Learning hub opens in Cromwell
A new junior learning hub has relieved some roll pressure for a Cromwell primary school, but there is still an immediate need for more classrooms.
Cromwell Primary School officially opened its new modern learning space for year 1 pupils on Tuesday.
Principal Wendy Brooks said the new hub meant children could be moved from corridors where some were being taught because of space shortages.
‘‘We can get children out of the corridors and into classrooms, which is what we want ... Our maximum occupancy is 235 for 10 classrooms which is what we have but we actually need 12 classrooms. Our role is at 283. We are clearly over-capacity and the Ministry of Education is aware of that.’’
With a growing roll that is not showing signs of abating, the Harewa Learning Hub has been a long time coming for teachers and pupils who originally started plans in 2015.
Year 1 teacher Danella Smallridge said the school had battled several difficulties to get the build off the ground, primarily regarding ministry funding.
‘‘Initially, we were told we had funding, we got the plans done and when we put it out to tender for quotes, the quotes came back higher than expected and the ministry said, ‘no, we are not giving you any more money’.’’
After making some cut-backs on the plan and seeking help from Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean, the project was able to push on.
The final design is a large open space that can be closed off into different areas including play areas, quiet working zones and closed-off areas for focused work. The room is also kitted out with ergonomic furniture and ‘‘calming’’ colours.
‘‘It’s not just your class, my class ... It is about working together: teachers working together and students working together.
‘‘In 2015, as part of my study through Otago University, I looked at modern learning environments with a special emphasis on learners with a dyslexic learning style and other learning challenges. My main concern was the trendy big open spaces where no-one could concentrate and I didn’t want that for our learning hub. This was designed so we can close off areas.
‘‘The principal wanted to ensure we had really thought the design through carefully. Local preschool teachers were consulted and we visited lots of other modern learning environments to get ideas.’’
Two classes were combining to make up a class of 35 and teachers worked collaboratively – a model they had been trialling for two terms already in an open space, she said.
While construction was under way, the classes were being taught in the library.
‘‘We have a lot of experience working in a big space so are getting the hang of how we can do things differently. We have been trialling different ways of helping the children’s learning and we work it so we cross-group – we make one group smaller to target higher literacy needs and one group slightly bigger for instance. But this space will blow us away.
‘‘I believe there are good things with modern learning techniques and envi- ronments, but also there is good oldschool stuff. I’d like to think we use the best of both worlds. We try to have a balance of the two.’’
A learning hub environment is not a new concept at the school, with year 5 and 6 pupils forming another hub, called Ako.
‘‘They have 80 kids in and work collaboratively with three teachers. They are like one big class that breaks off in different ways throughout the day for different things. They have been working that way for a number of years.’’
With growing numbers in Ako, the spaces they were in were no longer adequate, so there was a ‘‘ripple effect’’ from classes shuffling around to snap up space.
‘‘We were out 10am Friday and another two classes moved in. A whole class of new entrants started after Queen’s Birthday – hence the urgency.
‘‘Five new entrants who already started [before Queen’s Birthday Weekend] have been in a teaching resource room and we have had children working in the hallway ... and there are more kids rolling into the school next week as we speak.
Brooks said it was ‘‘great’’ the teachers coming into the hub had the chance to establish a teaching model for collaborative teaching before they moved into the new learning environment.
‘‘I think it’s really important and it is well embedded and our parents love it. It is about the fact it is a great match with staff, our pedagogy learning environment and the children.’’