Vision and Values
The impetus to begin this school is drawn from a deep concern about the direction of our society.
In June 2023, literacy and numeracy test results, taken from 41,000 secondary school students showed that just over half of them passed writing and numeracy… 65% of participants passing their reading assessment.
Add to that the fact that by year 5, a full third of children in public schools are bullied badly enough to report it.
We live in an environment where more and more parents are crying out for an alternative for their children.
43.7%
of NZ students fail their secondary school writing assessment
44.1%
of NZ students fail their secondary school numeracy assessment
35.6%
of NZ students fail their secondary school reading assessment
43.7%
of Year 5 students are bullied badly enough to report it
We agree with our current Prime Minister that our education system is failing our children. Over the years numerous governments have sought to create better citizens by redesigning teaching and learning. In more recent years, the Labor government even went so far as to defend our falling literacy and numeracy rates by moving the goal posts — arguing that we were actually the best in the world when the measure is not academia but ideology.
To add to the dilemma, our teachers colleges have not given their trainees anywhere close to a passable instruction in behaviour management. No matter how good a teacher you are, if you are unable to manage a classroom, the children will not learn… nor will their learning environment be a safe one. Bullying, sexual pressures, drug use, adolescent depression and teen abortions are a regular fixture in many schools in this country.
What this means...
In the establishment of a private Cambridge Christian school, it is our desire to serve our community and to help parents parent their children.
Our Christian faith is the motivation we have to love God and love our neighbor… to seek the best for each other. The establishment of this school is an expression of our desire to build up this community we love.
At the same time, Christianity is the basis for our pursuit of excellence. We believe our children are made for more than mediocrity. They are made in the image of God… to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
We want the best for our children.
John F. Kennedy was right: “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” We need to invest in them.
We are committed to laying a solid biblical worldview foundation so that children are soundly equipped to develop into mature Christian men and women.
Because we believe all people should serve Christ, our motivation doesn’t simply come from our celebration of learning. As such, despite how somethings might be difficult, we are driven to pursue excellence to God’s glory–with the resulting onflow of academic success, strong relationships and developing a character of virtue.
Because we value each child as made in the image of God, our teaching will be responsive to each child’s calling, gifting and ability; equipping them to pursue the good works God has planned for them to walk in (Eph 2:10).
We are a family-orientated, friendly school where children and teenagers respect and support each other.
Our Christian ethos allows for children to feel safe both within and outside of the classroom. We will not tolerate bullying, swearing or coarse language.
Our classrooms will be set-up in the primary school using flexible processes which enhance and maximise learning time. This will strengthen respectful teacher-student relationships.
We will encourage your child to be self-motivated – a vital ingredient for future success.
We highly value parental involvement and will seek to generate community involvement.