With the support of their teacher, students regularly reflect on their achievements and share their learning with their whānau through our weekly sharing assemblies, newsletters and Facebook page.
Our small class sizes allow for more personalised learning, and progress is carefully monitored to ensure students are reaching their potential. Where additional support is needed, we provide targeted teaching and resources to meet individual needs.
We use a structured literacy approach to provide every student with a strong foundation in reading, writing, and oral language. Our students build confidence as communicators through real-world opportunities such as school productions, speech competitions and weekly assemblies, where they learn to express themselves clearly and with purpose.
We use the Maths — No Problem! programme to build strong number sense and mathematical thinking. This structured, research-based approach helps students become confident problem solvers .
Students take part in science fairs, Stardome visits, and the Science Roadshow. We carry out environmental investigations, using inquiry to explore the world around us. This includes pest control projects, visiting the kiwi sanctuary at Motu, planting and maintaining a local oxbow lake to encourage biodiversity, and monitoring our local waterways. We utilise experts in our community and our local landscape, encouraging students to become kaitiaki of the natural world.
The local curriculum at Matawai ensures students explore the history, people, and stories of our region. We take our students on many exciting excursions, including to the East Coast Museum of Technology, Tairawhiti Museum, virtual visits to Te Papa, and Whangara Marae. Through their daily Enviroschools responsibilities, the School Council, and community projects, students also develop leadership skills and an understanding of their role in society.
Every student has access to their own iPad or Chromebook, supplied by our school, supporting digital learning across the curriculum. Students also take part in visits to The Mind Lab in Gisborne or in-school visits from an ICT expert, where they explore innovation, coding, robotics, and digital design. Our senior school students participate in Food Technology, Hard Materials and Soft Materials classes once a week.
Our whole school comes together to put on school productions and wearable arts shows, giving students the chance to perform for an audience. Music, drama, and visual arts are also integrated across the curriculum.
Through our Kapa Haka programme, students engage with te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. These experiences help build a connection to our heritage and strengthen students’ understanding of language, identity, and culture. We also connect with our local hapu, Te Aitanga ā Māhaki.
Students play a wide range of sports, including hockey, soccer, cricket, rugby, netball and more. Our annual swimming, triathlon, athletics, and cross-country events, run alongside Motu School, are highlights on the calendar! Life Education visits us annually.
From our yearly camps, cycle trips, Pets Day, water safety and environmental education, our students experience hands-on learning in real-world contexts. As a proud Green-Gold Enviroschool, we prioritise sustainability and encourage students to act as kaitiaki (guardians) of our environment.