About Us

Fairhaven School is a Specialist School based in Taradale, Napier. Fairhaven students have a variety of special educational needs including Autism, intellectual, physical and or/related disabilities. With specialist teaching Fairhaven students are able to experience rich learning experiences in a variety of contexts within school and our local community.

The Base School and 10 satellite classes provide an excellent educational placement option for students with diverse needs. Having satellite classes within mainstream schools allows students to be included in mainstream education at any time based on student’s individual abilities and needs. Our older students have the opportunity to attend our stand-alone transition centre, Te Rangimarie, at Bridge Pa in Hastings.

We believe inclusion is about much more than the type of setting that children and young people attend – it is about the quality of their experience and how they are welcomed, supported to learn, and enabled to participate fully in the life of any school or setting. An educationally inclusive school is one where whānau are welcomed and their knowledge valued, where the teaching and learning and the achievements, attitudes and well-being of every young person matter. Effective schools are educationally inclusive schools.

To show the learning pathway through our school, Pou designed and made by the students, mark the pathway through Fairhaven. The first Pou, which was erected at Base, tells a story of the environment. Tuna thrash in the river, the koru are the four winds representing people being brought together, and flora and fauna emerge at the top. In 2020 this Pou was blessed and named Te Kāhui Kākano, by the whānau of the carver. Te Kāhui Kākano represents growth and development and the acknowledgment of capability within us all.

A carving at Valhalla farm, on the Napier Taupo Highway marks the beginning of a pathway through native bush. This carving shows connections between New Zealand culture and the Norwegian background of the owner of the farm. The crossbar uses the four winds to bring all people from across the world together. The eagle looks to the past and to the future showing that connections to our ancestors will guide our journey. Beneath the crossbar, each student has carved their own story to include their cultural background. The pathway through the bush, Te Manu Korero (the calling of the birds), built by staff, students, a local engineer and our local community enables students who use wheelchairs, to access the environment.

A pou was unveiled at the opening of our High School classes. The carving speaks of the tangatawhenua and the relationship between the two schools, Fairhaven School and Tamatea High School. It is topped by the local black or great shag, Karuhiruhi, who guards the site with great outstretched wings.

An inclusive philosophy is reflected by staff and throughout all our various learning environments. Our focus on integrated programmes contributes to meaningful learning for students by enhancing their motivation and providing purposeful learning opportunities. Structuring learning around unifying themes, provides opportunities for students to make connections between Essential Learning Areas, Key Competencies, and Values.

Fairhaven School is a Specialist Provider for students who are verified in the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS). We employ a number of therapists and specialists who work with our teachers and teacher aides, combining their expertise and knowledge to support the learning outcomes for our students. We have named our specialist team, the Fairhaven Assessment and Support Team – F.A.S.T.

Our teaching and learning programmes are delivered within an integrated curriculum, with integral assessment procedures and the student’s own Personalised Learning Plan. Student Goals are broken down into small specific learning intentions in each teacher’s individual planning. Evidence is then gathered within learning contexts on student progress and achievement. This collected evidence is used as a basis for developing teaching programmes, feedback to students and parents, completing assessment records, school reviews, and transition point assessments.