Kristin School, founded in 1973, is one of the youngest independent schools in Auckland.
Kristin has never been afraid to take up a challenge and look to the future. In 1986 Kristin became the first International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in New Zealand, offering the globally renowned and highly respected IB Diploma Programme. Many of these students have gone on to study at the world’s top universities.
This programme’s focus on ensuring students have a breadth of subject knowledge not found in many other curricula, along with an embedded core of internationalism and global perspectives, provides the skills required to take on the challenges that life throws at them. A few years later, Kristin made the decision to introduce the IB Primary Years and Middle Years programmes, becoming New Zealand’s first school to offer all three Programmes, spanning Kindergarten to Senior School.
The Senior School at Kristin also offers students the choice to study either the IB Diploma Programme or NCEA, dependent on the subjects they wish to take and the opportunity to select an approach that works best for their personal learning style and preferences. Both of these pathways offer students exceptional teachers, programmes and the chance to achieve at the highest level.
In true innovative style, Kristin led the way too, in ensuring that students had access to technology to support their learning with a focus placed on developing skills in how to benefit most from its use. Kristin was New Zealand’s first school to issue its students laptops and to support this with an online Learning Management System (LMS).
The ongoing development of this, and the implementation of a new LMS in early 2020, has meant that the students have been able to quickly adapt in the face of recent COVID-19 lockdowns. Any potential impact on their learning has been both well managed and, in terms of achievement, barely noticeable.
Kristin’s Head of Digital Learning is reviewing students’ and teachers’ experiences from lockdown and how the positives that have come out of this time can be incorporated into regular daily teaching, further supporting the students in terms of their well-being and studies. Kristin is aware that the ‘school years’ are not purely about academic achievement: they are a time when students grow, develop and flourish. For this reason, Kristin has an extensive and highly successful pastoral care platform for all its students.
There is a focus on developing the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the students and on developing the whole student, providing skills and the resilience that they will need in later life. Every Kristin student is encouraged to think creatively, communicate effectively and embrace learning – at school and in life.
The school has always placed importance on creating positive relationships, both between students and also between students and staff. This has been proven to have a marked influence on the enjoyment and the performance of students at school. Many of Kristin’s teachers are bringing aspects of coaching and mindfulness into the classroom, and the benefits of this are becoming evident across all areas of classroom practice.
Over the past 47 years, Kristin has made sure that every student is recognised as an individual, is free to explore their dreams and also has the opportunities to thrive and follow their passions. In this, Kristin is true to its original vision and motto, ensuring that every student can “progress with vision, integrity and love”.
David Boardman/Kristin Senior School Principal
Kristin School is an independent co-educational school for students from Early Learning to Senior School. Located on park-like grounds with superb facilities in Albany, the school is well known for its focus on student wellbeing, high quality teachers and leaders, IB or NCEA pathways for Senior School students, and its vast array of co-curricular, leadership and service opportunities.
Dedicated school buses covering 20 routes across Auckland also make Kristin a convenient option for families from areas all over the city, such as Ponsonby and Westmere to Matakana, Gulf Harbour, Waimauku, Titirangi and beyond. Learn more, book a school tour or apply now at kristin.school.nz.
KRISTIN SCHOOL, 360 Albany Highway, Albany, T: 09 415 9566, kristin.school.nz
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