Arohanui Special School

James Le Marquand

Principal, Arohanui Special School

James was born in Witney, England and moved to New Zealand when he was a pre-schooler. He attended Glen Taylor Primary, Glen Innes Intermediate and Glendowie College. “My first interest in teaching came while coaching the St Heliers Bay Primary Rugby team – instead of attending maths classes in the 6th form. I then went to university to do a geography degree but couldn’t seem to navigate my way any further than the old Turf Bar!” James then worked as a deckhand on a Tongan reefer ship for a short while before joining a display company, transporting and erecting displays. James entered Auckland College of Education in 1986 with the aim of working in special education. In 1989, his first school was Huapai Primary which now hosts one of Arohanui’s satellite classes. A friend referred him to a job in the Gazette and in 1991 he came to Arohanui Special School in Te Atatu South. Over the years James has worked as a teacher, senior teacher, assistant principal, deputy principal, and in 2002, principal. James lives in West Auckland with his wife Donna and two school age children, Ruby and Sam and a small zoo of animals. Arohanui caters for the learning and care needs of students with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities from the ages of 5 to 21 years. There are 22 classrooms across 10 sites in West Auckland. 80% of the students are in satellite classes. The school has a large staff of teachers, teacher aides, specialists and therapists. A wide variety of programmes and approaches are used to meet the extensive range of needs. “Arohanui is a place that lives up to its name. It’s an amazing place to work. I think I am very lucky to share in the lives of so many and to be surrounded by such a dedicated staff. I see our school as a turangawaewae for our community, a place of standing, strength and advocacy for our students and families.” “We use a contextual teaching approach, trying to make learning experiences as real and tangible as possible. The use of the arts is at the heart of this teaching. The arts are sensory, socialising and communicative. Most of all they are engaging and fun and there is no failure. We have a very strong sense of community and are developing this further working closely with Group Special Education and mainstream schools providing teacher support. I am looking forward to the ongoing development of this support network and believe we have a significant role to play in the progress of special education in West Auckland.”