THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
We believe that the purpose of education should be to teach young people to teach themselves what they need to know, when they need to know it.
To us – education through experiences accomplishes this, learning which students take ownership of, and learning that creates real impact.
OUR CURRICULUM
Inner Ring – The 4 E’s
Our curriculum is organised into four different learning experiences: Explorations, Expertise, Essentials and Extensions.
Our curriculum is based on current, cutting-edge practices from around the world. This unique design integrates our leadership competencies and core values with New Zealand curriculum frameworks including NCEA.
Middle Ring – MAPS
We believe that students engage best when learning is meaningful, authentic, personalised and student-directed (MAPS©). So when our learners are immersed in learning – whether it is an Exploration, Essential, Expertise or Extension programme – they will experience learning that is built from these beliefs.
Outer Ring
Notably, the outer ring of our model symbolises the pathways to opportunities that our learners leave with. Traditionally, a student’s relationship with their secondary school severs upon graduation – they simply become a statistic to refer to. At Liger, graduating means we’re just getting started.
We are committed to remaining a resource for our graduates, whether that be through providing mentorships, internships, references, or just general life advice – our mission is for our learners to leave our Academy to do whatever they want to do, but remain Liger learners forever.
THE FOUR 'E'S'
EXPLORATIONS
Explorations are Liger’s Project-Based interdisciplinary opportunities that engage our learners in the real world and are focused on creating impact. In Explorations we challenge our students to solve a problem in their community or beyond, they are always student led and allow for meaningful and authentic learning experiences.
Our Explorations also focus on Liger’s leadership competencies, for example, students develop the ability to create and implement a vision, manage projects, collaborate, be dot connectors and manage networks to achieve their goals. It is in our Explorations that students truly learn to teach themselves what they need, when they need it.
ESSENTIALS
Essentials are more traditional courses that meet throughout the week all year long. They are considered essential or foundational learning for our students.
Essentials include Maths, the Science, English and Healthy Citizens.
EXTENSIONS
Extensions are extended learning beyond the school day to develop well-rounded, healthy, and creative individuals.
We offer a variety of activities that vary to meet the interests of our learners. They may focus on sports, arts and cultural activities.
EXPERTISE
Expertise sessions are our learning experiences that are designed to provide deeper knowledge or expertise in areas of interest or excellence.
These experiences are also utilised to develop the skills necessary for current or upcoming curriculum.
OUR BELIEFS ABOUT LEARNING
Meaningful
The development of foundational skills, knowledge, and understandings in critical aspects of learning that give learners the academic base they need for future learning opportunities both at the academy and beyond. This learning includes a solid understanding of Maths, English, and Science.
Authentic
Students learn subject content, skills and values through doing. Authentic learning is used extensively to integrate student learning experiences into the real world. To fully implement authentic learning we work in partnership with a wide variety of experts and organisations in the community involvement in the learning process.
Our students gain a more in-depth, longer-lasting understanding of subject area content and skills when given the opportunity to work together with other learners and learning facilitators to create meaningful projects.
Personalised
Learning experiences are tailored to each student, allowing them space to explore their individual curiosities and ambitions. It is a unique experience for everyone and extends well beyond the classroom. Individual student plans are created for each student every year based upon their academic potential and interests.
Student-Directed
Self directed learning is when learners have input and involvement in the learning process. Our students gain a more in-depth, longer-lasting understanding of subject area content and skills when given the opportunity to work together with other learners and learning facilitators to create meaningful projects.
LIGER LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
Liger’s Leadership Competencies are incorporated into our whole curriculum and infused into all learning experiences. Explorations provide an especially rich opportunity for students to engage in leadership because the facilitation of our Project-Based Learning guides students to collaborate towards achieving a shared goal.
Students regularly reflect on their experiences as leaders and strive to develop the self awareness needed to understand their progress and areas of growth.
Inspired by our own research and a study done by the Harvard Business School, we have developed the following 12 leadership competencies which students are evaluated on throughout the year:
Identification of Opportunities
Ability to identify appropriate opportunities and, while being ethical and competitive, take advantage of these situations as and when they arise.
Vision and Influence
Ability to create and implement a vision using strategic thinking based on evidence, and knowing and understanding the audience to support decisions.
Management of Operations
Ability to manage operations and finance by successfully executing the ongoing operations of a project, organisation or business.
Assembling and Motivating a Team
Ability to positively influence all stakeholders, to take other perspectives into account, and to motivate the team to work together to develop strategies to implement a vision or plan.
Comfort with Uncertainty
Ability to move forward in the face of uncertain and ambiguous circumstances. Working out of one’s comfort zone to do something bold and taking well-informed chances while understanding the relationship between risk and reward.
Building Networks
Ability to build successful networks by making contact and exchanging information with other people, groups, and institutions to develop mutually beneficial relationships.
Self-Awareness
Ability to be self-aware by independently gathering and processing information from the environment to honestly notice and make decisions about one’s feelings, physical sensations, reactions, habits, behaviours, and thoughts.
Problem Solving
Ability to solve a problem by identifying and defining a challenge or need and creating a plan to propose or achieve a solution.
Collaboration
Ability to work as a team to discuss, set goals, and complete tasks to produce results around a common goal.
Dot Connector
Ability to find relationships between everyday interactions, ideas and sometimes unrelated or unknown things in a quickly changing landscape to draw logical conclusions.
Communications
The ability to effectively convey ideas and emotions in a way that other people understand through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Impact
Ability to be effective and positively create impact beyond the student to affect change in learners’ community, nation, or the world.
We are currently accepting applications
Apply today
The Liger application process starts with filling out a short expression of interest form. We’ll be in touch to talk about your child and answer any questions you have.