Junior high school/middle school principles
  • College map 2009

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    How to contact Otaki College

    Address:
    Otaki College
    233 Mill Road
    Box 36
    Otaki 5512
    New Zealand
    Telephone:
    +64-6-3648204
    Fax:
    +64-6-3645483


    Google Map

    Purpose, Vision and Values Statement

     Our purpose is to develop young people who strive always to be the best they can be.

    Our vision for our students is that they will:
  • Learn and develop in a caring quality environment
  • Have their individual needs met
  • Become confident, capable learners with qualifications needed to achieve their aspirations
  • Develop the values, knowledge and abilities to contribute to society and live full and satisfying lives
  • Recognise diversity in all its forms and understand the cultural influences that have shaped our community and our country

    The values we embrace are:
  • A sense of community and belonging
  • Acceptance of the individual
  • Genuine and persistent endeavour to excel
  • Integrity which involves acting honestly and responsibly
  • Respect and care for self, others and the environment

    Kia Kaha

    Te Kawa o Te Ako - Ways of Learning

     Across the coming 4 years the Board of Trustees would like to explore together with the college community (students, staff and families) the following kaupapa with the aim of incorporating these principles into future strategic plans.

    Kotahitanga-the development and maintenance of a unity of purpose and direction
    Pūkengatanga-the preservation, teaching and creation of mātauranga Māori
    Kaitiakitanga-the obligation to foster and protect all living things
    Manaakitanga-the expression of mana-enhancing behaviour towards one another
    Whanaungatanga-the reciprocal rights and responsibilities that flow from the interrelationships of all living things
    Te Reo-the responsibility to ensure the transmission of te reo to future generations
    Whakapapa-the inter-relationships of all living things
    Ūkaipōtanga-the importance of tūrangawaewae, a place where one belongs, feels valued and is able to contribute.
    Wairuatanga-the recognition of the intimate spiritual connections that link atua, humankind and nature
    Rangatiratanga-the expression of the attributes of a Rangatira, including humility, leadership by example, generosity and diplomacy.

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    Otaki College incorporates junior high school/middle school principles

    Since 2003 Otaki College teaching staff have been following the latest developments in the education of emerging adolescents (11-14 years old).

    Some key needs of this age group that have been identified are:

    - meeting different needs (social and scholastic) as part of a single whole process, often described as integration
    - students sharing ownership of learning with their teachers, including involvement in deciding what the learning is leading to
    - opportunities and encouragement to meet significant challenges
    - respectful relationships as a secure social setting in which to explore self and new social interactions

    Some of the ways Otaki College has met these needs are:

    - increasing security through careful introduction into College life
    - increasing manageable responsibility for students for themselves (Certificate of Learning Skills Programme) and their school community (Year 7 and 8 Council, College Student Council,   house responsibilities)
    - reducing anxiety through encouraging risk-taking in learning
    - increased peer-support processes (an additional system involving Year 13 students has been in operation since 2007)
    - improving home-school contact
    - culturally affirming pastoral care for Mãori students (whare awhina)


    Through continuous Year 7-13 schooling, students avoid the insecurities of additional transitions.

    All Year 9 classes are in a partial home-room format. This involves integration of curriculum and one teacher for a substantial part of the school week. This provides a bridge between the predominant home-room format at Years 7 and 8 and the later secondary years. These programmes are led by primary-trained teachers.

    As students progress through Years 7 to 10, they have increasing involvement with subject specialists. This is possible because in a small to medium sized secondary school the employment of advanced level specialists in technology, the arts, sciences, mathematics, humanities etc is only possible because junior school classes complement the small number of senior classes taken by each senior specialist. Unfortunately, separate senior and junior high schools do not have these advantages.