Welcome, nau mai, haere mai to Taupaki Technology.

Our purpose-built facilities provide rich, hands-on learning experiences for Year 7 and 8 students in Food, Design (Textiles and DVC), Hard Materials, and Digital Technology.

Through engaging and authentic experiences, students develop practical skills, creativity, confidence, and problem-solving capabilities while learning how ideas move from concept to successful outcome.

We proudly provide specialist learning for over 400 Year 7 and 8 students from Taupaki, Waitākere, Huapai, Riverhead, Matua Ngaru, Hare Krishna, Timatanga, Whenuapai, and Waimauku schools.  Students attend one day per week and rotate through specialist learning areas, building skills, knowledge, and confidence in a safe, engaging, and well-resourced environment led by experienced teachers.

OUR APPROACH

At Taupaki, we view learning through a design lens — identifying needs, exploring possibilities, and creating meaningful solutions for authentic contexts.

Guided by the New Zealand Curriculum, students engage in a design process that encourages critical and creative thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and reflection while building confidence to design, make, and evaluate successful outcomes.

Students learn to:

• Understand how design and innovation help solve problems and improve everyday life
• Develop thinking skills through researching, planning, creating, testing, and evaluating outcomes
• Build practical capability through hands-on learning and purposeful making
• Communicate ideas using written, oral, visual, and digital forms
• Consider people, place, culture, sustainability, and the New Zealand context when making design decisions

Our programme encourages creativity, resilience, innovation, and reflective thinking while supporting students to become confident and capable learners.

YEAR 7 AND YEAR 8 LEARNING

Year 7 students develop foundational practical skills and confidence through structured, scaffolded projects that introduce the design-and-make process. Students gradually build independence while mastering key practical techniques across specialist areas.

Year 8 students extend these foundations through increasingly complex and creative projects that encourage greater independence, innovation, problem-solving, and communication of ideas. Students are challenged to apply their learning in authentic and meaningful ways.

Design (Textiles and DVC)

Design develops creativity and practical capability through the creation of functional and aesthetically pleasing textile and DVC outcomes. Students explore fabrics, textile properties, pattern making, hand and machine sewing, and computer-aided design (CAD).

Students also design imagery digitally and use laser technology to cut and etch designs, creating an authentic link between hands-on making and computer-aided manufacture. This helps students understand how digital tools and modern manufacturing processes work together within contemporary design industries.

WHY TAUPAKI?

Our experienced specialist teachers create engaging and well-scaffolded learning experiences that support every student to succeed, regardless of their starting point. Our upgraded facilities and well-resourced learning spaces provide access to a wide range of tools, materials, and equipment that encourage creativity, confidence, and practical capability.

We are proud of the programme we offer and value the strong partnerships we have with schools, students, and Whānau.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to know more about our programme.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Information: Please notify us of any information we may need to know about and ensure any required medication is brought to school.

Requirements: Students need stationery, enclosed footwear, a hair tie for long hair, a wide-brimmed sun hat or school cap (Terms 1 and 4), well-fitting clothing (not overly baggy or loose, particularly sleeves), ear studs only as jewellery, and a container with a lid for Food.

Safety: Student safety is our priority. Guidelines for specialist rooms and playground expectations will be provided, and all required safety equipment is supplied.

Behaviour: We have high expectations for behaviour through our Manaaki Taupaki system and celebrate positive choices through Manaaki Taupaki tickets. Any concerns will be communicated with schools.

Collection: Any late arrivals or early departures during the day must be managed through the school office.

Devices: Cyber safety and behaviour forms must be completed before students can access devices for learning. An alternative programme will be provided until forms are returned. Personal devices are not permitted, and phones brought to school must be handed into the school office on arrival.