Kuranui College
Encyclopedia
Kuranui College is a state co-educational secondary school
in Greytown
, New Zealand
. It is the only secondary school in the South Wairarapa District
, and serves the towns of Greytown, Featherston
, Martinborough
, and the majority of Carterton
.
The college was opened in February 1960, replacing three district high schools in Greytown, Featherston, and Martinborough. Built to the Nelson plan, it was designed to take up to 900 students in the midst of the post-World War II baby boom
. It has been said to have as many as 1000 students in the mid-1970s, but since the end of the baby boom, has since dropped back to around the present level of 482.
The name Kuranui in the Maori language
means "large school" (kura = school of education + nui = big, large), describing the aspect it was formed from three former high schools, and also being a secondary school ("bigger" than a primary school.).
The school has had four principals - O. Sam Meads (1960-); Peter Werry; Joye Halford; and R. Grey Tuck (1998–2008). Geoff Shepherd, the then deputy principal, superseded Grey Tuck as principal of Kuranui in May 2008.
, Social Studies
and Science
curricula. Base 6 learning is structured around inquiry, research and a strong emphasis on students taking responsibility for their own learning. The programme is an alternative to conventional subject classes, which are also offered for those students not wising to enrol in Base 6.
(NCEA). With the revised national curriculum coming into force, several changes to senior education are forecast in the near future.
Since mid-2008, the senior management structure consists of a principal (currently Geoff Shepherd), two deputy principals (Gary Hall and Maree Patten), a Head of Junior School (Years 9 and 10, currently filled by Catherine Rossiter), and a Head of Senior School (Years 11 - 13, currently filled by Shaun Tavernor).
Form classes also changed in 2008. Year 11 through 13 form classes were rearranged into twelve form classes, with a mixture of Year 11 through 13 students from the same school house
(Aorangi, Ruamahunga, Tararua, and Wairarapa). Year 9 and 10 form classes were rearranged so everyone in the same house at that year level was in the same form class. As it was the trend to keep Base 6 and conventional subject form classes together, this means now that unlike other schools, siblings can be in different houses because of whether they were Base 6 or conventional subject in the junior school.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Greytown
Greytown, New Zealand
Greytown or Te Hupenui, population 2,001 , is a town in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, in the lower North Island...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is the only secondary school in the South Wairarapa District
South Wairarapa District
South Wairarapa District is at the south-east tip of the North Island of New Zealand.-Introduction:South Wairarapa includes three towns and several localities that have a wide range of economic activity, natural features, and visitor attractions, only a few of which are noted here. Martinborough is...
, and serves the towns of Greytown, Featherston
Featherston, New Zealand
Featherston is a town in the north of the Wellington Region region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, just north of the Rimutaka Tunnel, in the South Wairarapa District. The population was 2,340 in the 2006 Census....
, Martinborough
Martinborough
Martinborough is a town in South Wairarapa, a district in the Wellington region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is 65 kilometres east of Wellington and 35 kilometres south-west of Masterton...
, and the majority of Carterton
Carterton, New Zealand
Carterton is a small town in the Wellington Region of New Zealand and the seat of the Carterton District. It lies in a farming area of the Wairarapa in New Zealand's North Island. It is located southwest of Masterton and northeast of Wellington...
.
The college was opened in February 1960, replacing three district high schools in Greytown, Featherston, and Martinborough. Built to the Nelson plan, it was designed to take up to 900 students in the midst of the post-World War II baby boom
Post-World War II baby boom
The end of World War II brought a baby boom to many countries, especially Western ones. There is some disagreement as to the precise beginning and ending dates of the post-war baby boom, but it is most often agreed to begin in the years immediately after the war, ending more than a decade later;...
. It has been said to have as many as 1000 students in the mid-1970s, but since the end of the baby boom, has since dropped back to around the present level of 482.
The name Kuranui in the Maori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
means "large school" (kura = school of education + nui = big, large), describing the aspect it was formed from three former high schools, and also being a secondary school ("bigger" than a primary school.).
The school has had four principals - O. Sam Meads (1960-); Peter Werry; Joye Halford; and R. Grey Tuck (1998–2008). Geoff Shepherd, the then deputy principal, superseded Grey Tuck as principal of Kuranui in May 2008.
Innovation
Since the Education Act 1989 was introduced, Kuranui, as well as other schools in New Zealand, are independently managed through a Board of Trustees and senior management. This has allowed Kuranui College to develop several programmes and educational practices to suit it and today's learning.Base 6
One of Kuranui's educational initiatives is the Base 6 integrated learning programme. Implemented in 2001, the integrated programme is taught in both Years 9 and 10, combining national achievement objectives from the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Social Studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
and Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
curricula. Base 6 learning is structured around inquiry, research and a strong emphasis on students taking responsibility for their own learning. The programme is an alternative to conventional subject classes, which are also offered for those students not wising to enrol in Base 6.
Senior school
From Year 11 onwards to Year 13, education is entirely conventional-subject-based, with the main emphasis on achieving formal qualifications through the National Certificate of Educational AchievementNational Certificate of Educational Achievement
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement is, since 2004, the official secondary school qualification in New Zealand.It has three levels, corresponding to the levels within the National Qualifications Framework, and these are generally studied in each of the three final years of...
(NCEA). With the revised national curriculum coming into force, several changes to senior education are forecast in the near future.
Management
From 2008, Kuranui College replaced the traditional senior management system with a new system better suited to today. This involved abolishing deans of year levels, and replacing them with two head of school (Junior and Senior). With the change to principal, the two assistant principal positions were abolished in favour of increasing the number of deputy principals to two.Since mid-2008, the senior management structure consists of a principal (currently Geoff Shepherd), two deputy principals (Gary Hall and Maree Patten), a Head of Junior School (Years 9 and 10, currently filled by Catherine Rossiter), and a Head of Senior School (Years 11 - 13, currently filled by Shaun Tavernor).
Form classes also changed in 2008. Year 11 through 13 form classes were rearranged into twelve form classes, with a mixture of Year 11 through 13 students from the same school house
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
(Aorangi, Ruamahunga, Tararua, and Wairarapa). Year 9 and 10 form classes were rearranged so everyone in the same house at that year level was in the same form class. As it was the trend to keep Base 6 and conventional subject form classes together, this means now that unlike other schools, siblings can be in different houses because of whether they were Base 6 or conventional subject in the junior school.