Papamoa College is this week's School of the Week.
Papamoa College principal Steve Lindsey is well dressed in his suit as he greets the journalist and photographer in a formal manner.
He is polite and gentlemanly as he shakes our hands and waits for us to enter the school boardroom before him.
But as soon as we begin to chat about the school and its students, the principal's eyes brighten and his formality is softened. It is obvious he is passionate about education - he uses hand gestures for emphasis.
"It is just what I do. You just live it and breathe it," Lindsey says.
Each student has a place in his school. "It is not about one size fits all, it is one size fits one," Lindsey says. "We take a very individual response to learning needs."
The learning style is flexible, with the junior students who are excelling above their learning level being allowed to learn among their senior peers.
Senior students can also sometimes take a leadership role in classrooms. "The senior drama club students were running the class with their teacher the other day," Lindsey says. "They are role models to the younger ones."
If a student wants to pursue a career in an extra-curricular activity, Lindsey says the school will do its best to support the student's career focus and guide them towards their goal.
There is no one area dedicated to each year level, the principal reminds us. "We are a big community ... we are one big family," Lindsey says.
"You don't go to school to learn, you go to school to continue learning," Lindsey says.
He admits he is a learner too, just like his students. "I love problem-solving," he says.
There is one question Lindsey says he and his staff are forever trying to find answers to: 'Wouldn't it be good if we could ...'
Lindsey says the answer usually involves developing the student as a whole and adapting learning to each individual student.
"Learning is not a straight line, learning is messy," he says, with a hand gesture that moves in a direct line before wriggling back down the table.
Before the interview is over, Lindsey claps his hands together and introduces me to four of his students including the school's head boy and girl, Zach McLachlan and Izzy Whyte.
The 17-year-old leaders confirm what their principal has just finished telling the journalist.
"I love the extra-curricular activities available to us," McLachlan says. "If it doesn't exist, it can."
"I love the flexibility. Everything is really student-led."
Izzy Whyte, 17.
Zach McLachlan, Photo/George Novak.
"I love the extra-curricular activities available to us. If it doesn't exist, it can." Zach McLachlan, 17. PAPAMOA COLLEGE - ERO REPORT JUNE 3 2016 Papamoa College provides a holistic curriculum that is responsive to the academic, social, cultural and pastoral needs of students. Students enjoy learning, interacting with peers and staff and participating and contributing to school life. School leadership, staff and trustees effectively lead and promote the vision of 21st century learning.
About the school: Location: Bay of Plenty Ministry of Education profile number: 6963 School type: Secondary (Years 7 to 13) School roll: 1044 Gender composition: Girls 51%, Boys 49% Ethnic composition: Pākehā 66%, Māori 25%, Asian 5%, Other 4% Review team on site: March 2016 Date of this report: 3 June 2018
