St Andrew's School (Timaru), St Andrews

Key facts

About St Andrew's School (Timaru)

St Andrews Primary School is a full primary school catering for students in Years 1–8. It is located approximately 15 minutes south of Timaru, in a rural setting on the outskirts of St Andrews Village.

The school has 5 classrooms and a library. Facilities include an adventure playground, a sandpit, a court area, a cricket pitch, a rugby field, and an indoor heated swimming pool.

The school's educational framework, described as the 'Skills for Life' Triangle, organises learning around three elements: knowledge ("We Know"), attitude ("We Care"), and skill ("We Can"). The triangle's shape references the school's geographical setting, connecting mountains, sea, and land.

The school identifies four core values — Co-Operation, Respect, Courage, and Excellence — with a fifth value, Mana, described as integrated throughout each of the others.

Enrolment

Children may enrol at St Andrew's School from the age of five. Parents are asked to contact the school office to make an appointment with the Principal, at which point health and enrolment forms are completed. The school operates an enrolment scheme with a defined enrolment zone, though specific zone boundaries and out-of-zone priority criteria are not detailed in the available text.

A Transition to School programme is available for children approaching school age, allowing them to attend once a week for up to four weeks before their fifth birthday. Parents are asked to contact the school office to arrange these visits.

Curriculum

St Andrew's School uses a concept-based integrated curriculum, in which learning is organised around contexts described as meaningful to students rather than taught as separate subjects.

Health and Physical Education is delivered within this integrated approach. The school identifies seven key areas of learning within Health and Physical Education:

• Mental Health
• Sexuality Education
• Food and Nutrition
• Body Care and Physical Safety
• Physical Education
• Sports Studies
• Outdoor Education

Physical Education lessons are taught once a week by a facilitator from Sports South Canterbury, with follow-up lessons delivered by the class teacher. The junior school focuses on fundamental movement skills; the middle and senior school focuses on sports-based skills and games.

Specific health programmes are delivered by external agencies. Life Education delivers programmes to every class each year. Other programmes — including Sexuality Education (under the Education Act 1989, as amended in 2001), Kia Kaha, and Keeping Ourselves Safe — are taught after parents are informed of the learning outcomes.

Students in Years 4–8 may participate in Rural Schools sports competitions, with selected students going on to represent rural schools at South Canterbury events.