$17.5m Ormiston Primary School, Auckland, officially opened

Flexible learning spaces and a satellite unit for students with hearing difficulties are among features of the new, $17.5 million Ormiston Primary School, which was officially opened today by Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

“Ormiston Primary School is located in the burgeoning Flat Bush area, and is part of our wider plan to address rapid population growth in Auckland,” says Ms Kaye.

“There are now six schools in Flat Bush, with another two proposed. These schools will be necessary to meet an anticipated extra 1,900 students over the next five to ten years.”

The innovative learning environment at Ormiston Primary School, which began operating at the start of the 2015 school year, caters for all learning needs.

“Each space can enable students to learn individually or in small groups, depending on students’ needs and the school’s and teachers’ approach.

“Ormiston Primary School is the 17^th school in New Zealand to be designed to the Green Building Council’s 5-Star Standard. This means it provides a sustainable learning environment, featuring lots of natural light and warmth, and energy-efficient lighting and heating.

“Combined with open and flexible teaching spaces, this makes the school an inspiring place to learn, helping students to achieve to the very best of their abilities.

“I am really pleased to see the satellite unit for the Kelston Deaf Education Centre located at the heart of the school, and to know that sign language is prominently used right across the school. This will help students with hearing difficulties integrate into school life and achieve educational success.

“I’d like to thank the local community for the role they’ve played in the school’s development.

“The resulting design reflects the needs and wishes of the community, and I’m sure it will be a proud focal point for families living in the area.”

Notes

About Ormiston Primary School

Ormiston Primary School is a co-educational state school for years 1 to 6.  It opened on 3 February 2015 with a roll of 104, and has a current roll of around 170 students. The primary school shares the same site as Ormiston Junior College (currently under construction) and Ormiston Senior College.

About innovative learning environments

Unlike traditional classrooms, where teachers addressed students from the front of the class, today’s teachers work more collaboratively with each other and with students, in small and large groups and individually according to students’ learning needs.

When new schools are built or existing schools upgraded, this is an opportunity to create comfortable, well-connected and flexible learning spaces that support the creation of an innovative learning environment.

These spaces can be changed to support a range of teaching and learning approaches on any given day, and are also able to adapt to broader changes as education practices evolve over time. Acoustics, lighting, technology, heating and air quality are of a high standard to help students concentrate on learning.