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Mt Hobson Academy

At the start of 2022 Mt Hobson Academy Connected (Online) was launched. It was done in the midst of all of the uncertainty and loss of learning due to covid but the real motivation was to make high-quality academics available across the whole nation and to significantly bring down the cost of private schooling. It is also a brilliant way to have parents far more involved with, and aware of the education of their children.

We have made a superb start. There are some clear reasons why:

The brilliant people involved. I am not bad but Saira Boyle (recently Principal of Willowbank Primary) is BRILLIANT – as are the staff working with her.
Parents are able to be fully involved and their children are loving that.
Our Project Based model – with high quality subject teaching alongside – is proven through our other school provisions and well supported by external research – e.g. Cognition Education.
There is plenty of attention and much less downtime and distractions. The technology has developed so well that there are now some inherent advantages in Virtual classrooms and lots less time loss through travel, waiting in line, kids behaving badly, etc. We also limit class size to 15.
We have a culture of success and aspiration. It is well known that the achievement history of Mt Hobson is fantastic and that our model has been well applied at South Auckland Middle School and Middle School West Auckland. We have also begun a programme called Generation Skip where our children and families get to meet kiwi greats such as Rod Dixon, Lorraine Moller, Sir Bryan Williams, Hamish Carter … and more.
Families have much more choice about how they organise their days. This will be a very high value in terms 2 and 3 with opportunities to change the day around and get out on bikes, horses, tramping, etc, during the day and do the school work at a time that suits.
Although this is a long-term project it is also true that our school is covid proof in terms of being up and fully running each and every day.

There is a huge difference between the ‘distance learning’ most of our children have experienced during the lockdown period in New Zealand, and the top-quality designed online connected-learning framework that we provide.

The recent experience being a ‘response’ to a global pandemic, whilst the latter being a framework of deliberately designed curriculum experiences and projects to ensure high expectations teaching and learning, in authentic contexts, with absolute top quality educator delivery and unapologetic academic rigour at the heart!

We are providing an education that is the equal, at least, of the very best New Zealand schools.

We have two forms of provision with Mt Hobson Academy Connected.

1. A full enrolment/provision where Mt Hobson Academy takes responsibility for all resources, teaching, learning, assessment. (Base fee for that is $8k per annum)

Day-to-day for our full provision.

Years 1 – 4 Have a programme designed by two superb teachers who have moved from high profile Principals’ jobs. They work closely with families and have a focus on literacy, numeracy, arts and movement. These teachers are the best you could imagine.

Years 5 – 10: The academic morning will be 8:30 (9 am for Year 5 & 6) – 12:50 (with breaks). During that time a student would have an hour for independent/project work and three direct instruction classes out of English, Maths, Science, Social Studies, Technology. The classes are varied with plenty of student interaction and a very good mix of activities. We have contracted a brilliant group of staff.

The Arts & Activities afternoon (1:30 – 3 pm) will be:

Music

Health & PE

Community Learning

Community Service

This mirrors our in-person schools at that level and we have been delivering this programme superbly through the lockdowns.

Years 11 – 13

Students at this level work through a full provision NCEA Level 1 – 3 programme. They do so with the full support of Principal Dr Bruce Knox and his in-person team at the Mt Hobson Academy on Queen St.

2. A Parent-led enrolment with Mt Hobson Academy (Y1 – 10) with all of the resources we have available – but the parents doing the homeschooling with advice and daily tuition available. (This is for a base fee of $2k per annum). If families enrol with us they have the huge benefit of not having to go through the Ministry exemption process for homeschooling as well as all access to our expertise.

For this 2nd option – the parents oversee daily teaching and learning with our resources. For parents of Year 1 – 10 students who have the time and skill set this can be a very good option. The students will be enrolled with MHAC. One important aspect to note is that we need to monitor and evaluate curriculum delivery to meet our Ministry obligations as a fully registered Private school.

What our Parent-led families Receive