School Hours

Our school learning day is from 8.30am – 2.30pm.
(NOTE: No alteration is made to school hours on wet days).

We encourage students to arrive at school between 8.15am and 8.20am, so that they have time to get settled and prepared for their first class at 8.30am. This is to allow a calm start to the day, with no playing on playgrounds.

Children who arrive at school prior to 8.00am must join our Before School Care programme.

If your child arrives at school late, please sign them in on our Vistab tablet located in the school office. Please remember to also use VisTab for appointments during school time.

To ensure all children are safe and supervised, any child still in the school at 2.45pm, joins the After School Care programme and will be charged accordingly.

Our Road Patrollers are on duty from 8.10am to 8.29am and again at 2.28pm.to 2.50pm. Children are encouraged to use the road patrol crossing so that they are kept safe as they cross the road.

At Tamahere Model Country School, each day is designed to bring our vision to life — Kia Kotahi, Kia Maia, Kia Manaaki – Nurturing our Future, Growing Together.

Our daily routines reflect our commitment to strong foundations in literacy and maths, rich learning across all curriculum areas, and a deep sense of belonging and community.

School Karakia

We open the day with our school karakia, gifted to us by Ngaati Hauaa. This is a treasured way to centre ourselves, honour our place, and begin the day grounded in shared purpose.

Vision Focus with Peer Mediators

Our trained Year Six Peer Mediators lead the unpacking of the weekly vision focus.

They explain what our vision statements look like in action in the playground and the classroom, supporting PB4L and restorative practice within our school culture.

Students who have demonstrated our vision in class have their names entered into the daily draw. Each morning, several students are celebrated and acknowledged — reinforcing positive behaviour and fostering pride in meeting our shared expectations.

Structured Learning: Reading, Writing and Maths

In alignment with Te Mātaiaho, our daily timetable includes one hour each of explicit reading, writing, and maths teaching.

These lessons are carefully sequenced, draw on prior learning, and provide opportunities for modelling, guided practice, and independent application.

• Reading – decoding, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency are taught through a structured approach.
• Writing – explicit instruction in sentence structure, spelling patterns, text features, and the craft of written expression.
• Maths – one hour of structured maths daily, including number, algebra, geometry, statistics, measurement, and problem-solving.

Teachers use the science of learning to design lessons that build strong foundations, reduce cognitive load, and enable success for all learners.

Learning Across the Day

Alongside literacy and maths, students experience a rich programme across the curriculum, as required for Years 0–8 in The New Zealand Curriculum | Te Mātaiaho.

Weekly Library Time

Each class enjoys a weekly library session in our beautiful Heritage Library Building. This space nurtures a love of reading and supports our literacy goals by connecting students with books, authors, and librarian-led experiences.

Physical Education and Outdoor Learning

Physical education is woven through the year:

• Terms 1 & 4: Swimming lessons in our school pool complex.
• Terms 3 & 4: Athletics skills, cross-country training, ball skills, and team games, building confidence, skill, and strategy.

Kapa Haka & Roopū

Kapa Haka strengthens the cultural identity, performance skills, and confidence of our aakonga. Supporting belonging, leadership, and connection across year levels.

• Kapa Haka takes place every second week, for classes.
• Performance Roopū group practises weekly.

Life Education

Every second year, the Life Education mobile classroom visits our school, supporting our health and wellbeing curriculum. Students learn about friendships, emotions, body systems, and making positive choices.

Throughout the day, students engage in learning across all areas of Te Mātaiaho:
English, Mathematics & Statistics, Science, Social Sciences, The Arts, Technology, and Health & Physical Education. Teachers plan integrated units that connect learning across strands and build on students’ strengths and interests.

Breaks for morning tea and lunch provide time for play, physical activity, relationship building, and support from our Peer Mediators.

Classrooms finish the day with reflection, tidy-up time, and reminders for the next day. Students leave feeling proud of their learning, confident in their progress, and connected to our school community.