Ardmore School

My son just spent two years at Ardmore school and while his new school is good, we do miss Ardmore!! The principal was awesome from Day 1, giving us a guided tour and making us feel at ease. As we had relocated during covid, this was so nice. It is seriously awesome to have classrooms with sliding glass doors that open out onto a deck with cows roaming in the neighbouring paddock. How cute!!! The school in general is small, colourful and country-chill. Only had a couple of issues with other kids/bullying, but I have to say the school was ONTO it right away. Miss P, the Ruru whanau leader of Y6,7,8, is amazing. She took the lead to investigate and sorted our issues and sorted it in a kind and professional way. Super cute things like Ag day, Showquest, Art shows, field trips, school discos, swimming days, swim carnival, fun run, ECCS... heaps of sport stuff but my kid isn't really sporty. There was always something fun going on and even when there wasn't, like going to school as an essential worker's kid, my son always had a reason to be happy to go to school. I also have to say the principal is really onto it will communication. They make quick decisions and notify everyone so you have as much time as possible to plan. I found this helpful in pandemic and natural disaster time. Ardmore really helped my boy come out of his shell at his own pace and for that I will be forever grateful. If you are on the fence about Ardmore, just call and go check it out. I am so glad we did. :)
Mar 12th, 2023

We are of Pacific background and our youngest has been in this school for the last 5years and absolutely loves going to school. She enjoys her classes,activities and the friends she has made along.Ardmore school sits on the fringes of Papakura suburbs,and the location is pristine and allows the students space and fresh air as well as a love for nature. We have great working relationships with the staff at the school and continue to support the school in all it's endeavors because at the end of the day,it is about the future of our kids but most importantly, making memorable memories and relations along the journey to their success. Fai'akse'ea Julian
Sep 30th, 2022

Sep 21st, 2022

Zero rating **Be very cautious,new fake reviews are being added to cover up their unethical and unprofessional behaviour ** Dissapointing, as usual instead of working on the issues and feedbacks constructively, they are justifying their actions and putting fake reviews. Defensive and Childish!! They have Basic facilities and playground. Very old, not much to offer. Remote location, no cameras, safety is questionable at playground as its open and exposed. One teacher monitors the whole school at lunch time!! You will see very limited info about the school on their website. No welcome message by Principal like other schools. If you are Brown - dont expect to be treated normal, fairly or with respect. The Principal Bridget Patterson, is full of discrimination, hate and very unprofessional. So, most of the teachers follow her behaviour and are the same. You walk past her, and she doesnt acknowledge you let alone make you feel welcome. Diversity is not encouraged, and they will try everything to scare you, so you dont send your Brown kid to this school. Forcing new entrant parents to drop their 5 year old at the Kerb, not even at the gate. When you object they shout and humiliate you. Then target your new entrant child and make them stand outside the class for laughing. Multiple times!! They also kick a 5 year old out of class to another new class to sit in the corner as punishment. The board should get rid of this horrible Principal and her side kick the Deputy Principal. We have been lucky to have other school Zoning and options but have lodged a complaint to MOE and Teachers ombudsman to stop this racism on young children who are the future of tomorrow. My 5 year old is flourishing at the new school and has got 2 awards already!!
Oct 28th, 2022

Loads of respect for this school & staff. Both teaching and & support staff, are very respectful and inclusive. The principal always begins all comms with cultural acknowledgments, both individual and public, and her door is always open for discussion. Communication & transparency is always encouraged here and I have witnessed this first hand. This year I approached the principal to ask if the school would consider a "Diwali Celebration" day and this was met with enthusiasm. She even provided off the cuff information regarding the demographic make-up of the school and said they would be more than supportive of the idea, therefore this year, there is a project to facilitate this day. The school has multiple cultural activities including school haka and whakatau pohiri for new intake cohorts. Maori Language week is celebrated by a (school funded) Matariki breakfast and multiple other cultural ventures facilitated by the school. Other cultures have approached the school for support and advocacy for their respective week, and language and they have never declined. Given a rural environment, the drop off drive-thru system is appreciated due to both convenience & security. Each student is met by a member of staff, welcomed and sent to their class as they arrive. The efficiency of this process especially during lockdown levels, was testament to the staff's precision, commitment, and dedication to our children. Also given I have had younger children in the car in previous years, and also don't want to put the staff at risk mid pandemic- there simply aren't enough teachers to go around.
Sep 27th, 2022