Productive partnerships

Living Heritage is an online bilingual initiative that enables New Zealand schools to develop and publish an online resource, based on a heritage treasure in their community.

In this case study, Newlands College deputy principal John Murdoch reflects on his school’s experience in setting up a whānau advisory group. The group began in response to data showing the college’s year 9 Māori students were struggling.

This case study explores how Te Kopuru School’s principal Lee Anderson has spent the past 8 years changing the culture of her small Northland school to improve the education, social, and cultural outcomes of the school’s Māori learners.

This case study (available in te reo Māori and English) looks at how two early childhood education services in the Waikato region are supporting vulnerable whānau to develop their knowledge and skills and get hooked into the education system early.

Schools in the Taupō area have worked in partnership with Ngāti Tūwharetoa to ensure students learn about their iwi, its history, places, and stories. 

This is the third report from the National Standards School Sample Monitoring and Evaluation Project 2010-2013, a three year project on National Standards implementation in a representative sample of schools.

This report by Colmar Brunton describes the main findings from research that provides valuable, in-depth insights about the information and communication needs of parents, families and whānau when they are:

• choosing a school for their child
• seeking information about their child’s school so that they can assess and compare their child’s learning progress and achievement with other students at the same level, and know how to ask appropriate questions
• determining their individual child’s learning, progress, achievement, next learning steps, and wellbeing.

The Ako Panuku website offers resources and links to assist schools to effectively support whānau and students to understand NCEA.

In this sabbatical report Rex Allott, Principal Omanu School, investigates programmes and practices that enhance the relationship between families, communities, and schools - in particular those that improve the achievement of Māori children and their whānau.

As part of the development process for the Ruia websites, whānau members, teachers, and leaders at several schools were interviewed about the partnerships that have supported their Māori students to be successful. The case studies below arose from these interviews.