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E tū ana Te Kura o Kokohuia ki te hapori o Castlecliff, ki Whanganui. E whakarato ana te kura i te mātauranga rumaki reo Māori ki ngā ākonga o ngā tau 1 ki te 15. I tēnei wā, 126 ngā ākonga o te kura, heoi anō rā, kua tino piki ake tēnei i te 56 o ngā ākonga i te kura i te arotake o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga. Ko te tuakiri me te waiora o ngā ākonga e hono pū ana ki te awa o Whanganui, arā, Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au. Ka mahi ngātahi te poari me ngā kaiārahi o te kura ki te whakahāngai i tā rātou marau ki te mahere mātauranga o te iwi.

2 Ngā Putanga ki ngā Ākonga

E rumakina ana ngā ākonga ki te Whanganuitanga. E hāngai ana te kiko me ngā horopaki o ngā akoranga ki te tirohanga o te whānau, o te hapū, o te iwi. E whakapūmau ana te marau ā-kura i te whakahirahiratanga o te awa o Whanganui me te marae. Kua whakahāngaitia te marau ā-kura ki te mahere rautaki a ngā iwi o Whanganui me Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Ko ngā mātauranga, ko ngā taonga tuku iho, ko te hītori me ngā wāhi motuhake i te awa, he wheako akoranga katoa e pā nui ana ki te tuakiri o ngā ākonga. Ka tūhura ngā ākonga i ngā horopaki ako e whakatairanga ana i tō rātou mōhiotanga ki ā rātou kawenga ā-ahurea, ā-pāpori hoki. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā ākonga ki ngā kaupapa o te takiwā e noho whakahirahira ana ki tō rātou iwi. Ka whakanui ngā ākonga i tō rātou tū ki te kura, ki te hapori, ki te hapū, ki te iwi.

E ako ana ngā ākonga ki te taiao e mau ai te manaakitanga, te mahi ngātahi, te whakakotahitanga. He mārama ngā tūmanako mo te āhua o te mahi ngātahi a ngā ākonga me ngā kaiako mā te tukanga ako. Ka kitea te tautoko mo te noho tahi a te tuakana me te teina, puta noa i te kura. Ka manaaki, ka tautoko hoki rātou, tētahi i tētahi. E ākina ana ngā ākonga, kia ārahi rātou i ngā tikanga o ia rā, o ia rā, puta noa i te kura, he pērā i ngā karakia. Ka whakanui, ka whakamihi anō hoki ngā kaiako i ngā mahi angitu a ngā ākonga. Ka kitea e ngā ākonga te whakatairangatanga nui o ngā uara o te kura, hei āhuatanga tonu o ō rātou akoranga i te kura, ā, i tō rātou hapori hoki.

E hāpaitia ana ngā ākonga kia kōrero rātou i te reo Māori. He kaha te whakamahinga o te reo o Whanganui hei reo whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ki te kura, ā, e whakamāoriori ana i te reo ā-iwi ki ō rātou akoranga me te kura. Ka kitea te māia o ngā ākonga ki te whakamahi i ō rātou pūkenga reo ki te kōrerorero me te tautohetohe i ngā kaupapa, ā, ki te whakapuaki anō hoki i ō rātou whakaaro ki ētahi atu. E whakamahi ana ngā kaiako i ngā rautaki papai e whakawhānui ake ai i ngā puna kupu, e hāpai ai hoki i te māia o ngā ākonga ki te pānui me te tuhi i te reo Māori. E whanake ana te māia o ngā ākonga ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.

Ka aroturukitia, ka whāia hoki te ako o ngā ākonga. Ka whakamahi ngā kaiako i ngā momo huarahi aromatawai hei kohikohi, hei māhitihiti i ngā paetae ākonga mā te poari me te whānau. Kei te tino mōhio rātou ki ā rātou ākonga, ā, ka whakamahia ngā paetae i ia tau, i ia tau, hei tāutu i ngā rōpū o ngā ākonga hei hāpai ake tonu i roto i ngā akoranga. Ko te whakapiki ake i te māia o ngā ākonga i roto i ngā akoranga – mā te akiaki i a rātou ki te whakatakoto haere i ā rātou whāinga ako – e hāpai ana i a rātou ki te āta whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro mō tō rātou akoranga. Kei te āta hāpaitia te ako ngaio me te whakawhanaketanga ngaio o ngā kaiako.

Ko ngā paetae ākonga tētahi kaupapa matua tonu ki te kura. Whiwhi nahanaha ai te poari i ngā pūrongo a te tumuaki mō ngā paetae me te ahunga whakamua o ngā ākonga. Kua ahu whakamua, kua pai ake ngā paetae, engari me pūmau ake, me hāngai ake hoki ngā mahi hei āta kōkiri i ngā paetae ākonga e pā ana ki te reo matatini me te pāngarau. Ko tētahi āhuatanga matua hei whakatutuki, ko te whakahāngaitanga o ngā mahi e whakaritea ai ki ngā hanga ake e matea ana i ngā ākonga me ngā rōpū ākonga i tāutuhia ai. Kei te pai haere ngā paetae e pā ana ki Te Tohu Mātauranga. Kua arotahi ngā kaimahi ki te whakapakari ake i ngā pūnaha me ngā whakaritenga o roto hei hāpai i ngā akoranga me ngā whakatutukitanga ki te wharekura. E tino tautokona ana ngā huarahi mō ngā ākonga o ngā wharekura mo muri ake nei.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka Whai Ake

Hei hāpai ake i ngā whakawhanake tonutanga ki te kura, me tahuri te tumuaki me ngā kaimahi ki te:

• whakatairanga i ngā tukanga e pā ana ki te tātari me te pūrongo i ngā mōhiohio o ngā paetae ākonga
• whakarite i ngā aratohu aromatawai mō ngā taumata i whakawhanakehia ai i roto i te marau ā-kura
• whakapakari i te aromātai o te marau ā-kura hei tāutu i ngā wāhanga e whai hua ana, me ngā wāhanga hoki hei whakapai tonu.

3 Te Arotake Whaiaro me te Ārahitanga

He pai te mahi ngātahi a te poari me ngā kaiārahi o te kura hei painga mō ngā ākonga. He aronga nui ki te wawata mo te kura, me te paetawhiti o te kura. Kua whakatinanahia e te poari tētahi huringa arotake e aroturuki ana, e arotake ana hoki i ngā āhuatanga matua o ngā mahi whakahaere ki te kura. Ko te whakatairanga ake i ngā paetae ākonga tētahi aronga matua a ngā kaiārahi o te kura me te poari. Kua whakaū tonu te tumuaki i ngā tino hononga ki waenga i te kura, ki tōna hapori hoki.

Kei te pakari ngā pātuitanga ki te whānau. Ka whakapau kaha tūroa nei kia ū ai te whai kawenga a te katoa ki te mātauranga o ngā ākonga. E whakapūmau tonu ana te poari i ngā tino hononga ki Whanganui me te awa, mā te whakawhanaketanga me te whakatinanatanga o te marau ā-kura e pā ana ki te hapori. He maha ngā āhuatanga papai o te kura i piki ake o te tatauranga tamariki ki te kura i roto i ngā tau tata kua pahure ake nei.

4 Te Whakatau a te Poari ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I mua atu i te whakahaerenga o te arotake i whakatutukihia e te poari me te tumuaki he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a te Whānau mā Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, me tētahi Rārangi Arowhai Tātari Whaiaro. I roto i ēnei 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 o te hauora, o te haumaru, o te oranga tinana
• ngā whakahaere o ngā kaimahi
• ngā whakahaere o te pūtea
• ngā whakahaere o ngā rawa me ngā taonga.

I te wā o te arotake, 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 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
• te rēhitatanga o ngā kaiako
• ngā tukanga ki te whakatū kaimahi
• te whakaunu, te aukati, te pana me te whakarerenga
• te tae ā-tinana atu a ngā ākonga ki te kura
• te whakatutuki i ngā herenga ā-ture e pā ana ki te Children’s Act 2014.

5 Ngā Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia tahuri te poari, te tumuaki, me ngā kaiako ki te:

• toro atu ki te tautoko me te ārahitanga e tika ana mo te tumuaki me ngā kaiako, i roto i ā rātou mahi ki te whakapakari ake i te aronga hei whakatairanga i te kounga o te mātauranga mā ngā ākonga katoa
• whakapakari tonu i te ārahitanga ngaio me te kāwanatanga i te kura.

Te Whakarāpopototanga

Nā ngā whakaaturanga o tēnei arotake, ko tā Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga whakataunga aromātai whānui mō te āhua o ngā mahi a Te Kura o Kokohuia ki te whakatutuki i ngā putanga e whai hua ai mō ngā ākonga, e mea ana: kei te whakawhanakehia.

Gloria Takuira

Acting Toka ā-nuku

09 Hōngongoi, 2019

1 Context

Te Kura o Kokohuia is located in the suburb of Castlecliff in Whanganui. The kura provides Māori medium education for students from Years 1 to 15. There are 126 students attending the kura which is a significant increase from 56 students at the time of the previous ERO review. The identity and wellbeing of students is strongly associated to the Whanganui river: Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au. The board of trustees and kura leaders work collectively to align their curriculum to the education plan of the local iwi.

2 Student Outcomes

Students are immersed in Whanganuitanga. Learning content and contexts reflect the vision for whānau, hapū and iwi. The kura curriculum reinforces the importance of the Whanganui river and the marae. There is alignment of the kura curriculum to the Whanganui iwi strategic plan and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Local knowledge, traditions, history and significant places along the river provide learning experiences for students that are relevant to who they are. Students explore learning contexts that raise their awareness of their cultural and social responsibilities. Students participate in local events that are significant to their iwi. Students acknowledge their place in the kura, community, hapū and iwi.

Students learn in a caring, collaborative and inclusive environment. There are clear expectations for how students and teachers will work together through the learning process. The support for tuākana and tēina relationships is evident in the kura. They show care and support for each other. Students are encouraged to lead daily practices across the kura such as karakia. Teachers celebrate and acknowledge students’ successes. Students see the values of the kura actively promoted as part of their learning within the kura and in their community.

Students are supported to speak te reo Maori. The use of the Whanganui dialect is prominent as the language of communication within the kura, and normalises the presence of the dialect in their learning and the kura. Students demonstrate confidence in their language skills to discuss and debate topics and to share their ideas with others. Teachers use good strategies to increase vocabulary and support students to be confident readers and writers of Māori. Students are developing as confident speakers of te reo Māori.

Students’ learning is monitored and tracked. Teachers use a range of assessment tools to gather and collate student achievement information for the board of trustees and whānau. They know their students well and achievement information is used each year to identify groups of students who require extra learning support. Increasing students’ confidence in learning by encouraging them to set learning goals supports them to talk meaningfully about their learning. Professional learning and development for teachers is well supported.

Student achievement remains a priority within the kura. The board of trustees receive regular reports from the principal about student achievement and progress. There has been some progress and improvement in achievement, however sustained and more targeted action is required to accelerate student achievement in literacy and numeracy. It is critical that planned actions are focussed on the specific needs of identified students and groups of students. Achievement in NCEA is improving. Staff have focussed on strengthening internal systems and practices to support learning and achievement in the wharekura. Future pathways for wharekura students are well supported.

Key Next Steps

To support ongoing developments within the kura, the principal and staff should:

• enhance processes for the analysis and reporting of student achievement information

• establish assessment guidelines for the standards developed within the kura curriculum

• strengthen evaluation of the kura curriculum to identify areas of success and areas for ongoing improvement.

3 Self Review and Leadership

The board of trustees and kura leaders work well together for the benefit of students. There is a strong commitment to the vision and future of the kura. The board of trustees has implemented a review cycle to monitor and review key aspects of kura operations. Raising student achievement is a strong focus for kura leaders and the board of trustees. The principal has maintained strong connections within the kura and its community.

Partnerships with whānau are strong. There is a continued effort to maintain shared ownership and responsibility for the educational welfare of students. The board of trustees continues to uphold the strong connections to Whanganui and the river through the development and implementation of the localised kura curriculum. There are many positive aspects to the kura which have contributed to an increase in the roll over recent years.

4 Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the evaluation, the board of trustees and principal completed the 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:

• board administration

• curriculum

• management of health, safety and welfare

• personnel management

• financial management

• asset management.

During the evaluation, 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-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

• attendance

• compliance with the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

5 Recommendations

ERO recommends that the board of trustees, principal and kaiako:

• seek support and targeted guidance for the principal and kaiako to strengthen the focus on raising the quality of education for all students
• continue to strengthen professional leadership and school governance.

Conclusion

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO ‘s overall evaluation judgement of the performance of Te Kura o Kokohuia in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Developing.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

Gloria Takuira

Acting Toka ā-nuku

9 July 2019