Music and The Arts
The Arts
We are proud to offer a vibrant and inclusive Performing and Visual Arts program where students are supported to discover and develop their artistic abilities. Through a diverse array of learning experiences, students of all backgrounds are guided to deepen their creative skills, broaden their perspectives, communicate their stories and achieve personal excellence in The Arts.
Music Groups
All of our co-curricular groups have a clear pathway, so every young musician has the opportunity to develop and progress in a supportive environment. Students have the chance to perform, collaborate, and build skills, while enjoying the fun and satisfaction of making music together.
Large-scale performances, or participation in external competitions such as Stand Up Stand Out, Smokefree RockQuest, the KBB Music Festival or The Big Sing, are some of the highlights of the year.
Polyfest
Ngā Taiohi o Panuku, our Samoan Group and our Filipino Group represent our school with pride each year at Polyfest, the Auckland Secondary Schools cultural festival. Polyfest, for some students at our kura, is their first opportunity to celebrate Te Ao Māori or the Samoan or Filipino culture, and is always a valuable experience.
The effort and dedication of our Polyfest students are consistently an immense source of pride for the school.
School Productions
Musicians, dancers, costumers, choreographers, set designers and students who are interested in other aspects of performance technology have the opportunity to combine their talents in a large-scale school-wide production every two years.
Public Speaking
Debating opportunities are available, and students have access to business pitch mentoring through our Social Science Curriculum. Students present their speeches in class, and there are regular opportunities to showcase outstanding speeches.
Performing Arts
Music
The Music course allows students to explore a variety of styles from around the world. Focusing on NZ music and contemporary genres like blues, hip hop, film music, dance music, musicals, and cultural music, students discover how music has evolved and been shaped by cultures, communities, and traditions.
Through listening, performing, and creating their own music, students learn to communicate while gaining confidence, refining their skills, and developing an appreciation for the rich diversity of music. Students are encouraged to enter their original songs into the Play It Strange National Songwriting Competition.
Dance
The Dance course gives students the opportunity to work in a purpose-built Dance studio where they can explore movement as both an art form and a way to communicate ideas and emotions. Students experience a variety of dance styles—including contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and cultural dance—and learn how movement connects to story, culture, and personal expression.
Through rehearsals, performance, and creative projects, students work collaboratively to gain confidence and physical awareness, while fostering an appreciation for dance as a powerful form of artistic and cultural expression. Students are encouraged to enter self-choreographed dances into external competitions such as Velocity Dance Competition and Stand Up Stand Out.
Drama
The Drama course is taught in a specialist Drama space where they can explore creativity, storytelling, and performance, bringing ideas to life on stage. Students work with a range of dramatic styles, conventions and elements, discovering how Drama connects to culture, society, and personal experiences.
Through acting, presenting, and group projects, students strengthen their communication and collaboration skills. The course encourages confidence, imagination, and teamwork, while helping students understand h
Visual Arts
In the Visual Arts, students learn foundational skills like drawing, painting, design and digital processes while exploring concepts related to identity, culture and contemporary art practices. Students are encouraged and supported to embrace their own creative endeavours, while also exploring the practices of other artists and creative practitioners.
There are a range of course options available to students, enabling them to engage with Visual Art in the medium of their preference, and the freedom to develop their own artistic style and aesthetic. Students are supported by their teachers to find innovative and fresh solutions to visual challenges and propositions. Visual Arts students have a variety of events to engage in throughout the year, including exhibitions, collaborative projects and the annual Pat Hanly Creative Awards programme.
Painting
Students explore painting with watercolours, acrylics, and other techniques, combining careful observation with personal expression. Students are encouraged to experiment with composition, colour, and form as they develop artistic confidence and visual communication skills.
Through guided projects and independent exploration, they learn to tell stories visually, collaborate with peers, and take creative risks, building both technical skills and a deeper understanding of the artistic process for continued growth.
Photography
Photography students develop both creative and technical skills, learning to operate digital cameras, use lighting equipment and master post-production software such as Lightroom and Photoshop.
Students work on projects centered around a chosen theme, developing their own artistic vision while investigating creative ideas and artistic conventions through the study of both historical and contemporary photographers. Students have the opportunity to access our digital mirrorless cameras, and our photography studio, with guided instruction on how to use this specialist equipment.
Design
Design teaches students how to communicate ideas visually through a mix of traditional and digital media. Students explore concepts like graphic design (logos, posters) and character design (illustrations, stories) while developing skills in composition, colour and typography.
Students learn to use a variety of media, including drawing, painting, collage, and the Adobe Creative Cloud digital software. Design focuses on developing an idea from a concept to a final outcome and communicating meaning visually. Students will experiment with various tools and techniques to visually express their ideas in original and innovative ways.