Te Kura o Tuahiwi

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 10 months of the Education Review Office and Te Kura o Tuahiwi 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 Kura o Tuahiwi is located in North Canterbury. It provides bilingual education for ākonga from years 1 to 8, including some in Level 1 te reo Māori immersion. The school’s values of manaakitanga, rangatiratanga, whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, ūkaipōtanga, and puawaitanga guide learning and school culture. A first-time tumuaki |principal has led the school since term 4 of 2022.

Te Kura o Tuahiwi’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:

• to develop a local curriculum that broadens experience to give ākonga greater understanding of te ao through a kaupapa Māori lens
• that ākonga and their whānau are equipped with the tools to shape their own wellbeing
• to grow strong, confident ākonga, to develop and enhance future leaders.

A copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan can be requested from Te Kura o Tuahiwi.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the impact of their hauora initiative on student wellbeing and achievement.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school is:

• using a te ao Māori understanding of hauora to align learning outcomes and pastoral care to support its ākonga, kaimahi, and community
• revising and localising its curriculum so learning is underpinned by hauora.

The school expects to see improved whakatau mauri and ākonga achievement across the curriculum.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to evaluate the impact of their hauora initiative on student wellbeing and achievement:

• consultation with whānau shows strong support for building hauora as a priority for the school
• the school knows the strengths and needs of each ākonga through tracking and using achievement data systematically to measure progress and to plan next steps
• kaimahi co-constructed agreed ways of working, Ngā Tikanga Matatika, to align kura values, improve consistency of practice, and to shape curriculum development
• the developing Korowai of Support pastoral care system is underpinning and informing the hauora initiative.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

• kaimahi, whānau, and ākonga collaboratively establishing a consistent hauora framework across the school to underpin learning and pastoral care, to align with the school’s values and a new graduate profile
• encapsulating te Ao Māori, as well as incorporating feedback and aspirations of ākonga and whanau, in a reviewed curriculum which defines clear progressions for learning
• targeted professional learning to continue to enhance capacity in te reo Māori, hauora, and leadership.

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

28 August 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

This school has bilingual Māori immersion classes at levels 1, 2, and 3.