About our school - mo to tatou kura

Since 1981, Ellesmere College Te Kāreti o Waihora has developed a reputation for delivering quality education to the wider Leeston, Southbridge, Doyleston and Dunsandel communities.

A Year 7- 13 co-educational school which recognises and celebrates the achievement of each student/ākonga academic, cultural, sporting and leadership potential.

Ellesmere College/Te Kāreti o Waihora provides our students/ākonga with the skills and knowledge to enable them to be the best they can be. In conjunction with our teaching programmes, our continued focus on our core values of respect, integrity, success and empathy further strengthens our student/ākonga character and self-efficacy. Our staff work hard to build positive relationships with students/ākonga and maintain high expectations. As a consequence, we enjoy high standards of student/ ākonga conduct and behaviour throughout our learning community.

We are a dynamic and innovative school that explores opportunities to remain relevant in a rapidly changing society.

Our mission is to provide a challenging and caring learning environment responsive to the learning needs of all students/ākonga. We continuously seek new ways to engage learners and offer appropriate pathways .

Our identity nurtures individuality, offers personalised education whilst recognising and catering for the diverse needs of our students/ākonga.

Our staff ensure students/ākonga are offered a wide range of opportunities creating pathways for students/ ākonga beyond school. We are committed to strengthening the delivery of education we provide to meet the needs of our young people.

Our vision is to develop confident, motivated young people who are positive citizens and life-long learners. We celebrate our co-educational and bi-cultural identity and have a safe and supportive environment where everyone feels they belong.

Our community partnerships are deeply valued and together we continue to build trusting relationships that are always focused on the best possible experiences for our ākonga.

Our College is more than a place where learning occurs. It is a school that cares and believes in the potential of young people. We work to provide a well-rounded, holistic education for the students/ākonga they serve.

Connections with Te Taumutu Rūnanga

Ellesmere College-Te Kāreti o Waihora is part of the Kāhui Ako Ngā Mātāpuna o te Waihora. Ngā Mātāpuna o te Waihora is located within the takiwā of Te Taumutu Rūnanga, one of 18 Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga, based at Te Pā o Moki Marae, Taumutu.

We have an extremely strong and important relationship with Te Taumutu Rūnanga, allowing us to utilise their knowledge, prowess and strength. Te Taumutu Rūnanga is the representative body and kaitiaki of Te Waihora and the surrounding takiwā, including the whole of the Selwyn District.

Our Whanau House System

We provide a supportive and caring environment for our ākonga through our Whānau houses, named after four native New Zealand trees: Rāta, Rimu, Kōwhai and Tōtara. Our whānau system fosters a feeling of belonging in ākonga, and acts as an extended family and support network. The unique grouping of mixed years encourages mentoring between junior and senior ākonga, giving senior ākonga the opportunity to develop leadership skills, and junior ākonga the ability to form bonds with positive role models.

Sport

We offer a wide range of sports, tournaments, clubs, social games and inter-school challenges.

Student Leadership At Ellesmere College/Te KAreti o Waihora

We encourage the growth of leadership with opportunities for ākonga to lead available from Year 7 through to our senior gold badge leaders in Year 12 and 13. Junior ākonga can be elected to the Junior Student Council which has one representative per Hapori class. Once selected for the Junior Student Council, junior ākonga may also self nominate to become a silver or bronze badge leader and represent other junior ākonga on the silver and bronze badge committees. Six junior silver and bronze leaders also share a role in presenting at junior assemblies.

RISE Values

Our RISE values live and breathe throughout our curriculum and learning environment. Evolved through community discussion and consideration, they are the core of everything we do. We utilise the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) Restorative Practice model that focuses on building and maintaining positive, respectful relationships across the school community and offers school staff best practice tools and techniques to restore relationships. By building and maintaining positive, respectful relationships within a school, staff to staff, staff to ākonga and ākonga to ākonga, issues are easily managed.

Our RISE values are explicitly taught and developed throughout the learning environments. Ākonga are rewarded with RISE tokens for demonstrating the RISE values in action. Restorative Practice is a relational approach to school life grounded in beliefs about equality, dignity, mana and the potential of all people.

Wellbeing At Ellesmere College/Te Kāreti o Waihora

We understand that wellbeing is the key to our ākonga succeeding in their learning goals. We offer access to a wide range of wellbeing resources that are taught to ākonga throughout our junior and senior curriculum.

Pause, Breathe, Smile is a mindfulness based wellbeing programme designed to equip children aged 5 to 12 with tools to manage the ups and downs of life and set them up for a healthy future. The programme is internationally recognised and introduced to all schools in our Ngā Mātāpuna o te Waihora Kāhui Ako in 2021.

Te Whare Mauri Ora - this model of Hauora/Wellbeing developed by Wiremu Gray forms the foundation of our wellbeing practices at Ellesmere College/Te Kāreti o Waihora. It is a holistic model of wellbeing used in all our Kahui Ako schools. Ākonga continue their journey towards understanding the model as a way to consider their own wellbeing through their Hapori, Ako and Connected Learning Module spaces.

Our pastoral care networks and systems have a strong focus on student welfare which underpin our commitment to Restorative Practice.

This positive approach in repairing relationships together with our shared belief in our core values of respect, integrity, success and empathy provide a safe and caring learning environment for all students. In an environment where every student matters, we pride ourselves on the quality of our pastoral care. Ellesmere College - Te Kāreti o Waihora provides a holistic and integrated approach to enhancing student wellbeing and learning.

Our inclusive culture fosters positive working relationships. We value partnerships and teamwork, and develop a community of learners who embrace diversity and promote equality. The Hapori teacher becomes the significant school-based adult in each students life, developing a positive relationship with both student and parent/caregiver.

Extra-curricular activities

We offer a range of extra curricular activities at Ellesmere College Te Kāreti o Waihora including board game and minecraft clubs held during lunch in the library, volunteering and Children's University. At Ellesmere College Te Kāreti o Waihora ākonga are working towards their Member, Bronze, Silver and Gold Student Volunteer Army badges by participating in volunteering opportunities.