English as a Second Language (ESL) - Ko Te Reo Pākehā Hei Reo Tuarua
Ko te reo te tāhuhu o tēnei whare.
Language is the ridgepole of this house.
The ESL Department provides English language support for students from non-English speaking backgrounds. This support includes vocabulary development, along with listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. An emphasis is also placed on helping students adapt to the New Zealand style of education, and appropriate classroom behaviour.
Students are tested prior to starting school, and their level of need is determined. These students may be placed into full-time English language classes, or have ESL as one of their options.
As students make progress in the language, they spend less and less time in the department, until they are fully mainstreamed.