We are a multi-denominational Christian school offering a broad, seamless Christian education from Years 1-13. The focus on Christian discipleship is the key point of difference between Cornerstone Christian School and state schools. We prioritise Christian discipleship within every aspect of daily school life, giving students every opportunity to embrace Christian faith as the Cornerstone of their life and empowering them to become confident followers of Jesus Christ, equipped and inspired to creatively impact our world.
Primary – In Primary (Years 1-6) the curriculum is based on termly units of learning which focus on facets of the nature and character of God, e.g. ‘God is the God of nations’, ‘God is just and true’, ‘God is eternal’, ‘God is our provider’ (there are 16 in total). Each unit of learning is reflected and outworked through a key Bible verse or thought, a curriculum focus area, a learning context and a Biblical character application. In their planning, teachers first seek to determine how the learning will allow students to know, love and glorify God. If you were to spend a day in a Year 1-6 classroom, you would expect during the day to see children singing praise songs to God, doing dance/movement to Christian music, praying, learning Bible stories or reading the Bible (depending on their age), learning memory verses and discussing how the learning in their curriculum focus area relates to Christian thought and values.
Secondary – In Secondary (Years 7-13) the curriculum is centred on our school vision, i.e. the desire for our school leavers “to be confident followers of Jesus Christ, equipped and inspired to creatively impact our world”. Learning about who they are and where they fit in God’s on-going narrative, and encountering God in their lives, are important matters we try to help them with. Our Secondary life lab programme seeks to integrate faith into life and, since we are dealing with young people who are starting to grapple with adult issues, other things are also integrated, e.g. career development, academic mentoring, resolving interpersonal conflict, character development, discussing life issues etc. The idea is that our students can grow a sense of God that is relevant in all areas of life, not just compartmentalised to church-type situations. His wisdom is there for us always, and his love is ever-present. Our hope is that this will help engender in students a strong basis for strong faith that will be with them throughout their lives. Each term, there is a focus on books of the Bible and how these stories fit into the larger global narrative. The values and themes of the whole school flow from these stories.
School Values – Our core values are Respect, Diligence, Integrity, Kindness, and an underpinning value of Humility before God. These values encapsulate the beating heart of what we’re about as a school. They form a large portion of our thinking and teaching and our teachers proactively teach and encourage our students to think about how they can develop these values in all of life. Our values poster depicts the tree spoken of in Psalm 1; it represents a person “whose leaf does not wither”, who “brings forth fruit in its season”, and who prospers “in whatever they do” because “their delight is in the law of the Lord”.
The NZ Curriculum – Our curriculum incorporates the vision, values, key competencies, learning areas and principles inherent in The New Zealand Curriculum.
Family based approach – We provide a family based approach to learning, recognising and upholding the importance of the role of the family, and strongly encourage parental involvement. We expect that parents will support their children and be willing to help whenever possible with matters related to their education, such as attending school meetings and functions, assisting in the classroom, providing transport, assisting at sporting events and participating in fundraising activities.
Learn about our Statement of Special Character