Education Gazette 101.1

7 FEBRUARY 2022 | VOL. 101 | NO. 1

Nurturing new beginnings Poipoia te kākano, kia puawai New dawn for Māori leadership

PLD for kaiako, by kaiako

Laying the foundations of change in Marlborough

Is your school an awesome place for students?

How does your school contribute to the vision to make Aotearoa NZ the ‘best place in the world for children and young people’?

What would your students say?

Student Wellbeing Measures Project The Ministry of Education is undertaking a Student Wellbeing Measures project that commences in phase 1 with actively listening to the voice of students and ākonga to understand what ‘student wellbeing’ looks like for students in schools across Aotearoa NZ. This information will help us develop a consistent set of measures of student wellbeing that may be used to support schools to monitor, respond and improve student wellbeing.

Students in Years 7-13 are invited to directly engage in this project to have their say. This period of engagement will be open from November 2021 to the end of Term 1 2022.

Schools are invited to support student engagement through Ministry provided in-class and online learning options.

Class handbooks and resources are provided.

Please contact the Project Team at edkstudent.measures@education.govt.nz or directly indicate your school’s interest and order your resources here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MOEWellbeingfeedback

ISSU E 1 01 .1

Contents Spotlight on education changes

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Laying foundations for change in Marlborough

10

A new dawn for transformative Māori leadership

14

Partnerships with whānau build trust and belonging

4

20

PLD for kaiako, by kaiako

24

Maunga at the centre of local histories mahi

30

100 years on – Te Kura is as relevant as ever

34

Tuakiritanga: encouraging identity and pride in Wairoa

10

14

36

Reframing learning in Ōtaki College maara

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Travelling the motu to unpack pay equity needs for the education workforce

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Education outside classroom expands horizons

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7 FEBRUARY 2022 | VOL. 101 | NO. 1

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Raising the bar for tourism education

Nurturing new beginnings

On the cover Page 4: Mary-Jeanne Lynch, John Kendal and Nicky Cameron-Dunn are looking forward to the transformation and opportunities that the rebuild and relocation of their three Blenheim schools will provide for the Marlborough region.

Poipoia te kākano, kia puawai New dawn for Māori leadership

PLD for kaiako, by kaiako

Laying the foundations of change in Marlborough

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E D UCATION GA ZET TE ON LI N E

Read: Effective mentoring practices for secondary teachers Ngā tikanga whakaaweawe a te kaiārahi mō ngā kaiako kura tuarua ki Aotearoa. A new professional development initiative is being launched to target the needs of secondary kaiako in New Zealand who are mentoring others.

Listen: Ākonga thrive with te ao Māori class In partnership with Ngāti Kauwhata, Feilding High School has given ākonga the opportunity to delve deeper into the history and mōhiotanga/knowledge of all things tikanga Māori and te ao Māori.

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STORY IDEAS We welcome your story ideas.

Please email a brief (50-100 words) outline to: reporter@edgazette.govt.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS eleni.hilder@nzme.co.nz VIEW US ONLINE Web: gazette.education.govt.nz Instagram: @edgazettenz Youtube: youtube.com/ edgazettenewzealand

KEY CONTACTS Reporter Joy Stephens reporter@edgazette.govt.nz Display & paid advertising Jill Parker 027 212 9277 jill.parker@nzme.co.nz Vacancies & notices listings Eleni Hilder 04 915 9796 vacancies@edgazette.govt.nz notices@edgazette.govt.nz

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Ngā mihi o te tau hou Pākehā Joy Stephens is an integral part of the Education Gazette team as our senior reporter. Here she is working on the article ‘Reframing learning in Ōtaki College maara’ which you can read on page 36.

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oipoia te kākano, kia puawai. Nurture the seed, and it will blossom. It’s a whakataukī that resonates with the overarching themes in this first issue of the year: growth, leadership, strong foundations, transformation, and the past as a seed to a blossoming future. For many tumuaki and kaiako, this year is a chance to nurture and progress many new beginnings in learning and curriculum, in infrastructure, in professional leadership and development, in identity and belonging, and as true Te Tiriti partners.

You will see that reflected in this issue, with stories about a complex infrastructure project in Marlborough that goes well beyond buildings, two new transformative development programmes for Māori leaders, an identity project in Wairoa which led to improved engagement, a maunga at the centre of local histories mahi in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, early learning kaiako in Ōtautahi Christchurch strengthening partnerships with whānau, and more.

This year also brings fresh challenges as we enter a new chapter of the pandemic and adapt our approach as we respond to Omicron.

Thus far, you have been incredibly resilient, resourceful, and relentlessly passionate, and I look forward to sharing more of your inspiring mahi across Education Gazette to inspire and inform the wider sector.

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui Sarah, chief editor

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7 February 2022

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I N FRASTRUCTU RE

Laying foundations for change in Marlborough The Ministry of Education’s largest and most complex relocation and rebuild project will result in significant transformation for three schools in Blenheim.

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he co-location of Marlborough Girls’ College (MGC) and Marlborough Boys’ College (MBC) to a new shared campus, and the relocation of Bohally Intermediate to the existing Boys’ College site has been named Te Tātoru o Wairau by local iwi to represent three strands (kura) woven and working together.

In 2015, the Marlborough community opted for a co-located secondary school model on a green-fields site.

By 2018, when a suitable site could not be found, the

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decision was made to use the current Girls’ College and Bohally Intermediate sites for the co-location.

While it has taken some years to get to the current master planning stage, MBC deputy principal Michael Heath says that has been a real positive. He has been supporting the work around co-location since 2016 and is currently involved in prototyping innovation and change management for the boys’ college.

“We’ve made the most of the time and have been able to question what we think we need for the future and take groups around the country to visit different schools as part of the original writing of the brief.

“At the beginning I was a bit sceptical that we might lose some of the history and tradition if we move. But

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Marlborough College was a co-educational high school until 1963, when it became Marlborough Boys’ College and the separate Marlborough Girls’ College was established.

“It’s really about putting down the groundwork for the future of quality teaching and learning at the college, building confidence amongst our staff about change, and building leadership capacity...”

Mary-Jeanne Lynch

very quickly, I could see that the opportunities were massive and that we could still maintain some of that history and tradition,” he says.

Defining co-location

Working with Jo Chamberlain, deputy principal at MGC at the time, Michael says that quite early on it was decided to write one education brief for both schools around how co-location would look in Marlborough.

“The Ministry has really allowed us to define what co-location means for Blenheim. In Christchurch, where parents have more options, Avonside Girls’ High School and Shirley Boys’ High School are co-located single sex schools.

But in Blenheim, there are no co-ed options.

7 February 2022

“There are people in the community who want co-ed, or more social opportunities for boys and girls to interact in that age group. Our co-location is about getting the best of single-sex classroom learning, but the campus will be integrated,” says Michael.

Best of both worlds

MGC principal Mary-Jeanne Lynch has been in the role since 2018 and MBC principal John Kendal (Tapuika of Te Arawa) joined the school at the beginning of 2021.

They are both excited at how the rebuild and co-location opportunities will lead them into the future. The combined rolls of the two schools will be around 2,500 students, with further projected roll growth.

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Mary-Jeanne was deputy principal at Avonside Girls’ High School in Christchurch and involved in leading their co-location and rebuild mahi. She explains that her vision for co-location is that they are two schools on one campus, and suggests that the question, ‘are you two separate schools, or one big co-ed school?’ is a binary approach.

“I’m into the notion that co-location provides an awesome opportunity to be ‘both, and’. We’re both single sex schools providing girls-only and boys-only learning for our students; AND we also provide the opportunity for co-ed socialisation,” she adds.

John agrees. “There will be lots of opportunities for cross-over. Our whānau areas within the school will be separate, but we know that in the senior school, as we look to prepare our students for life beyond secondary school, we want them to be able to work effectively with the opposite gender, because that’s what we get in the real world.”

Currently some students can study some subjects at the other school across town, but the shared campus will offer students increased access to curriculum options, resources and specialist teachers.

“Subjects like foreign languages will become more viable because there will be a 2,000-plus student pool,” says Michael.

“The other quite exciting areas are things like technology. It will be exciting to offer a range of technology pathways to both girls and boys. At the Tradition and history will still be valued in the new co-located schools.

Michael Heath (right) with Peter and Jenny Olliver, who have nine decades of teaching between them, two thirds of which were at MBC.

moment, if a girl wants to do engineering, she has to come to Boys’ College to do it, which is a bit of a barrier, so it will be easier for that sort of inter-change to take place,” he says.

Flexible learning environments

While the secondary schools have previously run on more traditional lines largely dictated by the architecture of single cell classrooms, the new builds will catapult the kura into 21st Century pedagogies.

The education and design briefs will feature flexible learning environments with more opportunities for collaborative and cross-curricular teaching.

In the past few years, both schools have been developing cross-curricular programmes in their junior schools, with teachers at MGC designing new integrated context-based courses and teaching collaboratively.

“We will continue to have ongoing PLD for staff around collaborative planning and teaching, how to plan cross-curricular, or integrated courses and looking at differentiation and how to meet all of the needs of learners. We’re using the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) framework to underpin that,” says Mary-Jeanne.

The two schools have been aligning policies at Board level and staff members from both schools are involved in Te Tātoru o Wairau work streams which include operations, school culture and curriculum. Timetables have been aligned and the schools share some common systems and structures.

Whānau-based model

Wellbeing and pastoral care are key to the vision for the new schools, which will be designed around a whānaubased model. The built environment will feature dedicated spaces for each house, or whānau group, with students doing some learning in these spaces.

“Our focus is on the pastoral space,” explains John.

“We know, traditionally, that if you come here as a Year 9, the transition from intermediate to secondary school can be somewhat daunting; so we’re wanting to break those barriers down.

“We want to ensure that through a whānau system, we’ve got that tuakana teina. We’ll have a family-based grouping from Year 9–13. We believe that will have a lot of positive outcomes for our boys and that creates that brotherhood that makes things hum,” he says.

Mary-Jeanne believes that creating a whānau setting for learning will ensure ākonga have a sense of belonging and feel that their culture and identity is valued.

“If we have a campus of up to 3,000 students, it’s going to be so easy for some to get lost. We are trying to achieve that personalised, family culture so that every student is supported and honoured; their progression is supported, and they don’t get lost,” she says.

Master planning

Master planning for the new campuses will begin this year.

New layouts will be developed for the three schools and building locations and cultural features will be finalised.

The new co-located colleges will have a combined floor area of more than 22,700m2. Nearly 130 teaching spaces

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Iwi partnerships enhance biculturalism For local iwi – Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toa, Rangitāne and Ngāti Kuia – Te Tātoru o Wairau is a golden opportunity to make a difference in education in Wairau Blenheim, says Michelle Lavender, pou ārahi/operations manager for Ngāti Rārua.

“We’re very excited about it. Most people engaged in the project are super-keen to learn and be part of the process. We really think it will become an exemplar for schools in Aotearoa going forward – ways that you can work together.

Speaking on behalf of the iwi working group, Michelle says group members look at the project as being more than just constructing some buildings.

“When you sit with a teacher or administrator and have a conversation about ‘what’s important to us as Māori?’ they can reflect on that and realise that’s important to them too; we’re not different at all,” she says.

“For us, it’s a chance to really influence the way that education is delivered here to encourage those better outcomes that we have wanted for our Māori children for a long, long time,” she says.

“In the last 12 months we have got on board with our mātauranga work stream, working with all our iwi, particularly the mana whenua of this area, and they want their tamariki to know the purākāu stories of this area. If you don’t truly embed the histories and stories of local mana whenua and Māori, it just becomes a tick-box exercise,” adds John.

Strategic goals Michelle says that each of the eight iwi in Marlborough have slightly different strategic goals, but they all aspire to the same objective: their tamariki having choices.

“We all want them to receive an education, formal or informal, that will set them up to succeed in life. That aspiration hasn’t changed over the last 100 plus years. It’s making sure that our school environments are conducive to that for our kids – they need to be places where Māori students see themselves, where they feel safe,” she says.

Te Tātoru o Wairau has removed barriers to engagement between iwi and the schools and Michelle says that already the working group is setting up opportunities where teachers can learn from iwi experts who have rich skill sets and knowledge.

Cultural practice A local iwi member has been interviewing experts in each of the iwi and is writing a cultural narrative, which the working group hopes will be a jumping off point, not only incorporated into the building design, but also for teachers to use as curriculum resources. The narrative will be made available to all schools in the region.

Iwi are also hoping that the kōrero happening as a result of the building project will provide them with opportunities to share their cultural practices with the schools.

“When we look at a lot of our cultural practices, they’re all about grounding people, about being grateful. The whole reason we start a meeting with a karakia is so that people can leave all the other stuff from their day at the door and come into the space and be really focused.

“If we give time and importance to those things in our schools, we think our students will become more grounded and that behaviour will improve. We want people to use our practices, but to also use them to explore their own cultures,” explains Michelle.

“Having that shared cultural narrative will make it easier for students transitioning from school to school. If we also have the backing of the iwi, we know that the cultural stories that we are sharing are correct and true,” adds Nicky.

The colleges’ principals and local iwi are working in partnership on the project. From left: Te Kenehi Teira (representing the four iwi involved in the project), Mary-Jeanne Lynch, John Kendal and Michelle Lavender.

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Faces of the future: teachers from both colleges (from left) Hamish Mckerrow (Ngai Te Rangi), Alex Murdoch, Jenny Pullin, Louisa King (Ngāti Kahungunu), Maisie Blackwood, Blair Cameron.

will provide capacity for 2,500 ākonga across the two kura, and future combined roll growth will also be considered.

A timeframe has not yet been established for this complex project which will be managed by Te Tumu consortium – 12 specialist companies led by Naylor Love.

Nicky Cameron-Dunn, principal of Bohally Intermediate, says that the biggest community concern is around how the project will cause the least disruption to ākonga and their learning.

Scott Evans, infrastructure and digital hautū at the Ministry of Education, explains that master planning considers ways to minimise disruption to teaching and learning during construction and relocation of the kura.

“The requirement to completely rebuild three kura on two campuses, while still operating fully functioning kura on those sites, makes this a highly complex project.

The Ministry, iwi and kura remain committed to ensuring that teaching and learning isn’t heavily disrupted during construction,” he says.

Logistics

“At this stage, it’s really about putting down the groundwork for the future of quality teaching and learning, and building confidence amongst our staff about change, and building leadership capacity amongst all of

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our staff,” says Mary-Jeanne.

With an enormous task ahead of them, she explains that the leadership team needs to problem-solve and maintain high quality teaching and learning for all ākonga now, but with a future focus, so that when a new building is ready, the schools are ready for change.

John adds that it will be exciting once they have done the master plan, to give the community something to see.

“The Ministry of Education has been very good at recognising that this is an educational transformation project, rather than a building project, and that the human side of it is the make-or-break side of it.

“We are conscious of the fact that we have to operate while the project is underway and Te Tumu are exploring the best options for the way that they phase and stage it which will minimise disruption,” he concludes.

For more about the project, see tetatoruowairau.nz

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Unique and authentic Te reo Māori and kapa haka have traditionally been a strength of the school, and Nicky is excited that this year a bilingual class will be re-introduced.

She is working closely with iwi and the ‘awesome’ Te Tumu design team to ensure that ākonga Māori see themselves in the new school.

“Iwi want their students to flourish – ultimately they will become future leaders not only of iwi corporations but globally also. We have that joint vision for ākonga Māori and high expectations for all our learners,” she says.

Nicky explains that Bohally is working closely with iwi on the project so that the new facility will have a unique and authentic identity.

“I would hate someone to pull up to our school and think that it could be anywhere in New Zealand. We want it to have a real connection to our landscape and local stories through the iwi, so it makes it a bit more grounded and special.”

Technology centre

Nicky Cameron-Dunn.

Future-proofing Bohally Intermediate

The Marlborough Technology Centre has been in the grounds of Bohally since the 1990s and the purpose-built facility is much loved by staff and students. It’s likely it will be relocated.

“It is beautiful but there’s no reason that we can’t create something just as great on a new site. We just have to have an open mind that whatever we end up with will be great and future-proof us for another 30, 40, 50 years,” Nicky concludes.

Bohally Intermediate principal, Nicky Cameron-Dunn (Ngāi Tahu), has taught in Marlborough for 33 years and is excited to be involved with a project that will meet the needs of early adolescents in the district in a future-focused way.

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“We will end up with something that is part of us, not something that is just given to us and that we’re moving into,” she says.

Nicky likes the concept of developing flexible learning spaces in the new school and explains why.

“I think there’s been a wave of designing around open plan, big multipurpose rooms with lots of kids. The research I have done for this age group is that it isn’t ideal for all learners. I’m looking at a more flexible learning model – that you’ve got the ability to work in smaller groups and still have the ability to open up for collaboration when you need to.

“We know that our students at this age are trying to find new relationships with adults they can trust and having smaller groups with one teacher increases that relationship and trust model. I’m not against open plan, but not all of our students are self-managing and they’re even less so when they’re going through puberty. Putting them in an environment where they have to be self-managing can set them up for failure,” she says.

Currently, Bohally teachers work collaboratively in five hubs, or whare, each consisting of four classes. Nicky says this teaching and learning model will be taken to the new school with each whare having a unique identity.

“It’s the model of open plan learning, but we’re also allowing teachers to have those really strong connections with their homeroom,” she explains.

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7 February 2022

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MĀO RI LEAD ERSH I P

A new dawn for transformative Māori leadership Te Akatea New Zealand Māori Principals Association is introducing two new leadership development programmes in 2022: Te Akatea Emerging Māori Leaders’ Programme and Te Akatea Māori First Time Principals’ Programme.

Education Gazette sat down with Dr Therese Ford (Ngāi Takoto, Ngāti Kahu) and Johnson Davis (Raukawa, Tūkorehe) to kōrero about their involvement in these upcoming programmes, and how leaders at your school or kura can be involved.

Johnson Davis (Raukawa, Tūkorehe) and Dr Therese Ford (Ngāi Takoto, Ngāti Kahu) are highly experienced Māori educational leaders and researchers.

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T

herese and Johnson descend from Māori and Pākehā tūpuna – the Tiriti partners. They stand in strong lines of ancestors who signed He Whakaputanga o te Rangatira o Nu Tīreni and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They recognise the responsibilities they have in the 21st Century to realise the vision that their Māori ancestors had for them, and the responsibilities of Pākehā to be honourable partners.

Both are highly experienced Māori educational leaders, researchers and parents, and their practice focuses on developing and strengthening the capacity of education leaders to address racism and discrimination, and to nurture the language, culture and identity of ākonga Māori and their whānau.

Therese and Johnson bring their own experiences of being Māori leaders in English medium settings, and the reality of not having the opportunity to understand themselves as Māori leaders. They are open in sharing their experiences, and how that’s brought about an important conversation about Māori leadership and Māori enjoying eduational success as Māori.

Johnson explains, “I did go through a leadership programme as a senior leader in a school. And, if I am honest, it launched me nowhere. What it did do, was to help maintain the status quo.

“The programme was very euro-centric and promoted ideologies that we are now trying to disrupt and dismantle. The course reinforced these elements in my practice and concealed it from me. I’ve been fortunate that over a number of years of learning, I can now look back on that practice and pull it apart and see it for what it is.”

Dual whakapapa

Johnson and Therese talk about their dual whakapapa, and the duality of the educator and researcher hats that they wear.

They have undertaken research with, and learned alongside, many Māori emerging leaders, principals, academics and iwi leaders across Aotearoa.

Building on many years of research and mātauranga, two positioning pou have guided the development of these programmes.

“The first one we prioritise in a determined way is kaupapa Māori theory, drawing from the knowledge systems and the ways of being that enabled our people to thrive for centuries before non-Māori arrived in this land,” says Therese.

“The second theory, or pou, is critical theory. Critical theory helps understand where power is located, who is benefitting from that power, and who is not. We see these

“These programmes are about ensuring success for Māori at all levels within the system, and to set Māori leaders up for success as Māori, whānau, hapū and iwi.”

Bruce Jepsen

Bruce Jepsen (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa) is the president of Te Akatea New Zealand Māori Principals Association.

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as important and complementary guiding foundations for this work. We also know from previous research that these pou can lead to transformation,” she says.

Disrupting the space

Therese and Johnson’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of education leaders has led to their appointment as the national coordinators for two new leadership development programmes: Te Akatea Emerging Māori Leaders’ Programme and Te Akatea Māori First Time Principals’ Programme, commencing in early 2022.

They are hoping to disrupt the space, as researchers, educators, and facilitators.

“In our leadership programmes, we are closely looking at how leaders are activating their own agency to de-centre the power that’s often held within schools, to reposition that power and to create relationships that are reciprocal and mutually beneficial with mana whenua; this is a distinct aspect of these two programmes,” says Johnson.

Therese continues the conversation about power and the importance of understanding the whole story, “because that’s an important, fundamental concept when we are thinking about developing leadership capacity that enables Treaty-honouring ways of thinking and being.”

Therese says their own work with school leaders has shown that if they look to the Treaty as the starting point of the nation, it negates a whole lot of important history.

“History that needs to be understood if we are going to genuinely address inequity and racism. There isn’t generally a good understanding of how we got to this place; if we go back to the Treaty, that tells us some of the story, but not all of the story,” she explains.

The opportunity to engage with the depth of material and experiences offered in these courses will be appealing to many.

It’s anticipated that demand will outstrip supply when applications open for these programmes beginning in 2022.

Johnson is passionate about these two new leadership development programmes, and the important role they will play in allowing participants to look at their whakapapa and then see how the system has influenced their whakapapa and their practice. He wants participants to be able to look at what they’re doing, to see it, to critically understand it and ask, what are we going to do about that?

What to expect

Applicants can expect learning to be carried out in Māori contexts, underpinned by Māori principles.

Grounded in whakapapa, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, tuakiritanga, they will reach into the origins of identity, and to understand that identity is critical to Māori leadership and how that’s carried out.

Participants will go through a combination of collective and individual learning opportunities that are tailored to specific goals, appreciating that people approach this learning from all ends of the continuum. This will include wānanga (noho marae), hui ako and personal visits.

The course will run on a two-year cycle, “so there will be an incoming cohort next year, and they would be part of that whānau in a formal way for two years, and then part of that whānau for ever and ever,” says a smiling Johnson.

“Our role as coordinators and facilitators is to awhi

Johnson and Therese hope to develop leadership capacity that enables Treaty-honouring ways of thinking and being.

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“We are closely looking at how leaders are activating their own agency to de-centre the power that’s often held within schools, to reposition that power and to create relationships that are reciprocal and mutually beneficial with mana whenua.”

Johnson Davis

and support participants, to strengthen who they are in terms of their own identity and to strengthen their critical leadership practice. That’s a responsibility we all carry,” he adds.

Te Akatea president Bruce Jepsen also sees the power of these programmes in contributing to better outcomes across the education system.

“This is the single most significant response to acknowledging and developing Māori leadership in history, within the sector. These programmes are about ensuring success for Māori at all levels within the system, and to set Māori leaders up for success as Māori, whānau, hapū and iwi.”

Realising the vision

Therese concludes by identifying the responsibility of those teaching and leading in education to decolonise learning spaces.

“We have ancestors who signed He Whakaputanga o te Rangatira o Nu Tīreni and Te Tiriti o Waitangi because they had a vision for their iwi and for Aotearoa that they would benefit and prosper from entering into a partnership with people who arrived in Aotearoa.

“That vision has yet to be realised. We carry with us the responsibility to ensure the vision is realised. It’s a bigger responsibility than being solely an education leader; it’s about being a descendant, and one day we will be ancestors.”

The PLD programmes will be run by Māori, for Māori.

Therese and Johnson look forward to welcoming emerging leaders and first-time principals who are seeking a critical leadership and learning experience that is underpinned by te ao Māori ways of knowing and being.

Scan here for more information about these two programmes, or visit tinyurl.com/teakatea

7 February 2022

Madina and Marina have been at Te Pito o te Punawai o Waipapa Hagley Community Preschool since 2019.

EARLY LEARN I NG

Partnerships with whānau build trust and belonging Te Pito o Te Puna Wai o Waipapa are putting whakawhanaungatanga at the centre of everything they do within their culturally diverse community in central Ōtautahi Christchurch – and whānau are thriving from the deeper connections.

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t Te Pito o te Puna Wai o Waipapa Hagley Community Preschool, tamariki and whānau speak 11 different languages and many have immigrant or refugee backgrounds. Kaiako wanted to make sure they heard and understood the aspirations of all their whānau, and so they began to explore the concept of whanaungatanga and how to make it part of daily interactions.

Their aim is to generate trusting relationships with whānau and tamariki that enable cultural funds of knowledge to be embedded within the curriculum, where whānau know they have a voice, that teachers have a genuine interest in the wellbeing of the whole whānau as well as tamariki, and that they will always be listened to with respect and a desire to understand.

Their initial discussions and research culminated in a Teacher Led Innovation Fund (TLIF) report Whakawhanaungatanga in a Culturally Diverse ECE Community which has become the blueprint for their learning community going forward into 2022 and beyond.

Shift in kaiako dispositions

“The project really hasn’t finished,” explains Jocelyn Wright, kaiwhakahaere preschool director at Te Pito o te Puna Wai o Waipapa.

“Because it was an inquiry, it goes on, and it influences everything really. We keep reminding ourselves of what came up in the project, and the key dispositions we want from our kaiako about being curious, vulnerable, taking risks, and trying new strategies in our relationships with whānau, and with each other.”

Jocelyn says those dispositions were the biggest shift; not only being more confident in forming those relationships but stepping outside of the tradition of what’s ‘allowable’ and not.

“We have really big conversations about professionalism and personal professional relationships, and where’s the line, and should there be a line, and that was quite influential in our work.”

Whānau workshops

Last year, the preschool piloted a 10-week ‘Whānau Learning Together’ programme for parents, talking about things like health and safety, oral hygiene, what to put in lunchboxes, and how to support children in numeracy and literacy at home.

The idea emerged during their TLIF project, as kaiako often reflected on their inability to provide the same support for all parents. Jocelyn says language proved to be the main barrier to this, and so they thought about ways to gather parents together in a workshop with the help of translators, to be able to support whānau to gain familiarity with parenting and education in an Aotearoa New Zealand context.

“Kaiako taking on the facilitator role very much developed the programme themselves. The programme provided a new leadership opportunity, and kaiako involved in the programme developed new skills in planning, organising and facilitating adult learning,” she adds.

Kaiako kaiarahi assistant director, Bee Williamson says the whānau workshops are also about listening to whānau and their aspirations.

“We often hear parents say to us that we are like their family.

There is a strong sense of mutual trust, respect, and good humour that underpins our relationships. I think tamariki sense this and they naturally feel secure in their sense of belonging here.”

Jocelyn Wright 7 February 2022

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“It’s whole-body listening. It’s going away and thinking about what we’re hearing and continuing to ask questions.

Sometimes when you ask whānau what they would like for their children, it can startle people.

“But we learned how to unpack that and really listen for those key messages so we can be culturally intentional and ensure we’re weaving those aspirations into our practices,” says Bee. At the end of the programme, kaiako asked participants what they had valued and what they would suggest for any future programmes.

Jocelyn says they came up with a list of topics such as children’s behaviour, learning te reo Māori alongside their children, establishing good routines at home, how to overcome ‘fussy eating’, what to include in lunchboxes, creative projects, and how to better support learning at home.

“One thing we would very much like to do is to take the class on hīkoi around our local area to learn some of the cultural history of Ōtautahi so they can also be involved in supporting their child’s learning.

“One of the most valuable outcomes for kaiako has been the continuation of conversations that had begun during class.

Parents have shown they are more comfortable to approach kaiako with queries about their child and queries about learning have increased,” says Jocelyn.

Partnership boosts literacy

“Sometimes when you ask whānau what they would like for their children, it can startle people. But we learned how to unpack that and really listen for those key messages so we can be culturally intentional and ensure we’re weaving those aspirations into our practices.”

Bee Williamson 16

Education Gazette

Bee says having a space for parents to discuss challenges or ask questions alongside other parents, and away from their children, has been pivotal for learning beyond the preschool doors, and at home.

Jocelyn explains that during conversations with whānau, kaiako heard comments such as, ‘my child doesn’t sit still with books; they don’t like stories’.

This view conflicted with kaiako experiences at the preschool where they found all tamariki loved reading, listening to stories and looking at books.

“What we were also aware of was that parents put more emphasis on more formal learning such as alphabet and numbers and writing names,” says Jocelyn.

Kaiako then organised a visit to the Hagley College Library which is next door to the preschool, and with whom they have an existing relationship.

“I don’t think any of us knew that whānau didn’t use the library – this was a first-time experience for the majority. The expressions on their faces when Liz [the librarian] showed them books in their home languages said it all! All whānau signed up with the library there and then. The librarian told us some weeks later that whānau have continued to use the library.

“One parent in particular has shared with us that her son now ‘loves’ books and they regularly read together at home.”

Wider whānau social events have also become a key part of whanaungatanga and relationship-building.

Whānau engagement

In 2019, kaiako looked for ways to celebrate Matariki with their community, and after reading Stolen Stars of Matariki by Miriama Kamo, they wondered about visiting local place Te Mata Hapuku Birdlings Flat, where the story is based.

Jocelyn says kaiako were keen to do the visit as a team one weekend and invite whānau along. gazette.education.govt.nz

“We had comments about how whānau hadn’t known where Te Mata Hapuku Birdlings Flat was, and that they would be able to take their families back again some time. Everyone had so much fun as we played games and walked along the shore together,’ says Jocelyn.

Bolstered by the success of that excursion, the preschool planned further trips, including a whānau day at a local railway park, and attending a Hagley College event that involved the preschool’s tamariki.

“We joined in a large Hagley College event one evening where tamariki walked the ‘red carpet’ to model their wearable art creations.

Whānau at this event were so proud of their children, they stood and applauded. It is through these social events that whānau can meet and get to know each other, they mix beyond cultural, social or work-based groups,” says Jocelyn.

The relaxed, informal atmosphere is also key for kaiako-whānau relationships as conversations flow, she adds.

“This has been even more evident during Covid-19 lockdown periods, making ongoing communications and support easier to put into place and maintain. We often hear parents say to us that we are like their family. There is a strong sense of mutual trust, respect, and good humour that underpins our relationships. I think tamariki sense this and they naturally feel secure in their sense of belonging here.”

Whole-community approach

Something else that is important, says Bee, is wider community networking.

“We’ve got relationships wider than just this place; with refugee resettlement, diversity services, a network of local schools (primary through secondary) as well as our neighbouring Hagley Community College and their resources and services.

“We’re also strengthening our relationships with other early learning services, especially those that work within our refugee communities, to have that support for each other with different resources and ideas.”

Bee explains that if there are new families coming to Christchurch with tamariki, they know they are coming and can do a bit of research in how they greet and welcome them.

“Teachers will also be quite intentional with their children about making some cards or signs, and getting the children involved to welcome them and show them around.”

Transitions

As well as being intentional about welcoming new children and whānau, Jocelyn says the same applies when helping children move on to the next phase of their learning journey.

“We have been very intentional about supporting transitions out of early learning for the whole whānau. We help with documentation, clothing, translating pamphlets and information.

We talk to parents face to face about their choices, what it means to go to school, what the expectations are.

“We contact the schools and get them to come and visit us and continue that relationship with them. Something that came out of the TLIF project was also teacher confidence – confidence to reach out and build those relationships.”

Bee says they have open conversations with tamariki about school visits, their teachers’ names, and what they’re going to be wearing, as well as sharing photos of their new school or previous tamariki who go to their new school.

“It becomes quite natural for children to be having those conversations with each other throughout the day and getting excited together. It helps with the whole perception of what going to school is about, and it becomes something to look forward to and that they feel ready for.”

Te Pito o te Puna Wai o Waipapa are excited to share their learning with other kaiako and groups. Their report, Whakawhanaungatanga in a Culturally Diverse ECE Community can be found at hagleypreschool.co.nz.

Assistant director Bee Williamson, kaiako Lisa Fleming, director Jocelyn Wright and kaiako Susan Butson put whakawhanaungatanga at the centre of everything they do.

7 February 2022

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Whānau kōrero A group of parents at Te Pito o te Puna Wai o Waipapa Hagley Community Preschool talk about their journey at the preschool, and how kaiako have helped them settle into their child’s education in Aotearoa.

What has been valuable about preschool for your children?

“How they were happy – we felt happy when they were happy. The girls would wake at 5am and say, ‘can we go to school, can we go to school?’ They wanted to come on days of no class. We liked that they learned from each other, how to behave, to be with others.” Fatima “He learnt a lot in here; at home he played on his own with stuff but here he learns how to play with others.

Now he is learning English and talking. His behaviour has improved, not fighting.” Hamida “Good for them when English is not their first language.

Learning about relationships with others, learning to play, having storytimes. They learn a lot from preschool.”

Simret “Eating and going to toilet, and he has friends. He loves his friends, and he is more social. Before he couldn’t speak English but now, he does. He speaks a lot at home [in Farsi] about preschool, he tells us what happened and what he did. He’s always talking about it. He is happy.”

Rastrum and Laila

“It was hard because they didn’t eat lunch without me and they always cried.” Simret “We wanted him to go to preschool – just a little worried about being in a strange environment. He couldn’t speak [English] so couldn’t say what he needed. I wanted him to play and have fun with other kids and to be social with other friends. I was worried he might get hurt, fall over and get hurt with other kids. He didn’t know the language and he needed help with routines, his food, toileting, and learning.” Rastrum and Laila What are the most helpful things kaiako do?

“People are good – polite, nice behaviour, we felt from our heart this is a place for them (children). I was very happy.

And important that the teachers came to visit my daughters at home. That was very helpful. And the paper and drawing [teachers dropped off during Covid], they were so happy, it was good. The course we did this year was very good for mums.

We learnt a lot. I didn’t know to let my child carry his own bag and put them away. I thought I needed to do that, now I don’t.

At first, I thought I was too busy to do the course, and now my friends want to do this.” Fatima

What where the challenges?

“The teachers help how to play and learn with other children, telling them what to do or not to do. They listen here. Helping children understand behaviours, [getting them] interested in learning to read books. Remember when I said my son won’t sit and read – he does now. Teachers always ask, ‘what can we do to help with Abbas’ learning?’ I like that, it is helpful.”

Hamida

“We didn’t know about food, what to put into lunchboxes.

What to do or not to. This was the hardest thing for me you know, the food, he is a fussy eater, you know. The Thursday classes have helped with this.” Hamida

“Teaching them to eat by themselves now. They love preschool. They learn a lot. They didn’t talk at preschool to begin with. Now they talk. At home they talk all the time about teachers and other children.” Simret

Tamariki at Te Pito o te Punawai o Waipapa Hagley Community Preschool thrive with strong kaiako-whānau relationships.

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Nō konei ahau, nō mai rā anō

He iwi, he whakapapa, he tātai korero.

Te Takanga o Te Wā | Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories For more information please visit

education.govt.nz/AotearoaNZhistories

We all have a shared history, and our own stories to tell.

These stories are treasures to be cared for.

Our stories Ours to tell

N ETWORKS O F EXPERTISE

PLD for kaiako, by kaiako In the past two years, 36 Networks of Expertise (NEX) have mentored, coached and provided professional learning development (PLD) to as many as 15,000 teachers and kaiako throughout Aotearoa.

“We need to have mana whenua at the table from the beginning.”

Les Hoerara

Les Hoerara is the kaitakawaenga, iwi relationship and partnership manager for Whanaketanga Kaiako Aotearoa | Teacher Development Aotearoa.

T

he strength of the NEX initiative, which was piloted in 2016 and 2017 and introduced nationwide in 2018, is that the educators leading the networks are the very best teachers in the country, says Murray Williams, recently retired chief executive of Whanaketanga Kaiako Aotearoa | Teacher Development Aotearoa (WKA/TDA).

Networks of Expertise were established as a key part of PLD capability infrastructure following a Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga review in 2015/16. The service is kaiako-led, promotes peer-to-peer learning, strengthens collaboration and networked expertise, and provides kaiako, schools, and kura with ready-to-go support. The funding is currently in its second iteration since the review.

WKA/TDA leads the 36 NEX under contract to the Ministry, providing advice, guidance, and support. Most of the networks are subject-related and range from agribusiness, mathematics and statistics to history and social sciences, and technology. There are also communities of practice and interest group networks such as Pasifika education, gifted education and online teaching support.

Education Gazette spoke to Murray on the eve of his retirement after many decades of working in education as a teacher, principal and as a manager and director for the Ministry of Education. He thinks the NEX initiative is outstanding.

Key to success, and retention

Murray says that after five years, 40 percent of teachers leave the profession.

“When I became a young teacher, the dropout rate after five years was seven percent,” says Murray.

“What has happened to change that statistic dramatically has been the loss of targeted PLD, which, as I remember, was through an advisory service that worked alongside teachers in curriculum areas after they were trained. It was regular and ongoing, one to one, you were mentored and coached. In many respects the NEX is in a different form and configuration, but a return to that kind of support that develops a teacher,” he says.

Murray believes that NEX is, and will continue to be, successful for two key reasons.

“Our philosophy of ‘mō ngā kaiako, nā ngā kaiako – for kaiako, by kaiako’ underpins our vision to reach all kaiako in Aotearoa and support them on their learning journey for the benefit of all ākonga.”

Murray Williams

7 February 2022

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“The beauty of the Network of Expertise was the fact that teachers were working with teachers and the fact that as a teacher, you knew the pressure your colleagues were under, you knew the kind of barriers and challenges, but you also knew where the opportunities were as well.”

Louise Richards

Firstly, the PLD that the networks offer to teachers is ongoing and frequent.

Murray says people are getting this support as they need it; or when workshops are available, online resources are developed, webinars are up and running; or there’s an opportunity to come together in small groups to workshop things.

Secondly, he says the teachers and kaiako who lead each NEX are at the top of their game and are widely respected.

“They have crafted their skill over time, they have been developed by others and have arrived at a point of expertise themselves where they have high credibility and the ability to know how to help younger teachers who are starting out on that development themselves.”

Upskilling geography teachers

Murray is referring to teachers like Louise Richards, who leads the New Zealand Board of Geography Teachers. More than 700 teachers at 350 schools are part of this large network, which identified two key areas for development: upskilling teachers in GIS (geographical information systems) and providing an experienced mentor for beginning teachers and those in solo positions.

“GIS was a new pedagogy that was part of the curriculum coming in and we really needed to upskill teachers being able to utilise that in the classroom and make it applicable to the NCEA curriculum.

“We funded our GIS champions, people we identified within our [geography teaching] community who were highly skilled in this area, creative thinkers and people with good PLD skills. They worked within the regions to set up professional development for teachers around GIS and developed a series of resources to support teachers as well,”

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explains Louise, who is assistant principal at Shirley Boys High School.

GIS is a standard at NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 and is a cutting-edge skill in high demand, but Louise says that many teachers didn’t know how to use the ArchGIS programme, so it was rarely taught. The GIS champions combined forces with a company, Eagle Technology, who gave advice about developments in the field and helped to develop teaching resources.

“What’s been really good is that those GIS champions have also started to use it at Years 9 and 10 in the social studies curriculum, because we want teachers to be confident using it right the way through school.”

Empowering kaiako

In 2018, the geography NEX also funded a kaiarahi/ mentor role. Jane Evans, a former exam marker and head of social sciences at Takapuna Grammar School, took on the 0.6FTE role for two years to support new teachers, or those who were the only geography teacher in their school.

Louise says teachers were able to email Jane directly with problems around moderation, how to improve exam results, and how to develop appropriate context and resources for standards.

“Jane travelled around the regions and did a number of workshops. She did things like go down to Southland, stay with a teacher overnight and get three or four teachers from a local school to meet at a teacher’s house the next day – it was really getting to the grassroots and helping teachers who were isolated.”

For 2022, a full-time kaiarahi has been appointed to support teachers through the changes to NCEA. Mary Robinson has been seconded to the role from St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland.

Mary will be looking at things such as curriculum design and curriculum pedagogy being introduced with the new NCEA changes. Then over time, Louise says they will start thinking more about specific resources.

“We want teachers to feel empowered to develop those resources themselves. We want to do less of the providing different resources, to upskilling teachers to feel confident that they can design their own curricular contexts.

“Mary will particularly look at how we can support teachers in their confidence with mātauranga Māori and how they can integrate that into their teaching units,” explains Louise.

In 2021 the NEX were realigned to support the strategic direction of changes taking place in the education system, such as the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum (ANZHC), the Review of Achievement Standards (RAS), the NCEA Change Programme, and the wider refresh of The New Zealand Curriculum.

The geography network is having discussions with colleagues in social studies and history networks, as they are aware of the significance of events and place in the study of geography.

gazette.education.govt.nz

Support leads to confidence

Geography teachers involved with the NEX reported feeling more supported. So successful was the mentoring initiative, that recent statistics showed a vast improvement in moderation.

“The statistics are showing how much our moderation has improved for geography teachers. When they were sending work in to be moderated, they had really poor feedback and we had a lot of teachers who were becoming quite distressed about their marking, but that has now massively improved,” says Louise.

Murray reflects that while it’s too early to say if the high dropout rate in the first five years of teaching will be turned around, he has a strong feeling that teacher confidence is building and capability is also improving.

“People who interact with the NEX say that they are very helpful and understand the needs of other teachers, they mentor and coach them and are able to provide that one-to-one development depending on where that person is at in their development,” says Murray.

“Confident, capable teachers are more likely to stay and we’re more likely to see improved student achievement around the country. It stands to reason, if you develop the people who are teaching, they will be better teachers,” he adds.

Mātauranga Māori

Les Hoerara is the kaitakawaenga, iwi relationship and partnership manager for WKA/TDA. He brings to his new role a background as an educationalist, researcher and advocate of tikanga Māori. Already he’s planning a te ao Māori approach by relocating from Wellington so he can build authentic relationships with mana whenua in parts of the North Island.

His role will include brokering and leveraging partnerships with mana whenua, facilitating and delivering workstreams related to The New Zealand Curriculum refresh, supporting NCEA changes and supporting the NEX to complement the changes in culturally capable ways while upholding and giving effectiveness to Te Tiriti.

Les has already presented to all 36 NEXs about the importance of developing relationships with iwi organisations to enable NEX to champion Mana Ōrite and promote Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its significance in Aotearoa.

“We need to have mana whenua at the table from the beginning,” explains Les. “Typically, it’s a European model and framework which is that non-Māori know what Māori want. We can deal with the problem from both sides, which is ask mana whenua first so that when they get approaches for the next eight workstreams coming out, they don’t get clobbered all the time with the same questions.”

WKA/TDA has already collaborated with Te Āti Awa (Waiwhetu) and Ngāti Toa (Porirua) in Te Whanganui-aTara Wellington.

7 February 2022

Les says it made sense to approach mana whenua in Wellington first as an exemplar to use for the other nine regions.

“Because Māori will ask, ‘what strategic plan or initiative have you built your bicultural framework on?’

The exemplar that I am using has already been passed by our board, so I’m going to be using that to ask mana whenua what they want and whether or not they can facilitate and carry out and deliver.

“Some have been inundated with too many requests.

But I know from the other side that some of the NEX are still trying to get their feet under the table. If there need to be changes made, at least it’s mana whenua telling me that, not anybody else,” explains Les. Murray concludes, saying “our philosophy of ‘mō ngā kaiako, nā ngā kaiako – for kaiako, by kaiako’ underpins our vision to reach all kaiako in Aotearoa and support them on their learning journey for the benefit of all ākonga.”

The Network Hub The role of the Network Hub, administered

by Whanaketanga Kaiako Aotearoa | Teacher Development Aotearoa is to: » Broker collaboration at all levels – national, regional, and local (within and across sectors) and support networks and connections. » Strengthen NEX leadership and practices. » Strengthen educators’ understanding of NEX as a complementary source of professional learning development to support the strategic changes taking place in the education system. » Offer learning opportunities focussed on strengthening the practice of NEX in key areas, including developing relationships with iwi organisations to enable NEX to champion Mana Ōrite and promote Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its significance in Aotearoa.

For more information about NEX, visit pld.education.govt.nz

For more information about WKA/TDA, visit tda.org.nz

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H ISTO RI ES

Maunga at the centre of local histories mahi Education Gazette looks at how an Auckland kāhui ako is developing its local histories curriculum from their maunga, Te Pane o Mataoho.

The Māngere Mountain Education Centre supports schools to take guided walks over the maunga as well as workshops at the centre.

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Education Gazette

gazette.education.govt.nz

T

e Pane o Mataoho Māngere Mountain is a lesser-known treasure in Tāmaki Makaurau, one of the largest volcanic cones in the Auckland region with a history dating back 700 years. Visitors can climb to the top for a 360-degree view of the city, the Manukau Harbour, and a neighbouring maunga, Maungakiekie One Tree Hill.

The kaitiaki of the maunga, Māngere Mountain Education Trust (MMET) is one of the local groups working with the kāhui ako on their local histories curriculum.

These schools have been working with the maunga’s kaitiaki, Māngere Mountain Education Trust (MMET), to develop an authentic and meaningful learner pathway.

Te iti Kahurangi Kāhui Ako lead principal, Robyn Curry, recalls how the mahi began: “Brendon Marshall (Onehunga High School) had been doing an extensive amount of work in sustainability across the kāhui and we thought his work was beautiful, but we realised we needed to take a step back. First, we needed to better understand our place as a kāhui which involved looking at our history through te ao Māori.”

“When you stand on a maunga and you stop, breathe and listen to what someone’s telling you about the history, for me as a Pākehā ... it was a very powerful experience.”

Robin Tapper

Māngere Mountain Education Centre The Māngere Mountain Education Centre sits on the eastern side of the maunga and has been delivering inquiryled, out-of-classroom learning for more than 10 years.

Schools can take a guided walk over the maunga and a workshop at the centre.

The hīkoi

All lead teachers point to ‘the hīkoi’ as a pivotal moment.

On a teacher only day, almost 300 staff from the schools set off on a ‘waka tour’ of the local sites of cultural significance – Ōrākei Marae to hear stories of Bastion Point told by Ngāti Whātua; then to Maungakiekie One Tree Hill; a hāngī lunch at Ihumaatao, and lastly Te Pane o Mataoho. Teachers walked to the summit where they listened to stories of the maunga, an experience many describe as ‘powerful’.

Robin Tapper from Royal Oak Intermediate says, “When you stand on a maunga and you stop, breathe and listen to what someone’s telling you about the history, for me as a Pākehā, I wasn’t raised like that, and it was a very powerful experience.”

Kydene Sinclair from Te Papapa School says the day gave her more confidence as a Pasifika teaching Māori history.

“Being able to sit in those spaces and hear those stories from the people who experienced them gave me a foundation for starting my journey,” she says.

Brendon says there’s something special about being welcomed onto the land.

7 February 2022

Workshops include poi making, kete making, gardening, Māori medicine, stick games and traditional tools, and each is aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum in one or more learning areas.

The centre also hosts a collection of artefacts and displays, illustrating the volcanic formation of the mountain, and the life of its Māori inhabitants since the first migrations from Hawaiki.

Beyond the education centre and teaching gardens, visitors can also explore Kingi Taawhiao’s cottage which was relocated to the site in 2015. It is a building with its own strong significance, touching on many important aspects of Aotearoa’s history, including the Kiingitanga, the NZ Wars, raupatu and colonial government.

The local hapū, Waiohua, centred around Makaurau Marae, are direct descendants of the people who built big, fortified settlements on the Auckland isthmus before the arrival of the Ngāti Whātua from Kaipara in the late 18th Century.

For more information or to book a school visit, go to māngeremountain.co.nz.

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Just over 40 students from six schools across Te iti Kahurangi Kāhui Ako worked together to plant 1,000+ trees on Te Pane o Mataoho Māngere Mountain.

“It made me think about how we can keep offering these experiences to our students. Even when they’re digging in the gardens at our school, we can talk about stories of who used to dig this land.

“By understanding the histories and all the different stories, we can be informed to create a better future,” says Brendon.

The learner pathway

A local curriculum group was formed to develop work to take back into schools, and even the youngest learners are lapping up the content.

“My Māori students worked out that it didn’t matter what iwi you were from, you all came from Hawaiki, they all knew that they came on a waka,” says Kydene.

“Then we looked at how you got here if you were not Māori and some children who were first generation Kiwiborn had no idea they came on a plane, they thought they drove here. That was a big learning moment for them.

“The children are very engaged because they are familiar with the places we learn about. They say, ‘I know where that is, my mum took me there!’ They can make connections,” she says.

“We had little ones doing Minecraft, building kumara pits, retelling the stories,” adds Robyn.

“It’s making that connection to their land and developing their sense of belonging.”

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Robyn says it’s important for all students across the kāhui ako to develop a better understanding of local history and stories and that this knowledge is developed as the students transition through the year levels and schools.

“Once they know the stories of Te iti Kahurangi we can bring the learning forward into what is happening today in our local areas, and the sustainability work can be extended with clear links to the past.”

Ingrid Gwilliam’s Year 5 and 6 students at Royal Oak Primary have been applying their knowledge to technology, using Scratch programming to recreate the story of Tainui Waka journeying to Aotearoa.

Learning these stories complements several collaborative projects that support students to become kaitiaki of the area, particularly the Manukau Harbour, Maungakiekie One Tree Hill and Te Pane o Mataoho Māngere Mountain.

For example, the kāhui ako partnered with the Tūpuna Maunga Authority to plant 1,000 trees on the slopes of Te Pane o Mataoho, with students paired across schools in a tuakana-teina relationship.

And each term, two schools survey and audit litter from two local beaches on the Manukau foreshore as part of the Sustainable Coastlines Litter Intelligence Programme.

In Robin’s words, “In order to care about a place and want to protect it we all have to understand why it’s special and why we need to make it better for the future.”

gazette.education.govt.nz

The kāhui ako have supported ākonga to become kaitiaki of Te Pane o Mataoho Māngere Mountain.

Te Takanga o Te Wā and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories Invaluable partnerships

The Māngere Mountain Education Trust is an invaluable partner for the kāhui, says Robyn.

“Teachers see the richness of the opportunities at the MMET workshops, and we have an amazing community that wants to engage with us. It’s about structuring that engagement, about how we take our five-year-olds and grow and develop their learning and ensure it’s becoming more complex and higher order thinking. It has to be systematic,” she says.

Fraser Alaalatoa-Dale, Māngere local and general manager of the MMET, says the development of the draft Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum has triggered a lot of interest in learning opportunities offered at the maunga with more bookings from school groups than ever before.

“We think schools developing their own local history curriculum is an incredibly promising development, and tautoko all schools in their efforts.

“We see ourselves as an ideal place for schools to come, either for the content we offer, or to find examples of how they might set up their own lessons or inquiries.”

7 February 2022

Timelines have been reset for the curriculum and assessment work programmes, which include Te Takanga o Te Wā and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories.

This is in response to the significant and ongoing impact of Covid-19. Helping teachers, kaiako, learners, whānau and communities manage this disruption, and their wellbeing, is our priority.

The final curriculum content will now be released during 2022. Schools and kura will be supported to access the resources they need to be ready to teach the new content from 2023. Schools and kura who are well-placed to use the content earlier than 2023 will have the option to do so.

You can read more about the changes at education.govt.nz/ AotearoaNZhistories

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Whāia Te Ahu o te Reo Māori

He kaupapa whakawhanake i te hunga whakaako kia whai hononga mā te reo Māori ki ngā tauira, ngā mātua me ngā kaimahi anō hoki.

Rēhita mai ki te ranga e tū mai nei Kauwhatareo – Te Ahu o te Reo Māori

Kaiako Mike Woodlock and James enjoy a fair degree of banter. Good relationships between kaiako and ākonga are key to success.

D ISTANCE ED UCATION

100 years on – Te Kura is as relevant as ever As Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu celebrates its 100 year anniversary, they’re looking back at what has made them so successful for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders.

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or its first 70 years, Te Kura – the Correspondence School – went about its business assured of its purpose and success. As the then Department of Education’s Correspondence School, it had a closer relationship with government officials than any other school.

For decades, Te Kura has been praised by a wave of dignitaries, including Governors-General, Ministers of Education, and Prime Ministers.

From its first permanent home in Wellington’s Clifton

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Terrace, the headmaster of the time Arthur Butchers said the building stood conspicuously above the city as the pulsating centre of New Zealand’s largest school.

As well as being seen as a national treasure in New Zealand, outside the country it was viewed with great interest and admiration.

Over the years, hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders have been ‘corrie’ students – not just those in school, but adults, young mothers, prison inmates,

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preschoolers, teacher trainees, talented and gifted young people pursuing a career in sport or in the arts, Kiwis living overseas, defence personnel and a vast number of students in other schools that are unable to provide certain subjects.

The emerging technologies of the 1980s suggested a new type of learning would revolutionise distance education taking it from paper-based to digital learning, with the Correspondence School again leading the way.

A reform of educational administration, and changes in society also brought about some big changes.

Under the Tomorrow’s School reform, the Correspondance School became its own entity, governed by a board of trustees.

The school also experienced an influx of children and young people for whom the prevailing model of distance education did not appear to be a good fit.

New leadership brings hope

Mike Hollings (Ngati Raukawa and Te Atihaunui-aPaparangi) was appointed CEO in 2006. He arrived at the school in with more than 30 years’ experience in the education sector, from teaching to management, policy development and review.

He also had a detailed knowledge about how the school operated, having spent several years at the Education Review Office, including a year as the acting chief review officer.

As something of a poacher turned gamekeeper, he had a strong sense of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

There were 20,000 students on the roll at any one time, with more than 30,000 enrolling over a year. It had more Māori and at-risk students than any other school in New Zealand.

Mike believed that building close relationships with students and personalising learning was the key to re-engaging alienated young people back into education

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu CEO Mike Hollings.

“Te Kura ... was set up to ensure that all New Zealanders could access schooling, even if they lived in the back of beyond.

Today we are still providing learning for young people who, due to a whole variety of circumstances, would miss out on education.”

Mike Hollings

Twins Stunna and Vypa, supervised by their mother, Ashleigh.

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and to helping them succeed. Creating a bilingual environment was also essential in what is effectively the largest Māori school in the country.

Authentic learning

In 2009, the Correspondence School became Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, which refers to connecting students with learning.

Mike introduced the concept of authentic learning through real world experiences, and personalised learning meant students could achieve by following their own interests and passion.

At the same time, advances in technology enabled the school to position itself as a leader in e-learning. Students were no longer learning through sets of work sent through the post but were now part of the digital world with far more contact with their teachers.

Regionalisation was paying off, with teachers closer to their students, and with the setting up of Huingo Ako – a space where teachers, students and whānau could come together at least weekly.

The ‘Big Picture’ learning philosophy that Mike introduced has now evolved into Te Kura’s curriculum, Te Ara Pounamu, where ākonga are placed at the centre of their learning.

A combination of authentic, blended and online learning provides a highly personalised and flexible learning environment that suits many styles of learning.

Ākonga at the centre

Twelve-year-old twins, Stunna and Vypa, live in Gisborne with a family of three generations.

Their mother Ashleigh says the boys were not learning in their last school but have progressed well at Te Kura.

“They are on the autistic spectrum, so they don’t learn like many other children, but Te Kura really suits their style of learning, and what’s really good is that it allows whānau to play a role in their education.

“Their great grandmother, my Nan, takes a keen interest and is helping the boys learn Māori,” says Ashleigh.

Other family members help support a wide range of activities, including one aunt taking the boys cycling every week, and regular participation in haka with extended whānau.

For a Hamilton ākonga, James, who left his old school due to trouble with other students, and where he struggled with anxiety, Te Kura has been the means of turning his life around.

“When I started at Huinga Ako, I would sit at my laptop and mumble when the teachers spoke to me, but they were lovely every time I attended, guiding me in a way I hadn’t experienced before. I had never had teachers check up on me the way they did at Te Kura, and they did their best to cater my learning to my interests.”

James says with endless support from kaiako, his confidence has grown and grown, and he has begun to pursue a career in teaching.

“I want to become as amazing a teacher as I can and be like those who I’ve been so lucky to have at Te Kura.”

Flexible learning

Te Ara Pounamu allows greater flexibility with some ākonga able to complete three levels of NCEA in two years.

It’s a style that suits senior ākonga like Ashton, who says a few years ago, he’d resigned himself to the idea that education would always be a stressful and exhausting process.

Tyrese Epiha – a Te Kura ākonga who runs his own radio station, “The Scoop” in New Plymouth and who has also been taking a broadcasting course at WITT.

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“A combination of mental health problems and sensory issues made face-to-face school incredibly overwhelming, and I struggled to learn anything and complete my work.

When I was offered the chance to do my schooling through Te Kura, I was cautiously optimistic but thought it would only help in a couple of minor ways.

“I couldn’t have been more wrong! Te Kura offers a flexible learning style that’s allowed me to move through booklets and assessments at my own pace, so I’ve been able to spend more time on difficult concepts and whizz through things that come easily to me. My teachers have also been an enormous help and have consistently offered constructive feedback and answers to anything I’ve been confused about.”

And Ashton says not only does he really enjoy mixing with other ākonga at Huinga Ako, he’s also made some of his closest friends at the weekly group meetings.

Te Kura’s success with students like James and Ashton, who were at risk of disengaging from their education, has been recognised by the Education Review Office.

ERO affirmation

A report on the school, released last December, acknowledges that Te Kura is increasingly being relied on to enrol ākonga whose needs are not being met elsewhere, at a time of rising rates of student disengagement and alienation from the school system.

ERO noted that Te Kura has developed best-practice digital delivery capability and capacity that the wider sector could benefit from, especially in alternative learning environments, like those necessitated by the pandemic during 2020 and 2021.

Jane Lee, ERO’s deputy chief executive review and improvement services, says: “many other New Zealand schools can learn from Te Kura’s online delivery expertise, especially given the rapidly changing environment schools have faced since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and that they are still responding to, sometimes on a weekly or even daily basis.”

Mike says the report also recognises Te Kura is stretched in being able to meet the high levels of unmet social, education and health needs under its current funding.

He’s very proud to have led Te Kura, which has shown over its long history a remarkable ability to adapt to the many challenges that have confronted it, with the last ERO report affirmation that the school is on the right path.

“And what’s really special is that the well-founded tradition of Te Kura in forging close relationships between our kaiako and ākonga continues.

“Te Kura, as the Correspondence School, was set up to ensure that all New Zealanders could access schooling, even if they lived in the back of beyond. Today we are still providing learning for young people who, due to a whole variety of circumstances, would miss out on education.”

ERO has also asked the Ministry of Education to provide greater clarity and direction on the long-term role expected of Te Kura as a national provider to the wider education system.

“In its 100th year, Te Kura is as relevant as ever,” concludes Mike.

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Kohana Williams studied with Te Kura while she pursued a ballet career.

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I D E NTIT Y

Tuakiritanga: encouraging identity and pride in Wairoa A strong desire to foster a sense of belonging and pride in cultural identity has led to positive outcomes for one Wairoa kura.

Top left: A student stands next to her self-identity portrait, which looks historical at first glance. Top right: A mother sees her tamariki 'captured in time'.

Bottom left: Upholding the tikanga: Girls pūkana in front of their portraits. Bottom right: Portraits of siblings were captured together.

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airoa Primary School’s Tuakiritanga project involved staff, whānau and tamariki working collaboratively to develop mātauranga Māori with ākonga.

After coming across an old issue of NZEI Te Riu Roa’s Ako magazine, Wairoa Primary librarian Robyn Little and her colleague Anahera Pono Whakatope (resource teacher of Māori), were inspired to showcase some significant happenings at the school, while also helping to develop a sense of understanding and pride within the tamariki.

The premise of the project closely aligned with the Wairoa Primary School motto: ‘E tu tamariki ma; Ko au te akonga, ko te akonga ko au’, which means, ‘Our tamariki stand tall and are proud of who they are, where they have come from and where they are going; we are all learners together’.

At its core, Tuakiritanga promotes the ‘inner-being’ and encourages the flow of mauri ora through one’s self.

The end result of the project was a photographic exhibition of self-identity portraits.

An ode to the past, the portraits, in sepia tones, look traditionally historical at first glance – tamariki wearing taonga, adorned with moko and looking powerfully into the lens.

“Whilst there were some challenges along the way, the overwhelming response was amazing, and the results speak for themselves. The images also inspired whānau, both tangata whenua and tauiwi, to consider their own rich heritage and the stories that sit alongside them.”

Richard Lambert Principal Richard Lambert noted that understanding and upholding the tikanga behind the portraits, and the taonga the children donned, was extremely important and therefore there was a high level of consultation with whānau, as well as local kaumatua and kuia.

Initially, the project was to be shared at local Matāriki celebrations, which were affected by Covid-19 lockdowns.

With this in mind, the decision was made to share the images during the in-school exhibition, as well as at the District Wide Film Festival, which held the theme of ‘Tūrangawaewae’ (often translated as ‘a place to stand’).

Tūrangawaewae are places where people feel especially empowered and connected. They are often described as a foundation – a place in the world which feels like home.

Richard said this theme fitted perfectly with their project, closely linking to their idea that the project would ensure tamariki understood the importance of ‘Their Place to Stand’ and help them connect to their forebears.

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Empowering all ākonga

“Kaiako encouraged tamariki to work with their whānau on this project; some took up the challenge of videoing visits to their marae or other places of significance,” he says.

Within the portraits, children proudly wore moko, kapa haka uniforms and treasured whānau taonga such as korowai and taiaha. Whānau allowed their tamariki to bring these to school – to share and celebrate with their peers and teachers.

Tauiwi and Pākehā students were also considered and empowered. Consultation occurred and they were allowed to wear period clothing, described by some as the ‘Colonial Look’. Others chose to wear traditional Māori dress, such as the school’s kapa haka uniform.

Notably, the learning ran deeper than the final product.

“Learning about, and connecting with, their whakapapa and heritage, including iwi, hapū and whānau, were some of the key themes,” says Richard.

The exhibition at school, which was followed by a kapa haka performance, evoked an overwhelming response.

“Whānau were beaming with pride during the exhibition and the tears shed were both with happiness, and some maemae in mind; parents and whānau seeing their whakapapa and tipuna ‘captured in time’ was overwhelming for some of the nannies and papas,” recalls Richard. Ākonga, both Māori and non-Māori, were connected by the process with one remarking, “I’m not Māori, but I could be” and immersing herself in Māori culture throughout the process.

Another child notes that “being Māori is not just about how you might sound or look; it’s also about how you think and feel”.

Powerful project

In future, Wairoa Primary plans to work with the whānau of new children enrolling, to ensure their pepeha is shared and their portrait taken. Future students enrolled can choose to wear the cultural costume of their choice for their portraits.

“This will remain in their ‘Learning Journal’ as they move through the school – it will grow and flourish just like them,” says Richard.

Wairoa Primary is willing to support any other schools within the Mata Nui o Kahungunu Kāhui Ako, and across the country should they consider producing a Tuakiritanga project.

Richard Lambert believes the effects of this project have been powerful, and extended well beyond the school gates.

“Whilst there were some challenges along the way, the overwhelming response was amazing, and the results speak for themselves. The images also inspired whānau, both tangata whenua and tauiwi, to consider their own rich heritage and the stories that sit alongside them,” says Richard.

“You imagine being there – it was amazing, just amazing.”

A video of the school’s contribution to the local film festival can be viewed online.

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WELLBEI NG

Reframing learning in Ōtaki College maara Ōtaki has long been a fertile market gardening area, with Ngāti Raukawa trading vegetables with early missionaries, and later, Chinese market gardeners tilling the fertile soils.

Now Ōtaki College is reinvigorating its school garden and plans for its use are burgeoning.

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hen learning support coordinator Kate Lindsay first discovered the overgrown quarter acre orchard and garden at Ōtaki College it was “crazy, weeds everywhere, overgrown, quite marvellous really. I thought ‘wow! here’s the magic’,” she recalls.

The revamped garden has been a work in progress for more than a year, with volunteers spending many hours to develop the maara kai into an inviting and calming open space for rangatahi, staff and the community.

Early in 2021, Kate went to a hui about food security for the Kāpiti District Council, where she met foraging and gardening guru, Mike King.

The rest is history. For the past three months, 20 hours a week, Mike has been helping to knock the garden into

shape, as well as doing one-to-one mentoring with ākonga at the Year 7–13 school north of Wellington.

The Ōtaki College garden has been renamed Aho Aho, a name gifted by Rupene Waaka to acknowledge Kīngi Te Aho Aho (a signatory of Te Tiriti o Waitangi), to whom Ngāti Toa allocated the land on which the maara kai sits.

Aho Aho will be used for educational and therapeutic purposes and to connect with the local community.

Magic happens

There’s a sense of calm in Aho Aho, which has vegetable seedlings and plants, mature fruit trees (fig, pear, citrus and feijoa) and bamboo structures made by a science class exploring sustainable building methods. There’s a large

Mike spends one-to-one time in the maara with Year 10 student, Devon.

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tunnel house complete with an old-fashioned blackboard strung from chains, tables made from plywood and tree stumps for seats.

Kate says she works with students who are disengaged in the classroom and often exhibiting negative behaviours. She first decided to try out the magic of the garden with a student who spent much of her time indoors looking at a screen.

“I thought, ‘I’m just going to take her into the garden to see what happens’. It was really hard getting her there, but I got her through the gates and within 10 steps she started to change and by the time she was deeper in the garden she was saying ‘I’m a princess and this is my castle...’ She literally transformed before my eyes – and that’s how it all started,” laughs Kate.

“Being in the maara transforms students from a state of hypervigilance to a state of peace and receptivity. The calming maara environment allows the brain to become more open to listening and learning and discovering a new way of being,” she adds.

Sparking an interest

Mike King is a qualified arborist, landscape gardener and a passionate forager. While he’s been brought on board to help make the school’s vision a reality, he also has a willing band of helpers.

“The guys who come out to me are generally boys who just can’t sit still in the classroom – that was me too, so I can relate to them. I do hear stories about how they act up in class, but when they come out here, there are no problems because it’s just one on one and there’s no one to play up to.

“They will be learning more about plants. So far, they have been helping me renovate which includes painting and construction skills; but my personal mantra is more about sparking an interest in nature,” he says.

Year 7 student Jayden was helping Mike when Education Gazette visited. As we talked, he munched on some freshly picked raw broad beans and commented: “Mmm, these are nice, I’ve never tasted them before. I’m going to take some home, maybe cook them, add some to my dinner.”

Aho Aho is clearly his happy place.

“I help Mike with watering, painting, getting the soil done, I plate-compacted all the gravel. I’m a gaming kid, but I like gardening and being outside,” says Jayden.

“It helps me get more active and not confined in my classroom – it’s good for me too. The classroom is fun but a bit distracting because I have ADHD and I get distracted easily. But when I come out here, I’m just my normal self, not worrying about being in the classroom and that.”

Community connections

The Kāpiti Coast District Council got the ball rolling by giving Ōtaki College $15,000 towards the start-up costs of the long-term project.

The college has recently received nearly $40,000 in funding from the New Zealand Communities Trust, which pays for Mike’s salary and repairs to the substantial tunnel house, compost and tools.

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A calming space: Kate, Mike and Jayden catch up in the Ōtaki College maara.

“Being in the maara transforms students from a state of hypervigilance to a state of peace and receptivity. The calming maara environment allows the brain to become more open to listening and learning and discovering a new way of being.”

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Local businesses and groups have donated materials and services, but more fundraising will be required to keep the momentum going.

A recent kōrero with the Māori Land Charitable Trust may source additional funding to employ a fluent te reo Māori-speaking youth worker to work alongside Mike.

Kate and Mike both see Aho Aho as a way for the school to connect with the community. The ideas are endless: whether it’s a subscription model where people receive a percentage of the harvest, growing gourmet salad mixes, opening the garden to the community on Saturday mornings, or making and marketing a spice from the kawakawa trees on the fringes of the garden – possibly culminating in a kawakawa festival.

The original vision was three-pronged – education, therapy and service, explains Kate.

The service aspect involves rangatahi giving back and sharing what they have learned in the garden.

“The idea is that they go out in the community and connect with the elderly and fix up their gardens, all the while hearing their stories so that rangatahi are giving, but also learning,” she says.

Outside classroom walls

As well as being a space for neurodiverse learners, Kate would like to see all the school’s teachers finding unique and creative ways to use Aho Aho. “I see the maara kai as offering a little more movement, flow and thinking outside the walls of the classroom.

What’s great for neurodiverse students is great for everyone. I would love all the teachers to see this as an

extension of their classroom – it’s already starting to happen,” says Kate.

Megan Nelson-Latu is curriculum lead of Year 7 and 8 and her class was to be found in Aho Aho every Tuesday afternoon last year.

“The ākonga have been working with Mike on a range of tasks – making compost, doing some of the soil testing, planting out some of the garden beds, weeding and planting out seedlings,” she says.

Megan was motivated to move outdoors as she found many students were quite hyped up after a Tuesday morning doing options and PE. This was quite stressful for the more anxious students in the class – and Megan.

“It’s a beautiful environment out there. Initially there was a bit of resistance from some of the kids, but actually when we get out there and they get involved, some of the biggest resistors end up doing the most work because they get so engrossed in it and want to see it finished and feel a sense of achievement.

“It’s been fantastic from that perspective, really calming, giving them a focus for the afternoon and giving me the opportunity to pull a few kids aside one on one and touch base if they need it,” she explains.

Kaitiakitanga and maanakitanga

Megan’s ākonga took part in Engineering New Zealand’s Plant Challenge last year, where they learned about optimal growing conditions while growing microgreens.

This tied in well with their mahi in the maara.

“It is science out there. Mike has done a lot of talking about growing things – they’re being immersed in it. And

The tunnel house can be used as a classroom, as well as a space to raise plants.

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now they are seeing some of the things that they planted as seedlings being transplanted into the beds. Then they’ve been able to use some of those in cooking because they’re doing home economics as one of their rotations.”

The class also learned about kaitiakitanga, learning to respect and look after the environment. Megan says this gave students the opportunity for leadership in a different capacity and resulted in improved behaviour.

“A couple of my students were being mentored by Mike. When the class went into the garden, they were leading by example and the other kids responded to that. It’s giving some ownership and some leadership opportunities so they can go out there now and work alongside people and show them how to do something,” says Megan.

Mindfulness

In 2022, Megan wants to develop how she uses the maara across the whole Year 7 and 8 department.

“I think there’s a lot of potential for classes to go out there and have a project to work on, whether it’s their allocated garden boxes or to use it in other ways because it’s quite a calming space. We’ve sat there and done writing. There’s plenty of space to spread out and just enjoy some peaceful, quiet time. It’s giving kids space to be mindful and just breathe.

“There’s so much anxiety in the current environment – I think helping to reduce anxiety levels for students in any way we possibly can is a good thing,” concludes Megan.

Aho Aho goals in 2022 and beyond » Continue to transform the maara into a healing environment that will act as a catalyst for change for rangatahi. » Bring the community together and provide spaces within the maara that will attract kaumātua and create connection – using restoration planting and food resilience as the point of connection. » Organise instructive and proactive sessions and events, that are both classroom and community led » Develop young people’s skills in tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori, horticulture and sustainability. » Continue to develop a space in which students can learn from kaumātua and then be of service to others. » Increase the wellbeing and boost the immune systems of at-risk rangatahi, elderly, and all the people in between.

You can read more about Ōtaki College in Issue 16, 2021.

Learn more about Mike King at finderseatersforaging.com Year 8 student Karson thinks it’s all right in the tunnel house.

7 February 2022

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PAY EQU IT Y

Travelling the motu to unpack pay equity needs for the education workforce Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga and NZEI Te Riu Roa hit the road to interview therapists, science technicians, librarians and library assistants in schools around the country to understand more about their roles as part of the pay equity claim process.

The work of librarians and library assistants is part of the pay equity claim currently being assessed.

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ay equity is about men and women being paid the same for doing jobs that are different but of equal value. This is different from pay parity, which is about people who do the same work being paid the same across different employers.

If an individual or union believes they, or a workforce, has a pay equity issue, they can raise a claim with the employer under the Equal Pay Act 1972.

In late 2020, NZEI Te Riu Roa raised pay equity claims with the Ministry of Education for therapists, science technicians, and librarians and library assistants – along with other claims.

These three claims were agreed as ‘arguable’ in early 2021, which means that there may be a current or historical undervaluation due to gender-based discrimination including perceptions about the value of ‘women’s work’, but that further investigation is needed.

In late 2021, the Ministry, NZEI, and the New Zealand

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School Trustees Association (NZSTA) signed a Terms of Reference, which set out how they will work together to investigate each of these three claims – they’re at the same phase in the claims process and progressing alongside one another.

There are three phases to a pay equity claim: raising the claim, assessing the claim, and settling the claim.

The signing of the Terms of References marks the end of the raising phase, which means it now moves into the assessment phase.

The first part of the assessment phase involves conducting interviews with school therapists, science technicians, and librarians to understand more about the skills, responsibilities, demands, and conditions of their roles.

The Ministry and NZEI collaborated on these interviews.

Ellie Good, a lead advisor in the Ministry’s pay equity

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team, says a lot of preparation went into the interviews before they even began.

“We received information from the Ministry’s data team on schools and individuals to invite to participate in the interview process. This sample was randomly generated but included different categories to represent the different types of areas and schools.

“We spent weeks scheduling NZEI member interviewers, answering questions, and providing information about the process so that people could decide whether participation in the interviews worked for them,” says Ellie.

Interview process

Over the course of six weeks in November and December 2021, pay equity analysts and NZEI member interviewers travelled to schools around the country to conduct in-person interviews. They also held online interviews, where appropriate, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A science technician interviewed said, “I was pleased to be interviewed as part of this process. I had hoped my name would be drawn out of the hat, so to speak, as I felt that I had a lot to share that could help the pay equity claim. The interview process was very pleasant, as the interviewers were most friendly and well organised.”

She was asked what she did in her role on a day-to-day basis and about working conditions and said “the school science technician role has become far more significant in recent years, thanks to the new health and safety laws and hazardous substances regulations.

“The role of school science technician needs to be filled by appropriately qualified people, who are attracted to and will stay in the profession because it is a viable long-term career path – appropriately remunerated and with career development potential.”

Ellie says they met wonderful and dedicated people during the interview process.

“It was fascinating to learn about these roles, both the everyday tasks, and the less visible skills and knowledge that many people use to contribute to the learning opportunities for students. I feel like I’ve learned a whole new vocabulary during the process including titrations, Van der Graaf generators, the Dewey Decimal System and online cataloguing!”

Next steps

There’s still plenty of work to do. The team will tidy up their notes and send them back to the interviewees to make sure it reflects the conversation that was had before they are used to assess the claim.

The next step is for the Ministry and NZEI to analyse the interview data and create a ‘General Areas of Responsibility’ (GAR) document for each claim, which aims to capture all the work the claimants do. These documents will then be sent out to claimants for consultation, and to check they have covered the full range of work.

“The assessment can’t take place without the interviewees’ participation, so we are grateful to everyone who accepted our invitation to participate. It is a privilege to be involved in this work and we are looking forward to seeing these claims continue to progress,” says Ellie.

Want to learn more about the process and other claims?

NZEI Te Riu Roa have more information at campaigns.nzei.org.nz/pay-equity

The Ministry of Education have more information at education.govt.nz/pay-equity

Sign up to the Ministry’s pay equity newsletter to get updates.

NZEI Te Riu Roa will be updating the claimants, members and non-members, directly.

Education Support Services

Tuakiri ‘Ko te tuakiri o te tangata te korowai ārahi ki te ao’ Kei te tini ngerongero o Aoteroa, e mihi ana.

He karanga tēnei ki ngā kaiako hōu, ngā pia me ngā pou tautoko.

E wātea ana mātou ngā kaiārahi ki te awhi i a koutou i roto i: • Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori • Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa • Kura/Rūma - Reorua • Kura/Rūma - Rumaki Reo. He kaupapa ārahi tēnei i te kaiako ki tōna Tohu Kaiako Tūturu o Aotearoa.

Kahore he utu mō tēnei kaupapa ārahi i a koutou.

Whakapā mai ki - otago.ac.nz/PCT M00450-CS-202121108

7 February 2022

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Oruaiti School in the Far North has a proud legacy of using the natural environment to empower ākonga.

E OTC

Education outside classroom expands horizons Education outside the classroom provides an opportunity to engage learners, broaden their horizons and build deeper relationships between teachers and ākonga, say two experts.

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r Allen Hill and Sophie Watson are members of the research team that has been exploring the value of education outside the classroom (EOTC).

Allen is a principal lecturer in sustainability and outdoor education at Ara Institute of Canterbury, and Sophie Watson is co-chair and PLD facilitator for Education Outdoors New Zealand (EONZ).

Research published in 2020 and funded by EONZ and the Ministry of Education, was part of a national study, Education Outside the Classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand – A Comprehensive National Study: Final Report. The survey of 523 school leaders and EOTC coordinators found that 96 percent of questionnaire respondents felt that EOTC was extremely, or very, important to their school.

Schools where EOTC flourishes have quite a few things in common: support from leadership, EOTC champions and good systems.

“Often that school culture, vision and the champions work together to create good systems, and this is where

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you can help with some of the time constraints. If you’ve got great systems in place … they can really help EOTC to flourish by helping to reduce the amount of time, or the perceived pressure on time,” explains Allen.

Outside four walls

EOTC is literally anything that happens outside the four walls of the classroom and focusses on the ways that teachers and students interact with the environment as a learning space.

This includes learning on school grounds, school camps and visits, meeting with experts and ELC (enriching local curriculum, previously LEOTC) such as visiting local museums or attending a theatre or music performance, explains Sophie.

She believes that EOTC helps young people to better see themselves in the community and in the world.

“I think EOTC supports connection and belonging because it’s often an embodied experience. The hands-

gazette.education.govt.nz

“We know that experiences in nature have significant benefits for wellbeing in general, particularly for mental health. But we also know that connectedness is really important for wellbeing and mental health...”

Dr Allen Hill

on experience means students can make learning connections more easily themselves. It also provides young people with the opportunity to expand their perceptions about what is possible for themselves and their community.”

Allen agrees that EOTC can play a valuable role in helping to develop connectedness with communities.

“We know that experiences in nature have significant benefits for wellbeing in general, particularly for mental health. But we also know that connectedness is really important for wellbeing and mental health – for students to have a sense of belonging to place and community is really important,” he says.

Allen Hill.

Bringing the curriculum alive

The description ‘EOTC brings the curriculum alive’ was a catch phrase used by many teachers in the research to describe how EOTC experiences enriched their students’ learning.

Allen explains: “I think it’s about taking the theoretical and abstract in terms of learning into the experiential and the applied. Where students get an opportunity to see, touch, feel and experience, there’s an embodied experience, a use of all the senses in the learning process, which in itself enriches the learning experience.

“Being there and experiencing the place and what it has to offer and what it is about in terms of the learning, also enriches the content. Those experiences can be very powerful – emotions are an important part of that learning process and that can be a really important part of bringing the curriculum alive,” he says.

Allen adds that it’s important that students are enabled in multiple ways to develop their skills, competencies and capabilities – and that the learning process is well supported.

“Like learning inside the classroom, EOTC requires teachers to be attentive to student needs, providing good progressions, good scaffolding, clear learning intentions and clear processes around those,” he says.

“Throwing students in the deep end seldom works – if students are supported through the process of new experiences, that can often be quite rewarding for them.

It comes back to the pedagogy – the quality of teaching and learning and having clear intentions about the purpose of the EOTC. “What are the outcomes we want to happen for our students and how are we going to ensure that the sorts of

7 February 2022

Sophie Watson.

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places we’re going and the activities we’re doing are lined up with the outcomes and purpose of what we want to achieve?” asks Allen.

Key competencies

Allen says the values and key competencies in the front half of The New Zealand Curriculum are important for helping ākonga develop skills and capabilities for the future.

“We know those interpersonal skills are critically important for 21st Century learners and EOTC provides more dynamic and real-world environments for the development of those skills, as opposed to being a little more contrived in some other situations.”

Allen explains that there are many opportunities to enrich curriculum with EOTC. “For example, a biology trip to an alpine area where they were trying to understand different ecosystems and how they change and how altitude affects plants, flora and fauna; using skills to be able to ask inquiry questions and investigate those.

“I think there is something unique about having to apply particular inquiry and investigative skills in an applied setting outside the classroom that can add extra value to those inquiry processes. In the real world, in so many different professions and industries, decisionmaking, observation, inquiry types of skills are required in those applied settings,” he says.

Sophie agrees and says that there’s a danger of making the key competencies the only goal of EOTC, when in fact much richness can be gained from using these experiences to build on learning area knowledge and skill development.

“I see local curriculum as being a well-aligned and supportive mechanism for EOTC and also with the upcoming Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum, which is beautifully aligned with EOTC.”

important teachers are equipped with these skills.

“Interest in EOTC and the demand for support has increased a lot and I think that’s due to increasing barriers in particular areas, but increased enablers in others,” explains Sophie.

“Sometimes teachers can be overwhelmed by EOTC because it requires a different approach to student management and planning. If it’s not necessarily viewed as an addition, but as an embedded part of the learning journey at school, then I think it can help to remove some of those barriers and become a familiar part of experiences for teachers and students.

“There’s no one right way of doing EOTC; as long as you are being responsive to your students, local places and your local curriculum, then you can’t really go wrong,” she concludes.

Good relationships

Allen says good relationships are a key contributor to good educational outcomes for students.

Educators have a responsibility to create a safe learning space, both emotionally and physically, but EOTC can also offer opportunities for different student-teacher relationship dynamics where students have greater autonomy and teachers share power and can learn from students themselves, says Sophie.

“I think it takes a bit of vulnerability by educators to share the learning space with students and admit that they don’t necessarily know everything. That’s where the magic can happen, but it’s essential that you have good relationships with your students and create a safe learning environment. It’s about ako,” she says.

PLD for kaiako

Teachers and kaiako have the skills to offer EOTC but may lack confidence, says Allen, adding that there are specific competencies around engaging students with quality learning in a dynamic environment outside the classroom, as well as health and safety considerations, and it’s

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At Governor’s Bay School in Christchurch, Year 8 student Luke identified that a walking school bus could reduce traffic in the area.

gazette.education.govt.nz

Tamariki at Broad Bay School learn about kaitiakitanga at a stream near the school.

Toolkit of ideas Sophie suggests some ideas for aligning EOTC with local curriculum » Always start with the ‘why’: the purpose and goals of your local curriculum and brainstorm how EOTC can support and enhance them. » Inquiry-based questions align well with EOTC because of their open nature. Ask a question and see where it takes you. » Map your local area and think about how you might be able to use the different spaces and places for learning. Mapping is a great activity to start with, as you can get fresh ideas and identify what knowledge, stories and expertise you have in your class/syndicate/community – don’t forget students may have multi-generational knowledge. » Explore your local area. Be curious and ask, ‘what is literally on our doorstep that we can use and what are the different ways that we can use it?’

» Identify staff strengths and interests. These don’t need to relate to your school curriculum; instead, it could be a hidden talent, connection, or knowledge of a particular place or topic. Identifying these things can help to create new connections and opportunities. » EOTC should be done in consultation with mana whenua/local iwi. Be aware that these relationships can take time to develop, and it is important that you enter these conversations with an open mind and a genuine intention for mutual benefit. Also be aware that iwi are often inundated with requests, so be patient and respectful. » Talk to different people about what you’re interested in doing because there will be a lot of local knowledge within your community. Engaging whānau is invaluable as they may have knowledge, expertise or contacts they are happy to share.

“There’s no one right way of doing EOTC; as long as you are being responsive to your students, local places and your local curriculum, then you can’t really go wrong.”

Sophie Watson 7 February 2022

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For more information about EOTC: EOTC Guidelines – Bringing the Curriculum Alive tki.org.nz

Education Outside the Classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand – A Comprehensive National Study: Final Report.

EONZ resources and PLD eonz.org.nz

Broad Bay School’s principal, Greg Macleod is determined that tamariki develop a strong connection to the outdoor environment on their Otago Peninsula doorstep.

Outdoor classrooms engage and inspire ākonga From the Far North to Rakiura Stewart Island, schools and kura are making the most of their ‘outdoor classrooms’ to bring local curriculum alive and ignite a passion in the environment. Over the past few years, Education Gazette has talked to kaiako and ākonga throughout Aotearoa about how learning outdoors helps to expand their horizons.

In the Far North, Oruaiti School has a proud legacy of using the natural environment to create an integrated curriculum dating back more than half a century when visionary principal Elwyn Richardson was at the helm from 1949-1962.

In 2021, the school won a Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award for its learner-led inquiries which include habitat restoration in local wetlands, planting to support water quality, and a solar-powered outdoor learning space empowering ākonga to develop critical thinking.

“We’re all about outdoor, environmental, active integrated learning and it’s because the students here have that expertise already. To be able to position the students as experts to begin with, breeds success,” enviro lead teacher, Rob Arrowsmith told the Gazette.

Empowering children In Mt Wellington, Auckland, tamariki at Lightbulb Learning made the most of the farm on their back doorstep with a weekly nature-based programme.

“We decided as part of our ‘Be school ready’ programme that we really wanted the children to develop confidence in exploring the unknown, so we established an outdoor programme for the older children and we take them up every Friday for two to three hours,” said kaiako, Hayley Cruden.

“It’s fostering their creativity and sense of appreciation for nature. They really take in the flowers, the changing scenery from winter to summer and they’ve noticed a lot of rubbish and stuff as well, so we plan to do a sustainability project to foster that in them.”

Broad Bay School’s principal, Greg Macleod is determined that tamariki at the 33-student school are encouraged to develop a sense of identity and connection to their outdoor learning environment on the Otago Peninsula.

“I think educators need to find out what they have on offer in close proximity to get kids outside of classrooms as much as possible. In this day and age there’s so much reliance on kids being indoors on devices. I see that we’ve got an obligation to teach children about getting themselves out in the environment, you’ve got to teach them how to be safe and make good judgements,” said Greg.

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Tamariki like Moby, aged 12, at Halfmoon Bay School in Rakiura Stewart Island make rat traps in one of many environmental projects the school is involved in.

Bang for buck The remote Te Māhia School, situated on the Māhia Peninsula, has used the school’s unique environment and histories to make learning come alive for students. One of the school’s major learning activities is the school camp, which involves a different camp experience each year for three years.

The Māhia camp, which is close to home, sees students learn about Maungakāhia, a significant maunga, before they climb it. They also visit a local seal colony, visit a monument where 22 railway workers lost their lives in a flash flood in 1938, and are flown across the peninsula in a Cessna.

“It’s through their home, their whenua, their history, their geography, and their whakapapa that learning is made meaningful. And we all know that if you can make learning about kids, they engage fully in it, so you can get a lot of ‘bang for buck’ with local curriculum and local learning,” explained principal Aan Hoek.

Climate change resource Education Gazette first met a group of students at South New Brighton School in late 2019 after they had piloted a curriculum resource Huringa āhuarangi: Whakareri mai kia haumaru āpōpō I Climate change: Prepare today, live well tomorrow. Ākonga had carried out a section survey of the nearby Avon-Heathcote Estuary, and were shocked to find enough rubbish to fill three 10-litre drums.

Teacher Mel Field told Education Gazette that the programme was tailored to the local community and students could see the relevance to their learning and

7 February 2022

lives as they learned about the potential impact of climate change in their area.

Two years later, Education Gazette visited another school in Ōtautahi Christchurch which had been using the climate change curriculum resource.

Tamariki at Governors Bay School Te Kura o Ōhinetahi were immersed in a range of activities to explore and mitigate climate change and sea level rise which included making a presentation to Christchurch City Council, addressing the issue of throwaway cups and food containers and organising a walking school bus.

Building self-esteem.

For tamariki at the Year 1–8 Halfmoon Bay School on Rakiura Stewart Island, the outdoor environment is not only their playground, but also their classroom.

Principal Kath Johnson told the Gazette that ākonga at the school are generally involved in three to four environmental projects at a time. These include rat trapping, monitoring penguin cams for a nationwide initiative and being ambassadors and guides for visiting schools on predator-free Ulva Island.

Kath says that giving children the opportunity to thrive in their own environment and see how they can contribute to a larger project builds their self-esteem.

Read this article online to revisit a selection of our articles about education outside the classroom.

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E DUCATIO N TO EM PLOY M ENT

Raising the bar for tourism education New achievement standards will help the hard-hit tourism sector by educating and upskilling a workforce to meet future challenges.

“Better educated graduates will be better suited to the workplace of the future. They will have to be nimble and able to consider and adjust to even more external factors like those we are currently facing, such as pandemics, climate change and sustainability.”

Julie McDougall

N

ew Zealand’s tourism sector has been decimated by the global Covid pandemic, but that’s even more reason for a future workforce with innovative and analytical higher thinking skills, says Megan Roberts, senior lecturer in tourism at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

In September last year, the Government announced the range of NCEA subjects that will be available for young people in The New Zealand Curriculum Levels 2 and 3, and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Levels 1 to 3, including the addition of Tourism.

Megan and Julie McDougall, chairperson of the Tourism Teachers Association – New Zealand (TTA–NZ), are part of a Subject Expert Group (SEG) currently developing NCEA Level 2 and Level 3 achievement standards in Tourism which will be piloted in 2024 ahead of the scheduled implementation of all NCEA Level 2 subjects and Wāhanga Ako in 2025.

Seeking a relevant curriculum

Currently, tourism courses at tertiary level struggle to attract a variety of students with varying skill sets and abilities and both Julie and Megan hope the new achievement standards will address this issue.

Secondary school tourism education in Aotearoa, which currently only offers unit standards, has predominantly been categorised as vocational. The study of tourism has lacked credibility and been perceived as less rigorous compared to more traditional subjects, explains Megan.

“These perceptions have contributed to declining tourism student numbers and a dumbing down of the curriculum at secondary school level.

“One of the issues is that the curriculum was designed by industry for industry. It’s been owned by the ITO (industry training organisation). There are not many subjects where the ITO curriculum is taught in high schools. That’s all good, but we must work together – a robust, relevant, authentic curriculum is not developed solely by industry and it’s not developed solely by educators,” she says.

Julie says that TTA–NZ was established because tourism teachers in secondary schools were concerned that the current unit standards don’t address the wide spectrum of study, career and job opportunities involved in tourism.

“Achievement standards should address this and focus on the exciting variety of opportunities now and in the future in tourism. The expectation of student learning, engagement, achievement and satisfaction should be raised because students will be considering the structure of the tourism industry, the local, regional and/or global tourism issues and possible solutions individually and within groups in creative, critical and analytical ways,” she says.

TTA–NZ has canvassed members and put together some big ideas, which the subject association will share with the SEG.

collaborate to solve problems, is timely and relevant.

Prior to the pandemic and closing of Aotearoa’s borders, the tourism sector was struggling to meet workforce needs. While many people see the face of tourism mainly through frontline and service roles, there is a need for multi-faceted people with management, marketing, technology and business skills, says Megan.

“There are so many opportunities across different businesses. Technology is obviously a big player in so many different facets of businesses. For example, Air New Zealand has their product across multiple websites where they are monitoring supply and demand every second of every day. The airline also uses technology in many areas of its business, for example in cargo, marketing and people management,” she says.

Understanding customer psychology is also important in designing customer experiences as well as in product development, explains Megan.

“There’s a lot of literature and theory around tourism demand; understanding why people travel and how they travel is quite important to the values of your business and also the product that you put into the market.

“Multi-faceted graduates have more options in terms of career, more resilience and they’re more valuable to a range of employers,” she says.

Flexible thinkers

“People will travel in a different way – we will be moving around but we’re going to be thinking differently, so we need smart young people – analytical, creative and critical thinkers with a desire to contribute to the future of tourism – who are aware of the different elements of what the pandemic has brought,” says Megan.

“Better educated graduates will be better suited to the workplace of the future. They will have to be nimble and able to consider and adjust to even more external factors like those we are currently facing, such as pandemics, climate change and sustainability,” adds Julie.

Many opportunities

Julie believes that developing a new range of relevant achievement standards, which allow and encourage students to think in innovative ways, analyse issues and 7 February 2022

Megan Roberts.

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Megan agrees and says that NCEA level tourism courses will offer learning opportunities that are relevant, authentic and flexible. “With the development of NCEA courses, pathways into tertiary education or the tourism workforce will be much clearer.

“It’s a multi-disciplinary subject, so it draws from many different areas such as psychology, geography, economics – and I think that feeds into how we design curriculum because it’s tourism-related, but taught with different lenses,” she says.

Julie says the achievement standards will help to lessen the knowledge gap if students move into tertiary study or go straight into the industry.

“They will be able to consider questions from a variety of perspectives as well as consider possible innovations, problem solve, think analytically and consider solutions for themselves,” she says.

Theory of tourism

The impacts of tourism, including economic, environmental, social, and cultural, will be one of the areas studied at secondary level.

“We have to realise that the world has completely changed, so we need to have young people who understand tourism in general and how they can focus on bringing the positive benefits of tourism into the communities that they are within,” comments Megan.

The building of relationships between secondary and tertiary tourism educators and members of the tourism industry is a strength, believes Julie.

“TTA–NZ works to support tourism teachers in secondary schools, builds relationships between secondary and tertiary tourism educators and members of the tourism industry.

We are also a part of TEFA (Tourism Educators Forum Aotearoa) – a secondary and tertiary tourism educators’ group in New Zealand,” she says.

At AUT, connections with a range of tourism businesses culminate in a work-integrated learning semester where, while still studying, students complete an industry-based project which is informed by theory.

Local problem-solving

There’s also an opportunity to develop some standards where local issues and problems could be studied, giving students the opportunity to communicate with their regional tourism organisations and businesses, says Julie.

“I would really like to see that in communities around New Zealand, that there are opportunities for young people to go into tourism businesses in their local communities,” she says.

“You look at the impact of businesses closing around the country. It will be a massive benefit if we can develop resilient businesses that are more focussed on our domestic market rather than our international market, that can be innovative and creative in the way they develop product and that are closely aligned to their communities,” says Julie.

“These are the modern ways of learning, so when you have that ability to link with an industry, it allows you to be much more authentic in your curriculum design assessment by using case studies, linking with businesses in an area, and opportunities to work with local iwi, to align learning and assessment with real life,” concludes Megan.

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Julie McDougall.

Subject Expert Groups A significant number of the changes to NCEA will be delivered as part of the Review of Achievement Standards (RAS).

The RAS involves many teachers and other experts from the education sector working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to develop new NCEA standards across a range of subjects, like tourism.

The Ministry has set up over 50 Subject Expert Groups – comprised of about 400 practising teachers, academics and representatives from the tertiary and industry sectors – to help develop these new achievement standards and supporting teaching and assessment resources for each subject.

Scan the QR code to stay up to date with RAS, or visit ncea.education.govt.nz.

gazette.education.govt.nz

Covid-19 information and resources Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | the Ministry of Education has a hub of important Covid-19 information, guidance and resources for early learning, schools and kura.

Scan the QR code with your device to find detailed information for the education sector.

Regular updates are being sent to the education sector in ngā pānui, bulletins.

For additional information and updates, visit health.govt.nz or covid19.govt.nz

Managing Covid-19: Public health toolkits for education sector New Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health public health toolkits will support the Ministry of Education to work with early learning service, kōhanga reo, school and kura communities to prepare to support the management of Covid-19 contacts.

Visit education.govt.nz

How to order masks for school-based staff Publicly funded schools and kura can now order masks online for use by all staff. These are supplied at no cost to schools and kura. Scan the QR code or visit nxp.nz/school-masks

VACANCI ES

Learning Consultant Are you passionate about STEAM and the Digital Technologies Curriculum?

Come sell what you know! You will be responsible for supporting the South Island and Lower North Island team and be required to travel (maximum one week or 4 overnight stays a month).

About the role: You will be part of the Education Team as the expert in teaching and learning with digital technologies. You will work collaboratively with our Education sales account managers across the business and build strong partnerships with our digital learning product suppliers. Therefore, your experience in the classroom teaching within a modern learning environment is key as you will understand the resources and needs of students in the classroom.

As well as having excellent written and verbal communication capabilities you will have a sound understanding of the New Zealand education curriculum, have strong negotiation skills and thrive on a challenge.

About you: •

An understanding of STEAM

•

Experience teaching in a modern learning environment and/or selling products into the school market

•

Hunger to achieve and exceed sales targets

•

Proven experience building effective relationships with suppliers, colleagues and customers

What we offer: •

An incredibly supportive team environment with a fantastic sales culture

•

A competitive salary, generous commission and company vehicle

About us: OfficeMax is a leading supplier of complete workplace solutions, our diverse offering spans office products, teaching resources, café, technology solutions, furniture and design, packaging, print solutions, cleaning supplies and more!

Applications close 20 February 2022. Please upload your application via the link below or contact rebecca.clark@officemax.co.nz for more information. https://www.officemaxjobs.co.nz/?unlistedjob=OKNCiAp&tracker=116452373

We are looking for a fully qualified teacher (new grads welcome to apply) for our relaxed, supportive preschool. We are licenced for 41 children, aged 2-5 yrs, and maintain a 90-99% teacher ratio. Being a community-based preschool and part of a charitable trust, all of our funding is used to ensure the welfare of the children and teachers. The preschool has an integrative style with all ages mixed in 2 large open plan spaces, with a large, brand new playground area for outdoor learning.

The values of our centre are: » an inclusive curriculum that removes any barriers to participation in learning, providing equal opportunities for all children and a commitment to bicultural teaching practices. » Provide our tamariki with a with a quality learning environment that gives them the best possible learning outcomes. » Foster a child’s sense of belonging. » Provide love, care, guidance and support to our learners from 2 – 5 years of age, affirming them in their identity as their learning journey continues towards to school.

This role is expected to work closely with the other 5 teachers in our Centre, and our Head Teacher.

Key external relationships are with parents/caregivers/guardians/whānau/ fono. Our ECE teachers ensure a high-quality educational programme is delivered and support the overall strategic plan of the Centre.

We offer pay scales on par with the kindergartens, free parking in Ponsonby, 12 sick days per year, weekly non-contact time, free PD opportunities and much more!

The role is full time (37.5 hrs a week, Monday – Friday) and is a permanent position. You must be legally able to work in NZ. For a full position description and more information about the preschool, please email the Manager on manager@ponsonbycommunity.org.nz

S EN IOR LEADERSH I P Y0-8

Principal - U5 – Stand Tall

Churchill Park School

Auckland Eastern Suburbs – Year 0 – 8 full primary - Decile 10 Position commencing on the 16th May 2022 or as negotiated This is an exciting and unique opportunity for an experienced, inspirational leader who is focused on becoming a part of our proud community.

Our school motto – Growing Future-focused Global Citizens – heads our school’s Strategic Plan, and is reflected in our school values of Respect, Honesty and Striving for Excellence.

We seek a collaborative, communicative leader who will build on our successes and lead the school into the future.

We are known for: • Our high level of academic success • Being the only urban school in New Zealand situated within a working farm park • Holding Green/Gold Enviro School status • Teaching students to be Problem Solvers, Creators, Communicators, Risk-Takers and Team Players • A well-balanced, holistic programme of academics, arts, STEM and sports • Welcoming and valuing our engaged community

We encourage you to visit our school.

Applications close on Friday 25th February at 1.00 pm. Position commencing on or about the 16th May 2022 or as negotiated.

Please visit the school website www.churchillpark.school.nz. An Application Pack is available online at www.educationgroup.co.nz.

If you have any queries, please contact Roween Higgie at admin@educationgroup.co.nz or 09 920 2173.

7 February 2022

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S EN IOR LEADERSH I P Y0-8

U4 Principal

Principal

Holy Cross School Miramar

Glenbrae School, Auckland Year 1 to 8 Roll 170 Our school is looking for a new principal to replace our highly respected principal who has moved on to a new and exciting opportunity.

Our school enjoys a strong relationship with our local schools through the Manaiakalani cluster of schools. We are proud of the success of our students and the way in which our teachers work to engage our children. We have a strong focus on engaging with our community to prepare our children for the modern world.

Your opportunity to lead a well resourced, diverse Wellington school with a wonderfully supportive BOT and community.

To find out more contact careteam@epeducation.co.nz for an info pack or call Stu on 04 910 2206 for a chat.

See the Gazette listing here https://gazette.education.govt.nz/ vacancies/1HAS5i-principal-tumuaki-u4 Applications close 21 February.

If you are an empowering leader then we welcome your application.

Information packs and application forms are available from: www.educationgroup.co.nz. Applications close midday Monday 28th February.

Tumuaki/Principal U5 (Decile 10) Mairangi Bay School (Roll 476) is a high-performing North Shore School, celebrating children with a wide range of ethnic backgrounds in a caring, child-centred environment. It has a beautiful learning setting in the seaside village of Mairangi Bay. This school is highly regarded by whanau and community and is well positioned to provide outstanding 21st Century learning. The school’s motto, "Learning together to create a better tomorrow” is underpinned by our Mission to ‘Kia Hikaka – Be motivated’, ‘Kia Māia – Be brave’ and ‘Kia Pono Te Ngakau – Be sincere’. Children who attend Mairangi Bay School are educated in a manner that encourages values of kindness, respect and resilience.

The supportive and forward-looking Board seeks a motivational, collaborative and inspirational leader who positively embraces modern teaching practices. This is a wonderful opportunity to lead the school and its community through the next stage of development.

Applications and referees’ reports are due by 5pm, Monday 21 February 2022.

For an application pack or confidential inquiries, contact Stuart Myers, smyersmbl@gmail.com.

Principal Tumuaki U3

Wesley Intermediate School is a Wesley/Mount Roskill school with a very positive and exciting future. Wesley Intermediate is in a housing development zone and is about to be rebuilt, bringing with it an expected roll in the next few years of between 500 and 800 students. The new tumuaki will lead the development of not only the rebuild, but also the pedagogical changes and staffing structures that will align with the modern environment.

Wesley Intermediate’s mission statement is “to provide quality education for lifelong learning” and the team at the school work hard to achieve a culture of care and collaboration. 60% of the school population is of Pacific Island descent, 20% Māori, 10% Pakeha and 10% from a range of multi-cultural backgrounds, making the school a rich and vibrant place to celebrate its place in Aotearoa.

The Board, including a Limited Statutory Manager, seeks a culturally-responsive, collaborative and visionary leader who positively embraces and inspires modern pedagogy and is excited to lead the school through a major building development.

Applications and referees’ reports are due by 5pm, Monday 21 February 2022.

For an application pack or confidential inquiries, contact Linley Myers LSM, lmyersmbl@gmail.com.

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gazette.education.govt.nz

AHUROA SCHOOL Principal/Tumuaki U2

We are an innovative full primary school with a roll of 75 young people (growing to 82 by December 2022).

Application packs can be found on the KEA website www.keaeducation.nz. The essential application form must be obtained from Ngaire Jermaine of KEA Education at ngaire@keaeducation.nz.

We are well on our journey to embedding Te Ao Māori into our school culture, and have a warm and supportive relationship with mana whenua.

So, we are seeking an experienced, highly motivated and energetic leader who will embrace the path we are currently on and be committed to our school and community’s dreams and vision for young people.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, vibrant and creative school with sound values that enjoys a supportive community and School Board.

Ahuroa is a well-resourced school and we are fortunate to have a very dedicated and professional staff.

Applications should be as described in the application pack letter and received by e-mail. Applications close Monday 21st February 2022, 5.00 pm.

Applicants will hear shortly after 1st March 2022 if they go to interview on Saturday, 13 March 2022. Position commences the start of term 2, 2022.

KEA

.nz

We are a short 15’ drive from Warkworth, in a beautifully quiet rural environment.

We are a family-oriented school known for providing an environment and culture of inclusiveness, collaboration and excitement, focused on providing a quality holistic education for our young people.

We are seeking someone who is a very competent leader, has strong personal and interpersonal skills, excellent curriculum knowledge, proven ability to lead learning, and has a well-developed child-centred education philosophy. We are Passionate, Authentic, Resilient, Explorers, and we will be looking for a Principal who shares these values.

l choo roa.s .ahu www

Our wonderful principal of seven years has won a very deserved promotion and we are seeking a worthy successor to her.

Education

Successful Recruitment for the Education Sector

EmpoweringWellington Learning Whakamana Akoranga Cardinal McKeefry School, Wilton,

PRINCIPAL (U2) Cardinal McKeefry School is a Catholic, integrated, Decile 10 primary and intermediate school for Years 1 – 8 offering a warm and welcoming cosmopolitan environment for around 80 culturally diverse students (U2). Our origins trace back to the Marist Brothers in 1876 while the current school was opened in the attractive Wellington suburb of Wilton in 1970 by Cardinal Peter McKeefry. We are a proud little school that offers a personal approach to learning, small class sizes, a reputation for academic excellence, dedicated teaching staff and a fully supportive school community. We are looking to appoint an exceptional Catholic faith leader who will grow our school and become part of our whānau.

OUR NEW PRINCIPAL • An inspiring faith leader with high levels of energy and enthusiasm and a focus on special character, student achievement, sports, arts and culture. You will develop a bright future vision for our amazing school • A person of integrity with a strong sense of justice, treats others fairly, is genuine, approachable and welcoming. You will be committed to ensuring all students achieve their true potential • A community builder who will put faith first, take an active role in the parish and attract new family/ whānau to our school. The role would suit an experienced or first time Principal.

Willingness and ability to participate in religious instruction appropriate to the special character of the school is a condition of employment.

APPLY NOW. Closing Date for Applications 5.00pm Monday 28th February 2022 Contact Jane Parkinson for an Application Pack on jane@blkcat.co.nz For a confidential chat please contact Andrew Harris on 021 0296 9891 or andrew@blkcat.co.nz Please also visit www.cardinalmckeefry.school.nz and our website www.blackcateducation.co.nz We look forward to hearing from you. Nga mihi.

7 February 2022

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PRINCIPAL (U3) BLUFF SCHOOL

FL AG

Tēnā koutou We are a school that overlooks a stunning harbour situated in the heart of Bluff Motupōhue, a north facing port and fishing town like no other. Home to the famous Bluff Oyster, and part of Murihiku, Southland. Our school is over 150 years old, having been established in 1867. We are a well-resourced decile 3 full primary and intermediate school for years 1-8, with currently over 130 students. The majority of our ākonga identify as Māori and our surroundings, including Rakiura and the Tītī Islands, are of huge significance to mana whenua.

Bluff Motupōhue is rich in culture and history. Many whānau have played important roles in establishing this wonderful town and school. This shines through in our tamariki and their whānau who attend Bluff school. They are engaged and always willing to help out. We are looking for a leader who is ready to fall in love with our town and school community and help us grow into the greatest school in Aotearoa.

OUR NEW PRINCIPAL • Is an inquisitive teaching practitioner, deeply committed to the NZ Curriculum and dedicated to ensuring every child achieves their true potential • Is inclusive, visible and an approachable leader who will engage with the local community, be prepared to ask the sharp

questions and take the time to listen.

The role would suit an experienced or first-time Principal • Colleagues describe you as a dedicated professional, self-motivated, highly organised, approachable, gifted communicator, inspirational leader and a joy to work with.

APPLY NOW. Closing Date for Applications 5.00pm Monday 21st February 2022 Contact Jane Parkinson at Blackcat Education for an Application Pack on jane@blkcat.co.nz For a confidential chat phone Andrew Harris on 021 0296 9891.

Also, please visit our website www.blackcateducation.co.nz We look forward to hearing from you. Nga mihi.

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S EN IOR LEADERSH I P Y7-1 5

Principal Rosehill College

Principal / tumuaki Full time, Permanent U12 Tēnā koutou katoa.

• Fostering manaakitanga and good global citizenship.

Eleven years on and Pāpāmoa College is looking for the next person to take our people to a new level, both staff and students. The Board of Pāpāmoa College is looking to appoint an inclusive and experienced Principal to take our school into the future while celebrating our journey so far. Our students develop a strong sense of belonging to the college. We are a state secondary school with a growing roll of around 1,600 students from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

• Ensuring equitable outcomes for all learners, students, and staff.

Our new Principal will:

• Providing the high levels of support that reduce learning barriers and encourage engagement.

• Work collaboratively with staff, whanau, board and the community

Rosehill College, a co-educational secondary school with a roll of 1700 students, is seeking a principal to lead the school on the next part of our educational journey.

As a school we have a focus on, and a commitment to:

• Te ao Maori

• Have excellent interpersonal and team building skills

If this sounds like the kind of environment you would like to work in and you have experience in leading change and a proven commitment to student centred and culturally responsive practice we would welcome your application.

• Have excellent communication using a range of modern applications

“Together we create an environment for personal excellence.”

• Have commitment to student achievement, digital technology and well-being

For enquiries and an information and application package please contact:

• Be resilient, empathetic and motivated

Janet Herst Principals Assistant/ BOT Secretary j.herst@rosehillcollege.school.nz 5 Edinburgh Avenue, Papakura 09 295 0661

Applications close 5.00pm.

Monday 14th March.

This role is covered by the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021, so applicants must either be vaccinated or have a medical exemption.

• Be a charismatic leader who engenders trust, leads by example, is committed to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, is culturally responsive, has a deep understanding of both curriculum and pedagogy and is passionate about developing the innate potential of all students • Be a person with mana.

Applications close @ 4.00pm Monday 14 March Application packs are available from Graeme Lind, email: graemelindnz@gmail.com Phone: (027) 446 1022.

We are excited to be seeking a person of great courage, irrepressible enthusiasm, and a strong sense of adventure to lead our team in the establishment of a new school (currently known as Hāwera New School) which will open at the beginning of Term 1 in 2023. The school will eventually operate from a single site at Camberwell Road in Hāwera, but while a major building project to make infrastructure on that site fit for purpose is ongoing, the school will be operating from two locations - the existing Hāwera Intermediate and Hāwera High Schools.

Establishment PRINCIPAL U10 Hāwera New School, Hāwera,Taranaki Full time, Permanent Intermediate/Secondary Years 7 – 15 This position commences in Term 2 2022, or a negotiated date Applications close 4pm Friday 4 March 2022

7 February 2022

The vision we have for this brand-new school is that “We value our people – students, whānau, and staff”.

We expect this new entity to punch above its weight in the building of community, care for the environment, and uncompromising commitment to the facilitation of equitable access and outcomes for our students.

The person who chooses to join us in this ambitious project will have a big appetite for innovation, an affinity with effective delegation and an empathic ability to hold others to account.

If you think you can do it we would love to hear from you.

Vacancy Link: appointmentshawera@gmail.com Please direct enquiries to: Tom Scollard - Principal Appointment Adviser ph (021) 183 6462

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What does ‘Growt h’ look like for you in 2022?

…. we grow great LEA DERS .