Wānanga Days & Junior Programme: Week 4 Reflections

By Richard Harvey | Posted: Monday May 18, 2026

Now in its fifth year, the Wānanga Days and Junior Programme initiative replaces the traditional hourly schedule with dedicated, single-subject immersion days.

As an evidence-based school, we surveyed our students to see what worked well and where we can continue to refine the experience.

For Years 11–13, spending an entire day on one subject removed the hassle of constantly switching focus. The student survey summarised the key advantages outlined below.

High Productivity: The majority of seniors highly valued this uninterrupted focus. Dozens of internal assessments were completed in single sessions, helping students bank vital NCEA credits. As the students would say… they could lock in!
Experiential Learning: The format allowed for many out-of-class experiences. Students highlighted Geography and Earth and Space Science local field trips amongst others, full-day Outdoor Education rock climbing, and deep-dive practical blocks in Metalwork, DVC, and Art.

"To be able to focus for more than 50 minutes on a subject helps us dig deeper into our learning and understanding." > — Year 12 Student

"The most positive part was the ability to work away at big projects without interruption, rather than having to pack up and refresh each day." > — Year 11 Student

"On regular days we're always moving from class to class and it feels like a hassle. On Wānanga, I get a whole day of sheer focus." > — Year 13 Student

While seniors focused on NCEA subjects, our Year 9 and 10 students participated in a targeted personal growth and service programme. Key highlights mentioned by students included:

School Haka Session: Senior student leaders passed down school chants and the OBHS Haka to our juniors.
Community Clean-Up: Cultivating Whanaungatanga through local service.
Careers & Values: Pathways presentations and character education sessions.
CAA Preparation: Literacy and numeracy workshops to prep Year 10s for upcoming co-requisites.

"I think the week was quite perfect, and I especially enjoyed learning the school haka with the seniors." > — Year 9 Student

"I liked how we got to see how different careers actually work, what the workspaces are like, and what our options are for the future." > — Year 10 Student

While our survey results show the structure works exceptionally well for the vast majority of our learners surveyed, we recognise a six-hour block is not without challenges. Some students noted fatigue in theoretical subjects, while others found missing a single day due to illness stressful. Moving into next year, we are taking this constructive feedback on board.

Thank you to our dedicated staff for their planning, and to our parents and caregivers for supporting our boys through a highly productive week.