Our Place

Vardon School is a contributing Primary School which opened on the 3rd of September 1956 in the northern side of central Hamilton providing education for students in Years 1 to 6.

We are a multicultural community comprised of mainly New Zealand European (35%) and Maaori (42%) students, with smaller immigrant groups from Asian (11%), Pacific Islands (8%) and Other (4%) countries (2022)

Our school is a focal point for our community. We connect with local early childhood centers to ease the transition to school. Our Year 6 Students move from Vardon School through to a variety of Intermediate or Junior High Schools.

Our GOT and PTA are a proactive group who regularly organise, promote and implement a number of productive events and activities.

Inclusion For All

Vardon School prides itself on creating a welcoming environment for all children and their family/whanau. We believe this strengthens and deepens the work we can do with learners and their families, creating a solid platform for learning to occur.

We liaise effectively with a wide range of outside agencies to support us to provide the right conditions for children who may require adaptations to learning programmes. We work hard to break down barriers around formal and informal learning so that we can accelerate learning for those that need it.

We have composite classes that are located around the school. The school is also organised into four learning Teams; Nga Whatukura (Entrant/Year 1), Junior, Middle and Senior. These teams work collaboratively to provide learning experiences for students at the same year level. We also highly value the relationships developed with students staying with the same teacher over 2 years where possible.

Te Ao Maori Achievement Plan Strategic Planning Treaty of Waitangi

The unique position of Maaori Culture and local tikanga Maaori, mātauranga Maaori and te ao Maaori.

Vardon school's Curriculum, policies and practices aims to reflect New Zealand's cultural diversity and the unique position of the Maaori Culture. The local curriculum will provide students with experiences and understandings in cultural traditions, Waikato Tainui dialect and local Tainui and Kingitanga and national histories.

Incorporating Te Reo and Tikanga Maaori

Vardon School has prioritised steps to provide learning opportunities in Tikanga Maaori and Te Reo Maaori for all students. Students are empowered to learn through local physical environment, powhiri, waiata, engagement, Kapa haka, marae experiences. Te Reo and Tikanga Maaori are normalised through everyday learning and teaching. A key focus for every classroom is starting the day, the Aotearoa way which has a key focus on whanaungatanga and turangawaewae. Our focus is ensuring that at a minimum, every child will reach level 1 (minimum) in the English medium Maaori Curriculum. Each term students explore new vocab that is aligned to the curriculum focus.

Ensuring Equitable Outcomes for Maori Students

We will ensure collective enquiry focuses on equitable outcomes for Maaori students. Staff understand and are committed to equitable eachievement outcomes for Maaori students. All staff are provided with opportunities to strengthen their understanding of Tataiako; Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Maaori and how these apply to our local context. Data is analysed with a strategic focus on planning for Maaori student achievement improvement. Planning, resourcing, and programmes will ensure acceleration of Maaori students is prioritised.

Consultation with our Maaori Community

The school engages with whanau through hui which are held for a variety of reasons. All Maaori families or those with a Maaori child attending Vardon School are invited to attend these hui and are encouraged to bring whanau with them. We continually look at ways to engage with whanau and welcome any ideas on how we can continue to strengthen this in the future.

Supporters and Sponsors

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