Peterhead School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report 

Background

This Profile Report was written within 24 months of the Education Review Office and Te Whai Hiringa working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context 

Te Whai Hiringa is located in Pāharakeke (Flaxmere), Hastings in the rohe of Ngāti Kahungunu. The school has ākonga in Years 1 to 8. The name Te Whai Hiringa originates from the whakatauki: whakarongo mai, e tama. Kotahi tonu te hiringa i kake ai Tane ki Tikitiki-o-rangi; ko te hiringa i te mahara.
The school pepeha:  Ko Māramatanga te maunga, Ko Manaakitanga te moana, Ko Whānaungatanga te waka underpins the school’s curriculum, aligned to the Ngāti Kahungunu Mātauranga Refresh Strategy.  

The school’s kete values are - māramatanga: aspirations as a firm foundation; manaakitanga: an ocean that touches the shorelines of all cultures; whānaungatanga: the journey of connections.

Te Whai Hiringa’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• developing and implementing an indigenised framework for tākaro (play) that is underpinned by Kahungunutanga
• develop an indigenised, local curriculum that is underpinned by the Ngāti Kahungunu Mātauranga Refresh Strategy
• develop an environment where ākonga are empowered by their identity.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Te Whai Hiringa’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which culturally sustaining teaching practices promote improved progress and achievement for excellent and equitable outcomes for all ākonga.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:

• continue to improve equity and excellence in learning outcomes for all ākonga
• embed effective teaching through relational and culturally sustained practice to support learning and wellbeing.

The school expects to see:

• positive wellbeing and improved learning outcomes for all ākonga, with Māori achieving success as Māori
• continuous improvement in effective teaching practice embedded within an inclusive learning climate.

Strengths 

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal for culturally sustaining teaching practices for improved and equitable and excellent outcomes:

• leadership prioritises and plans for continuous improvement to promote equitable and excellent outcomes
• established reciprocal partnerships with mana whenua, iwi, whānau and community, including the Pacific community, to support positive learner outcomes
• an inclusive learning climate that develops and supports ākonga in their language, culture and identity through indigenising learning experiences and empowering them.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• strengthening school conditions and practices that continue to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• strengthening culturally sustaining practices that build consistency in effective teacher practice to improve outcomes for ākonga
• building capacity and capability to strengthen and refine the indigenised localised curriculum
• critically reflecting on a range of assessments and data use, to best inform teaching and learning to support ākonga agency and promote achievement.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years. 

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

12 December 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home