School Life Overview

At the very heart of our philosophy, we focus on setting your child up for life. We do this by providing a sound academic environment where students are inspired to maximise their learning abilities and innate potential. We work in partnership with families to ensure that all areas of a child's development, including cultural, physical, spiritual and character, are maximised.

In collaboration with the child’s family, we focus on academic success aligned with social, emotional, spiritual, creative and physical well-being. We develop specific programmes to maximise our influence on all our young students’ minds, hearts and hands.

We want our boys and girls to experience life. We want to engage their spirit and wonder, to become motivated, passionate, caring and compassionate. We are advocates of responsible risk-taking, and we encourage it. Our focus is on excellence in education. Learning is life-long and so we have carefully considered our curriculum to best meet the needs of primary-aged children.

Our Approach to Learning

We understand boys and girls are different. And the benefits of them learning, communicating and working together in a safe, supportive environment will help provide the groundwork your child needs to succeed in this ever-changing, modern world we all now inhabit.

Creating a Supportive Environment

At Hereworth we take care not to squash a child’s spirit, by creating an environment that focuses on providing a strong foundation for future success. Our boys and girls actively contribute and compete with their peers, and learn to take responsibility for their actions. We encourage confidence and self- belief in every area.

All of our students are given a range of learning experiences, centred on the core areas of numeracy, literacy and science, and partnered with a large array of compulsory non-core disciplines. This diverse curriculum helps contribute to a well-rounded student who is able to take risks and be a confident, connected lifelong learner.

Our Curriculum

We offer a wide range of subjects, even for our youngest students. Our classrooms are fully equipped with technology and e-learning is incorporated into daily class life.

Core subjects of Literacy and Numeracy, as well as integrated units (Science, Health, Tech and Social Science) are a key focus at the new entrant level. This is supported by music, speech and drama, art, languages, religious education and physical education/hauora, resulting in a well-rounded curriculum.

We also tailor a specialised physical education and sports programme for our youngest ones. The opportunity to join sports teams is optional for the very young, and we find most of them take it up. Specialist coaches of the highest calibre are brought in to coach the students throughout the year, and we also take the boys and girls to weekly swimming lessons.

Modern Classrooms

Our classrooms are large, modern, welcoming, well-equipped teaching spaces, providing a flexible teaching environment which allows your child to discover and explore for himself. 

Dedicated Team of Professionals

Whether your child needs nurturing, motivation, or extending, or a combination of all three as they enter school, our team of teachers is of the highest calibre, and can cater to each child’s individual needs.

Growing Up

Once our younger students reach Year 4, they become mentors and buddies to our junior boys and girls, learning to be great role models for the younger ones. This creates a strong sense of community across the Junior School. From here our students are well placed to transition into their senior years.

Bringing out the Best in all our Boys and Girls

Children are wired to move, watch things move, and make things move! This is reflected at every level of our Junior School programme.


Good risk taking is encouraged, and our students develop confidence to try the multitude of new and exciting opportunities available to them at school. At Hereworth, we believe our boys and girls receive the very best foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Small Class Sizes

A distinct advantage, our small, caring class sizes enable effective engagement between your child and his class teacher, creating ample opportunities for feedback and “feed-forward” to children and their families. We can tailor learning strategies and skill development for your boy or girl.

Our Academic Approach

First and foremost Hereworth caters to children of all learning abilities, with small class sizes, which allow quality one-to-one contact with teachers, but are large enough to provide healthy competition and academic rigour among our boys and girls.

We Cater For All Boys And All Girls

​​​​​​​We cater for students across the learning spectrum, supporting and encouraging them to achieve their highest potential.

We offer a wide range of subjects, with core subjects in Literacy and Numeracy, as well as integrated units of Science, Health, Tech and Social Science. This is supported by Music, Speech and Drama, Art, Languages, Religious Education, and Physical Education/Hauora.

Whether a child needs nurturing, motivating or extending, our teachers are of the highest calibre and cater to each of our boys’ needs.

Cultural

Our students are exposed to a wealth of cultural and arts options, with the biggest problem being what to choose!

Learning to Perform

One very special feature at Hereworth is the St James’ Chapel Choir. As an integral part of the school community, choir members learn the discipline of practising and performing while fostering a love of music. Competition for places can be fierce – as is the level of pride from our choir members.

The biennial school production, healthy competition during House music and class drama, and many other activities provide ample opportunities for our boys and girls to explore their talents in a safe and secure environment. Many are brought out of their shells when they step onto the stage to perform.

Our students love experiencing performances from a multitude of visiting artists, musicians, dancers, actors and cultural performers. All these options add to the exciting mix of life at Hereworth.

Sport

At Hereworth sport is compulsory and timetabled three times a week (twice-weekly for Junior classes) in order to balance your child's physical activity and their academic information.

Our Approach to Sport

From Year 4 upwards, all our students must play in a sports team. In Years 1-3 it is optional, but we find that most boys and girls take up the opportunity.

As ever, emphasis is placed on fairness, co-operation and camaraderie across all levels.

Variety

All Hereworth teams take part in the local sports competitions. Cricket, tennis, softball, football, rugby, netball and hockey are the main sporting choices, and we offer a variety of other sports throughout the year.

Students are encouraged to try all sports, with many of our teams, from netball to rugby, starring both boys and girls.

Travel

The Prep Fixtures are a key part of the school life at Hereworth, and the thrill of competition against another school comes tempered with the expectations of how a Hereworth boy or girl needs to behave.

We encourage competition and reward winning, but also ensure that sportsmanship and camaraderie remain priorities for all involved.

Sport is a great teacher of life. Your child will have the opportunity to thrive here at Hereworth.

Spiritual

Our Spiritual Approach

As an Anglican school spirituality is one of our defining qualities. Teaching Christian values and Anglican Liturgy is a core aspect of school life.

Chapel Services

Years 4-8 start the day with Chapel, and Year 4 students are required to attend one Sunday service each term. From Year 5 upwards, all students are required to attend two Sunday services each term. These services range from twenty to thirty minutes in duration, and the dates and times of services are outlined in the term calendars. Family members are encouraged to attend these services, as worship is family-oriented.

Community Service

The Hereworth school motto is 'Non Nobis Solum', which is translated as Not for Ourselves Alone. Our students undertake service in the local community to help and support others across a number of opportunities during the year. It’s not only character-forming, but it helps us to produce young men and women with a sound moral and ethical compass.

Digital

Technology access these days is just like breathing, so Hereworth is fully networked with fibre-optic ultra-fast broadband, and ICT is integrated into school life with an array of personal and shared digital devices

Twenty-first century students, pedagogy and technologies are to be partnered together in the learning environment at Hereworth School.

Enhanced Learning

All students will be given access and the opportunity to enquire, create, connect, disseminate, resolve, reflect, work together and share through a range of technologies and applications. The intentional collaboration between our students and learning tools will enhance learning on many levels, and in many areas.

Seamless Integration

In 2016 we made the move to using Chrome Books as the device of choice for us as a school, and therefore for your childs. As a school that utilises the Google platform, it makes sense to have a device that seamlessly integrates with the features available to our staff and students. 

Effective Transition

The cost of Chrome Books is extremely competitive relative to competing devices, and their capabilities. It adds to the ability of Hereworth students to be able to transition to secondary school effectively, with many colleges using Chrome Books as well.

Specialist Subjects

At Hereworth, the opportunity to build knowledge, skills and confidence is at the heart of the specialist programme. Teachers provide learning opportunities in a wide range of subjects and use their specialised knowledge to administer high quality programmes for all students from years one to eight.

Specialist teaching areas include: Hauora and Physical Education, Music, Drama, Dance, Visual Arts, Food Technology, Hard and Soft Materials, Religious Education, Te Reo Maori and Japanese.

Private tuition in Speech and Drama and a wide range of musical instruments is also available to our Hereworth students.