He Puna Ruku Matauranga o Whangaruru

Ngā Kitenga Arotake Report

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 pā tata ana a He Puna Ruku Mātauranga o Whangarūrū ki te whanga o Whangarūrū, ki te manawa tonu o Ngātiwai. Nō Ngātiwai me ngā hapū o te takiwā nei te nuinga o ngā uri me ngā kaimahi. Kua whakatōpū te kura ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa. E whakarato ana i te mātauranga ki ngā uri o ngā tau 1 ki te 8. Ka whai pānga matua te kura ki te hapori nei. He maha ngā rerekētanga ki ngā tūranga kaimahi, whai muri i te pūrongo arotake a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i te Poutū-te-rangi o te tau 2021.

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai 

He pēhea rawa te whakatutukitanga o ngā uri i te mana motuhake mā te Mauri-ora?

E whakawhanake ana ngā uri i tō rātou whai māramatanga ki te mana motuhake.   

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E tohu ana tēnei arotakenga a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i te takawairore nui, whai muri i te arotakenga o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ā, e tika ana kia whakatutukihia ngā take matua e pēhi ana i te whakapai tonutanga o ngā paetae a ngā uri. 

Ko tētahi tūāhuatanga matua e pēhi ana i te āheinga o te kura ki te whakaū i ngā whakapaitanga, ko te kaha tīni haere o ngā tumuaki ki te kura i roto i ngā tau tata kua pahure ake nei. Kua ara ake i taua tūāhuatanga, te pāhekeheke i roto i te whakaako me te ako. Nā tēnā, kāhore i Te Poumarumaru te ārahitanga roroa o tētahi kaiārahi, kāhore rānei he tohutohu ngaio. Hei hāpai i te ihupuku o Te Poumarumaru me te hiahia kia pakari ake ngā pūnaha me ngā tukanga, kua whakaratohia e Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa tētahi pou āwhina hei hāpai i te whānau ki te whakapakari ake i tō rātou mōhiotanga me tō rātou māramatanga ki ō rātou tūranga kāwana me ā rātou kawenga mahi. Tāpiri atu ki taua tautoko, kua toro atu hoki ngā kaitiaki o te poari ki te ārahitanga me te tautoko a Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa. Me mihi ka tika ki ngā kaitiaki, kua whakapai ake rātou i roto i te roanga o te wā, i ō rātou mōhiotanga ki ā rātou kawenga kāwana, ā, kua whakawhanakehia ētahi pūnaha me ētahi tukanga whai hua, hei hāpai ake i te ahu whakamua o te kura. Engari, he nui tonu ngā mahi kia whakatutukihia, inarā, i roto i te whakahaeretanga o ngā kaimahi, hei āta whakatau i te whiwhinga o ngā uri i te kounga o te mātauranga. 

Ko tētahi take āwangawanga ki Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ko te tanuku o ngā hononga ā-hapori i pupū ake ai i roto i ngā tau e rua kua pahure ake nei, me te whai pānga o tēnā ki ngā akoranga a ngā uri. Ko tētahi tūāhuatanga i whai pānga ai, ko te ngoikore o ngā whakawhitinga kōrero mārama ki waenga i te kura me te hapori. He mea nui kia āta whakatau ngā kaitiaki i te māramatanga o ngā whakataunga, ā, i ngā wā e taea ana, e tika ana kia whakamōhiotia te hapori ki ngā whakataunga matua. Ahakoa te papai o te ahu whakamua a ngā kaitiaki ki te whakapai ake i tēnei tūāhuatanga o tā rātou whakaritenga, he take tēnei e tāwēwē tonuhia ana. 

Ko te ahu whakamua o te ako, ko ngā paetae ako hoki ētahi āhuatanga hei whakapai ake. Kāhore i te māramahia, kāhore rānei i te riterite ngā taumata paetae i roto i ngā tau tata, nā ngā tauwhatinga ki ngā akoranga i ia te wā, me te ārahitanga kore. I nāianei, kua tau ake ngā whakaritenga, ā, he tūāhuatanga e hāpai ana i te mauritau o ngā uri, me te whai huatanga ake o te tautoko i a rātou ki te ako. I kitea e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ētahi tauira o ngā mahi whakaako papai, me te whai pānga nui o ngā kaiāwhina tokomaha ki te hāpai i ngā uri me ngā kaiako. He pai, he whakaute hoki ngā hononga ki waenga i ngā uri me ō rātou hoa, i ngā kaiako hoki. Me tahuri i nāianei ki te āta whakapūmau i ngā whakaakoranga, me te aro pū ki te whakatairanga ake i ngā paetae o ngā uri, hei āta whakatau i te ekenga o ngā uri ki ō rātou pūmanawa. 

Nō nā noa nei te tumuaki i whakatūngia ai ki tōna tūranga, ā, koia nei te wā tuatahi kua mahi ia hei tumuaki. E hāpaitia ana ia e Te Poumarumaru, e ngā kaimahi o te kura, e te hapori hoki. Kei te tākare ia ki te whakapai ake i te aromatawai me ngā mahi pūrongo e hāpai ana i te whakapaitanga ake o te hōtaka me ngā putanga ki ngā uri. I tēnei wā, kua tīmatahia tana pūrongo auau ki te poari, ā, e whakawhanake ana ia i tētahi marau ā-kura, e whakamārama haere ana ia i ngā whakaritenga aromatawai, i te kura e whakawhitia ana, mai i te kura rumaki reo Pākehā, ki tētahi kura ā-iwi. Kua kaha ake te whakapono atu ki te kura, mai i te whakatūnga o te tumuaki ki tōna tūranga. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

He maha ngā tino wāhanga matua hei tirohanga wawe. Ka whai wāhi ki aua wāhanga, ko:

• te whakatutuki i te mātaitanga o tētahi kaimahi, ā, nā runga i ngā whakataunga o te mātaitanga, me āta whakatau anō hoki pea ki te whakamōhio atu ki a Matatū Aotearoa.
• te āta whakatau i te whakaemitanga me te tātaringa o ngā tino mōhiohio e pā ana ki te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae o te kura whānui i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau, ā, me āta whakatau i te pūrongo auau o aua mōhiohio ki ngā mātua, ngā kaitiaki, me te hapori.
• te whakatutuki i ia te wā i ngā akoako e pā ana ki te ahi me te rū whenua, tae atu ki te tuhi haere i ngā wā e kawea ana aua akoako.
• te whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro ki te hapori mō te marau e pā ana ki te hauora, ā, me whakatutuki i aua whakawhitinga kōrero i ia rua tau.
• te āta whakatau i te whakatutukitanga i ia tau o te tauākī e pā ana ki ngā whakarerekētanga, ā, me tāpae ki te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga i roto i te wā e tika ana, me
• te whakahaere i ngā take kaimahi kia whai hua ai, tae atu ki ngā hononga ki ngā wāhanga o te hapori, kia kore ai te aronga o te kura e tahuri kē atu i te kaupapa matua, arā, i te āta whakatau i te angitu me ngā whakatutukitanga o ngā uri.  

5 Te Whakatau a te Poari ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I mua i te aromātai, i whakatutukihia e te poari me te tumuaki o te kura he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a te Poari 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 aromātai, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei, i te mea he nui te pānga o ēnei ki te haumaru me te waiora o ngā 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 a ngā 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
• te whakatutukitanga o ngā kaupapa here o te kura i ngā tikanga o te Children's Act 2014. 

Hei whakatutuki i ngā herenga ā-ture, me tahuri te kura ki te:

• āta whakatau i tā rātou whakatutukitanga i ngā tikanga manatū a te Matatū Aotearoa mō ngā mahi pūrongo
  [s489 – 493 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
• whakarato ki ngā uri katoa o ngā tau 1 ki te 8, ngā whai wāhitanga ki te ahu whakamua me te eke angitu i roto i ngā wāhanga katoa o The National Curriculum. Me te mea hoki, mā te tātari i ngā mōhiohio aromatawai, me tautuhi i ngā rōpū kāhore e ahu whakamua ana, e whai angitu ana, kei te noho mōrearea rānei ki te kore ahu whakamua me te kore whai angitu, ā, me whakawhanake, me te whakatinana hoki i ngā rautaki whakaako me ngā rautaki ako e whakatutuki ai i ngā matea o aua uri, i ngā wāhanga hoki o te marau hei āta tirohia
  [s127, 164, 165 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020, me Ngā Kaupapa Matua ā-Motu mō te Mātauranga me te Ako 1, 2, 3, 4 me te 6]
• whakamahi i ngā mōhiohio aromatawai o te kounga pai, me te pūrongo ā-tuhi māramarama nei ki ia uri me ōna mātua, mō te āhua o tana ahu whakamua me ana paetae i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau, i ngā wā putuputu e rua o te tau, pūputu ake noa rānei
  [Regulation 21 of Education (School Boards) Amendment Regulations 2022]
• whakarato i te tātaringa o ngā tūmomo rerekētanga katoa ka puta ki waenga i te āhua mahi o te kura me ngā whāinga, ngā tūmanako, te aronga, ngā kaupapa matua, me ngā taumata i whakatakotohia ai ki te tūtohinga o te kura
  [s134 (1)(a) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
• ū ki te tikanga ki te whakapūmau i tētahi tauākī mō te whakapuakitanga o te marau hauora, i ia rua tau pūputu ake noa rānei, whai muri i te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ki te hapori o te kura
  [s91 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
• āta whakarite i te whakatutukitanga me te tuhi haere o ngā akoako ahi me ngā akoako hōneatanga i ia te wā.
  [s127 (1)(b) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020; Te Ture mō te Hauora me te Haumaru i te Mahi 2015

6 Te Taunakitanga

E whakatau ngātahi ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me ngā kaitiaki o te poari, kia:

• whai whakaaro te hēkeretari mō te mātauranga – mā te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero hoki ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa  - ki te wawaotanga manatū, hei āta whakatau i te whakatutukitanga o Te Poumarumaru i āna takohanga ā-ture, ā, kia
• whakaraupapahia te kura ki te hōtaka mahi a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia aroturuki tonuhia. 

Darcy Te Hau
Toka ā Nuku 
Te Uepū-a-Motu – Māori Services

20 Pipiri 2024

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kura

1 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. ERO’s reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi. 

2 Context 

He Puna Ruku Mātauranga o Whangaruru is located near the Whangaruru Harbour in the heart of Ngātiwai. Most uri and staff whakapapa to Ngātiwai and the surrounding hapū. The kura is affiliated to Ngā Kura A Iwi collective. It provides education for uri in Years 1 to 8. The school is a central part of the local community. Several staff changes have occurred since the ERO March 2021 review report. 

3 Evaluation Focus

To what extent do uri achieve mana motuhake through Mauri-ora?

Uri are developing an early understanding of mana motuhake.

4 Findings

This ERO review finds that the kura has experienced significant turmoil since the previous ERO review and there is a need to address key issues that are inhibiting ongoing improvements to uri achievement. 

A critical factor in the school’s inability to sustain improvement has been the significant turnover of principals in the past few years. This has caused uncertainty and instability for teaching and learning.  As a result, the poumarumaru have lacked long-term guidance of a leader or professional advice. In response to the inexperience of the poumarumaru and the need for more robust systems and processes, Nga Kura-ā-Iwi have provided a representative to support the whānau to build their knowledge and understanding of their governance roles and responsibilities. In addition to this support, trustees have also received direction and support from the New Zealand Schools Trustees Association (NZSTA). To their credit trustees have, over time, improved their knowledge of their governance responsibilities and have developed some useful systems and processes which should support the kura moving forward. However, significant work is still to be done, especially in relation to personnel management, to ensure uri receive a quality education.

ERO is concerned about the breakdown in community relationships that have occurred over the past two years and its impact on uri learning. A lack of clear communication between the kura and its community has been a significant contributing factor. It is important that trustees ensure there is transparency of decision making and that, when possible, the community is kept fully informed of key decisions. While positive steps have been made by trustees to improve this aspect of their practice, this distraction remains an issue to be resolved. 

Uri learning progress and achievement requires improvement. Overall levels of achievement in the past few years have been unclear and inconsistent because of ongoing disruptions to learning and a lack of leadership. There is greater stability now that has contributed to uri being settled and better supported to learn. ERO observed examples of positive teaching practice and how the high number of kaiāwhina play an important support role for both uri and kaiako. Relationships between uri, their peers, and kaiako were positive and respectful. Stability of teaching and a clear focus on lifting uri achievement is now required to ensure uri achieve their potential.

The newly appointed tumuaki has stepped into her role as a first-time principal with the support of the poumarumaru, school staff and the community. She is eager to improve the assessment and reporting practices for informing programme improvement and better outcomes for uri. To date she has begun regular reporting to the board and is in the process of developing a marau-a-kura and clarifying assessment practices, as the kura transitions from being an English medium school to a kura-ā-iwi. Confidence in the school has improved since the appointment of the principal to the role.

Key Next Steps

Several critical areas require urgent attention. These include:

• completing the investigation of a staff member and pending the results of the investigation, ensuring the Teaching Council is notified.
• ensuring robust schoolwide progress and achievement information is gathered and analysed in literacy and numeracy and ensuring frequent reporting of this information to parents, trustees and the community.
• undertaking regular fire and earthquake drills including documenting when these are carried out
• consulting on the health curriculum with the local community and ensuring this is undertaken every two years.
• ensuring the statement of variance is completed annually and submitted to the Ministry of Education within the required timeframe, and
• managing personnel matters effectively including relationships with sections of the community to ensure the kura is not distracted from the core business of ensuring uri success and achievement.

5 Board Assurance on Legal Requirement

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed the ERO Board 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
• school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

Actions for Compliance

To meet compliance requirements the kura must:

• ensure they meet the mandatory reporting requirements of the Teaching Council 
  [Sections 489 – 493 Education and Training Act 2020]
• provide all uri in Years 1 to 8 with opportunities to progress and achieve success in all areas of The National Curriculum. And through the analysis of assessment information, identify groups who are not progressing and achieving or are at risk of not progressing and achieving and develop and implement teaching and learning strategies to address the needs of these uri, and aspects of the curriculum which require particular attention
  [Sections 127, 164, 165 Education & Training Act 2020 and NELPs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6)]
• use good quality assessment or aromatawai information to report, in writing and plain language, to each uri and their parents on their progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics or te reo matatini and pāngarau at least twice a year
  [Regulation 21 of Education (School Boards) Amendment Regulations 2022]
• provide an analysis of any variance between the school’s performance and the relevant aims, objectives, directions, priorities, or targets set out in the school charter 
  [Section 134(1)(a) Education & Training Act 2020]
• comply with the requirement to adopt a statement of delivery of the health curriculum, at least every two years, after consultation with the school community
  [Section 91 Education and Training Act 2020]
• ensure regular fire and evacuation drills are undertaken and documented.
  [Section 127(1)(b) Education and Training Act. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015] 

6 Recommendations

ERO and trustees agree that:

• the secretary for education in consultation with Nga Kura-ā-Iwi consider statutory intervention to ensure the poumarumaru meets its legal obligations, and
• the kura be placed on ERO’s schedule for ongoing monitoring. 

Darcy Te Hau 
Toka-ā-Nuku – Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

20 June 2024
 

7 Information about the kura