Whangamarino School

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

Kia pono ki te mahi kia whai hua ai

Kua tautapaina a Whangamarino School hei kura āhuatanga motuhake, ā, e tū pā tata ana ki ngā wai marino o Rotoiti, ki te hapori o Ōkere Falls. E whakarato ana te kura i te mātauranga hei kura auraki, hei kura rumaki reo Māori hoki mō ngā tamariki o ngā tau 0 ki te 8. Ko te Ngāti Pikiaotanga tētahi tūāhuatanga whakahirahira e whai pānga nui ana ki te tuakiri o te whānau ki te kura. E noho pūmau ana ngā whānau, ngā hapū, me ngā iwi ki te poipoi i te mōhiotanga o ngā tamariki ki a rātou anō, ki tō rātou tūrangawaewae hoki. I te wā o tēnei arotake, i te pā ki te hapori o te kura i ngā whakarerekētanga nunui. I te whakatutuki haere ngā kaitiaki i taua wā, i te whakatūnga o tētahi tumuaki hou, ā, i te kura hoki tētahi rōpū ārahitanga taupua.

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakaatu mai a ngā tamariki i te angitu hei uri o Ngāti Pikiao?

He manawa whakahī, he ngākau titikaha hoki ō ngā ākonga ki te whakatinana i te Ngāti Pikiaotanga mā te tangongitanga o ngā horopaki.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E rumakina ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao e hāngai pū ana ki a Ngāti Pikiao. Ko te Pikiaotanga kei te pūtake o te marau. E whai pūtake ana ngā kaupapa i whakamaheretia ai, ā, e whakahono ana i ngā tamariki ki tō rātou tuakiri mā ngā wheako tūturu. Toro atu ai ki te marae i ia te wā, mā te noho a te kura auraki ki te marae i ngā wā e rua o te tau, me te noho o te kura rumaki i ngā wā e whā o te tau. E rumakina ana ngā tamariki me te whānau ki ngā wheako ako me ngā hononga e whai pūtake ana. Ka mahi ngātahi ngā kaiako ki te whakamahere. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā tamariki ki ngā akoranga e whakanuia ana, ā, kua whakapuakihia hoki ki Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, ki te New Zealand Curriculum, me te marau ā-kura hoki e kīia ana ko ‘Pikiaotanga’.

E whakarato ana ngā kaiako i ngā akoranga e kapo atu ana, e wero ana hoki i ngā tamariki. Kua āta whakaritea ngā mahinga, ā, e tino mōhiotia ana e ngā tamariki. Kei te mauritau rātou ki ngā akomanga me ngā wāhi ako, ā, ka kitea tō rātou pakari, tō rātou ngākau titikaha hoki ki te whakamātau i ngā kaupapa hou, me te rapu i ngā whakautu. Kua whakatakotohia ngā mahere takitahi mā ngā tama ariki i tautuhia ai, tae atu ki ā rātou wero i roto i te ako, hei hāpai i tā rātou eke angitu mā te kotahitanga o ngā akomanga. Ka aroturukitia tā rātou ahu whakamua ki te whakatutuki i ngā whāinga i tautuhia ai. Ka mahi ngātahi ngā kaiako, ngā whānau, ngā kaiāwhina me ngā ratonga o waho ki te whakatutuki i ngā whāinga i whakatakotohia ai mō ia tamaiti. Ka hāpai ngā kaiārahi i te reo i te tupu me te whakawhānuitanga ake o te reo Māori o ngā tamariki i te kura rumaki. Ka hāpai anō hoki i te whakawhanaketanga o ngā tamariki i ō rātou puna kupu, me tā rātou whakaputa i te reo. Ka whai wāhi hoki ngā tamariki ki ngā taumahi ki te taha o ētahi atu kura i Ngāti Pikiao, ka whakapuaki i ngā mōhiotanga, ā, ka āta whakawhanaunga. E whanake ana ngā tamariki hei ākonga ngākau titikaha, hei ākonga manawa whakahī.

Ko te whakapakari i ngā pūkenga o ngā kaiako i roto i ngā mahi aromatawai tētahi tūāhuatanga e whanake tonuhia ana. Kawea ai te aromatawai o ngā akoranga anga tamariki i ia te wā, ā, ka pūrongohia mā te whānau me te poari. Ka whakamahia ngā aromatawai whakariterite me ngā mōhiotanga o ngā kaimahi hei tautuhi i te ahu whakamua a ngā tamariki, i ō rātou matea, me ngā whakaritenga ka whai ake. E rua ngā wā o te tau ka pūrongohia te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae e pā ana ki te reo matatini me te pāngarau. I te wā o te arotake nei, i tohu ngā hōtuku a te kura i te tino whakapaitanga ake o te reo matatini, me te tokomaha o ngā tamariki e mahi ki te taumata e hiahiatia ana e te kura, ki tua atu rānei. Ka whakamahi ngā kaiārahi o te kura i te pae ā-ipurangi ki te pūrongo i te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae ki te whānau. E whakawhanake tonu ana ngā kaiārahi i ngā aratohu me ngā tūmanako mō ngā whakaritenga me te whai wāhi atu a ngā kaiako. Ka whakamōhiotia ngā tamariki, ō rātou whānau hoki mō te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae ako.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Ko tētahi whakaritenga matua ka whai ake, ko te whakawhanake i te aromātai o roto e whai hua ana ki te whakamōhio i ngā whakataunga. He āhua hou tonu te poari ki ō rātou tūranga. Ko tā rātou aronga matua, ko te whakatū i tētahi tumuaki tūturu. E mōhio ana ngā kaitiaki, koia nei te wā pai ki te toro atu ki te hapori o te kura, kia whai wāhi ai rātou ki ngā whakataunga e pā ana ki te aronga whakamua o te kura, me te whakawhanaketanga o tētahi mahere rautaki hou. Kāhore ngā tuhinga kāwana, tuhinga whakahaere tari hoki e hāngai ana ki te āhuatanga motuhake o te kura. Kia whakatūngia te tumuaki, me tahuri rātou ko te poari, ko te rōpū ārahi hoki ki te whakawhanake i ngā tūmanako o te katoa mō ō rātou tūranga me ā rātou kawenga mahi, ā, me mahi ngātahi me te hapori o te kura ki te whakapūmau i te aronga o te kura.

Me whakarite te rōpū ārahi hou i ngā kōtuitanga ngaio hei hāpai i a rātou i tō rātou tūranga. He tino kaha te mahi ngātahi, ā, kua whakahaerehia ngā whakaritenga o te kura puta noa i ngā wero i pupū ake ai, heoi, tērā tonu ētahi hei whakatika. Heoi, me mōhio wawe ngā kaitiaki, ngā kaiārahi, me ngā kaimahi whakaako katoa ki ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga o te kura, inarā ki ērā e pā ana ki te haumaru o te ākonga. Kāhore i te riterite ngā akoako hōneatanga ohotata, kāhore anō ngā kaiako me ngā kaimahi kia whakatutukihia ngā whakangungu e pā ana ki te whakatina ākonga, he iti noa hoki ngā mōhiotanga e pā ana ki te arowhai i te haumaru o ngā kaimahi, o rātou anō hoki e toro atu ana pea ki te kura. Me whakapai ake i te whakatairanga i te haumaru ā-tinana, ā-whatumanawa hoki o ngā tamariki.

Kāhore anō kia whakatutukihia te mahere ā-tau mō te tau 2024, me te tātari i ngā whakarerekētanga o te tau 2023. He maha ngā tūāhuatanga e whai pānga ana ki ngā taumata paetae i tautuhia ai, engari kāhore anō kia āta tuhia hei whakamārama i ngā nekehanga i ngā akoranga, tae atu hoki ki ngā wero ka pā ki ngā kaimahi i a rātou e whakatutuki haere ana i ngā whakarerekētanga.

5 Te Whakatau a te Poari ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I mua i te aromātai, i whakatutukihia e te poari me te tumuaki 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 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 me ngā tiwhikete 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
• ngā kaupapa here e whai pānga ana ki te whakatutukitanga o ngā herenga ā-ture 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:

1. (a) te whakatutukitanga o te arowhai a ngā pirihimana i ngā kaimahi i mua i te tīmatanga o te tangata ki te mahi ki te kura; me
2. (b) te whai whakaaro ki ngā mōhiohio i te arowhai a ngā pirihimana, hei āta tātari ina āe rānei, kāhore rānei he tangata ka whakamōrearea pea i te haumaru o ngā tamariki ina mahi ia ki te kura [Education and Training Amendment Act 2023, Children’s Act 2014]

• 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) 2023]
• 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, ngā 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]
• āta whakatau i tētahi mahere ohotata mō te wāhi mahi. Me whakatakoto te mahere ohotata i ngā tukanga ohotata, tae atu ki tētahi urupare papai mō ngā wā ohotata, ngā tukanga hōneatanga, ngā tukanga ki te whakamōhio wawe i ngā ratonga ohotata, me ngā rongoā, ngā tukanga āwhina hoki 
  [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 taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me te tumuaki whakakapi, kia mahi ngātahi te rōpū ārahitanga hou me ngā kaitiaki ki te whakatutuki i ngā whakaritenga matua me ngā herenga ā-ture i tautuhia ai ki tēnei pūrongo kia whāia.

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

13 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

Kia pono ki te mahi kia whai hua ai

Whangamarino School is a designated special character school located near the tranquil waters of Rotoiti at Okere Falls. The school provides education in kura auraki (English immersion) and kura rumaki (Māori immersion) for tamariki in Years 0–8. Ngāti Pikiaotanga is a significant aspect of the kura whānau identity. Whānau, hapū and iwi are committed to nurturing tamariki knowledge of who they are and where they come from. At the time of this review the kura community were experiencing significant change. Trustees were in the process of appointing a new tumuaki and a temporary leadership team was in place.

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do tamariki demonstrate success as Ngāti Pikiao?

Students proudly and confidently demonstrate Ngāti Pikiaotanga in a range of contexts.

4 Findings

Tamariki are immersed in a Ngāti Pikiao centric environment. Pikiaotanga is at the core of the curriculum. Planned kaupapa are meaningful and connect tamariki to their identity through authentic experiences. Noho marae are regular, with kura auraki attending twice yearly and kura rūmaki attending four times a year. Tamariki and whānau are immersed in meaningful learning experiences and relationships. Kaiako planning is collaborative. Tamariki engage in valued learning as is expressed in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, the New Zealand Curriculum and the kura ā-marau ‘Pikiaotanga’.

Kaiako provide lessons that engage and challenge tamariki. Routines are well established and tamariki know them well. They are settled in the classroom and learning spaces, and display comfort and confidence to try new things and seek out answers. Individualised plans are in place for tama ariki, with identified learning challenges, to succeed in inclusive classroom environments. Their progress toward identified goals is monitored. Kaiako, whānau, kaiāwhina and external agencies work together to achieve the goals set for individual tamariki. Kaiarahi i te reo support the growth and extension of te reo Māori for tamariki within kura rūmaki. This assists tamariki in developing their vocabulary knowledge and their productive language use. Tamariki also participate in activities with other Ngāti Pikiao kura, sharing knowledge and building whanaungatanga. Tamariki are developing as confident and proud learners.

Building teacher capability in assessment practices continues to evolve. Assessment of tamariki learning is undertaken regularly and reported to whānau and the board. Standardised assessments and kaiako knowledge are used to identify tamariki progress, needs and next steps. Reporting progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics takes place twice a year. At the time of this review the kura data showed significant improvement in literacy, with several tamariki working at or above kura expectations. Kura leaders use an online platform to report progress and achievement to whānau. Leaders continue to develop guidelines and expectations for kaiako practice and input. Tamariki and their whānau are kept informed about learning progress and achievement.

Key Next Steps

Developing effective internal evaluation to inform decision-making is a key next step. The board is relatively new to their roles. Their priority is to appoint a permanent tumuaki. Trustees are aware that it is an opportune time to engage the kura community in decision making regarding the future direction of the kura, and the development of a new strategic plan. Governance and administrative documentation do not reflect the special character of the school. Once appointed, the tumuaki, the board and the leadership team should develop shared expectations about their roles and responsibilities, and work collaboratively with the kura community to reaffirm the kura direction.

The new leadership team need to establish professional networks to support them in their role. They are highly collaborative and have managed the kura operations through unexpected challenges, some still to be resolved. However, there is an urgent need for trustees, leaders and all teaching staff to know kura policies and procedures, particularly in regards to student safety. Emergency evacuation drills have been inconsistent, kaiako and kaimahi have not undertaken physical restraint training, and there is little known about the safety checking of employees and others who may be on the kura site. Promoting tamariki physical and emotional safety needs improving.

The 2024 annual plan and the 2023 analysis of variance is yet to be completed. Several factors affecting levels of achievement have been identified but not clearly documented to explain the shifts in learning as well as the challenges that kaimahi are faced with in implementing change.

5 Board Assurance on Legal Requirement

Before the review, the board 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 the following:

• board administration
• curriculum
• management of health, safety and welfare
• personnel management
• finance
• asset management.

During the review, ERO checked 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 and certification
• processes for appointing staff
• stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
• 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: 

1. obtaining a Police vet before a person starts work at the school and,
2. considering the information contained in the Police vet to assess whether the person would pose a risk to the safety of children if the person were to carry out work at the school [Education and Training Amendment Act 2023, Children’s Act 2014]

• 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 2023]
• 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]
• ensure there is an emergency plan for the workplace. The emergency plan must provide emergency procedures, including an effective response to an emergency, evacuation procedures, procedures for notifying emergency service organisations at the earliest opportunity and medical treatment and assistance procedures 
  [Section 127(1)(b) Education and training Act. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015]

6 Recommendation

ERO and the acting tumuaki recommends that the new leadership team and trustees work collaboratively to address the key next steps and non-compliances identified in this report.

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

13 June 2024

7 Information about the kura