About
Our School

Mercury Bay Area School has participated in School Wide Positive Behaviour for Learning since 2010.

School Wide Positive Behaviour for Learning is a Ministry initiative, and we are part of a cluster of schools from around the Coromandel and Waikato area.

Our school wide expectations of KAURI were developed with staff and students. KAURI is an acronym for:

We expect all students, staff and visitors to our school to embrace and follow our school wide expectations. Sitting behind the KAURI expectations is our school wide matrix which breaks down the expectations into expected behaviours in the different areas of Mercury Bay Area School.

Lesson Plans are developed regularly from our school wide Kauri Matrix and by analysing behaviour data to look for trends in behaviours, places or times.

The principles behind Positive Behaviour for Learning:

• Positive behaviour can be learnt and difficult and disruptive behaviour can be unlearnt
• Individual children are not a ‘problem’ – we need to change the environment around them to support positive behaviour
• Punishing and isolating children doesn’t bring about long-term and sustainable changes in behaviour
• We need to concentrate on a small number of evidence-based programmes and frameworks that we know work
• There are no quick fixes – behaviour change takes time.

The Education Act 1989 requires every school to complete a strategic plan and a copy of the plan be sent to the Ministry of Education each year.

The role of the board is to prepare and maintain the school strategic plan. The plan is a key document that sets out the school's objectives and targets for the year, and establishes the mission, aims, objectives, directions and targets of the board that will give effect to the Government’s National Education Guidelines and the Board’s priorities.

Copies of the stategic plan and annual financial statements can be downloaded below.

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department which reviews and reports publicly on the quality of education in all New Zealand schools.

Schools are reviewed on average once every three years, or more frequently where the performance of a school is poor and there are risks to the education and safety of the students.

The Education Review Office reports on individual schools are freely available to the public and are on the Education Review Office website. They can be searched by name, by nearest town or by the month a report was confirmed.

Located about 2.5 hrs drive from Auckland along the spectacular Pacific Coast Highway and within close proximity of Hamilton, Rotorua and Tauranga, Mercury Bay is one of New Zealand's premier destinations, offering endless opportunities for fishing, boating, surfing and swimming.

The richness of the surrounding agricultural areas and the unique out-door pursuits they provide for, makes for a very diverse landscape indeed.

Located on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, Mercury Bay’s main town of Whitianga has attracted visitors for more than a thousand years; since Maori explorer Kupe first visited here around 950A.D. It was Captain James Cook who gave the area its current name, when he anchored in the bay in 1769 to observe the transit of Mercury.

Now an established tourist resort, the Bay’s spectacular coastline is dotted with islands and its relatively sheltered waters are perfect for all water sports - a wonderful place to live and grow up!

Visit the All About Whitianga website for information about all aspects of Whitianga community and the Mercury Bay area.