Eight months later, Tauhara College gets a school full of moveable classrooms

Tauhara College head students in one of the new classroom areas. Marc Koorey (left), Grace Davies, Jess Bradshaw, Jaundre Pienaar (right). Photo / Rachel Canning

The simple pleasure of having lessons in a classroom.

There was jubilation at Tauhara College on Monday as students and teachers embraced 16 new classrooms. Completed over the July holidays, the second batch of new classrooms signals the end of mass disruption caused by lack of teaching space.

A storm in November 2020 resulted in a school-wide roofing failure and flooding of 37 teaching areas.

With the senior school on exam leave, the junior school year ended two weeks early.

Students returned to school in 2021 to 13 brand new classrooms, about a third of the required teaching spaces for the roll of 686.

Temporary measures included senior students having four-day weeks, and multiple classes using the school hall at one time.

The buildings at Tauhara College now consist of temporary classrooms known as 'The Village', and brand new permanent classrooms on piles that can be moved if required dubbed 'The Barnyard' by students due to their barn-like appearance.

Modern, warm and fitted out with multiple security cameras, these buildings sit alongside the original and unusable school buildings.

Principal Ben Hancock said they are still waiting to hear the fate of the damaged school buildings, with the Ministry of Education undertaking testing.

In the past eight months Tauhara College principal Ben Hancock has overseen the construction of a complete new set of classrooms. Photo / Rachel Canning

Mr Hancock said the new classrooms will bring a more settled learning environment.

"It has been a hectic six months to get us to this point. There have been a number of challenges that we have collectively had to overcome."

From the flood to now has been hard work and Mr Hancock acknowledged the efforts made by staff and students and the support from whānau and the community.

Yet to come is a building for technology, student support services, administration and additional classroom space, and Mr Hancock says this will likely be a big-block type building.

A master site plan for the school is yet to be worked out, however, Mr Hancock said community consultation will begin at the end of the year, so the school community can have an input into their vision for the future physical environment of Tauhara College.

The school is working in close consultation with the Ministry of Education. Mr Hancock said the ministry has told the school that big changes are coming in education and the future design of the school should reflect the changes.

Mr Hancock says there is a shift away from NCEA and courses will be completely redesigned. Tauhara College has applied to be part of the pilot for the new requirements for NCEA numeracy and literacy.

"New Zealand education is heading towards cross-curricular learning. We're going from teaching 'content', to teaching 'concepts' and 'skills'. Our new school buildings and grounds will need to reflect that."

"The current time frame is for a new site plan to be in place, and building to begin in accordance with that plan, in three years time."

Tauhara College head girl Grace Davies, 17, said the new classrooms made for a much nicer school environment. She said it was good to be settled and able to get into a routine.

"We had our first school assembly, and there is a shift in morale, we're back to a fresh start."

Head boy Jaundrew Pienaar, 18, said as it was only the second day, it was all still quite fresh.

"It feels like one school now. For the first two terms, when the juniors were apart, it was like two schools."

Deputy head girl Jess Bradshaw, 17, said she was looking forward to being able to interact with the teachers in the way they were used to.

"How we were learning in terms one and two, it was probably a situation we would have got used to. It was more of a university-style of learning."

Deputy head boy Marc Koorey,17, said the temporary learning spaces in terms one and two were congested.

"It feels more like a high school now, and the rest of the year can only get better."

A whānau hui will be held in a few weeks time where the community will have the opportunity to look through the newly-built Tauhara College and Mr Hancock says everyone is welcome to come along.