Middle years education is responsible for meeting the needs of the young adolescent.  There is well documented research based around the critical needs of these students in their academic, emotional, social, physical and psychological development.

We need to provide a learning environment, and teaching strategies which engage students in a way that is appropriate for their particular stage of development; by working with students to establish relevant learning content and experience using:

• Thinking Skills
• Inquiry Learning
• Challenging Horizons

One teacher can not do justice to delivery of the eight learning areas, therefore at Rutherford Junior High we have structured curriculum delivery following the secondary school model.

In 2005 we introduced and trialed a very simple specialist programme which has developed and been refined into a six period / six day timetable which we use today.  Home base teachers are responsible for Literacy, Numeracy and Social Science.  The other curriculum areas are delivered by qualified specialist teachers and include:

• Health and Physical Education
• Soft and Hard Materials Technology
• Music
• Visual Art
• Languages (French, Spanish, Japanese and German)
• Science
• Robotics, Electronics and Creative Design
• Te Reo Maori

This has enabled Rutherford Junior High to identify the areas of strength that a student has which then leads into our Young Achievers Programme.