Te Whare Reo embraces changes that reflect 21st century teaching and learning delivering digital lessons, with a focus on quality language development and proficiency. Our language courses facilitate and broaden students’ choice of careers, and awareness of different cultures.

The school also has a proud record of success in the performing arts at both regional and national level which upholds the mana and identity of Lytton High School.

The pathways available for language learning include:

Te Reo Māori (Te Orokohanga)

– for those students who wish to begin their Reo Maori journey in a safe and inclusive environment underpinned by tikanga values such as manaakitanga (care and support) and whakawhanaungatanga (relationships).

Mana Māori

– for students from Māori immersion schools who want to continue their language development and proficiency in a more advanced environment so their reo is maintained and progressed.

Te Ao Haka

– Te Reo M āori expressed through the art of kapa haka – this is for all students who have a passion for learning traditional performing arts. This course is both practical and theory based that can lead to study at University level.

Te Hā o Rongotū and Te Mauri o Rongotū

– A practical introductory course of Mau Rakau (The art of Weaponry) for Year 9 and 10 students underpinned by the realm of Tūmatauenga (God of war).

Japanese Language

Lytton High School has a proud and long-standing tradition of giving our students the opportunity to learn the Japanese language 日本語, while establishing and building relationships with our partner schools in the Land of the Rising Sun via online and in-person exchanges.

In the junior school, students will explore the concepts behind learning a picture-based language (as opposed to a Romanised alphabet) – learning about sentence structures and increasing their depth of knowledge about alphabet systems) ( ひ らがな、カタカナ、and 漢字, whilst working towards producing authentic pieces of writing and preparing a speech in 日本語). Senior students then extend themselves by learning how to interact using a language that is not prevalent within their local communities through reading, listening, and speaking assessments. 

The programme culminates with a trip to Japan for Year 12 and 13 students, where they can experience authentic interactions in the Japanese language, and immerse themselves in the Japanese culture.