New School In Rolleston

1. Clearview
A New Primary School at Rolleston

2. Clearview School Site Map
This new years 1-8 school is in a fast growing township 20kms south of
Christchurch. It is on a flat site, with three pods of 17 classrooms around a
playground complex. Two further pods (centre left) will take its capacity to
600.

3. Pods surround heart of the school
Junior classes are in the pods to the left with the years 7-8 pod in the
distance. Each school level has its own adventure playground in the
sunny and well landscaped heart.

4. Reception/Admin and Staff/Library
The library, principal’s and DP’s office (lower) all look out onto the heart
of the school. Reception, administration and teaching resources are
spaciously accommodated.

5. Reception
The light and friendly reception desk is supported by large back-office
spaces. The principal’s and DP’s offices, plus a meeting room, are to right
and left.

6. Reception
The executive officer has a large office to the right of reception. The all-
glass entry foyer is welcoming. The multi-purpose hall and its meeting
rooms are seen on the other side of the entry to the school.

7. Principal’s office
From his desk and lounge-style office, principal James Petronelli can see
into the heart of the school and all the classroom pods.

8. Staffroom and meeting room
The staffroom is large, bright and sunny and opens into a formal meeting
room with board table on the right. The well-equipped staff kitchen can
double as a food technology space.

9. Resource production and storage
Next to the staffroom is this area for teaching resource production (left)
and storage in Lundia shelving (right).

10. Library
Big windows, some at student height, and mobile and varied furniture
are features of the library.

11. Library student work room
This adjunct to the library (“Discovery Zone”) provides floor and desk
space for students’ work, with a southern view into the heart of the
school.

12. Six room pod
A learning studio (commons space) of 155 sq ms gives entry to the six
“homebases” (classrooms), all of which are 59 sq ms. Each pair of classrooms
shares a “quiet room” of eight sq ms (green) and the six teachers have a 24 sq
ms office at top centre.

13. Five room pod
The layout is the same as in the six room pod, but there is one fewer little
quiet rooms and the teachers’ office is slightly smaller. In both pods teachers
and students have several choices of places for work, including rotundas
outside the back of the pod.

14. Indoor/outdoor
Each pair of classrooms opens, at the rear, into one of these paved and
sheltered rotundas for breakout groups of students.

15. Learning studios
All the classrooms (left) open into a warm commons space. The teachers’
office and toilets are on the right.

16. Learning studio
There is ample space and light in the learning studios for several groups
of students and teachers .

17. Homebase
All the classrooms have purpose-designed interlocking tables for multiple
configurations, interactive whiteboards and data projectors, plenty of display
space, student storage lockers, and wireless and sound field systems.

18. Homebase
The other side of the room includes the teacher’s work station, access to
the quiet room and outdoor rotunda at centre left, sliding whiteboards
and more storage lockers.

19. Homebase/learning studio
Big sliding glass doors open into the learning studio and across to the
teachers’ office and student toilets.

20. Teachers’ office
There is plenty of space, equipment and storage….and a window back
into the learning studio and classrooms.

21. Teachers’ office
At the other end there is space for music and sports equipment, and for a
cow of laptops.

22. Vision
What drove the planning of these
teaching and learning pods was a
vision of Clearview year 8 graduate
students being: “Skilled thinkers and
communicators stepping out with
confidence”. As this representation of
the school’s vision shows, the students
are to be lifted by success in the key
competencies and by an inquiry
approach to learning.
The establishment board of trustees
and their architect therefore created
multiple and flexible spaces in which
students and teachers could carry out
inquiry learning, and the presentation
of that learning.

23. Green and healthy
These garden plots, by the year 7-8 pod, indicate the green and healthy
policies of Clearview…as does the water recycling plant at the right.

24. An active school
Clearview students are encouraged to cycle and scooter to school, and
be physically active while they are there.

25. Multi-purpose hall
The community meeting room also encourages physical activity during
the school day.

26. Multi-purpose hall
The hall, currently of about 470 sq ms but capable of extension, is used
for assemblies, performing arts, physical education, and community
gatherings.