CORE leads global ‘sustainable educational solutions’ for Christchurch schools

CORE Education is leading the design of New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, a three year initiative that aims to enhance learning within schools.

CORE Education is supporting and leading the design of the New Zealand portion of a global collaboration called New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, a three year initiative that aims to enhance learning within schools, by mobilising partnerships, innovation and technology.

Seven Christchurch schools in the south-west area have formed as one of the Ministry of Education's clusters, and are participating alongside schools as part of a wider, global collaboration of 11 countries, including Victoria, Australia.

Each school contributes $1500.00 towards the initiative, which covers costs relating to the support received globally. CORE supplements the other $1500.00, and provides facilitation throughout the duration of the initiative.

Tuesday 10 March marks the official launch in New Zealand, and to celebrate, Michael Fullan – a worldwide authority on educational reform – is in New Zealand predominantly to work with the cluster of schools and share programme details.

He will be working with teachers from the cluster in the morning. In the afternoon, he will speak exclusively at an event in front of Christchurch's secondary and primary school principals' on the topic 'Building a collaborative culture'.

Derek Wenmoth, director and the NZ initiative's lead facilitator, says, "The belief that providing structured and planned education systems help to build and support creative, happy and healthy individuals who will contribute later in life to the common good.

"This initiative is the first of its kind in New Zealand and having seven Christchurch schools embark into collaborative deep learning is exciting for the future of all New Zealand schools," he says.

At the end of the three years, each school aims to have put in place technologies that support and accelerate learning, including having methods and tools to gather and analyse data for continuous improvement, and a fully engaged student, teacher, parents and whole-community population.

The seven schools in this Christchurch cluster are; Christchurch South Intermediate School, Somerfield Primary School, Cashmere Primary School, Thorrington Primary School, West Spreydon Primary School, Sacred Heart (Addington) Primary School, and Addington Primary School.