Te Kura o Omarumutu

Ngā 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 

“Maru ana te kura i te tamaiti, kahore he mutunga. Te Tirohanga nui o te kura: E kore au e ngaro, e kore au e whakamā. E kaha nei ahau ki te kimi, ki te rapu, ko wai au. He uri nō Te Whakatōhea.”

E tū ana Te Kura o Ōmarumutu ki waho atu i Ōpōtiki, kei te 15 kiromita whakatetonga atu. He kura tuatahi tēnei kua hono atu ki te tōpūtanga o Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa. He hononga ā-whakapapa ō te nuinga o ngā uri ki ngā hapū e toru o te takiwā nei, arā, ki a Ngāti Rua, rātou ko Ngāti Tamahauā, ko Ngāti Patumoana hoki, nō roto mai i te iwi o Te Whakatōhea. Kei te hou te tumuaki ki tōna tūranga. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai 

He pēhea rawa te whakaatu mai a ngā uri i tā rātou whai tukuihotanga me tō rātou whakaaweawetanga?

Ka kitea ki ngā uri tō rātou ngākau titikaha ki tō rātou tuakiritanga me tō rātou tūrangawaewae, i a rātou e kawe ana i ngā tūranga ārahi hei kaitiaki ā-ahurea nei o ō rātou whānau, ō rātou hapū, me ō rātou iwi. 

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga 

Ka kitea ki ngā uri te nui o tā rātou whai wāhi atu, tō rātou ngākau titikaha ā-ahurea, me tā rātou ārahitanga i roto i ā rātou akoranga. Ka whakatinana ngā kaiako i ngā rautaki whai pānga e tuitui ai i ngā hītori, ngā tikanga, me te mita o te iwi, ā, ka poipoi i te tuakiritanga me ngā pūmanawa ārahi. Kua pou herea te marau ā-kura e te Rauarikitanga, kua whakahāngaitia ki te maramataka, ā, ka whakatairanga i ngā wheako ako kaupapa Māori mō ngā uri. Ka whakatairangatia anō hoki te hononga ki waenga i te tuākana me te tēina, mā te mahi me te tūhura ngātahi i te taiao. Ka aro nui ki te reo ā-waha mā te whakatauiratanga o ngā kaiako i ngā tūāhuatanga e hāngai pū rawa ana ki te reo ā-iwi, me te whāngai kupu, hei whakahōhonu i te māramatanga o ngā uri i tō rātou mita. Ka kitea ki ngā uri tō rātou manawa whakahī ki tō rātou tuakiri me tō rātou tūrangawaewae. 

Ka whai hua ngā uri nā te ārahitanga e ahu mai ana i te ahurea, i te mahi ngātahi, me te ngākau nuitanga ki tā rātou angitu ā-ahurea. Ka whakapūmau te tumuaki me te rōpū ārahi i ngā uara o ō rātou tīpuna, ā, ka hono pū ki te hapori, ka poipoi hoki i te whakawhirinakitanga me te whai pūtake ngātahi. Ka tuari i te ārahitanga, ā, ka tautokona te tupu tonu o te mātau me te ngākau titikaha o ngā kaiako. Ka kitea ki ngā kaiārahi tō rātou mātau ki ngā tikanga me ngā hītori, ā, ka whai wāhi mātātoa atu ki te mana whenua, hei hāpai i te whakawhanaketanga o te marau. Ko te aronga nui ki te reo Māori me ngā mahere rautaki e whai pānga nui ana ki te tirohanga mārama ki te hiranga ā-ahurea, ā-mātauranga hoki. Ka whakaaweawetia ngā uri e ngā tino tauira e hāpai ana i a rātou ki te whakatupu i tō rātou ngākau titikaha hei kaiārahi e whakatinana ana i ngā uara o tō rātou kura me tō rātou iwi. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Me whakapakari i te aromātai o roto. He mea nui kia māramahia e Te Poumarumaru me ngā kaiārahi o te kura ngā tūāhuatanga e whakatairanga ai i ngā putanga papai ki ngā uri, mā ngā whakataunga e whai hua ana. Me whakawhanake i te māramatanga ngātahi ki te marau ā-kura, hei āta whakatau i te noho wātea ki ngā uri te tangongitanga o ngā wheako ako e hāpai ana i te ako torowhānui me te eke angitu i roto i te mātauranga. Me whai i tētahi tukanga aromātai o roto hei whakatau i te tika o ngā whakaritenga aromatawai. Kei te ngoikore ngā tukanga o tēnei wā mō te aromatawai, te whakaemi, me te aroturuki i te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae o ngā uri katoa. Ka whakatairangatia ngā putanga ki ngā uri i te wā e whai pūtake ana ngā tukanga aromātai o roto. 

Me titiro wawe ki ngā whakaritenga kāwana. Ahakoa e ū ana ngā mema o Te Poumarumaru ki te hōhonutanga o te ahurea ki te kura, kua tae ki te wā ki te whakarite i tētahi tukanga mārama mō te arotake me te whakahou ake i te katoa o ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga. I tēnei wā kei te tawhito rawa te kaupapa here e pā ana ki te ārai tamariki, ā, kāhore e whakarato ana i te ārahitanga e tika ana mō ngā take tuku mahi. Nā tēnā, kāhore te katoa o ngā mōhiohio tika e whakamōhio ana i ngā whakataunga mahi, pērā i ngā arowhai ā-pirihimana. Waihoki, he mea nui kia aro atu ngā kaiārahi o te kura ki te mahere whakahaere wā ohotata, me ngā kaupapa here e pā ana ki te whakatina ākonga. Kāhore anō kia whakatinanahia ngā tukanga e pā ana ki aua kaupapa here. Ka whai hua te hauora, te haumaru, me te waiora o ngā uri mā te whakapaitanga ake o ngā whakaritenga e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru.

5 Te Whakatau a Ngā Kura ā Iwi ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I mua i te aromātai, i whakatutukihia e te poari kaitiaki me te tumuaki he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a Ngā Kura ā Iwi 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.
• 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

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 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 rātou ki te:

• whakatinana i ngā whakaritenga e tika ana mō te whakahaeretanga o ngā pūmanawa tāngata, tae atu ki:
• 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 iii) te whakatutukitanga o te arowhai ā-pirihimana i ngā kaimahi kei ngā tūranga kē atu i te mahi whakaako; meiv) 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]
  [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, tae atu ki te aromātai i ngā mōhiohio aromatawai o te kounga pai mō te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae a ngā uri
• 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.
  [s138 (1) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
  [s99 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020, Ngā Ture Mātauranga (Whakatina Ākonga) 2017]

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakatinana Te Poumarumaru me ngā kaiārahi o te kura i tētahi tukanga aromātai o roto hei whakatairanga i ngā putanga e whai hua ana ki ngā uri. 

Tiwana Hibbs
Toka ā Nuku - Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

23 Whiringa-ā-nuku, 2025

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. The ERO reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi. 

2 Context 

“Maru ana te kura i te tamaiti, kahore he mutunga.  Te Tirohanganui o te kura: E kore au e ngaro, e kore au e whakamā. E kaha nei ahau ki te kimi ki te rapu ko wai au. He uri nō Te Whakatōhea.”

Te Kura o Ōmarumutu is situated 15 km south of Ōpōtiki. It is a full primary school that is affiliated to Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa. Most uri whakapapa to three local hapū; Ngāti Rua, Ngai Tamahauā and Ngāti Patumoana, within the iwi of Te Whakatōhea. The tumuaki is new to the position.

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do uri demonstrate that they are culturally autonomous and influential?

Uri display confidence in who they are and where they come from as they assume leadership roles as cultural guardians of their whānau, hapū, and iwi.

4 Findings

Uri demonstrate high levels of engagement, cultural confidence, and leadership in their learning.
Kaiako implement responsive strategies that integrate local history, tikanga, and iwi mita, fostering identity and leadership attributes. The marau ā-kura is underpinned by Rauarikitanga and aligns with the maramataka, promoting kaupapa Māori learning experiences for uri. Tuākana, tēina relationships are enhanced through collaboration as they explore the natural world. Oral language is prioritised through kaiako modelling nuances of the local dialect and prompting to deepen uri understanding of their mita. Uri show pride in who they are and where they come from.

Uri benefit from leadership that is culturally grounded, collaborative, and committed to their cultural success. The tumuaki and leadership team uphold the values of their tīpuna and are deeply connected to the community, fostering trust and shared purpose. Leadership is distributive, with kaiako supported to grow in competence and confidence. Leaders demonstrate expertise in tikanga and history and actively engage mana whenua to support curriculum development. The prioritisation of te reo Māori and strategic planning reflects a clear vision for cultural and academic excellence. Uri are inspired by strong role models, enabling them to grow their confidence as leaders who embody the values of their kura and iwi.

Key Next Steps

Internal evaluation requires strengthening. It is important for the Poumarumaru and school leaders to understand what makes a difference in improving outcomes for uri through effective decision-making. There is a need to develop a collective understanding of the marau ā-kura to ensure uri have access to a broad range of learning experiences that support holistic learning and academic achievement. An internal evaluation process should be undertaken to ascertain the reliability of assessment practices. The current processes for assessing, collating, and monitoring the progress and achievement of all uri lack rigour. Outcomes for uri are enhanced when internal evaluation processes are fit for purpose.

Aspects of governance practices require urgent attention. Whilst members of the Poumarumaru are committed to a culturally rich kura, it is timely for them to establish a clear process for reviewing and updating all policies and procedures. Currently, the child protection policy is outdated and does not provide appropriate guidance for employment matters. Consequently, not all suitable information, such as police vetting, is used to inform employment decisions. Furthermore, it is important for the school leaders to pay attention to the emergency management plan and physical restraint policies. Procedures in relation to those policies are yet to be implemented. Uri health, safety, and wellbeing benefit from improved health and safety practices.

5 Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the evaluation, the board of trustees and tumuaki completed the ERO Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi 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 evaluation, ERO checked at the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:

• 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, they must:

• 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]
• 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 policies and procedures, plans and programmes, including evaluation of good quality assessment information on uri progress and achievement
  [Section 138 (1) Education & 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]

6 Recommendation

ERO recommend that the Poumarumaru and school leaders implement a robust internal evaluation process to enhance positive outcomes for uri.

Tiwana Hibbs 
Toka ā Nuku - Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

23 October 2025

7 Information about the Kura