Our Graduate Profile | Te Āhua o ā Tātou Ākonga
At Te Kura Tuarua o Te Kauaeranga | Thames High School, our Graduate Profile | Te Āhua o ā Tātou Ākonga describes what success looks like for learners during and beyond their time with us.
It gives effect to our vision:
Kia kōtahi ai te piki ake, kia ikeike rawa ki te taumata – We grow together to achieve one’s true potential.
The Graduate Profile is a shared direction for growth, not a checklist or a guarantee. It guides how we design learning, build relationships, and support every learner over time, so they leave school confident, capable and well prepared for future pathways.
Why the Graduate Profile Matters
The Graduate Profile outlines the capabilities, dispositions and understandings that our students develop through learning, relationships and experience — not only for academic success, but for life beyond school.
More than a statement of outcomes, it is a public commitment. Shaped through engagement with staff, students, whānau and community, it reflects a shared understanding of what our young people need to thrive in Aotearoa New Zealand and in a changing world.
Grounded in Ngā Pou Tikanga — manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, whakamana, whakapono and mātauranga — the Graduate Profile provides a common language for learning and teaching, and a clear focus for pastoral care, leadership opportunities and pathways planning.
What Our Graduates Are Growing Into
Our Graduate Profile is made up of a set of interconnected elements that describe the kind of young people we are committed to growing. Together, these ensure learners are prepared not just for qualifications, but for life.
Our graduates are young people who:
- Understand and apply knowledge — thinking critically, making connections, and being ready for further learning, training or work
- Communicate and collaborate effectively — expressing themselves clearly, listening well, and working positively with others
- Understand culture and citizenship — grounded in te ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and respectful of diverse identities and perspectives
- Take initiative and act responsibly — showing courage, agency and accountability in learning and life
- Are resilient and adaptable — able to persevere through challenge and respond positively to change
- Are committed to wellbeing and development — maintaining their own wellbeing and supporting the wellbeing of others
- Live ethically, with integrity — acting with honesty, care and responsibility
- Are innovative and creative — thinking imaginatively, solving problems, and contributing in meaningful ways
These elements develop progressively, through everyday experiences in classrooms, learning areas, co-curricular activities and school life.
What This Looks Like at Thames High School
At Thames High School, the Graduate Profile shapes how learning and wellbeing are experienced across the kura.
This includes:
- Teaching that encourages curiosity, deep thinking and real-world application
- Relationships grounded in manaakitanga, respect and belonging
- Learning environments that affirm identity and value cultural diversity
- Opportunities for leadership, contribution and student voice
- Strong support for wellbeing, resilience and personal growth
- Preparation for transitions to further education, training or employment
Leadership is understood as influence and responsibility, not just position, and mistakes are treated as opportunities for learning and growth.
A Shared Responsibility
Growing the outcomes of the Graduate Profile is a collective effort.
- Students develop these attributes over time through learning and experience
- Staff deliberately model, teach and reinforce them in everyday practice
- Whānau and community strengthen and extend these values beyond school
Together, we create the conditions for young people to leave Te Kura Tuarua o Te Kauaeranga | Thames High School well grounded, future-ready, and able to choose pathways that suit their strengths and aspirations.
Our Graduate Profile keeps us focused on what matters most — growing confident, capable young people who are ready for the future and connected to who they are.
