Tawhero 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. 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 a Tawhero School ki Whanganui, ā, e poipoi ana i ngā tamariki o ngā tau 1 ki te 8. Kua whakatūngia ētahi kaiako hou whai muri i te pūrongo Mana Whakahaere a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i te Pipiri o te tau 2023. I te wā i tae atu Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ki te kura i mua, he kura tēnei mō ngā tau 1 ki te 6 anake, heoi, whai muri i taua wā, kua whakaaetia e te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga kia huri te kura hei kura tuatahi mō ngā tau 1 ki te 8. Kua whakaritea tētahi puna reo, ā, i tēnei wā e poipoi ana i ngā tamariki o ngā tau 3 ki te 7. E whakahou tonu ana i te taiao ako. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

I whakatau tahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me ngā kaiārahi o te kura ki te aromātai i te whai huatanga o te whakaako me te ako ki te whakatairanga i te tauākī e meatia ana ‘Mauria te pono’ ki ngā tamariki, arā, i whakawhanake i te pātai aromātai e whai ake nei: 

He pēhea rawa ngā tamariki e whakawhanake ana, e whakatinana ana hoki i te ngākau titikaha ki te kōrero ‘Mauria te pono – Believe in yourself’, mā ā rātou akoranga e pā ana ki te reo matatini me te pāngarau? 

Ka kitea ki ngā tamariki tō rātou whakapono ki ō rātou ake pūkenga, mā roto mai i tō rātou ngākau titikaha ki te whai wāhi atu me te ahu whakamua i roto i ngā akoranga. 

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga – Mana Tamariki 

I kitea ki te pūrongo Mana Whakahaere a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, i te whakatairanga ngā mahi a ngā kaiārahi me ngā kāwana o te kura i te whakaū a ngā tamariki ki te tauākī e meatia ana, ‘Mauria te pono – Believe in yourself.’  E whakawhanakehia ana e ngā tamariki te ‘Mauria te pono’ ki tētahi taiao e āta poipoi ana i te taha tinana, te taha wairua, te taha whānau, me te taha hinengaro o ngā tamariki. 

Nā taua aromātai, i tautuhia e ngā kaiārahi o te kura me Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ko ngā aronga matua o te kura hei whakapai ake, ko:

• te whakapakari ake i ngā pūkenga o ngā kaiako i roto i te reo Māori, me te whakapakari anō hoki i te whakaratonga o ngā poutama whakaako, poutama ako hoki mō te reo Māori
• te whakatakoto i ngā taumata e arotahi ana ki te tautuhi me te whakatere i te ahu whakamua me ngā akoranga i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau mō ngā tamariki e tika ana hei hāpai ake, me
• te whakapai ake i te whakaako me te ako i te pāngarau. 

Kua tino ahu whakamua ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako i roto i ēnei o ngā kaupapa matua hei whakapai ake. 

E tautāwhi ana ngā tamariki i te tirohanga a te kura e meatia ana, ‘Mauria te pono – Believe in Yourself’, i a rātou e whai wāhi tākare ana ki ngā akoranga. He tūāhuatanga e tino kitea ana ki te ako i te reo matatini. Kei te huhua te reo tuhituhi puta noa i ngā akomanga, ā, e tika ana, e noho wātea ana hoki ngā rauemi e whakaongaonga ana i te ngākau nuitanga o ngā tamariki. E whakatairangatia ana tō rātou ngākau titikaha ki a rātou anō hei ākonga, mā te aronga ki te hanganga reo matatini. Ko te mōhio, te ahu whakamua, me te māramatanga o ngā tamariki ki te ororeo, e āta hāpaitia ana e ngā kaiako mātau, me ngā wā whakaako e āta whakamāramahia ana, e āta whakapūmautia ana hoki ngā akoranga. Ka whakatōngia anō hoki ngā akoranga hou mā te whakamātau ki te taha o ngā kaiāwhina tautōhito. Ka whakakoia, ka whakanuia hoki te ahu whakamua a ngā tamariki, i a rātou e whakatutuki haere ana i ia wāhanga. 

E whakatairangatia ana te whakawhanaketanga torowhānui o ngā tamariki. He aronga nui ki te tākaro mō ngā tamariki nohinohi, ā, he huarahi e whakahihiri ana i te whai wāhi atu, ā, e tautoko ana i tō rātou whakawhanaketanga reo ā-waha, ā-taringa hoki, me ō rātou pūkenga whakahoahoa. He pai te whakamahere me te rere o ngā akoranga ki ngā akomanga. Kua pou herea ngā mahere ā-wiki, o ia rā hoki ki te New Zealand Curriculum me Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, ā, e tohu ana i ngā putanga e hiahiatia ana ki te marau ā-kura. Ka ngākau nui ngā tamariki ki ngā wheako papai i te kura, ā, ki tua atu hoki. Kei te whakaute ngā taunekeneke, ā, ka kitea hoki te papai o ngā hononga ki waenga i te tuakana me te teina. Kei te ngākau titikaha ngā tamariki, ā, e whai wāhi atu ana ki tētahi marau e poipoi ana i te katoa, ā, e aro nui ana hoki ki ō rātou ngākau nuitanga me ō rātou matea. 

Kua nui ake ngā huarahi mō te ako i te reo Māori. Kua whakatutukihia te whāinga kua roa nei e wawatatia ana, arā, kia reo rua, kia reo Māori, kia reo Pākehā hoki ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga. Nā tēnā, ka whiwhi ngā tamariki i te whakawhitinga ngāwari noa - mai i te Puna Reo e rumaki ana i ngā mokopuna ki te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. He tino tauira ngā kaiako me ngā kaimahi, ka āta akiaki, ka āta tautoko hoki rātou i te ako a ngā tamariki i te reo tuarua. Kei te pakari haere te ngākau titikaha o ngā tamariki ki te ako me te whakaputa i te mita o Whanganui. 

Kei te tōkeke haere te ako me ngā paetae a ngā tamariki. I te mutunga o te tau 2023, i tohu ngā hōtuku paetae o te kura, ko ngā rerekētanga ki ngā hōtuku pāngarau o ngā tama i te tau 2021, i tino pai ake i roto i ngā tau e rua i whai ake. Waihoki, mō te whānuitanga tonu, ko ngā putanga i te pāngarau e tohu ana i te piki haere o ngā whakapaitanga, mai i taua wā. I nāianei, kei te rite ngā paetae o ngā tama me ngā kōtiro; kei te eke te nuinga ki ngā tūmanako o te kura mō te pānui, ā, he tokomaha hoki e whakatutuki pai ana i ngā tūmanako o te kura i roto i te tuhituhi me te pāngarau. Kei te piki haere te taetae atu ki te kura, ā, ko te taurite o te taetae atu ki te kura i te Wāhanga 1 o te tau 2024, ko te 85%. Ko ngā ākonga hei hāpai ake ki te taetae atu ki te kura, e ākina ana kia whai wāhi atu ki ngā akoranga me te rongo i te angitu. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake 

Me whakamahi tonu ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako o te kura i ngā whakaritenga papai e pā ana ki te aromātai o roto, hei aroturuki i te ahu whakamua o ngā whakawhanaketanga me ngā kōkiritanga i whakamaheretia ai. Nō nā noa nei ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaiako i whakamahi ai i te rauemi arotake whaiaro a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga e kīia ana, ko Whārangi Arotake, hei hāpai i a rātou ki te whai whakaaro ki ngā tūāhuatanga e whakapuakihia ana e rātou ki te kōkiri whakamua i te whakaako me te ako i te reo Māori. He wā pai tēnei mō ngā kaiārahi ki te whakamahi nahanaha ake i taua rauemi mō te whakapai tonutanga. Ka whai hua te hunga Māori, ngā ākonga katoa anō hoki, i te wā ka mahi nahanaha ngā kaiārahi kia haere tonu ai ngā whakapaitanga ki te āhua mahi i te kura. 

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 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 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. 

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakawhanake tonu, kia whakamahi tonu ngā kaiārahi i te aromātai o roto e whai hua ana mō te whakatairanga tonutanga, me te angitu o ngā ākonga. 

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

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

2 Context 

Tawhero School is in Whanganui and caters for tamariki in Years 1–8. Some new teachers have been appointed since the ERO June 2023 Mana Whakahaere Report.  At the time of the last ERO visit the kura was a Contributing School (Years 1-6), since then the Ministry of Education has approved the kura as a Full Primary (Years 1-8). A Puna Reo has also been established, currently it is catering for tamariki in Years 3-7. The refurbishment of the physical learning environment continues. 

3 Evaluation Focus

ERO and school leaders agreed to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices in promoting ‘Mauria te pono’ in tamariki, and developed the following evaluative question:  

How well do tamariki develop and demonstrate confidence, ‘Mauria te pono – Believe in yourself’, through their learning in literacy and mathematics? 

Tamariki demonstrate belief in their ability as they confidently engage and progress in learning.

4 Findings - Mana Tamariki 

The ERO Mana Whakahaere report found school leaders and governors’ practices promoted tamariki to ‘Mauria te pono – Believe in yourself.’  Tamariki developed ‘Mauria te pono’ in an environment where their taha tinana, taha wairua, taha whānau and taha hinengaro were nurtured. 

As a result of the evaluation, school leaders and ERO identified the school’s improvement priorities as: 

• building teacher capability in te reo Māori and strengthening the provision of progressive te reo Māori teaching and learning
• setting targets that focus on identifying and accelerating progress and learning, in literacy and mathematics, for those tamariki requiring this, and
• improving the teaching and learning of mathematics. 

Leaders and kaiako have made very good progress with these improvement priorities.

Tamariki embrace the school’s vision of ‘Mauria te pono – Believe in Yourself’ as they enthusiastically engage in learning. This is especially noticeable in literacy learning. Classrooms are print rich and suitable and easily accessible resources stimulate tamariki interest. Their confidence in themselves as learners is enhanced through the structured literacy approach. Tamariki phonological awareness, progress and mastery is well-supported by competent kaiako and explicit and sustained teaching episodes. New learning is further embedded through practice with skilled and experienced support staff. Tamariki progress is affirmed and celebrated as they progress through each phase. 

Tamariki holistic development is enhanced. The play-based approach for the younger tamariki provokes engagement and supports their oral and aural language development and their social competency. Classroom lessons are well-planned and paced. Weekly and daily plans are underpinned by The New Zealand Curriculum, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and they reflect the desired outcomes of the marau ā-kura. Tamariki enjoy a breath of appropriate experiences both in the school and beyond. Interactions are respectful and positive tuākana teina relationships are evident. Confident tamariki engage in an inclusive curriculum responsive to their interests and needs.   

Access to learning in te reo Māori has been increased. The long-held aspiration for bilingual; Māori and English teaching and learning has been achieved.  Because of this, tamariki will experience smooth transitions from the Puna Reo whose mokopuna are immersed in te reo and tikanga Māori. Kaiako and kaimahi are good role models, encouraging and supporting these second language learners well. Tamariki are learning and using te mita o Whanganui with increased confidence. 

Tamariki learning and achievement is becoming more equitable. The 2023 end of school achievement data shows the disparity in outcomes for boys in mathematics in 2021 had significantly reduced over the next two years. And outcomes overall in mathematics generally show a trajectory of improvement since then. Boys and girls now achieve similarly; most achieve at school expectations in reading, and many are doing well against school expectations in writing and mathematics. Attendance is steadily improving with an average attendance of 85% in Term 1, 2024. Students requiring additional support to attend school, are encouraged to engage in learning and enjoy success which are well catered for. 

Key Next Steps 

School leaders and kaiako should continue to use effective internal evaluation practices to monitor progress against planned developments and initiatives. Leaders and kaiako have very recently used the ERO self-review tool, Wharangi Arotake, to consider how well they are doing in creating conditions conducive to progressive te reo Māori teaching and learning. It is timely for leaders to use this tool in a more structured way to plan for ongoing improvement. Māori, and all learners, benefit when leaders act strategically to continually improve the school’s performance.

5 Board Assurance on Legal Requirements

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.

6 Recommendation

ERO recommends that leaders continue to develop and use effective internal evaluation for improvement and learners’ success.  

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

19 June 2024

7 Information about the kura