Te Wharekura o Ruatoki

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 ana Te Wharekura o Rūātoki ki ngā whenua o Tūhoe, ki Rūātoki. E whakarato ana i te mātauranga rumaki reo Māori ki ngā tauira 223, mai i te tau 1 ki te tau 13. He hītori hōhonu tō tēnei kura i whakatūngia tuatahitia hei Kura Māori (Native School) i te tau 1896, ā, koia nei hoki te kura reo rua tuatahi o Aotearoa i tīmatahia ai i te tau 1978. Nō te tau 2019 te kura i hono atu ai ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa . I te wā o te arotake nei, he tumuaki whakakapi e mahi ana, i te tumuaki tūturu e whai ana i te wā rangahau akoranga.

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai 

He pēhea rawa te whakaatu mai a ngā tauira i tā rātou whai i tō rātou mana motuhake ā-hinengaro, ā-mātauranga hoki?

Ka kitea ki ngā tauira tēina te kaha o tā rātou aro atu, tō rātou tākare anō hoki ki te whai i te mana motuhake ā-hinengaro, ā-mātauranga hoki, heoi, he tūāhuatanga tēnei ka ngoikore haere i a rātou e kuraina haere ana ki te taha wharekura. 

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga 

E whakawhanake ana ngā tauira i tō rātou ngākau titikaha hei uri o Tūhoe. Ko tō te whānau wawata, kia tū kaha, kia tū māia hoki ā rātou tamariki i roto i tō rātou Tūhoetanga, ā, kia pakari ki te marae, ki te ao anō hoki ki tua atu i te kura. E kaha rumakina ana ngā tauira ki te reo ake o Tūhoe hei reo whakaako, hei reo whakawhitiwhiti kōrero. Ka whai wāhi mātātoa ngā tauira ki tētahi marau, ki ngā kaupapa hoki e hāngai pū ana ki a Tūhoe. Ka whai wāhi hoki te hāhi Ringatū, ngā mōteatea, me ngā waiata. Ka whakatauira ngā kaiako me te whānau i ngā tikanga e pā ana ki ngā horopaki ōkawa me ngā horopaki ōpaki. Kua pou herea ngā hononga ki te ū pūmau ki ngā kaupapa me ngā uara o te kura. Ka arataki ngā tauira i ngā karakia puta noa i te kura, ā, ka eke angitu i roto i ngā whakataetae kapa haka o Mātaatua. E whanake ana ngā tauira hei rangatira o te iwi ki anamata. 

Kua whakatakotohia e ngā kaiako tētahi taiao nahanaha, taiao tautoko hoki e kaha hāpai ana i te whai wāhi atu a ngā tauira, me tō rātou waiora. Ka mahi ngā kaiako o te kura tuatahi mā te toro atu ki ō rātou ake pūkenga, kia pai te whakaratonga o ngā hōtaka i āta whakaritea ai mō te reo matatini me te pāngarau. E whakamahi ana ngā kaiako katoa i te tangongitanga o ngā rautaki kia aro pū ngā tauira, kia whai wāhi nui hoki rātou, tae atu ki te tāruarua, ki te whakaaro nui ki te hā o te reo kōrero, me ngā rautaki patapatai whai hua. Ka whakamahia te tangongitanga o ngā rauemi aromatawai hei ine, hei aroturuki hoki i te ahu whakamua. I kitea ki ngā hōtuku o te tau 2023 ngā nekehanga papai o te kura tuatahi i roto i ngā paetae e pā ana ki te pānui, te tuhituhi, te kōrero, me te pāngarau. He paku pai ake ngā whakatutukitanga a ngā kōtiro i ngā tama, ā, i eke te nuinga o ngā tauira o ngā reanga katoa ki ngā tūmanako o te kura, ki tua atu rānei. He tautoko whakawhanake hei whakatere i te ako a ngā tauira i tautuhia ai hei āta tautoko ake. Mō te whānuitanga tonu, kei te ngana, kei te arotahi, kei te tūmāia ngā tauira i ō rātou akomanga. 

Kua pou herea te katoa o ngā pūnaha kāwana me ngā tukanga kāwana ki te Tiketike Tūhoetanga. E kawe mai ana ngā kaitiaki i te tangongitanga o ngā wheako me ngā pūkenga whai hua ki ō rātou tūranga kāwana. E hāpaitia ana ngā mema hou kia whai māramatanga ai rātou ki ō rātou tūranga me ā rātou kawenga mā te whai pou hāpai, mā te ārahitanga anō hoki o Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa me Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa. I tēnei wā, kei te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ki te hapori, kia tutuki i a rātou te mahere rautaki o te kura. Kua whakatakotohia tētahi rārangi mahi hei ārahi i te arotakenga o ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga o te kura. E arotahi ana ngā kaiārahi me ngā kāwana ki te whakapai ake i ngā mahi arotake e whakatairanga ana i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tauira. E poipoia ana te aronga toi whenuatanga me te waiora o ngā tauira. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Me whakapai ake ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako i te taha wharekura o te kura i ā rātou whakaritenga, kia pai ake ai ngā whai wāhitanga huarahi o ngā tauira. Me whakapakari ake i ngā mahere mō ngā tauira i ngā tau 9 me te 10, hei hāpai ake i ngā paetae i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau. E tohu ana ngā paetae o Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea mō ngā tau 2022-23, ka whiwhi ngā tauira o te Taumata 1 i roto i ngā tau e rua, ā, ka whai atu te haurua o rātou i ngā whakangungu e pā ana ki te ahumahi matua. Ka riro i te nuinga tētahi tohu Taumata 2, ā, he tokoiti noa ka whai tonu i ngā akoranga ringarehe. Ka tae ki te Taumata 3, ka heke te tatauranga o ngā whakaurutanga, ā, ka whiwhi te haurua noa o ngā ākonga i tētahi tohu mātauranga. Kāhore ngā tauira i whiwhi i te Tiwhikete Whakauru Whare Wānanga. Me aro nui ki te whakatairanga ake i ngā paetae o Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea. Me auaha te aronga ki te whakawhanake i ngā hōtaka whakahihiri ka aro nuitia e te tauira, ā, ka whakakipakipa i te taetae mai o ngā tauira ki te kura, me te noho tonu mai o ngā tauira ki te Tau 13. Kei te ngoikore ngā huarahi o ngā tauira mō meāke nei, ā, he iti noa ngā whai wāhitanga mō ngā tauira ki te āta whakatinana i tō rātou tino pitomata. 

Me whakapakari ake te rōpū ārahi hou i ngā pūkenga o tēnā me tēnā, ā, i te āheinga ngātahi hoki o te katoa ki te ārahi ake i te kura. E whakawhanake ana rātou i ō rātou māramatanga ki te tirohanga o te kura me te marautanga o te hapori. Ka kawe atu rātou i te tangongitanga o ngā pūkenga, ngā mōhiotanga, me ngā tikanga ako e whai hua ana. Engari, me kaha ake i te whakatōpūtanga me te noho tahi, kia ū ai ngā ritenga, kia whai hononga anō hoki, puta noa i te kura. Ko ētahi o ngā whakaritenga whakahaere pūmanawa tāngata hei tirohanga wawe, ko te whai atu a ngā kaimahi katoa i ngā whakangungu e pā ana ki te whakatina ākonga, me te whakatutuki i te arowhai a ngā pirihimana i ngā kaimahi kāhore e whakaako ana. Me whakarite, me whakatinana hoki i ngā tūmanako mō ngā tukanga amuamu kia whai hua ai. Ka whai hua ngā tauira i te wā e noho matua ana ngā tino painga ki a rātou i roto i ngā whakataunga me ngā mahi a ngā kāwana, ngā kaiārahi, me ngā kaiako. 

Me whakapai ake i ngā whakaritenga e hāpai ai i te tupu ngaio o ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako. Me whai māramatanga ngātahi ki te pūtake me te angamahi o te Toki (arā, o te huringa taiāwhio tupu ngaio). He rerekē ngā māramatanga o ngā kaiako ki te āhua o te whakahaere i te angamahi hei whakatairanga ake i ō rātou āheinga ngaio. Kāhore anō te tumuaki kia aromatawaihia mā ngā paerewa ngaio. Kāhore i te rawaka te aronga ki te whakawhanake i ngā whakaritenga kaiako. Ka whai hua ngā tauira i te wā e arotahi ana ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako ki tō rātou ake tupu ngaio me tō rātou whakawhanaketanga ngaio. 

5 Te Whakatau a Te Poumarumaru ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I mua i te aromātai, i whakatutukihia e te poari kaitiaki me te tumuaki he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a Te Poumarumaru 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 rātou ki te:

• 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]

• arotake i te tumuaki i ia tau, mā ngā paerewa ngaio katoa e pā ana ki ngā tumuaki 

[s597(3) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]

• whakatakotohia ngā kaupapa here, ngā tukanga, me ngā whakaritenga kia whai hua ai te whakatau amuamu.

[Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me te tumuaki whakakapi kia whakawhanakehia, kia whakatinanahia tētahi mahere e whakatutuki ai i ngā herenga ā-ture me ngā whakaritenga matua i tautuhia ai ki tēnei pūrongo kia whāia. 

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

27 Pipiri 2024

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kura

Te tūwāhi  ​​Kei Rūātoki ​ Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga  ​​221​ Te tūmomo kura He kura hiato (Tau 1-15) Te tokomaha o ngā ākonga o te kura 223 Ngā hononga ā-iwi Māori 100% Ngā āhuatanga motuhake Ngā Kura ā-Iwi Te wā i te kura te rōpū arotake Haratua 2024 Te wā o tēnei pūrongo  ​​​ 27 Pipiri 2024Ngā pūrongo o mua Arotake Mātauranga, Hakihea 2019; Arotake Mātauranga, Paenga-whāwhā 2016; Arotake Mātauranga, Hakihea 2012 

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

Te Wharekura o Ruatoki is located on tribal lands of Tuhoe, in Ruatoki. It provides te reo Māori immersion education for 223 tauira from Years 1–13. This kura has a rich history, first established as a Native School in 1896 and become the first bilingual school in Aotearoa in 1978. It affiliated to Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi o Aotearoa in 2019. At the time of this review an acting tumuaki was in place while the permanent tumuaki was taking sabbatical leave. 

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do tauira demonstrate they are intellectually and academically autonomous? 

Junior tauira show focus and enthusiasm to develop intellectual and academic independence, but this decreases as they progress through to wharekura. 

4 Findings

Tauira are developing confidence as uri of Tuhoe. Whānau aspire for their tamariki to be strong and confident in their Tuhoetanga and to be prepared for the marae and life beyond kura. Tauira are immersed in strong Tuhoe dialect as the main language of instruction and communication. Tauira actively engage in a curriculum and kaupapa specific to Tuhoe. This includes hāhi Ringatū, mōteatea and waiata. Kaiako and whānau role model tikanga for formal and informal situations. Relationships are underpinned by commitment to the kura kaupapa and values. Tauira lead kura wide karakia and excel in Mataatua kapahaka competitions. Tauira are developing as future leaders for the iwi. 

Kaiako have established an orderly and supportive environment conducive to tauira engagement and wellbeing. Kaiako in kura tuatahi work to their strengths to provide well organised literacy and numeracy programmes. All kaiako use a variety of strategies to maintain tauira attention and engagement including, repetition, voice control and positive questioning techniques. A range of assessment tools are used to measure and monitor tauira progress. Data in kura tuatahi highlighted some positive shifts in achievement in pānui, tuhituhi, kōrero and pāngarau in 2023. Girls achieve slightly better than boys and most tauira achieved at or above kura expectations for all year levels. Remedial support is provided to accelerate learning for tauira identified as requiring additional support. Tauira are generally engaged, focussed and confident in their classrooms. 

Tiketike Tuhoetanga underpins all governance systems and processes. Trustees bring a range of experiences and useful skills to their governance role. New members are being supported to understand their roles and responsibilities through mentorship and New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) and Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi (NKAI) guidance. Community consultation is in progress to complete the kura strategic plan. A schedule is in place to guide the review of kura policies and procedures. Leaders and governors are focused on improving review practices that promote tauira health and safety. Tauira sense of belonging and wellbeing is fostered. 

Key Next Steps

Leaders and kaiako in the Wharekura need to improve their practice so tauira have better pathway opportunities. Planning for tauira in Years 9 and 10 requires strengthening to better support literacy and numeracy achievement. National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) results from 2022-23 show that tauira take two years to achieve Level 1 and half of them pursue Primary Industry Training. Most tauira gain a Level 2 qualification and a small number continue with trades course. By Level 3 the tauira enrolments at the kura are reduced and only half achieve the qualification. No tauira attained University Entrance. Raising NCEA achievement needs prioritising. There is a need for innovation and a creative approach to developing engaging and interesting programmes that encourage higher tauira attendance and retention to Year 13. Tauira future pathways are lacking and there is limited opportunity for tauira to realise their full potential.

The new leadership team need to build their individual capability and collective capacity to lead the kura better. They are developing their understandings of the kura vision and local curriculum. They bring a useful range of skills, knowledge and pedagogical approaches. However, greater collaboration and cohesion is needed to achieve consistency and connection kura wide. Human resource management practices requiring immediate attention include physical restraint training for all staff and police vetting for non-teaching staff. Expectations for handling complaints efficiently need to be established and implemented. Tauira benefit when governors, leaders and kaiako have their best interests at the forefront of their decisions and actions. 

Practices for supporting leaders and kaiako professional growth need improving. Collective understanding of the Toki (Professional Growth Cycle) purpose and framework is required. Kaiako have varying levels of understanding of how to use the framework to enhance their professional capabilities. The tumuaki has not been assessed against the professional standards. There has not been a sufficient focus on developing teacher practice. Tauira benefit when leaders and kaiako are focused on their own professional growth and development. 

5 Te Poumarumaru Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the evaluation, the board of trustees and tumuaki completed the ERO Te Poumarumaru 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: 

• 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]
• annually assess the principal against all the professional standards for principals
  [NZ Ed Gazette: and relevant employment agreement]
• have policies, procedures and practices in place to effectively handle complaints. 
  [Education and Training Act 2020]

6 Recommendation

ERO and the acting tumuaki recommend developing and implementing a plan that addresses the noncompliance, and the key next steps highlighted in this report.

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

27 June 2024

7 Information about the kura

LocationKei RūātokiMinistry of Education profile number221Kura typeComposite School (Years 1-15)Kura roll223Ethnic compositionMāori 100%Special featuresNgā Kura-ā-IwiReview team on siteMay 2024Date of this report27 June 2024Most recent ERO report(s)
 Education Review, December 2019; Education Review, April 2016; Education Review, December 2012