Our Curriculum

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Religious Education 

Two and a half hours each week are given to formal religious instruction using the curriculum prescribed by the Diocese.  This encompasses the following:

 

• Praying to begin and end the day, praying before lunch.

• Teaching and learning what the Catholic Church believes and teaches.

• Understanding and appreciating the ways the Catholic Church celebrates, lives and prays.

• Teaching children how to respond freely to God according to their gift of faith.

• Delivering the essence and spirit of the Gospel Values and the Bible stories

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Care is taken to ensure that, when problems arise, these are discussed, and solved using the ideas

and methods taught during Religious Education lessons, ensuring that core values find reality in the

classroom, playground and beyond.

 

Children attend Parish Mass regularly throughout the term, so that children know that God has a big

part in their lives.   

 

We come together as a School Family to celebrate each term with a School Family Mass. This helps to emphasise the link between Sacred Heart School and the Parish community.

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Structured Literacy

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Sacred Heart has implemented a new spelling programme called iDeal Spelling which is founded

on extensive national and international research. This programme enables us to meet every

akōnga's learning needs and identify literacy support early through regular assessment and

tailored lessons.

 

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Kapa Haka

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Sacred Heart has a wonderful history of celebration of and

engagement in Kapa Haka. We are always honoured to be invited

to attend and perform at occasions around the city, and the

students gain a great deal from this. Karakia and waiata are part

of everyday school life, woven into the fabric of our learning,

culture and faith.

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Sport

Sacred Heart students enjoy a range of sporting opportunities including Futsal, Netball,

Swimming – lessons over a fortnight taught by JC Swim School, Cross Country, and Health

and Physical Education in their classes. Many of our students also play Tennis, Cricket,

Rugby and Athletics through our local groups and clubs. Games are played at various venues

around Dunedin, with many enjoying the indoor aspect of the Edgar Centre. Prior to each season

information on the options available is distributed and teams are arranged according to interest.

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Extension and Support

At Sacred Heart, we offer a variety of extension and learning support programmes e.g. ESOL or in class support. Teachers plan and implement differentiated lessons to cater for all needs and extension learning.

 

Furthermore, we have an experienced math teacher, Mr McLennan, who takes a group of senior children for both extension math and remedial math programmes on top of their normal in-class math sessions. 

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The Arts

At Sacred Heart, the children perform bi-annually in a school musical.

This is run by our talented staff who write scripts, choreograph dances

and musical numbers, make props and sew costumes. We believe that

engaging children in dance and drama supports their creativity and

enables our akōnga to grow their self-esteem.