About QPS

Queenstown Primary School is a state integrated full primary school and has been operating on the current site since 1975 and has a school roll in the region of 650 students of more than 30 different nationalities.

From Our Principal

Nau mai tauti mai ki to tātau kura, te kura tuatahi o tāhuna
Welcome everyone to our school
Te Kura Tuatahi o Tāhuna
Queenstown Primary School

Queenstown Primary School is located in central Queenstown, within a short walk to the shops and restaurants and within close proximity to exciting events and outdoor activities. We are located under the Skyline gondola and across the road from our local sports ground, Memorial Park. We are committed to delivering a high quality and balanced education in a breathtakingly beautiful setting. The name of our school translates to; The First School in Queenstown.

My personal congratulations to you all for taking the first step to being an important part of our school – Queenstown Primary School. We are very excited to share the unique ‘flavour’ of our school. This means, we are renowned within the Wakatipu region as an EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) school. Our students have many opportunities to participate in unique activities based on a strong outdoor education focus. These include camping, skiing, ice skating, tramping, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding and various outdoor camps.

We recognise students’ diverse abilities, interests and ethnicities and aim to provide a wide-ranging programme that will meet all of their needs; academically, socially and physically. We provide an inclusive community and embrace Nga Hau e Wha by welcoming families worldwide.

I am proud to say that our best resource is our staff. All of our staff are appointed to positions because they are caring, committed and energetic professionals who frequently go beyond the expectation to ensure our students are successfully developing their progressional pathway to be the best they can be.

Being approachable is something we pride ourselves on. We encourage and welcome parents/whanau and community agencies to share in the learning of their children and our future leaders. Learning partnerships between home and school are paramount to the success of our students.

Nga mihi nui

Fiona Cavanagh

(MEd L&M)
Principal

Our Mission

The mission of the school is ‘Through Quality, Perseverance and Success, QPS will grow adaptable, connected, lifelong learners’. Its vision is ‘Growing confident and future-focused learners’. This is supported by values of; Manaaki| Care, Whakāute| Respect and Ngakau tapatahi| Integrity.

Raising student achievement by providing a high quality, child centred, inclusive education and raising student achievement is our core focus.

We recognise students’ diverse abilities, interests and ethnicities and aim to provide a wide-ranging programme that meets individuals needs; academically – akoranga, socially – tauwhiro and physically ōkiko. We offer unique activities based on a strong outdoor education focus and encourage a strong partnership between home, school and the community.

Relationships are our primary focus at Queenstown Primary School. Students stay with their teacher for 2 years. This increases a sense of belonging and strengthens relationships with peers and teachers. It also allows for an increase in productivity with less downtime.

Principles

NGA HAU E WHAPeople blown in from everywhere meeting here.

Queenstown Primary School promotes Quality, encourages Perseverance and empowers each student to create their own pathways to Success.

  • Meaningfully incorporate Te Reo Maori and Tikanga Maori into the everyday life of our school.
  • Ensuring our students are safe and included and free from racism, discrimination and bullying.
  • Show how we give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi linked to the achievement of Māori students.
  • Staff participate in Cultural Capability PLD

Year Groups

Junior Year

Reception – Year 2

Middle Year

Year 3-4

Senior Year

Year 5-6

Intermediate Year

Year 7-8

We Encourage Each Student

To develop and strengthen students’ life-long skills we encourage each student to:

  • Develop a positive attitude and work ethic
  • Self-regulate their learning
  • Inquire and create new knowledge
  • Develop key competencies and 21st Century learning skills to ensure they become a lifelong learner
  • Take pride in personal and collective achievements
  • Enjoy outdoor education activities
  • Care for the environment
  • Show resilience and respond to change
  • Be creative and strive for excellence
  • Meaningfully use technology in a global community

Our Curriculum Plan

Our curriculum plan is based on the New Zealand Curriculum document and is underpinned by our key competencies (managing self-thinking, participating and contributing, using language symbols and texts and relating to others).

The New Zealand Curriculum specifies 8 learning areas: English, the arts, health and physical education, learning languages, mathematics and statistics, science, social sciences and technology. All learning uses the natural connections between learning areas and the link of learning areas to the values and competencies.

Project Based Learning is a vital aspect of our curriculum. We allow students to create new knowledge by making real life, authentic connections to the world around them.

All students are encouraged to develop self-regulated learning skills such as goal setting, self-assessment and reflecting purposely on their learning. We encourage students to take increasing control of their own learning environment as they learn how to learn in order to understand themselves as learners better and to achieve.