About Us

At Gilberthorpe School we will provide a caring, family atmosphere for lifelong learners. Our students will be enthusiastic thinkers, positive interactors, self-managers and effective communicators.

Values

Our Curriculum has a strong Values emphasis. At Gilberthorpe School we incorporate values into our teaching / learning and in the life of the school. The Values we all live by at Gilberthorpe School are:
  • Logical thinking
  • Creative thinking
  • Risk Taking
  • Goal Setting
  • Social Action Co-operation
  • Physical Wellbeing
  • Self-Management
  • Pride
  • Respect

Kaupapa

Here at Gilberthorpe we utilise the Fish philosophy every minute of every day.  This philosophy is centred around 4 key parts:

  1. Choose your attitude – Our staff and students choose the right attitude all day every day, we realise that we have a choice about how we approach our day.
  2. Be there – We support each other, we are also engaged and involved in our learning.
  3. Make someone’s day – We love to work hard to make someones day, a story written for a proud parent, a morning tea put on for staff or a trip to the Principal to show him some fantastic learning!
  4. Play – We also value having fun when at Gilberthorpe, fun with our classmates, our teachers and our whole community.

This philosophy helps make our school environment a great place to be!

History

The school is situated adjacent to a site where Māori once rested and cooked food in earth ovens, on what was the banks of the Waimakiriri River. In 1860 the Gilberthorpes, from Hull in England, purchased the site for farming. The original homestead being on the site where Te Puawaitanga ki Otautahi Trust is situated today.

The School itself was constructed in 1956 and opened its doors for the first students in 1957.
Te Taumutu Rūnanga have named our school “Ara Tū Whakatā”, a stopping place on the pathway for refreshment.

Leadership Team

Principal Mr Andrew Wilkinson
Deputy Principal Ms Rebecca Speden
Assistant Principal Miss Lee-Anne Waho

Class Teachers

Rimu Miss Lee-Anne Waho Yr 5 & 6
Rata Mrs Kayla Templeton Yr  4 & 5
Tawa Miss Jenny Diggle Yr  3 & 4
Kea Miss Kelsey Morgan Yr  2 & 3
Kiwi Miss Samantha Corry Yr  1 & 2
Weka Mrs Rebecca Speden New Entrants & Year 1

Support Staff

Penny Osborne Executive Officer
Mrs Brenda Abernethy Teacher Aide
Mrs Kathy Duthie Teacher Aide

Mrs Dot Palmer

 Teacher Aide
Mrs Belinda Ngaata Reading Recovery & Mutukaroa
Wayne Aldridge Caretaker