| 123 Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School COMMUNITY HDL - The Painting Professionals Trusted since 1980 From small building refreshes to large-scale commercial projects, HDL delivers high-quality painting with precision, reliability, and care. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote. 0800 HDL 111 | sales@hdl.co.nz | www.hdl.co.nz Insulation and acoustic systems for New Zealand's most demanding commercial sites. Reliable Partners. Proven Systems. Built on Trust. rvalue.co.nz quotes@rvalue.co.nz T T Kelly Deeks A new era for a growing school The two new buildings contain 24 learning spaces, along with maker spaces for technology and cooking, breakout spaces for individual learning and support groups, and dedicated teacher workrooms. Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School’s new buildings have done far more than add classroom space to one of Auckland’s fastest-growing schools. Completed at the start of this year, the project has given teachers proper spaces to work, opened up new ways for students to learn, returned the gym to its intended purpose, while outdoor areas that have been occupied by temporary classrooms are being restored. Principal, Chris Herlihy, says the project has been a major milestone for a school that has had to constantly adapt to rapid growth. “When I started here halfway through 2024, we had six classrooms running in our gym,” Chris says. “All our assemblies were held online, and there was a lot of flexibility needed from our staff and students.” Six modular classrooms were delivered last year allowing the school to reclaim its gym, and were moved onto the field while the new buildings were constructed. “Our teachers have not had a proper base for so long, so it is great for them to finally have a place to call home,” Chris says. Designed by Jasmax, and built by Watts and Hughes Construction, the two new buildings contain 24 learning spaces, along with maker spaces for technology and cooking, breakout spaces for individual learning and support groups, and dedicated teacher workrooms. The school has retained its flexible learning model, with two teachers working in each teaching space and additional areas available for specialist teaching and smaller groups. “We have the ability for kids to work in areas that suit their learning needs, and by having enough staff to work in those spaces we can match the kids to the teachers,” Chris says. The development has also provided a new Performing Arts Centre, while the removal of the temporary classrooms has allowed work to begin on reinstating the school field and creating an expansive natural playground. Students had a direct say in the playground design through the student leadership team, including the decision to install two flying foxes rather than one. “They can see that we’ve taken action and that their voices have been heard, and that they’ve got valuable things to contribute,” Chris says. The playground also includes traditional swings and a large cantilever swing, while the school is waiting for grass to establish before bringing back cricket nets. Restoration of the wider field is underway with the Ministry of Education. For students who have spent years adapting to limited outdoor space, its return will be another important milestone. “They have learnt so much about resilience and cooperation because the one mini playground catered for the whole school,” Chris says. Sustainability has also been incorporated into the project, with the Watts and Hughes sustainability team working alongside the school’s environmental team to explain the sustainable features of the new classrooms. The project was one of the attractions of the principal role for Chris, following a cancelled construction project at his previous school when funding was withdrawn. “A construction project was the one thing in principalship that I hadn’t been able to do yet,” he says. With the roll currently about 650 and projected to reach 950 by 2030, the new facilities give Te Uho o te Nikau a stronger foundation for its next stage as residential development continues around Flat Bush.
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