About Us

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto is a state, co-educational, full primary school catering for school Years 1 to 8. The school operates under a modern collaborative teaching and learning model. Learning programmes are delivered in flexible, collaborative groupings and each student has access to multiple teachers. These groupings are primarily within a team (two year levels). The school is currently organised into five teaching teams:

The school has a strong and well qualified teaching staff. They possess an impressive range of talents, skills and interests, and relate well to one another. Shared decision making and a team approach are important and valued attributes of staff culture at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto. Staffing includes several part-time positions: support teachers (special needs/extension programmes), a Kaiako Te Reo Māori, an office administrator, a financial administrator, a personal assistant to the leadership team, board minute secretary and a caretaker.

The school has active parent and whānau participation in, and support of, all aspects of school life including assistance within learning spaces, attendance at functions and fundraising activities for the provision of further facilities.

The roll in recent years has ranged from around 430 at the beginning of the school year and rising to around 510 by the end of the year. Approximately 13% of the school’s population is Māori and there is a strong support for school te reo Māori and tikanga Māori programmes within the community. Children of other ethnic backgrounds include Cook Island Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Indian, Russian, Hungarian, Dutch, German, African, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. The school has an attached satellite class from Ferndale School for moderately intellectually disabled children. Inclusion is paramount and we prioritise building on the diverse range of cultural and learning experiences that children bring with them.

The grounds are park-like with many trees, compact and well kept, with good outdoor equipment. The school is fortunate to be adjacent to Beckenham Park and the merging of the two gives a very extensive play environment for the children. Generally the school is well equipped and the community is aware of the continuing need to provide financial support to the school to maintain this situation.

Children describe the school as a safe and happy place to be and there is a very positive tone in the playground and learning spaces. A ‘Restorative Practice’ approach forms the basis of the school’s behaviour management system. Strong relationships are recognised as being fundamental to the success of the school and its teaching and learning programmes.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto staff enjoy professional relationships and work closely with educators at other local schools. We are part of the Ōpāwaho Learning Community Cluster and have increasingly effective relationships with both the schools and ECEs in the group. The school has strong links with the local community which it works actively to maintain. The school is highly regarded within the community and among the education fraternity in Christchurch.

Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto is on the Ministry of Education Renewal Building Programme and underwent a significant building programme from 2016 – 2018. All of our buildings have now been given names in te reo Māori that relate to water, linking back to our name – Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto – Beckenham, school of the ponds.