Te Kura

2024 text

This is summarised from https://www.tekura.school.nz/learn-with-us/learn-with-us/about-te-kura/

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (formerly known as The Correspondence School) - in short, Te Kura - is New Zealand’s largest school, providing education programmes to more than 23,000 students every year.

Students come from a wide range of backgrounds and have diverse learning needs. They live throughout New Zealand as well as overseas. Students may be learning with Te Kura full time or part time, and they may stay on the roll for a few months or for all of their years at school.

Te Kura has regional offices Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch. Staff also work in communities where there are clusters of Te Kura students, such as Whangarei, Hastings and Nelson. This helps Te Kura to work with communities to support students’ learning.

Te Kura is a state-funded distance education provider. It offers a wide range of personalised learning programmes and courses, mostly delivered online, from early childhood to NCEA Level 3. Students can enrol for a few credits in a specific course or for a full-time programme. Students of all ages are welcome, as long as they meet eligibility criteria.

The early childhood programme follows the national early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, while the Year 1–13 programme is based on the New Zealand Curriculum. At Years 11–13 Te Kura offers registered, accredited and approved courses in many subjects and at all levels of NCEA.

Most courses are online or include supplementary online resources, particularly at Years 7–13. Each online course includes interactive online modules featuring audio-visual resources, quizzes and other online activities to check student understanding and reinforce learning. Students will have the support of their teachers and other students through discussion forums, where they can share ideas and work collaboratively. There are also plenty of offline activities.

Text below is taken from the Te Kura website 2012

The Correspondence School (TCS) - Te Kura - is New Zealand's largest school, with more than 24,000 students a year studying full or part-time, and staff based around the country.

It provides personalised learning programmes for students from early childhood to Year 13, as well as for adult learners and those with special education needs. Our students live in every part of the country and overseas and come from all walks of life.

No matter what the circumstances, we can help you learn with a programme that’s based on your individual interests, needs, and goals.

It works closely with local communities, schools and agencies that support our students, because we know that by working together we can do more to help our students achieve their potential.

It offers a wide range of learning programmes from early childhood level to Year 13. You can study full-time or part-time, depending on your circumstances.

Students may also be able to enrol as a dual student if they meet the Ministry of Education’s eligibility criteria for dual enrolment. Dual students must be enrolled by the host school.

Years 1 to 6

Learning advisors of students in years 1 to 6 work closely with parents and supervisors to develop an individualised programme for each student based on the eight learning areas in the New Zealand curriculum.

Years 7 to 10/Te Ara Hou

Students enrolled in Te Ara Hou (meaning “new pathway”) will have a personalised learning programme based on their individual needs, interests and goals. Te Ara Hou offers an integrated programme of work which combines skills and knowledge from two or more subjects as well as more traditional subject-based learning. Your learning advisor will make sure all the curriculum areas are covered and that you are ready for qualifications level courses in year 11.

Years 11 to 13

Students can choose from a wide range of subjects to earn credits towards NCEA as well as the National Certificate in Mathematics and National Certificate in Computing.

Depending on what you’re studying with us, we provide online support and teaching materials such as booklets, workbooks, readers, audio resources, CDs and DVDs, an MP3 recorder, interactive CD-ROMs, textbooks, mathematics and science boxes, art packs, and craft materials for technology.

If you're a full-time, fee-paying or young adult student, we'll work with you to develop a programme of learning that meets your needs. As a full-time or fee-paying student, you'll have a learning advisor (similar to a form teacher or class teacher) who will be your main point of contact at school.

Learning at a distance doesn’t have to mean learning alone. Our learning advisors and teachers are in regular contact with students and their families to offer advice and support not just for students, but also for those, usually family members, who supervise their learning. There are also opportunities for face-to-face contact at regional camps, events, and achievement days.

Its web site is http://www.tekura.school.nz

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