About Glendowie
Welcome / Kia ora
On behalf of our community, I am pleased to welcome you and hope that your exploration of our website will capture the vibrant nature of our school. I also hope you will glean some understanding of how our school is a special place for our students, their teachers, and the wider community.
Glendowie School is situated in an absolutely beautiful location, overlooking the Tamaki Estuary in Auckland’s Eastern Suburbs. Many of our students walk or ride to school from the surrounding neighbourhood, which is a wonderful place to grow up with large parks and quiet streets.
Learning at our school has a New Zealand focus with an international perspective. We run the IB PYP Curriculum to Year 8, which combines key elements of our local history and geography. Teachers provide a balance of student-led inquiry with teacher directed instruction, meaning our students are supported in acquiring relevant skills then taking action with these skills in purposeful ways.
If you think you would like to join our community as either a student, parent or staff member please get in touch with any questions you might have.
Thank you for your interest in our school.
Noho ora mai,
Paul Crowhurst | Principal
About Us
Glendowie School was first opened in 1952. Our Montessori Unit was established in 1995 and caters for students from Years 1-8 whose parents have chosen this Montessori pathway for their children. Our Sommerville special class was started in 1990 for children with special needs. The school hosts this unit which supports these children to learn and play within a mainstream school environment.
Our school has undergone significant changes. In 2011, during the school holidays, the school had a major fire which resulted in us needing to replace or modernise many of the existing buildings. The school’s development has seen roll growth, increased and improved resources that focus on providing quality learning, and opportunities for all our students to develop as life-long learners within our 21st Century learning environment.
Glendowie School is situated in the beautiful Eastern Suburbs, about 15 minutes from the centre of Auckland. Our school is surrounded by parks, reserves and overlooks the Tamaki Estuary. It is in close proximity to Eastern Bay beaches and the neighbouring suburb of St Heliers. The school is surrounded by quality high schools and early childhood centres.
A learning programme that is child centred and personalised, ensuring that learning opportunities are maximised and resources available for every student to reach their full potential. The PYP programme that offers a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning that is transdisciplinary across all curriculum areas and fosters the development of the whole child especially academically, socially, physically, emotionally and culturally. Specialist support programmes that cater for children needing additional learning support especially in literacy and maths. Programmes that offer enrichment and extension for gifted and talented students.
Glendowie School is an “I Care” school which places the highest priority on providing a quality teaching and learning programme. Our students will become confident, compassionate, life-long learners, encouraged to achieve their full potential by actively participating in our country and as citizens of the world.
Modern learning environment classrooms which cater for opportunities for our children to share and collaborate around their learning. Shared common learning areas and withdrawal spaces to support individual learning, different learning styles and shared learning opportunities. Classrooms designed to support e-learning, with opportunities for students to collaborate investigate and share information. A gymnasium, mini hall, adventure playground, swimming pool, and playing fields that cater for a wide range of sporting activities. An information studies library and computer centre, to support our children’s inquiry learning, their love of reading and their curiosity about the world they live in. Specialist rooms to support our Arts programme include a music room, art room, and mini hall.
Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB)
In 2006, Glendowie School became an IB school implementing the Primary Years Programme (PYP). The school was authorised in November 2006.
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) at Glendowie School continues to build on our Inquiry Based Learning Programme involving children in learning how to learn. The children are involved in purposeful inquiry for real learning. Children are encouraged to be independent and life-long learners.
The International disciplinary programme of the PYP fosters the development of the child. A strong emphasis is placed on high academic standards, international understanding and responsible citizenship, the development of critical and compassionate thinkers, and the skills, attitudes and attributes for our children to become lifelong learners.
The curriculum focusses on the 5 elements of knowledge, skills, approaches to learning, concepts and meaningful action which are integrated into all learning programmes.
Our 2018 ERO external evaluation report stated “students experience a rich and broad curriculum that enables them to excel academically and develop the skills of life long learners.”
For more information – IB brochure.
Glendowie Staff are highly professional in their focus on caring for and supporting our students. Our teachers are recognised for their commitment, their specialist knowledge, their personal inquiries into improved teaching and learning practice, and their focus on student progress and achievement. Glendowie is also very fortunate to be well resourced by a large team of non-teaching staff both in learning support and property and office administration.
A wide range of opportunities are available for parents to discuss their child’s learning including parent teacher conferences, student led conferences, meetings with our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and Learning Support Coordinator (LSC), and by arranging appointments through the office for additional meetings.
For more information: Click Here
Please find below our Strategic Plan
Education Review Office:
1294 Glendowie School External Evaluation (ERO Report 2018)
A copy of our latest ERO Report is also available on line at: www.ero.govt.nz or at the School Office.
Click here to Get the Prospectus PDF