Our Staff

Our teachers have been specifically trained to teach all the subjects in the New Zealand School Curriculum. However, after training, teachers tend to specialise in specific subject areas of the school and develop strengths in one or more subject fields. Subject specialisation is gained as a result of degree work or majoring whilst at college and post training courses. Teachers are able to use their strengths to meet the wide range of needs and abilities of our children and to provide rich learning experience.

West Melton School has a well-qualified staff with personnel specialising in early childhood development, reading/language, mathematics, computers, physical education, sciences, music, art craft and reading recovery.

Our support staff consists of the executive officer, five teacher aides and a caretaker. Support staff work with special needs children, both remedial and gifted and talented. They may work with individual students or with small groups. Some also assist with administration. They are valued members of staff and a key to The West Melton School Way, and our ability to meet the needs of our students. At times we employ a teacher for our Gifted and Talented programme.

Complementing fulltime staff are: a part-time guitar tutor, a piano teacher, a reading recovery teacher and a Special Education Needs Co-ordinator.

Staff members hold positions on curriculum committees and in-service committees, which act as a resource for the wider teaching fraternity. Our staff is also involved in assisting with aspects of teacher training and have close links with the University of Canterbury.

All teachers are committed to ongoing professional learning or post graduate papers. In 2005 - 2007 the emphasis has been on the west Melton School Way and Inquiry learning. In 2007 - 2009 all teachers are on the ICT Contract and most are completing a related University of Canterbury Post Graduate paper.

The school has two part-time Dental Nurses who tend to the dental care of children in our school and pre-schoolers in the area. The Dental Nurses usually have one six week session at our school per year.

The school can call on the specialist services of a Psychologist, Curriculum Specialists and Advisers, Resource Teachers, therapists and the Public Health Nurse. We have close ties with Waitaha Learning Centre.

Canterbury Health staff makes regular checks on children's hearing and vision.