Simply the Best
ILMINSTER INTERMEDIATE
Message from the Principal
I consider being a Principal to be an extremely privileged position and one that allows you to impact greatly not only on the lives of those students immediately in your care but also on their families and whanau. How often do you as a parent take the time to reflect on your schooling?
The number of parents who tell me some of the best times in their lives were their intermediate years, just confirms for me the important role we have to play.
The 'middle years' are a time that really set the foundation for not only future learning and success, but also life. As Clarence Beeby wrote in the 1940s intermediate schooling is a time
deliberately put aside to develop citizenship. It was his aspiration that these "middle years" would be a time to provide every New Zealand student with the opportunity to experience success; academically, in sport, socially and culturally. What we do so well is to provide our young people leadership opportunities and the chance to explore a personal interest or
develop a brand new talent. The holistic nature of middle schooling is far greater than the sum of its parts; and is much greater than merely Literacy and Numeracy.
Intermediates were developed to put aside significant time in each young citizen's life to be able to develop the skills and dispositions of what it meant to be a citizen of New Zealand.
The Board of Trustees and staff continue to ensure that every child attending Ilminster has the opportunity to build on their strengths. Our students receive an outstanding quality of education in an environment where they are able to utilise their strengths and build their confidence as learners in order to succeed.
We believe students also need to experience and manage what it is like to fail or get turned down or not be selected and to then pick themselves up and persevere in order to progress and achieve and more importantly realise that it is a reality that they need to learn to manage. It can happen to anyone - and is a temporary set-back that requires them to look for solutions and seek support if needed to work things through.
The Board maintain their commitment to ensure that the school is exceptionally well resourced and continues to provide a 'free' education in order to minimise the gaps in opportunity that may otherwise exist. For two years parents and caregivers get a reprieve. Ilminster is an outstanding educational facility. Our aim continues to be to keep it "Simply the Best!"
Peter Ferris
