Self-directed learning at Our Lady of the Assumption School

At Our Lady of the Assumption School, our mission statement aims for our students to be “Respectful, Responsible, Lifelong Learners who live their Faith every day”.

Within each team and their respective learning programmes, our students are encouraged to direct their own learning through various forms and activities.

Opportunities for self-directed learning for our students increase as they progress through the school, culminating in their 2 years in the Hillary Hub.

Self-directed learning in the Sheppard Team (Yr 0-2)

In the Sheppard Team, students learn to become more independent in their learning. It is also at this stage that they begin to use devices more regularly to consolidate their learning. They use devices particularly in Reading and Maths in particular. The emphasis is on the children beginning to be self-directed in the learning by working at their own pace and choosing which activities they do.

Play is also an important element within the Sheppard team. Where possible, Fridays from 11:15 – 12:15 is set aside for our children to ‘play’. During this session, our children are encouraged to bring games, dolls, etc, from home in order to experience imaginative play and interact with their peers. The only proviso is the ‘toy’ does not require power or batteries. As a team, we have a variety of equipment specifically for this session. The children love this time and look forward to it on each occasion. The emphasis is on the 5 Core Competencies of the NZ Curriculum.