Te Kura o Tōrere

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 Kura o Tōrere ki te uru o Ōpōtiki. Kua hono atu ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, ā, e poipoi ana i ngā uri 25, mai i ngā tau 1 ki te 8. E whakarato ana te kura i ngā akoranga rumaki reo Māori e ahu mai ana i te Ngāi Taitanga. Nō te tau 2021 te tumuaki whakaako i whakatūngia ai, ā, koia nei tōna tūranga tumuaki tuatahi. E utu ana hoki te poari i tētahi atu kaiako tautōhito. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai 

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

E whanake ana ngā uri i tō rātou ngākau titikaha ki te whai tukuihotanga. 

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga 

E ako ana ngā uri ki tētahi taiao e whai pānga nui ana ki ngā uara o Ngāi Tai. Ko tō te whānau wawata, kia ngākau titikaha ngā uri nā tō rātou mōhio ki a rātou anō, ki tō rātou tūrangawaewae hoki. Ka whakarato ngā kaiako me te whānau i ngā whai wāhitanga ako mō ngā uri ki te toro atu ki te wāhi whānui e karapoti ana i a rātou. Ka hāngai ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga ki te mātauranga o te hapori, ā, ka taunekeneke ngā kaiako ki ngā uri mā te reo Māori. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā uri ki ngā pōhiri, hei whakapakari ake i tō rātou mōhiotanga ki ngā kawenga hei mana whenua. Ka whai pānga ngā karakia, ngā mihimihi, ngā pepehā, me ngā mōteatea ki ngā mahinga o ia rā, hei whakapakari i ngā āheinga ā-ahurea, ā-ārahitanga hoki. Ka whiwhi ngā uri i ngā wheako ako e hāpai ana i a rātou ki te whai māramatanga ki ō rātou hononga ki ētahi atu e whai pānga nui ana ki tō rātou whānau, tō rātou hapū, me tō rātou iwi. Kua pou herea ngā hononga ki te whakapapa, me te noho tahi a te tuakana me te teina. Ka ako ngā uri i tō rātou tūrangawaewae, ā, ka kitea tō rātou manawa whakahī. Ka whakaputa rātou i te whakaute, te aroha, me te whakawhirinakitanga i aua hononga hei ākonga i roto i tō rātou iwi. E whanake ana ngā uri hei kaiārahi mō Ngāi Tai ki anamata. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Me titiro wawe ki ngā mahere mō te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae o ngā uri katoa. E tohu ana ngā hōtuku waenga tau o te tau 2024, i te tokomaha o ngā uri kāhore e ahu whakamua ana mā te pāpātanga e whakatutuki ai ngā tūmanako o te kura mō te reo matatini me te pāngarau. Me titiro wawe ki te whakatakoto i ngā taumata mātauranga me te whakamahere mō te whakapai tonutanga. Kei te ngoikore aua tūāhuatanga i tēnei wā. Kāhore te mahere rautaki e tautuhi ana, e arotahi ana rānei ki ngā matea o ngā uri katoa, ki ngā wāhanga rānei o te marau e tohu ana i ngā pāhikahika. Kua tae ki te wā kia whakawhanake, kia whakatinana hoki ngā kaiārahi i tētahi mahere ka whakapai ake i te whakaako, ā, ka whakatere i te ahu whakamua a ngā uri. Me tautoko ake i ngā uri kia eke rātou ki ō rātou pūmanawa. 

Me whakapakari ake i te ārahitanga o te tikanga ako. Me whai i te ārahitanga pakari puta noa i te kura, hei hāpai i te whakapai ake i ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga. I tēnei wā, kāhore i te riterite, kāhore rānei e tino tūhonohono ana ngā aratohu ā-kura, ngā tūmanako rānei kia kounga kairangi ai te whakaako, te whakamahere, me te aromatawai. Nā tēnā, he rerekē te kounga o te whakamahere puta noa i te kura. Ko te waihanga i tētahi taiao whakaako i āta whakamaheretia ai, ā, e arotahi ana hoki ki te hiki i ngā taumata paetae - e hāpaitia ana hoki ki te ārahitanga mātauranga pakari - ka tautoko i te whiwhi a ngā uri i ngā putanga pai ake e taea ana te whakaū. 

Mai i te pūrongo arotake a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i te tau 2017, e whakawhanakehia ana te marau ā-kura, ā, kāhore anō kia whakaōkawatia. Me kōkiri Te Poumarumaru me te whānau i te whakawhanaketanga me te whakatinanatanga o te marau ā-kura, ā, me noho tēnei hei kaupapa matua. He tūāhuatanga ka hāpai i ngā kaiako ki te whai hua i roto i ngā mahi whakaako me te whakamahere tika i ngā wheako ako. Ka whakatairangatia te tuakiri o ngā uri i te wā e arahina ana ngā kaiako e tētahi marau ā-kura e āta mau ana i ngā taipitopito kōrero. 

Me titiro wawe ki ētahi āhuatanga o ngā mahi kāwana me te aromātai o roto. Ahakoa kei Te Poumarumaru te tangongitanga o ngā mōhiotanga me te tautōhito, he iti noa ngā whakangungu i whāia ai e rātou kia āta mārama ai rātou ki ō rātou tūranga me ā rātou kawenga mahi. Me aro nui ki te whakapakari me te whakatinana i ngā mahere rautaki me ngā mahere ā-tau. Kāhore he tukanga mō te arotake auau i ngā kaupapa here, ā, nā tēnā, kāhore ngā kaupapa here katoa e hāngai ana ki ngā herenga ā-ture o tēnei wā. Kei te pā tōraro ki te whakaratonga o tētahi taiao e noho haumaru ana – ā-tinana, ā-whatumanawa hoki – mō ngā uri. 

Ahakoa he tukanga ki te whakahaere i te āhua mahi me te ngaiotanga o te tumuaki, kāhore anō kia whakatakotohia tētahi huringa tupu ngaio mō ngā kaiako. He mea nui kia whakatinanahia e ngā kaiārahi o te kura tētahi tukanga e āta whakatau ana i te tautoko, i te whakapakari tonutanga anō hoki o ngā pūkenga ngaio o ngā kaimahi. Ka whai hua ngā uri i te wā e whakatairanga ana ngā pūnaha, ngā tukanga, me ngā whakaritenga i ngā putanga whai hua. 

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:

• whakawhanake – ki te taha o te tumuaki, ngā kaimahi whakaako, me te hapori o te kura – tētahi mahere rautaki e whakatakoto ana i ā rātou mahi ki te whakatinana i Ngā Kaupapa Matua ā-Motu mō te Mātauranga me te Ako, mā roto mai i ā rātou kaupapa here, i ā rātou mahere, me ā rātou hōtaka, tae atu ki te marau, te aromatawai, me te whakawhanaketanga ngaio o ngā kaimahi 
  [s138(1) me te (2) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
• whakapūmau i te haere tonutanga o tētahi hōtaka arotake whaiaro e pā ana ki ngā kaupapa here, ngā mahere, me ngā hōtaka, tae atu ki te aromātai i ngā mōhiohio aromatawai o te kounga pai mō te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae a ngā ākonga
  [s138(1) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
• whakatinana i ngā whakaritenga e tika ana mō te whakahaeretanga o ngā pūmanawa tāngata, tae atu ki te rēhitatanga o ngā kaitono katoa ka tū ki ngā tūranga whakaako, me te whiwhinga o rātou e whakaako ana i te tūranga whakaako whai-herenga
  [s599/600, s93 (1) Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020]
• whakawhanake me te whakatinana i tētahi tukanga pakari e aromatawai ai i te āhua mahi o ngā kaiako. 
  [s599 Te Ture Mātauranga me te Whakangungu 2020; me te Kirimina ā-tōpū mō te Whiwhi Mahi]

 6 Te Taunakitanga

I whakawhanakehia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, rātou ko te tumuaki, ko Te Poumarumaru te taunakitanga e whai ake nei, arā, kia:

• whakaraupapahia, kia whakawhanakehia tētahi mahere mahi mā te tautoko hoki o Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, hei whakatutuki i ngā wāhanga herenga ā-ture me ngā whakaritenga matua i whakaraupapahia ai ki tēnei pūrongo. 

Rita Walker
Toka ā Nuku Whakakapi 
Te Uepū-a-Motu – Māori Services

30 Whiringa-ā-nuku 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. This report reflects their systems, operations and management practices. ERO’s reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi. 

2 Context 

Te Kura o Tōrere is located east of Opotiki. The kura is affiliated to Ngā-Kura-a-Iwi Incorporated and caters for 25 uri from Years 1-8. The kura provides total immersion learning that is based in Ngāi Taitanga. The first-time teaching tumuaki was appointed 2021. The Board funds a second experienced kaiako. 

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do uri demonstrate they are culturally and academically independent? 

Uri are developing their confidence to be culturally autonomous.

4 Findings

Uri learn in an environment that reflects Ngāi Tai values. Whānau aspire for uri to be confident in knowing who they are and where they come from. Kaiako and whānau provide learning opportunities for uri to experience their local surroundings. Teaching and learning draw on local knowledge, and kaiako interactions with uri are in te reo Māori. Uri participate in pōhiri to build their knowledge of mana whenua responsibilities. Karakia, mihimihi, pepehā and mōteatea are a part of the daily routine to strengthen uri cultural and leadership capabilities. Uri learning experiences assists them to understand how they connect to others who are an integral part of their whānau, hapū and iwi. Relationships are underpinned by whakapapa and tuākana teina relationships. Uri learn about and show pride in their tūrangawaewae. They show respect, aroha and trust for those connections as learners within their iwi. Uri are developing as future Ngāi Tai leaders.

Key Next Steps

Planning for the progress and achievement of all uri requires immediate attention. The mid-year data for 2024 shows that many uri are not progressing at the required rate to meet kura expectations in te reo matatini and pāngarau. Academic target setting and planning for improvement requires urgent attention. Currently these lack rigour. The strategic plan does not identify or focus on all uri needs or curriculum areas where disparities occur. It is time for leaders to develop and implement a plan to improve teaching and accelerate uri progress. Uri require further support to reach their potential. 

Pedagogical leadership requires strengthening. There is a need for strong leadership across the kura to support improvements to teaching and learning. Currently there are no consistent or coherent schoolwide guidelines or expectations for high quality teaching, planning and assessment practices. As a result, planning across the kura is of variable quality. Creating a well-planned teaching environment that is focused on lifting achievement levels and guided by strong educational leadership should support uri to experience improved and sustainable outcomes. 

The marau ā kura has been in development since ERO’s 2017 review report and is yet to be formalised. The poumarumaru and whānau need to progress the development and implementation of the marau ā kura as a priority. This should support effective teaching practice and appropriately planned learning experiences. Uri learning is enhanced when kaiako are guided by an explicit marau ā kura. 

Aspects of governance and internal evaluation require urgent attention. While the poumarumaru bring a range of knowledge and experience to the role, they have undertaken limited training to understand their roles and responsibilities. Strengthening and implementing strategic and annual planning should be prioritised. A process of regular policy review is not in place, consequently not all policies align to current legislation. The provision of a safe physical and emotional environment for uri is being compromised. 

While there is a process in place to manage the performance and professional practice of the tumuaki, a professional growth cycle process is not in place for kaiako. It is imperative that the kura leadership implement a process to ensure kaiako professional capabilities are supported and further strengthened. Uri benefit when systems, processes and practices promote positive outcomes. 

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: 

• with the principal, teaching staff, and school’s community develop a strategic plan which documents how they are giving effect to the National Education and Learning Priorities through their policies, plans and programmes, including curriculum, assessment and staff professional development  
  [Section 138(1) and (2) Education & Training Act 2020]  
• maintain an on-going programme of self-review in relation to the above policies, plans and programmes, including evaluation of good quality assessment information on student progress and achievement 
  [Section 138(1) Education & Training Act 2020]
• ensure suitable human resource management practices are implemented, including all applicants appointed to teaching positions being registered and those employed to teach are holders of a limited authority to teach
  [Section 599/600, section 93(1) Education and Training Act 2020]
• develop and implement a robust process for assessing the performance of teachers.
  [Section 599 Education and Training Act 2020; and Collective Employment Agreement]

6 Recommendation

ERO, the tumuaki and the poumarumaru developed the following recommendation:

• to prioritise and develop a working plan, with the support of Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi, to address the areas of non-compliance and key next steps outlined in this report.

Rita Walker 
Toka-ā-Nuku – Acting Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

30 October 2024

7 Information about the kura