Te Kura o Waitahanui

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, ngā hapū, me ngā iwi.

2 Te Horopaki

“Nui te kai, nui te aroha”

E tū ana Te Kura o Waitahānui ki te hapori iti o Waitahānui, ki te tonga o Taupō. Nō Ngāti Tūtemohuta ngā tamariki me ngā whānau. E whakarato ana te kura i te mātauranga kaupapa Māori mā ngā tamariki o ngā tau 1 ki te 13. Ko tā te kura tirohanga, ko te whakatupu i ngā mokopuna kia tū manawa whakahī hei uri o Pākira.

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te eke angitu a ngā tamariki mā ngā tikanga me te reo Māori?

Ka riro i ngā tamariki me ngā mokopuna ngā tino painga e hāpai ai i a rātou ki te eke angitu hei uri o Ngāti Tūtemohuta.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

Ka mahi ngātahi te rōpū kāwana me te whānau ki te whai i te tirohanga, i ngā uara, me ngā whāinga o te kura, ā, ka āta kitea te aronga pū ki te Tūtemohutatanga. Kei Te Poumarumaru te tangongitanga o ngā mōhiotanga, ngā pūkenga, me ngā wheako e whai hua ana ki ō rātou tūranga, ā, he kaha tā rātou toro atu ki te ārahitanga o ngā ratonga o waho, ki te whakatairanga tonu i ō rātou pūkenga kāwana. Ka aro nui ngā kaitiaki ki ngā matea o ngā tamariki, ngā whānau, ngā hapū, me ngā iwi. E hāngai ana ngā mahere rautaki ki ngā wawata o te iwi. Kua whakatinanahia ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga, hei whakatairanga i te waiora me te hauora o ngā tamariki me ngā mokopuna.

Ka ahu mai te whakawhirinakitanga i te paihere tāngata, ā, koia e hautū ana i ngā whakaritenga ārahitanga. Ka whai pānga matua ngā hononga ā-whakapapa ki te whakatairangatanga o ngā hononga tauutuutu i roto i ngā akoranga. Ko ngā whakawhitinga kōrero auau ki ngā pou tuarā ngaio e hāpai ana i te tupu ngaio o ngā kaiako. Ka whakanuia te reo o te whānau, ā, e ākina ana ngā mema katoa o te hapori ki te uru atu ki ngā whai wāhitanga ārahi e aro nui ana ki ngā pūmanawa o te tangata.

He whai wāhitanga mō ngā tamariki ki te whai i ngā mātauranga e pā ana ki te reo Māori, ki ngā tikanga, me ngā kōrero tuku iho. Ka ako i roto i ngā horopaki tūturu o te marae, te kura, me te taiao. He whai wāhitanga ako mō ngā tamariki ki te poipoi i ō rātou hononga ki Tūtemohuta. Ka whakatinana ngā tamariki i te manaakitanga i a rātou e tū ana ki ngā pōwhiri, e mahi ringawera ana, e whakawhanaunga ana. Ka tautoko, ka ārahi hoki i ngā whakamoemiti, ā, he ngākau titikaha ō rātou ki te taki i ngā pepeha me ngā mātāpono e whakamana ana i tō rātou tuakiri hei uri o Ngāti Tūtemohuta.

Ka tino whakatauira ngā kaiako i te reo Māori. Kei te moroki te ako ngaio me te whakawhanaketanga ngaio, ā, e arotahi ana ki te whakapakari tonu i ngā whakaritenga ngaio a te kaiako, tae atu hoki ki te matatau ki te reo Māori. Ko te whakatauira i te tū pakari tētahi āhuatanga e noho mātua ana ki te ahurea o te kura. He whakaute, he manaakitanga, he whakawhirinakitanga hoki ngā taunekeneke. Kei te harikoa ngā tamariki, ā, ka whai wāhi nui ki ā rātou akoranga. Kei te mātau haere rātou hei ākonga o te reo Māori.

He kaha te mahi a te kura ki te taha o Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa ki te whakatakoto i ngā tukanga pakari, kia rite ai rātou mō te mātauranga wharekura. Ka taea e ngā ākonga ngā whiwhinga te riro mā Te Kura, hei hāpai i a rātou ki te whai i ngā huarahi umanga ā meāke nei. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, kua rēhita katoatia ngā ākonga o te Tau 8 ki Te Ao Taurikura, ara, he hōtaka a Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa e whakatairanga ana i te eke angitu a ngā ākonga i roto i Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Me whakatere ake i te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae a ngā ākonga i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau. Me whakapakari ake i ngā whakaritenga aromatawai, hei hāpai ake i te aru me te aroturuki a ngā kaiako i te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae a ngā tamariki. Kāhore anō kia whakaōkawatia te angamahi aromatawai e pā ana ki te reo ā-waha. Kāhore anō kia āta whakatinanahia ngā tino pūmanawa o ngā tamariki.

Kua tīmata noa te whakariterite i te wharekura. Me whakawhanake i ngā pūnaha, i ngā whakahaeretanga, me ngā whakaritenga, hei whakapūmau, hei whakauka i te hōtaka wharekura. Ko te noho hūrokuroku o te mātauranga me te ahurea mō ngā tamariki, mai i te kura tuatahi ki te kura tuarua, e noho mātua ana ki te whakatutukitanga o ngā wawata o Ngāti Tūtemohuta.

I te wā i toro atu Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ki te kura, i kōrero te whānau mō ō rātou āwangawanga e pā ana ki te haumaru o ā rātou tamariki, nā te tū o te kura ki te taha tonu o te Huarahi Matua Tuatahi. Kāhore i te rawaka ngā taiapa ki mua i te kura, hei āta whakapūmau i te noho haumaru o ngā tamariki. Ahakoa ngā whakamātau maha kē a Te Poumarumaru ki te whakatika i te take nei, me ū tonu rātou ki te whakarewa i te āwangawanga nei hei kaupapa matua ki te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga. Ko te waiora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki te mea nui.

5 Te Whakatau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te aromātai, i tirohia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha mō te whakahaeretanga o ngā wāhanga e whai ake nei:

• 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
• te rēhitatanga o ngā kaiako
• ngā tukanga ki te whakatū kaimahi
• te whakaunu, te aukati, te pana me te whakarerenga
• te tae ā-tinana atu a ngā ākonga ki te kura
• ngā kaupapa here o te kura, me te whakatutukitanga o ērā i ngā tikanga e pā ana ki te Children’s Act 2014.

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakawhanakehia, kia whakatinanahia hoki e ngā kaiārahi o te kura tētahi mahere e whakatutuki ai i ngā whakaritenga matua ki tēnei pūrongo kia whāia.

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

12 Hakihea, 2023

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

“Nui te kai, nui te aroha”

Te Kura o Waitahanui is located in the small settlement of Waitahanui, south of Taupō. Tamariki and whānau affiliate to Ngāti Tūtemohuta. The kura provides kaupapa Māori education for tamariki from Years 1 to 13. The kura vision is to grow mokopuna who will stand confidently as uri ō Pākira.

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do tamariki achieve success through tikanga and te reo Māori?

Tamariki and mokopuna are well equipped to achieve success as uri of Ngāti Tūtemohuta.

4 Findings

Governance and whānau work collectively to pursue the kura vision, values and goals with a clear emphasis on Tūtemohutatanga. The Poumarumaru bring a useful range of knowledge, skills and experiences to their roles and actively seek guidance from external agencies to enhance their governance capabilities. Trustees are responsive to the needs of tamariki, whānau, hapū and iwi. Strategic planning aligns with iwi aspirations. Policies and procedures have been implemented to promote tamariki and mokopuna wellbeing and safety.

Relational trust guides leadership practices. Whakapapa connections play a pivotal role in ensuring reciprocal learning-centred relationships are promoted. Regular discussions with professional mentors support professional growth for kaiako. Whānau voice is valued, and all members of the community are encouraged to participate in strengths-based leadership opportunities.

Tamariki are provided with opportunities to acquire knowledge of te reo Māori, tikanga and kōrero tuku iho. Learning takes place in authentic settings of the marae, kura and the taiao. Tamariki are provided with learning opportunities that foster their connections to Tūtemohuta. They exemplify manaakitanga by participating in pōwhiri, mahi ringawera and whanaungatanga. Tamariki participate and lead whakamoemiti, and recite pepeha and mātāpono confidently to affirm their identity as uri of Ngāti Tūtemohuta.

Kaiako effectively model te reo Māori. Ongoing professional learning and development is focused on further strengthening teacher professional practice, including te reo Māori fluency. Positive role modelling is inherent in the kura culture. Interactions are respectful, caring and trusting. Tamariki are happy and engaged in their learning. They are becoming competent learners of te reo Māori.

The kura is actively collaborating with Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi (NKAI) to establish robust processes in readiness for Wharekura education. Students can gain credits through Te Kura correspondence to help them pursue future career pathways. Additionally, all Year 8 students are registered with Te Ao Tauri Kura, a NKAI programme that promotes student success with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).

Key Next Steps

Student progress and achievement in literacy and numeracy needs accelerating. More robust assessment practices are required to support kaiako to better track and monitor tamariki progress and achievement. Te reo-ā-waha assessment framework has yet to be formalised. Tamariki full potential is yet to be realised.

Wharekura is in the early stages of being established. Systems, operations, and practices need developing to secure and sustain the wharekura programme. Tamariki educational and cultural consistency from primary into secondary schooling is essential to achieve the aspirations of Ngāti Tūtemohuta.

While onsite, whānau expressed their concerns about the safety of their tamariki as the kura is situated next to State Highway 1. There is inadequate fencing at the front of the kura to ensure tamariki safety. Although the Poumarumaru have made many attempts to resolve this issue, they should continue to raise this concern as a priority with the Ministry of Education. Tamariki wellbeing and safety is paramount.

5 Te Poumarumaru Assurance on Legal Requirements

During the evaluation, ERO checked at the following areas:

• 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.

6 Recommendation

ERO recommends that kura leaders develop and implement a plan to address the key next steps in this report. 

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

12 December 2023

7 Information about the kura