Blockhouse Bay Intermediate

Our values of Manaakitanga (Respect), Rangatiratanga (Leadership), Wairuatanga (Wellbeing), and Whanaungatanga (Relationships) ensure we have a simple yet powerful philosophy for learning. Class environments are affirming and welcoming for every student. Our grounds and facilities are exceptional and well-resourced.

We value and model strong citizenship and what it means to walk tall in our globally connected world. Blockhouse Bay Intermediate is an exciting and innovative place to learn. We provide a modern and meaningful curriculum, designed with the community, for the community. This means your child will develop new skills, new independence, new appreciation for community, and new understanding of how they learn and how best they can engage and lead their own learning. They will be supported and nurtured by a professional, caring, and dedicated staff to be confident, independent young adolescents who value themselves and others.

This website is a quick guide to give you an overview of who we are and why we are the choice of intermediate for our wider community.

To find out more about our school, I welcome you to explore our website, search us out on social media, or meet with us in person so we can answer any questions that you may have about your child’s time with us.

Michael Malins
Principal

April 2025

We are delighted to share the latest insights from our recent Social Emotional Learning (SEL) survey, highlighting the strength of our school’s inclusive and supportive culture. The result from our student feedback was their sense of belonging, particularly reflected in the highest-rated behaviour: students feeling “appreciated for their authenticity by peers” with an average rating of 4.15 out of 5, 5 being always.

This result emphasises that at our school, students feel genuinely accepted for who they are. It underscores the robust and inclusive environment we have nurtured, where authenticity, peer acceptance, and emotional safety thrive. Students consistently reported feeling valued by their peers, reinforcing that our community is not only diverse but deeply supportive and connected.

Blockhouse Bay Intermediate (BBI) is a Visible Learning school. This means we are an evidence-based school focused on raising achievement. We have a very strong focus on high expectations for all students to succeed, evidence-based social-emotional learning, and School-Wide Positive Behaviour for Learning. We have a staff culture of collective teacher efficacy, where all teachers share the same focus for teaching and learning. We utilise the new curriculum refresh to ensure all students know where they are in their learning, where they are going, and the tools they need to get there. This is Visible Learning—a data-led study in common sense. There is no point in delivering programmes unless you have the evidence to support that what you deliver is making a real and positive impact on students’ achievement, well-being, sense of belonging, and motivation to learn.

We utilise Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to show the direct correlation between our inputs and educational outcomes. For example, being present at school has a direct correlation with improvement in mathematics outcomes. SEM is now entering its second year at BBI and sets us apart from other schools. Along with great staff, we are supported by our community, who expect their children to have the best two years as they navigate adolescence and all the emotional impacts that entails — ensuring they are well-prepared for the next phase of high school.

Interestingly, our data indicates Year 8 as a significant turning point, with notable improvements in students’ sense of belonging and resilience. Our Māori and Pacific students, in particular, showed the most substantial gains in feeling connected and resilient. Additionally, our Pacific learners exhibited remarkable consistency across all SEL constructs, demonstrating positive levels of motivation, resilience, and grit. Our Māori learners showcased the largest increase in their sense of belonging, highlighting the positive impact of our culturally responsive approach to acknowledge identity and foster student agency.

These insights affirm our commitment to creating a nurturing and affirming educational environment through Wairuatanga and Whanaungatanga.. As we celebrate these achievements, we remain dedicated to strengthening our pedagogies, building upon our cultural inclusivity, and ensuring every student feels seen, valued, and empowered.