A school for students from Year 1 to Year 13 on Bay Road in Oxford, in the Waimakariri district north of Christchurch. The school's Māori name is Te Kura o Te Poho Rakahua, and it describes itself as a boutique-sized school, with a focus on excellence, innovation and creativity.
Its outdoor programme is the part that stands out. Junior students go through a water skills course, a week in a mountain environment with tramping, river rafting, ropes courses and team-building, and a snow experience that includes snowboarding or skiing. The mountains, forests, rivers and plains around Oxford are the school's classroom.
The school welcomes international students and offers village, farm or lifestyle block homestays. It is a signatory to the Code of Practice for international students.
Enrolment is a four-step process. Families look at the learning environment, complete the online enrolment form, provide documents such as birth certificates and proof of address, and then the school confirms the place and the next steps.
The school sits in a growing community, and the website describes close relationships between the school, home and community. Our pick in Oxford for a family that wants a school where the outdoors is part of the programme.