Review 7 April 2026
LatestNgā Kitenga Arotake
1 He Kupu Arataki
Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ngā whānau, ngā kaiārahi, ngā kaimahi me ngā hapori ki te whakawhanake i ngā tirohanga aromātai e whai wāhi nui ai ki te hāpai i te kawenga takohanga me te whakapaitanga, ki te tautuhi i te ahu whakamua, ā, ki te whakapakari ake hoki i te āheinga ki te aromātai. E hāngai ana tēnei pūrongo ki ā rātou pūnaha, ki ā rātou whakaritenga, me ā rātou mahi whakahaere. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā whānau, mā ngā hapū, me ngā iwi.
2 Te Horopaki
E tū ana Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Takapau ki te hapori tuawhenua o Takapau, ki Te Mātau-a-Māui. E whakarato ana te kura i te mātauranga mō ngā ākonga o ngā tau 1 ki te 8, mā ngā mātāpono o Te Aho Matua. Nō Ngāti Kahungunu te whānau, ā, ka hono ki ngā marae. Nō nā noa nei i whakatūngia ai e rātou tētahi tumuaki hou, ā, he raukura ia o te kura.
3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai
He pēhea rawa te whakapuaki a ngā tamariki i te whakataukī o te kura e meatia ana, “Kia mau ki te ākonga, kia ū, kia mataara, e Raukura ai au”?
Ka kitea ki ngā tamariki te tino hononga ki tō rātou kura, tō rātou whānau, me tō rātou hapori.
4 Ngā Whakaaturanga
E whanake ana ngā tamariki i te māramatanga ki ō rātou mana āhua ake. E hāpai ana ngā kaimahi i te ako a ngā tamariki i ō rātou pepeha mā te toro atu ki ngā pou whenua whakahirahira, tae atu hoki ki ngā marae e iwa o Tamatea. Ia rā, ka tū manawa whakahī rātou ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou pepeha me ō rātou whakapapa ki te taha o ō rātou hoa, ā, he tūāhuatanga tēnei e whakapūmau ana i tō rātou tuakiritanga. E hāpaitia ana te whai wāhi atu a ngā tamariki katoa ki ngā tikanga pērā i ngā haka pōhiri me ngā waiata i a rātou e whakatau manuhiri ana, ā, ka kawe atu ngā tamariki tuākana i ngā tūranga ārahi, ka karanga, ka whaikōrero hoki. Ka kitea ki ngā tamariki te māramatanga ki a rātou anō, ki tō rātou tūrangawaewae hoki.
Kei te mārama ngā tamariki i te reo Māori. Ko ngā kaiako katoa, he raukura nō Te Aho Matua, ā, e matatau ana ki te reo Māori. Ka whakatakoto rātou i ngā tino tūmanako kia reo Māori anake ngā whakawhitinga kōrero ki ngā tamariki, ki waenganui hoki i a rātou anō. Ka whakamahi ngā kaiako i te tangongitanga o ngā rautaki hei hāpai i te whakawhanaketanga o te reo o ngā tamariki, tae atu ki ngā karakia, ngā mihi, ngā mōteatea, ngā waiata, me ngā haka. Ka whakamahi ngā tamariki i te reo Māori i a rātou e whakawhiti kōrero ana ki ngā kaiako me ō rātou hoa. E ākina ana, e tautokona ana hoki te tupu o ngā whānau i tō rātou reo me tō rātou māramatanga ki ngā tikanga mā ngā kura pō. Ka whai wāhi mātātoa ngā whānau me ngā tamariki ki ngā kaupapa i te hapori, pērā i a Matariki, ā, ka whakapūmau i te whakahirahiratanga o te reo Māori i roto i te hapori whānui tonu. Nō nā nō nei te kura i whakapakari ai i ōna hononga ki Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Rongopai, ā, kua whakatakotohia tētahi tino huarahi mō ngā tamariki ki te whakawhanake tonu i te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, mai i te kōhanga reo ki te kura. E whanake ana ngā tamariki ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.
Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake
Kua tautuhia e te poari kaitiaki o te kura, e tika ana kia whakapakarihia ngā whakaritenga kāwana. He hou te nuinga o ngā kaitiaki ki ō rātou tūranga, ā, i whakapuaki i tō rātou ngākau nui mō ngā tamariki, mō te kura, me Te Aho Matua. He mea nui kia tahuri wawe ngā mema o te poari ki te whakahou ake i ngā kaupapa here e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru. I tēnei wā, he maha ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga kāhore e whai kiko ana kia whai hua ai te whakatinanatanga. Kāhore e māramahia ana i ngā wā katoa ngā pūnaha, ngā tukanga, me ngā huarahi mō te whakahaeretanga o ia rā i te haumaru o ngā tamariki. Waihoki, me titiro wawe ki ngā mahere rautaki me ngā mahere ā-tau. Me arotake te kura i tā rātou mahere rautaki, hei āta whakatau i te hāngaitanga o tēnā ki ngā wawata o ngā whānau, i te whakatakotoranga anō hoki o ngā tino whāinga rautaki. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, me whakawhanake te whānau i tētahi mahere ā-tau hei aru i te ahu whakamua o ngā whāinga rautaki i roto i te roanga o te wā. Ka noho mātua rā te waiora o ngā tamariki i te wā kua whakatakotohia ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga e whai hua ana ki te ārahi i ngā whakaritenga e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru.
Me titiro wawe ki te whakahaeretanga o ngā pūmanawa tāngata. I tēnei wā, kāhore anō ngā kaimahi katoa o te kura kia arowhaingia e ngā pirihimana. Kua tae ki te wā kia whakatinanahia e ngā whānau ngā whakaritenga pakari mō te tuku mahi. Kāhore te haumaru o ngā tamariki me ngā mokopuna e whakapūmautia ana.
Me whakatinana te kura i te tukanga mō te arowhai tūraru, hei whakahaere, hei whakaiti hoki i ngā tūāhuatanga e whakamōrearea ana pea i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā ākonga, ngā kaimahi, me ngā manuhiri o te kura. Ka whakatairangatia te haumaru o ngā tamariki mā te whakapaitanga ake o ngā pūnaha me ngā tukanga puta noa i te kura.
Me pakari te ārahitanga tikanga ako puta noa i te kura, hei hāpai i ngā whakapaitanga ki ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga. I tēnei wā, kāhore he aratohu ā-kura, he tūmanako ā-kura rānei kia kounga kairangi ngā whakaritenga e pā ana ki te whakaako, te whakamahere, me te aromatawai. Nā tēnā, he rerekē te kounga o ngā mahere puta noa i te kura, ā, kāhore i te riterite ngā whakaritenga aromatawai. Kīhai Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i kite i ngā tino whakaaturanga ki ngā akomanga katoa mō te tātari o te ahu whakamua, me te whakatutukitanga i ia te wā o ngā hōtuku paetae e aroturuki ai i te ahu whakamua a ngā tamariki, e whakamōhio ai i ngā mahi whakaako. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, kua tautuhia e te kura e tika ana kia arotakengia te marau ā-kura. Nō te tau 2017 i whakawhanakehia ai a ‘E Raukura ai au’, ā, kua tae ki te wā kia arotakengia te whai huatanga. Ko te whakatairanga o tētahi marau ā-kura i ngā wawata o ngā whānau, ka hāpai i ngā kaiako ki te whakamahere me te whakapuaki i tētahi marau e whai pānga ana, e whai pūtake ana. Ko te whakapuaki i te tino whakaaro huritao, i te ngātahitanga hoki o te taiao whakaako e arotahi ai ki te whakatairanga i ngā paetae, e arahina ai e te tino ārahitanga tikanga ako, koia ka hāpai ake i te whakapaitanga me te toitūtanga o ngā putanga ki ngā tamariki.
5 Te Whakatau a te Whānau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga
I mua i te arotake, i whakatutukihia e te poari me te tumuaki he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a te Whānau me tētahi Rārangi Arowhai Tātari Whaiaro. I roto i aua tuhinga i oati rātou i whāia e rātou ngā huarahi whai take hei whakatutuki i ā rātou herenga ā-ture e pā ana ki:
- ngā whakahaere a te poari
- te marautanga
- ngā whakahaere mō te hauora, te haumaru, me te oranga tinana
- ngā whakahaere o ngā kaimahi
- ngā whakahaere o te pūtea
- ngā whakahaere o ngā rawa.
I te wā o te arotake, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei, i te mea he nui te pānga o ēnei ki ngā paetae ākonga:
- te haumaru aronganui o ngā ākonga (tāpiri atu ki te ārai i ngā mahi whakawetiweti me ngā mahi whakaaito)
- te haumaru ā-tinana o ngā ākonga
- ngā rēhita kaiako
- te tukanga whakatū kaimahi
- te whakaunu, te aukati, te pana me te whakarerenga
- te tae ā-tinana atu a ngā ākonga ki te kura.
Hei whakatutuki i ngā herenga ā-ture, me tahuri rātou ki te:
- whakarato i tētahi taiao haumaru – ā-tinana, ā-whatumanawa hoki – mō ngā ākonga, tae atu ki te ārai me te pūrongo atu i te tūkino tamaiti, me te ārai hoki i ngā mahi whakawetiweti
[s127 (1) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020] - whai whakaaro matua ki te arotake i ngā kaupapa here, ngā tukanga, me ngā whakaritenga o te kura e pā ana ki te whakahaeretanga o te whanonga uaua me te whakatina ākonga, ā, me āta whakatau hoki i te noho mōhio o ngā mātua, ngā ākonga, ngā kaimahi o te kura, me te hapori ki aua tūāhuatanga
[s99 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020, Ngā Ture Mātauranga (Whakatina Ākonga) 2017] - whakatinana i ngā whakaritenga e tika ana mō te whakahaeretanga o ngā pūmanawa tāngata, tae atu ki:
iii) te whakatutukitanga o te arowhai a ngā pirihimana i ngā kaimahi kei ngā tūranga kē atu i te mahi whakaako; me
iv) te āta arowhai i te takenga ā-tangata, ā-pūkenga, ā-tohu mātauranga, ā-mahi hoki o te kaitono
[s599/600 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020] - whakatinana i ngā tukanga mō te whakahaeretanga o ngā tūāhuatanga mōrearea i ngā haerenga o te kura me te mātauranga kei tua atu i te akomanga
[Ngā Herenga ā-Ture mō te Hauora me te Haumaru i te Mahi – Ngā Aratohu EOTC] - whakawhanake me te whakatinana i ngā mahere ohotata, tae atu ki te whakamahere mō ngā urutā, ngā tukanga ohotata me ngā tukanga hōneatanga, ngā tukanga nohonga rāhui, me ngā tukanga whakamōhio e pā ana ki te haepapa manaaki ākonga
[National Civil Defence Emergency Plan Order 2015; Good practice] - whakapūmau i te haere tonutanga o tētahi hōtaka arotake whaiaro e pā ana ki ngā kaupapa here, ngā mahere, me ngā hōtaka mō te hauora me te haumaru, tae atu ki te aromātai i ngā mōhiohio aromatawai o te kounga pai mō te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae a ngā ākonga
[s138 (1) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020] - whakawhanake – ki te taha o te tumuaki, ngā kaimahi whakaako, me te hapori o te kura – tētahi mahere rautaki me tētahi mahere whakatinana ā-tau e whakatakoto ana i ngā rautaki a te poari ki te whakatutuki i ō rātou whāinga
[s138(1) me te (2) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020] - whakahaere me te whakaiti i ngā tūāhuatanga ka whakararu pea i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā ākonga, ngā kaimahi, me ngā manuhiri i te kura.
[s30 Te Ture mō te Hauora me te Haumaru i te Mahi 2015] - whakarite kia ōkawa te kaupapa here me ngā tukanga e pā ana ki ngā amuamu, ā, me āta whakatakoto ā-tuhi nei, me noho wātea hoki ki ngā mātua, ngā ākonga, me ngā kaimahi.
[s101 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
6 Te Taunakitanga
E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia mahi te kura ki te taha o Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa me te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga ki te whakatutuki i ngā whakaritenga me ngā herenga ā-ture hoki i whakaraupapahia ai ki tēnei pūrongo kia whāia.
Tiwana Hibbs
Toka ā Nuku - Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services
07 Paengawhāwhā, 2026
7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Kura
Te tūwāhi Kei TakapauTe tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga 1142Te tūmomo kuraHe kura tuatahi (Tau 1-8)Te tokomaha o ngā ākonga o te kura40Ngā hononga ā-iwiMāori 40Ngā āhuatanga motuhakeTe Aho Matua Te wā i te kura te rōpū arotakeWhiringa-ā-nuku 2025Te wā o tēnei pūrongo 07 Paengawhāwhā 2026Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake MātaurangaArotake Mātauranga, Hui-tanguru 2017; Arotake Mātauranga Te Aho Matua, Kohi-tātea 2011; Arotake Mātauranga Te Aho Matua, Hui-tanguru 20061 Introduction
The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with whānau, leaders, kaimahi and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability. This report reflects their systems, operations and management practices. The ERO reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi.
2 Context
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Takapau is located in the rural community of Takapau, Central Hawkes Bay. The kura provides education for Years 1 – 8 grounded in the principles of Te Aho Matua. The whānau affiliate to Ngāti Kahungunu and are connected to local marae. They have recently appointed a new tumuaki who is a raukura of the kura.
3 Evaluation Focus
To what extent do tamariki express the kura whakataukī, “Kia mau ki te ākonga, kia ū, kia mataara, e Raukura ai au.”
Tamarikidemonstrate a strong connection to their kura, whānau, and community.
4 Findings
Tamariki are developing an understanding of their individual uniqueness. Kaimahi support tamariki to learn about their pepeha by visiting landmarks of cultural significance including the nine marae of Tamatea. Each day they proudly share their pepeha and whakapapa with their peers which reinforces their sense of identity. All tamariki are supported to participate in tikanga such as haka pōhiri and waiata when welcoming manuhiri, while older tamariki take on leadership roles including karanga and whaikōrero. Tamariki demonstrate an understanding of who they are and where they are from.
Tamariki understand te reo Māori. All kaiako are raukura of kura Aho Matua and are fluent speakers of te reo Māori. They set clear expectations that te reo Māori is the sole language of communication when interacting with tamariki and with each other. Kaiako use a variety of strategies to support tamariki in developing their reo, including karakia, mihi, mōteatea, waiata, and haka. Tamariki use te reo Māori when communicating with kaiako and their peers. Whānau are encouraged and supported to grow their reo and understanding of tikanga through kura pō. Both whānau and tamariki actively participate in local community events such as Matariki, reinforcing the importance of te reo Māori within the wider community. Recently, the kura has strengthened its relationship with Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Rongopai, creating a clear pathway for tamariki to continue developing te reo Māori me ōna tikanga from Kōhanga Reo through to kura. Tamariki are developing as speakers of te reo Māori.
Key Next Steps
The kura board of trustees identified that governance practices require strengthening. The majority of trustees are new to their roles and expressed a commitment to tamariki, the kura, and Te Aho Matua. It is pertinent for members of the board to give urgent attention to updating the health and safety policies. Currently, many of the policies and procedures lack detail for effective implementation. The systems, processes, and procedures for the day-to-day management of tamariki safety are not always understood. Furthermore, strategic and annual planning requires urgent attention. There is a need for the kura to review their strategic plan to ensure it aligns with whānau aspirations and identifies clear strategic goals. Additionally, the whānau need to develop an annual plan to track progress against strategic goals over time. Tamariki wellbeing is prioritised when there are effective policies and procedures in place to guide health and safety practices.
Human resource management requires urgent attention. Currently, not all kaimahi in the kura have completed police vetting. It is timely for whānau to implement robust employment practices. Tamariki and mokopuna safety are not guaranteed.
The kura must implement a process for regular hazard checks to manage and minimise any risks to the health and safety of students, staff, and visitors to the kura. Tamariki safety is enhanced through improved schoolwide systems and processes.
There is a need for strong pedagogical leadership across the kura to support improvements to teaching and learning. Currently there are no schoolwide guidelines or expectations for high quality teaching, planning, and assessment practices. As a result, planning across the kura is of variable quality and assessment practice is inconsistent. ERO could not find clear evidence across all classrooms of analysed progress and achievement data that is undertaken regularly to monitor tamariki progress and inform teaching practice. In addition, the kura has identified a need to review the marau ā-kura. E Raukura ai au was developed in 2017 and it is now time to review the marau for effectiveness. Having a marau ā-kura that reflects the aspirations of whānau supports kaiako to plan and deliver a curriculum that is relevant and meaningful. Creating a highly reflective and collaborative teaching environment focused on lifting achievement levels and guided by strong pedagogical leadership, should support improved and sustainable outcomes for tamariki.
5 Whānau Assurance on Legal Requirement
Before the review, the board of trustees and principal completed the ERO Whānau Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:
- board administration
- curriculum
- management of health, safety and welfare
- personnel management
- financial management
- asset management.
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:
- emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
- physical safety of students
- teacher registration
- processes for appointing staff
- stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
- attendance.
Actions for Compliance
To meet compliance requirements, they must:
- provide a safe physical and emotional environment for students including preventing and reporting child abuse, and the prevention of bullying
[Section 127(1) Education and Training Act 2020] - give priority to reviewing policies, procedures and school practices for managing challenging behaviour and using physical restraint, and ensure parents, students, school staff and the community know about these
[Section 99, Education and Training Act 2020, Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2017] - ensure suitable human resource management practices are implemented including:
iii) for non-teaching positions, a Police Vet has been carried out; and
iv) the background of an applicant’s character, competence, qualifications, and experience is carefully checked
[Section 599/600 Education and Training Act 2020] - implement risk management procedures for school trips and education outside the classroom
[Health and Safety at Work Legislation – EOTC Guidelines] - develop and implement emergency plans, including pandemic planning emergency/evacuation procedures, lockdown procedures and notification procedures for duty of care for students.
[National Civil Defence Emergency Plan Order 2015; Good practice] - maintain an on-going programme of self-review in relation to the health and safety policies, plans and programmes, including evaluation of good quality assessment information on student progress and achievement
[Section 138 (1) Education & Training Act 2020] - with the principal, teaching staff, and school’s community, develop a strategic plan and an annual implementation plan which sets out the boards strategy for achieving its objectives.
[Section 138(1) Ed & Training Act 2020] - manage and minimise any risks to the health and safety of students, staff, and visitors to their school
[Section 30 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015] - have a formal complaints policy and procedure that is clearly documented and easily accessible to parents, students, and staff
[Section 101 of The Education and Training Act 2020]
6 Recommendation
ERO recommend that the kura work with Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori and the Ministry of Education to address the next steps and areas of non-compliance in this report.
Tiwana Hibbs
Toka ā Nuku - Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services
7 April 2026