About the School and Community

The Cobden School community is located between the Grey River in the south, the Tasman Sea in the west, and the "Twelve Apostles" hills in the North and East.

After completing primary education, students typically move on to either Greymouth High School or John Paul II High School.

The school hosts an onsite playgroup in support of WestReap.

There are a wide range of sports and cultural activities available, including swimming, soccer, rugby league, hockey, basketball and mini-ball.

Local churches cater to the spiritual needs of the community. The school is increasingly facing challenges due to social issues affecting children and their families. To address these challenges, the school collaborates with various support agencies such as the Resource Teacher of Literacy, Learning Support, Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour, the Public Health Nurse, Oranga Tamariki, Strengthening Families, Homebuilders, and Family Start.

Cobden School serves as the lead school for Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB).

The school strongly encourages parental involvement in their children's education and strives to provide a caring and respectful environment. To enhance family engagement, Cobden School maintains an active website, Facebook page, TikTok, YouTube, and Skool Loop app, enabling the sharing of student learning achievements with the wider school community.

The school has developed a localised curriculum, a graduate profile, and assessment and reporting procedures aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum.

One notable aspect of the school is its focus on student well-being and the implementation of PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) practices. Class descriptions identify students who are underachieving or at risk of underachieving, allowing the school to cater to a range of behaviours and academic abilities and provide personalized learning programs.

Special Education Grant (SEG) funding supports the implementation of Special Needs programs and the training and utilization of teacher aides.

In terms of infrastructure, the school is well-equipped, with central heating in all permanent classrooms. It houses a Reading Recovery Training room. In 2020, there were upgrades to classrooms in both Block A and Block B. The school hall has undergone renovations, including new toilet facilities, wheelchair access, seismic strengthening, as well as improved heating and lighting. The wireless system throughout the school has been upgraded. After-school music lessons are offered to students in the Greymouth area. Additionally, there is a refurbished covered swimming pool, and improved heating allows swimming during Terms 1 and 4, excluding holiday breaks. The school is also part of a decarbonisation program and recently installed a new pellet boiler.

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