Our Languages

Te Reo

As a Kura, we are committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and use it to guide all of our practices. We continue to grow in our knowledge and understanding of our local and national history to uphold this commitment.
In addition to this, we are committed to the teaching and learning te reo Māori and cultural practices. Our long-term aspiration is to see te reo Māori normalised in our school, our homes, and our community. We strongly believe that it is our responsibility to actively contribute to revitalizing Māori language and culture in Aotearoa. We know this enhances the well-being and self-esteem of not only our Maori learners but all of our community.

Mandarin

All students learn this Chinese language. A Mandarin Language Assistant works alongside the class teacher to implement a lively, fun programme. This takes place on Tuesday and Friday.

First Language Time

At Te Aro School half of our students have a home language other than English.
Each week groups of students who share the same first language and/or culture come together to share their knowledge of their language and culture by learning from and teaching each other. We currently have ten different language groups involved in First Language Time. We see this as a great opportunity to acknowledge our multicultural school community and to promote our students’ pride in their cultural and linguistic diversity.