We’re now consolidating the high level system and service design feedback we’re had from many people over recent months. Some of this feedback came from:

• On the ground learning from the 22 local improvement projects started last year
• A broad range of national and local stakeholder meetings, including the Minister’s National Cross Sector Forum on 11 March
• Regional workshops with Ministry and education sector leaders in 11 locations

Next steps

We will provide high level information to Ministers in July to seek their endorsement of the future approach. We’ll continue to test this with our education sector partners and others during 2016.  We’re working toward starting national implementation from January 2017.

Go to the Special Education Update - modernising learning support

A new report shows secondary schools are making good progress in many areas which will help raise student achievement.

The National Secondary Schools Survey Report is the latest in a series by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER).

Last year secondary principals, teachers, board members and parents of students were polled on a range of issues.

The survey shows improvements in many areas including:

• perceptions of the credibility of NCEA
• teacher satisfaction 
• student behaviour and wellbeing 
• parents’ satisfaction with the quality of their children’s schooling

Areas of concern include funding, the teacher workload associated with NCEA, and the extra challenges faced by low-decile schools.

These concerns are being addressed through initiatives such as the Government’s education funding review, a cross-sector Workload Advisory Group, and Communities of Learning.

The Fields of Remembrance Trust and the Ministry of Education would like to thank early learning services for participating in setting up their own Field of Remembrance and conducting services of commemoration in the week preceding Anzac Day.

Approximately 4,600 Fields of Remembrance commemoration packs were delivered to early learning services in the first week of April. Many services chose to use the resource in ceremonies of community remembrance with their children, families, whānau, veterans, rest homes and more. We are delighted to hear this!

We encourage you to share your story, with a picture, on how your early learning service commemorated Anzac Day this year. Selected stories will be posted on the Ministry of Education and the Fields of Remembrance Trust websites.

Please submit your story for sharing on education.govt.nz to World War I Fields of Remembrance.

You can view Fields of Remembrance set up in schools, kura and early learning services on the World War I government education website.

The Ministry is committed to delivering on the government’s $11 million funding (over 4 years) to lift access to NZSL for deaf children and young people, and their families and whānau. This video (You Tube; 7 mins, 23 sec) summarises the progress made by the Ministry and its partners since 2013.

As part of this work programme the Ministry supported Deaf Aotearoa’s provision of over 609 NZSL week taster classes (156 pre-school services and 368 primary, 49 intermediate and 36 high schools – up from 443 in 2015).

We also sponsor annual NZSL in Action Awards for an early years service and a school. This year’s NZSL in Action Early Childhood Award was won by Yoshie Akasaka at the Campus Creche in Hamilton for her inclusive approach to teaching, which includes NZSL. The Schools Award was won by St Theresa’s Catholic School in Plimmerton for fostering an NZSL-friendly learning environment.

For the full list of the award winners please see Deaf Aotearoa’s website.

• Critical dates for the June 2016 RS7 return
• New Advisory Group for review of education funding systems

Critical dates for the June 2016 RS7 return

All early childhood education (ECE) services need to submit their RS7 returns (funding claims) for the February to May 2016 period between 1 June and 8 June 2016.

ECE services connected to the early learning information (ELI) system are expected to submit an electronic RS7 return through their student management system (SMS) or ELI Web for the February to May 2016 funding period.

Payment for correctly completed and on-time returns will be made overnight on 1 July 2016, provided all other funding requirements have been met.

RS7 returns received after 8 June 2016 will result in a late payment.

The key dates for the 1 July 2016 payment are as follows:

The July 2016 payment includes:

• Wash-up for February to May 2016; and
• Advance for July to October 2016.

The wash-up payment for June 2016 will be made in November 2016.

Errors on RS7 returns: please check your RS7 return before you submit it. Any errors made on the return can result in differences between expected and actual payments, or funding delays.

Some common errors that can affect funding are:

Funding advice notices: these notices are sent to services on the payment date. The Ministry does not provide confirmation of payment amounts prior to this date. Please ensure you keep your funding advice notices in your records.

SMS users: please ensure your SMS system is set up with all the correct permissions to allow your service to submit your RS7 return on time. Services should contact the Ministry on 0800 ECE ECE (0800 323 323) for any questions, issues or password resets.

For more information about RS7 return electronic submission please visit RS7 Return Questions & Answers or email ELI.queries@education.govt.nz.

Resubmissions: resubmissions are available to correct genuine errors or oversights that come to light at a later date. They should not be considered a normal part of the process. ECE services are expected to do all they can to ensure the accuracy of all data submitted. Resubmission for the February to May 2016 period can be made via ELI up until 31 August 2016.

Resubmissions may be audited by the Ministry’s Monitoring Team to verify their accuracy before they are processed. Resubmissions older than 12 months will not be processed.

The ECE Funding Handbook contains the information needed to help complete the RS7 return (see Chapter 9 in particular).

For any funding issues please contact the Resourcing Division Contact Centre: 0800 ECE ECE (0800 323 323) or email resourcing@education.govt.nz.

Funding calendar:ECE key funding dates for the 2016 year are available on our website. There is a downloadable version also available.

Emergency closures: if a service is forced to close for a short time, due to an unforeseen emergency they can apply to their regional Ministry office for approval to continue to claim funding for the days the service is forced to remain closed. Funding for this type of emergency closure can only be claimed if it is approved in writing by the Ministry regional office.

More information can be found in the Funding Handbook.

New Advisory Group for review of education funding systems 

On 12 May, the Minister of Education announced the establishment of an Advisory Group as part of the next step in the review of education funding systems for early childhood education and schooling.

The group will work with the Ministry to test and refine a set of proposed directions for change, which explore ways to shift the current funding systems for 0-18 years, to better support all children and young people to receive the best possible education, especially those at greatest risk of educational under-achievement.

We’ll also be talking to, and seeking input from the wider education sector on the proposed directions for change. Engagement will run until 31 August 2016.

More information about the review of education funding systems will be loaded to our website soon, and we’ll let you know as soon as this happens.

Directors of Education will be in touch with you in the coming weeks to talk more about opportunities for you to be involved.

For more information

Read Minister Parata’s media release

Visit the Ministry’s website to read more about the Advisory Group

If you have any questions about the Advisory Group, you can email us at funding.review@education.govt.nz.

• Licensing and certification criteria changes
• Special Education Update – recent progress and next steps 
• First aid unit standard update
• Workshop: What does the Food Act mean for your business?
• Keeping up to date on wellbeing and privacy requirements

Licensing and certification criteria changes

Following the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, we have made amendments to the ECE licensing and certification criteria for the following early learning service types:

• Education and care centres
• Home-based services
• Hospital-based services
• Playgroups.

The table below shows the changes for each service type.

The changes will be notified in the New Zealand Gazette on Thursday 26 May 2016 and come into force on Friday 27 May 2016. On this date the criteria and associated guidance, as well as updated PDF booklets for each service type, will be available on the Licensing criteria page of the Ministry of Education website.

Special Education Update – recent progress and next steps

We all agree that children with additional learning needs should get the right support when they need it – we all want every child to succeed. With this aim in mind, the update is looking at the whole education system and not just the Ministry’s own special education responsibilities.

We have been working with many people since January on the high-level design of a more fully inclusive education system, including a new model for the Ministry’s own special education support. Meetings include with:

• Education sector and Ministry leaders in 11 locations
• People involved in the 22 local improvement projects that we started last year
• A broad range of national and local stakeholders, including at the Minister’s National Cross Sector Forum on 11 March 2016.

You can read a summary of Special Education Update progress since January, more about who we’ve been meeting with, and our next steps.

If you have any questions about the Special Education Update please email the update team at special.education@education.govt.nz or phone 0800 622 222. 

First aid unit standard update

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has recently reviewed first aid unit standards 6400, 6401, 6402, 26551 and 26552.

The review has resulted in the reinstatement of unit standards 6400, 6401 and 6402 and the expiry of unit standards 26551 and 26552.

The last date for assessment of unit standards 26551 and 26552 is 31 December 2019.

Note that there are no changes to unit standard 25459 for home-based services.

Assessment of overseas qualifications has been transferred from the NZQA to The Skills Organisation. Therefore, if you have an international first aid qualification, please contact The Skills Organisation directly. The NZQA retains responsibility for the quality assurance of standards and providers.

For more information about first aid unit standards visit the first aid qualifications page.

Workshop: What does the Food Act mean for your business?

The new food safety law – the Food Act 2014 – is now in effect:

• Do you know what changes you need to make and when?
• Do you know what a national programme means? 

This workshop will help you understand what the Food Act 2014 means for your business, and work out what you need to do and when.

It will give you an opportunity to speak to both council and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) representatives about any concerns you may have.

Dates for upcoming workshops

Invercargill
Monday 30 May, 1.30–3.30pm

Gore
Monday 30 May, 5.30–7.30pm

Te Anau
Tuesday 31 May, 10.30am–12.30pm

Thames Coromandel
Monday 13 June, 1.30–3.30pm

Tauranga – Western Bay of Plenty
Tuesday 14 June, 10am– 12pm

Details of the workshops are on the events page of the MPI website. Further workshops will be added as they are confirmed.

Keeping up to date on wellbeing and privacy requirements

Last year the Education Review Office (ERO) conducted 2 national evaluations of early childhood education (ECE) services. They considered how services managed their privacy responsibilities, and how well they kept up to date with changing requirements for children’s health and safety.

The reports note that generally services understand their obligations and keep their practices up to date, but instances of minor non-compliance were observed. The main area of poor practice was information management. The ERO noted incomplete records, poor management of physical records, and some uncertainty about what information about children can be shared and with whom.

You can read ERO’s findings and recommendations in the 2 national evaluation reports:

• Managing privacy responsibilities in ECE
• Meeting requirements for children’s safety and wellbeing in ECE

You might like to consider how your service ensures its processes and practices are kept up to date. He Pānui Kōhungahunga – the Early Learning Bulletin and the early learning section of the Ministry’s website are great sources of information on requirements and any changes to them.

• East Cape puna kāinga come together
• Playdays in Gisborne

East Cape puna kāinga come together

The East Cape drive to Tolaga Bay and further on to Tikitiki has some of the most stunning coastline scenery in New Zealand. These locations on the East Cape are the home to 2 puna kāinga. Each puna has a different look and feel created by the children, whānau and community.

So when the opportunity to visit the Tikitiki puna kāinga arose for Hiraina, the kaimanaaki of the Tolaga Bay puna kāinga, she quickly accepted. Hiraina travelled the 2 hours up from Tolaga Bay to spend a session at the Tikitiki puna kāinga and meet their kaimanaaki, Adrienne.

The kaimanaaki were both excited to share their knowledge and time with each other. The differences in each other’s puna kāinga formed the basis for their discussion, but the visit was also an opportunity to share information about what they had in common.

Tolaga Bay puna kāinga is based in a Playcentre building alongside Uawa Tolaga Bay School, whereas Tikitiki puna kāinga is based in a room on the Tikitiki School site. Each puna delivers to a community keen to support their 3 and 4-year-old children to be confident learners, have self-management skills and make a successful transition to school.

A month later, the Tikitiki puna kāinga community reciprocated with a visit to Tolaga Bay. This time all the parents, children and kaimanaaki came in the van. The morning was shared with a sense of celebration and whānaungatanga. Food was prepared by the tamariki, the playground was explored by active and curious children, and conversation flowed among the adults and children.

The unintended outcome of the visit is the ongoing collaboration and support each kaimanaaki can give each other. Research tells us that the most important thing for children is to have a network of good relationships around them. Even in such isolated locations, puna kāinga provide opportunities for community building and for all to learn from and alongside each other.

Playdays in Gisborne

The community has come together again through the Gisborne Community Action Group, Ka Pai Kaiti, to plan and hold 2 successful early learning playdays in Elgin and Kaiti.

The collaborative project, planned by key people and agencies, supported 16 children who were not participating in early childhood education (ECE) to engage in early learning in the Gisborne region. There were also 7 enrolments for B4 School Checks taken from the 2 events.

Each playday promoted the value of early learning and the benefits of whānau being involved in their children’s learning. The playdays had a wide range of activities, entertainment and information from approximately 30 agencies and organisations, including the Police, Sports Gisborne, the Heart Foundation and the Cancer Society.

The Community Action Group is a group of committed enthusiastic champions in their area. Together they planned and supported the opportunity for children, whānau and communities to gather. They were able to connect with whānau kanohi ki te kanohi, to listen to whānau needs and aspirations and to find ways to assist them.

Tuta Ngarimu, Project Manager for Ka Pai Kaiti, said “Together with our community groups and agencies, the donations and support provided has been gratefully received and shows true collaboration, heart and passion to enhance the wellbeing, education and whānau empowerment in Tairāwhiti.”

• Tai Tokerau
• Auckland
• Waikato
• Bay of Plenty-Waiariki
• Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne
• Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu
• Wellington
• Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast
• Canterbury
• Otago, Southland

Tai Tokerau regional update

Kia ora koutou

New Playgroups

Welcome to the new Playgroups operating in Te Tai Tokerau:

• Whakatupa a nuku Pūpū Harakeke – Herekino, Whakatupa a nuku Pioke – Kaitaia and Whakatupa a nuku Kūkupa – Kaitaia have all been set up using a Ministry of Education Targeted Assistance for Participation grant working in partnership with Te Runanga o Ngai Takoto
• Te Runanga o Whaingaroa has opened a Puna Awhina in Kaeo
• Kaitaia Baby Space, Kerikeri Plunket Playgroup and Plunket Ready Steady Wriggle Paparoa have each been certificated to operate under Plunket’s umbrella
• Nest of Mercy Playgroup Kaipara is operating from the Wesley Methodist Church in Dargaville
• Takahiwai Warriors Playgroup has been certificated by the Takahiwai Rugby League Club in Ruakaka Whangarei.

First Playgroup at rugby league clubrooms

The Takahiwai Rugby League Club has set up a Playgroup for whānau and club supporters in the area to have access to early childhood education (ECE). It has been set up through an initiative involving New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) and the Ministry of Education.

The Takahiwai Warriors Playgroup runs over 3 mornings and is led by Parent Champion, Kani Epiha, who aims to encourage as many whānau as possible to attend as there are many non-participating tamariki in the area.

NZRL Community Playgroups Manager, Marissa Holland, is hoping to set up more Playgroups in Te Tai Tokerau once clubs can see how beneficial they are to the tamariki and whānau, especially in rural areas.

Anyone interested in setting up a Playgroup through NZRL should register by emailing playgroups@nzrl.co.nz or the NZRL Community Playgroups Facebook page.

New puna in Kaitaia

The Te Hiku Early Years whānau and community hub, Whakatupu A Nuku, opened in Kaitaia on 13 April 2016. A collaborative venture between the Ministry of Education, the Make it Happen Te Hiku Social Accord and Te Runanga o Ngai Takoto, it caters for 0 to 4-year-olds and encourages whānau, hapu and iwi engagement to support tamariki in their learning. Congratulations to the team at Make it Happen Te Hiku.

Prime Minister’s Excellence Awards

Fourteen finalists have been selected from more than 200 entries for the prestigious 2016 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards.

Congratulations to Raumanga Kindergarten for being selected as a finalist for the Awatea Award which recognises Excellence in Governing.

This year’s finalists were chosen from a total of 212 entries by a panel of experts, convened by Education Council Chief Executive, Dr Graham Stoop. He said this year’s entries showed pride, passion and commitment, and a strong desire to make a difference.

A judging panel will visit each finalist during May and June 2016. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 13 June 2016, where each will receive a financial award and a professional development opportunity.

Tip of the month from our Special Education team

Simple steps parents can take at home to establish positive engagement with their children:

• Eat meals together where possible
• Put the mobile phone, iPad etc, away
• Create a dedicated time with your child every day:
  • do an activity together, eg, painting, baking, trip to the park, den building
  • get them stimulated and excited about something
• Involve your child in everyday activities (cooking, washing-up, cleaning etc)
• Read, read, read – any format
• Tell your child stories
• Get fresh air everyday – even a walk to the park or shops
• Keep introducing new words, eg, big —> big car —> big blue car etc.

Ngā mihi

Hira

Hira Gage
Director of Education Tai Tokerau
Phone: 09 436 8914
Email: hira.gage@education.govt.nz

Auckland regional update

No update this month

Waikato regional update

Ātamārie ki a koutou katoa. Hello to you all and welcome back to term 2.

Communities of Learning

It’s been really great hearing about the journeys that Communities of Learning (COLs) across the Waikato are on as they develop up their achievement challenges. It’s particularly heartening to hear about the involvement in early childhood services and kōhanga reo in the context of these discussions as well.

You can read about achievement challenges that have been developed by 18 COLs across the country to get a sense of what people are intending to focus on. We have 14 that have been established here in the Waikato, with all of them at different phases of developing and implementing their achievement challenges.

If you want to talk about COLs in your area please get in touch with our Lead Advisor, Bevan Smith (bevan.smith@education.govt.nz), Phillippa Clarkson (phillippa.clarkson@education.govt.nz)or myself (paula.rawiri@education.govt.nz).

Celebrating success in the Waikato

Mere Lawson-Nuri and I got to attend a Special Awards ceremony hosted by the School of Education at WINTEC recently. The occasion celebrated 3 graduating students:

• Gemma Harding - Outstanding Student Bachelor of Teaching (ECE)
• Thomas Malpass - Outstanding Student Graduate Diploma of Information Technology in Education (Level 7)
• Steven Miller - Outstanding Student Graduate Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Level 7).

It was really great hearing about the experiences of these 3 award winners and their hard work and dedication to their students and their studies. It makes me really proud to know that they are a part of the teaching profession.

Putting whānau at the heart of ECE

Tuia te here tangata– Making meaningful connections is a recent report published by the Education Review Office (ERO). It’s an insightful read that tells the story of 5 special puna whakatupu who are focused on whānau-wide learning. We know that children are more likely to succeed in education when there are strong connections between home and their service or school.

Health and safety for school leaders

A reminder that we are here to support you with the new health and safety legislative changes which took effect on 4 April 2016. If you require further information or assistance, please contact our education advisor, Linda Fraser (linda.fraser@education.govt.nz), in our Hamilton office who is taking a lead on this regionally.

Strengthening child protection practice

If you are a member of a Playgroup or Playcentre in the Hamilton or Thames region, check out the workshops below. They will provide practical guidance for parents, carers and those involved with Playcentre or Playgroups. Bookings are essential.

Hamilton
Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts
Saturday 18 June, 9.30am

Thames
St James Union Parish Church
Sunday 12 June, 2pm 

Book online at: www.ecetraining.nz.

Measles outbreak in the Waikato

We have recently had confirmed cases of measles in the Waikato region. Please ensure you have read the information we sent directly to your services. Population Health has also provided information through doctors’ practices. If you require further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Population Health (07 838 2569) or visit the Waikato DHB website: Measles | Waikato District Health Board.

Paula Rawiri
Director of Education Waikato
Phone: 07 850 8924
Email: paula.rawiri@education.govt.nz

Bay of Plenty–Waiariki regional update

No update this month

Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne regional update

No update this month

Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu regional update

Kia ora, nei rā te mihi ki a koutou

The past month has been a very busy time in the Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu area.

Special Education workshops

In Taranaki the Special Education team has been facilitating workshops with early childhood teachers focused on inclusion, and how best to support the teaching teams to further develop inclusive practices, to ensure that all children have access to high quality education. In addition to the workshops, support ranges from advice and guidance on the spot, to upskilling teachers through tailored and targeted professional development and coaching.

New Pasifika service

We attended a special dawn ceremony to bless the site for our second Pasifika Learning Centre in Whanganui. Kaumatua John Maihi presided over the blessing that has paved the way for the construction of the new service to begin. The Pasifika Learning Centre was the recipient of a Ministry of Education TAP3 grant from the 2015 funding round. The new Pasifika service is located in the grounds of Tawhero School and will focus on engaging children not currently enrolled in early childhood education (ECE).

Photo: from left to right:
Jann Marshall, Director of Education, Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu
Hellen Puhipuhi, Manager, Born & Raised Pasifika Education
Chris Dibben, Principal, Tawhero School

Secret Garden Gables Childcare commemorate ANZAC Day

We were delighted to have Minister Parata join the Secret Garden Gables Early Learning Centre to commemorate ANZAC Day. The Minister handed out poppies for the children to plant in the grounds of the service. She also helped to erect 3 white commemorative crosses, which were part of a nationwide pack distributed to all ECE services to support the Fields of Remembrance Commemorations of World War 1.

Tina Doyle-Salisbury, Head Teacher at Secret Garden Gables, said that leading up to ANZAC Day teaching and learning sessions focused on understanding the meaning of the day through conversations, visual representations and singing (National Anthem of New Zealand). Learning was captured in the children’s profile books and they were encouraged and supported to create their own poppies. Tina said that this was a fantastic opportunity as the children had been immersed in the culture of ANZAC Day.

I felt privileged to be able to join this celebration along with the children, teachers, parents and grandparents.

Minister of Education Hekia Parata hands a poppy to a child for planting at the Secret Garden Gables Childcare service in Palmerston North

It has been a pleasure to meet so many of you at the ECE forums. I look forward to providing further opportunities to meet later in the year.

Please contact me on 021 229 7685 or email jann.marshall@education.govt.nz if you wish to discuss any issues or ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.

Ngā mihi

Jann Marshall
Director of Education Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu
Phone: 06 349 6352
Mobile: 021 229 7685
Email: jann.marshall@education.govt.nz

Wellington regional update

Director’s message

Tēnā koutou

At the end of March I began my new role as Director of Education, Wellington. As I said in my previous message, I am keen to get out into the community to gain a greater appreciation of the services you provide to our tāmariki, parents and whānau.  I was delighted to accept an invitation to the Aro Valley Preschool Mosaic Mural Project featured in this bulletin (further details on this event are provided for your information below).  This occasion demonstrates Kaiako weaving an holistic curriculum in response to tamariki learning and development in the early childhood setting and the wider context of the child's world.

I am pleased that as a region, the Government goal of 98% participation in quality ECE has already been achieved by Wellington at an overall level.  I am also fortunate to be leading a regional team that remain absolutely committed to ensuring participation rates continue to increase for  Māori and Pasifika who are still sitting at 96.3% and 96% respectively.  Like you, I would be very proud if we could meet the 98% for all.  We know quality ECE makes a significant difference to life-long learning, social, health and employment success.
I would be thrilled to receive other invitations to attend your ECE service/Kōhanga Reo and see the great work you are doing.

Aro Valley Preschool Mosaic Mural Project

On Friday 13 May, Suze Strowger, Director for Education, Wellington, attended a Mosaic Mural Unveiling at Aro Valley Preschool in Wellington.

Over the last year as part of a place-based education focus, Aro Valley Preschool children have been exploring the origins of their community.  Helen Baxter – Management Support and Catherine Vaughan – ECE Teacher, both describe place-based education in the following way.

“Place-based education is important because, a vital part of the human condition is to have a connection to a place, any place. The natural environment provides many different learning opportunities for children. By making connections to the natural world, children are better able to understand their place within it. Place-based education is not just about the natural environment, it is also about culture, history, nature and experience. When children explore their relationship with the places around them, and by being active members of their local community, they are able to carry out meaningful investigations and research. As children build relationships with a place, their knowledge of who they are and their own sense of identity grows. Place-based education aims to acknowledge everybody’s place in the world.

Aro Valley preschool families have different experiences, histories, cultures and perspectives. Some have been displaced by war and conflict. Having a connection to a place and a sense of belonging is important for the community. Acknowledging cultural histories helps children learn about and respect the local iwi.”

In 2015 the preschool received funding from the Wellington City Council Creative Communities Grants Scheme for a mosaic artwork that would reflect and celebrate ‘our place’. The preschool contracted international mosaic artist Rachel Silver, to work with them to create a mosaic mural for the preschool entrance.

Rachel spent time at the preschool with the children to get their creative input into the mural through drawings and discussion. The children also visited Rachel at her studio at the nearby Toi Poneke Arts Centre.

The mural reflects some of the story of “our place” – the history of the local area and the connection this has for members of the community now, as kaitiaki of the preschool and neighbourhood. A key feature of the mural is the local Waimapihi Stream.

The children explored the origins of their community, including the history of the Waimapihi Stream.  Originally the stream flowed through the area now known as Aro Park (next to the preschool). It was here that Mapihi, a Māori princess, is reputed to have bathed. The area around the preschool was warm and sheltered so was used by Māori for growing gardens for Te Aro Pā.  The stream helped to water these gardens.  Kumara is occasionally still found growing in the surrounding area.

Children and their families have made several excursions to the source of the stream and followed its journey down the valley and back to the preschool.  They have learned also that the stream water flows through pipes under the preschool, all the way to Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbour) near Te Papa.

Preschool families, members of the local community, and representatives from the Wellington City Council and the Ministry of Education gathered together to celebrate the installation of the mosaic. Neavin Broughton, representative of mana whenua, blessed the mosaic.

“It is a privilege to attend this mosaic unveiling and really be a part of Te Whāriki in action,” said Suze.

Ngā mihi

Suze Strowger
Director of Education Wellington
Phone: 04 463 8668
Mobile: 027 229 4009
Email: suze.strowger@education.govt.nz

Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast regional update

In Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast we have a proportionately higher ratio of certificated Playgroups to licensed early childhood education (ECE) services. This is mainly due to the responsiveness of Playgroups to operate in the number of small and diverse communities in our region.

Certificated Playgroups are an example of whānau/parent-led ECE provision. They provide families and whānau with the opportunity to parent together and learn more about parenting, develop social and community networks and build confidence, as well as lead the education and care of their children.

Key components to whānau/parent-led ECE that support this learning are:

• Parents contribute to all parts of the education programme and are encouraged to document children’s learning, thereby deepening their understanding about children and their learning
• Parents are active in assessment, planning and curriculum discussions
• Whānau/parent-led services often support diversity of families and endeavour to be responsive to the community and families’ early childhood needs
• Whānau/parent-led services support the involvement of both parent and extended families in the service.

Certificated Playgroups are funded by the Ministry of Education. We have 2 education advisors in our area who support Playgroups to meet the Playgroup certification criteria by providing advice, information and resources. They also support Playgroups through the funding application process. Find information on establishing a certificated Playgroup.

For further information please contact Deborah van Dam, the Senior Advisor, at 03 546 3473 or email deborah.vandam@education.govt.nz.

Erika Ross
Director of Education Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast
Phone: 03 539 1533
Email: erika.ross@education.govt.nz

Canterbury regional update

Director’s message

Kia ora

It's hard to believe we are in term 2 already. Last term the Ministry lost a loved and respected colleague, Steve Hooker. Steve was a passionate advocate of New Zealand Sign Language and skilled supporter of deaf students and their families. Our thoughts are with his family.

Four years ago the Pasifika Advisory Board held a fono to discuss Christchurch education renewal and possible options for Hornby. On a misty April morning I was privileged to attend a sod turning ceremony for the Pan-Pasifika Early Learning Centre, to be built on the grounds of Hornby Primary School. The centre, to be managed by Barnardos Kidstart and responsive to the unique cultures of the Pacific, will see that dream become a reality. It is scheduled to open later this year.

Coralanne Child with (left to right) Jeff Sanders (CEO of Barnardos NZ), Dick Edmundson (Principal of Linwood College, formerly at Hornby High School), Sean Wheeler (MoE), Siale Faitotonu and Jeff Magele (reps from the Pasifika Education Reference Group)

For those still wishing to attend the interagency workshop ‘How to recognise and deal with children and young persons exposed to or at risk of abuse’ please see the section below. If you are unable to attend on 25 May 2016, but are interested in going to future events, please let us know as we will be collating expressions of interest for when we offer the workshop again later in the year.

Inter-agency workshop: ‘How to recognise and deal with children and young persons exposed to or at risk of abuse’

This workshop is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE), Child, Youth and Family (CYF) and the Police, with the aim of sensitising school and early childhood education (ECE) staff to recognise children and young persons exposed to or at risk of abuse.

The workshop includes signs and indicators of children or young persons at risk of abuse, the roles of professionals involved in dealing with suspected abuse, the process that follows a report of concern, and child protection policies. Representatives from MoE, CYF and the Police will give you advice and good practice examples around the topic.

The workshop will run on 2 different dates with a maximum of 50 participants per workshop. Please bring your Child Protection Policy along for discussion!

CERA wellbeing survey results

In late 2015, CERA conducted a survey of more than 2,000 property owners who accepted a Crown offer to evaluate wellbeing outcomes. The survey included a set of questions about how former red zone residents have settled into new communities. These questions produced some useful information about  the positive role played by schools in resettlement. Table 3 of the report sets out the factors that make schools welcoming.

Table 3: Factors that make schools welcoming

Read the full report [PDF; 6.34MB]

Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards – Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College and Early Learning Centre

These awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in early childhood education (ECE), primary and secondary schooling. Congratulations to Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College and Early Learning Centre who are a finalist in the 2016 Education Focus section of the awards. This section has a focus on collaboration along the education pathway to improve health, wellbeing and learning success for every child and young person. This is the only Canterbury group selected as a finalist this year and a wonderful acknowledgement of the outstanding work being done at both the Early Learning Centre and the teen parent unit. Winners will be announced on 13 June 2016.

Futures Network

Recently we were approached by members of the ECE community about the Futures Network. This was funded by MoE following the 2011 earthquakes as a forum for ECE services to share information, solutions and receive updates from the Ministry. The sector has been maintaining the network voluntarily this year, but has noted they are unable to sustain this. The Ministry has agreed to continue to support the Futures Network and meetings will be held each term about topics of interest and currency. Barb Madden will be responsible for coordinating this – if you have any topics you would like to see covered please contact her at barbara.madden@education.govt.nz.

Details of the next Futures Network meeting are set out below:

Dates have been set for the Futures Network hui in Terms 3 and 4:

• Term 3 – Wednesday 24 August 2016, 9.30–11.30am
• Term 4 – Tuesday 8 November 2016, 9.30–11.30am

Please put these dates in your diary now. Further information about the topics and venues will be in the June edition of this Bulletin.

We continue to look for ways to better support you so please do not hesitate to contact us.

Mā te wā

Coralanne Child
Director of Education Canterbury
Phone: 03 378 7345
Email: coralanne.child@education.govt.nz

Otago, Southland regional update

Otago-Southland Regional Cross Sector Forum and Maheno Kindergarten

Kia ora koutou and warm Pasifika greetings

It was wonderful to have a strong early childhood education (ECE) input into our Otago-Southland Regional Cross Sector Forum on Wednesday 4 May 2016 at the Edgar Centre. Penel Pask, Director of the Dunedin Community Childcare Association, was co-chair of the forum. Gillian Melvin, Senior Teacher at the South Otago Kindergarten Association, was a guest speaker. The morning session focused on engaging students in science and was led by Dr Ian Griffin from Otago Museum who shared the numerous science activities available for children at the museum. They even have a pre-school session at the planetarium, including songs and actions to support learning about astronomy.

Although Gillian spoke about science in particular her clear articulation of learning in the early years was greatly valued by the wider sector audience, many of whom have had little direct or recent contact with ECE. Gillian focused on “natural curiosity” as the key to unlocking Science in the Early Years. She explained how teachers set up the environment to engage the children and then ask the open-ended questions. For the older children or toddlers, she stressed the importance of feeding in language so they hear it and develop the skills to make sense of the unknown.

What children could be expected to do before they go to school and the role of the teacher were highlighted by Gillian. These ideas are shared in 2 of her slides below that were part of her presentation at the forum.

Her final quotes were “Play is the highest form of research” by Albert Einstein and from Benjamin Franklin “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” This aptly sums up her philosophy on children’s learning in the early years.

New ECE service at Maheno

The Oamaru Kindergarten Association (OKA) has been working hard in the last few months to have their new kindergarten completed in time to open this month. They have refurbished the previous Maheno Playcentre building which closed in 2014. The Maheno Kindergarten will provide 23 new child spaces for local families and will be the only ECE service in the town.

The Waitaki District is an area of priority for the Ministry of Education, with lower ECE participation rates than other areas of Otago. The opportunity to establish a new ECE service came from community demand to have an all-day service in the town. The Ministry has been able to support the OKA with this project with a grant of $100,000 through the Targeted Assistance for Participation fund.

Local families have been very supportive of the project, with a high number of children enrolled and ready to start when the kindergarten opens. The kindergarten will be a valuable service in supporting North Otago families in their children’s early learning needs.

Please contact me if you wish to discuss any issues or ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.

Ngā mihi mahana

Julie Anderson
Phone: 03 471 5217
Mobile: 027 836 4846
Email: julie.anderson@education.govt.nz

It should encourage schools and teachers to work together to share their best ideas, not compete with each other.

It should support kids to be all they can be, no matter what background they’re from.

And it should encourage creativity, not conformism.

We agree. We would have liked the opportunity to explain to Bryan Bruce how schools and teachers around the country are working towards these goals.

We would have made him aware of the biggest system change schooling in New Zealand has seen in 25 years. That’s the Investing in Educational Success initiative, introduced in 2014, and which 40% of schools have now joined.

There’s a lot to learn from Finnish schools, but there’s also a lot to learn from local schools who are at the cutting edge of these new Communities of Learning.

Such as the schools that are forming the Waitakere Community of Learning, who talk about “a huge groundswell of goodwill and optimism” in their work. 

More than 1,000 schools with more than 320,000 students are forming 117 Communities of Learning around the country. These groups of schools are working together to share their best teaching ideas, and they’re getting sizeable resourcing to help them do that.

One thing about the documentary that just didn’t ring true was that our education system crushes creativity and encourages conformity. This isn’t a cookie cutter education system – far from it. The New Zealand Curriculum is designed specifically to encourage students to be curious and inquiring. Parents see that every day, like:

• the school project uncovering hidden house mould
• the Whanganui iwi that has been working with local schools to bring iwi history into a rich, local curriculum
• the Roxy 5 competition in collaboration with CaptialE where students get together to make a 5 minute film, judged by Weta Workshops. 

The strength of our education system is that creativity is also blended with some objective measures so that we all can see what children and young people are learning.  Yes, we want teachers and parents to have a clear idea of how each child at primary school is progressing. That’s why we have National Standards. And yes, teenagers want to be able to leave school with qualifications that equip them for work or further learning. That’s why we have NCEA.  

There is still more work to do. Our biggest challenge is to ensure that our education system succeeds for every child.  

All around the world, students from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds have more challenges at school. That’s the same in New Zealand. That’s why we provide more funding to schools serving students from less well off backgrounds.

But at the same time it’s important not to stereotype low decile schools. There is a great deal of variation amongst schools within each decile, with some schools in the lowest deciles outperforming some schools in the highest deciles. You can see some examples of inspiring schools on the Prime Minister's Awards website. 

We are encouraged by the progress that lower decile students and Maori and Pasifika students are making. Over the last 5 years, students from lower decile schools have been narrowing the gap with higher decile schools on achievement in NCEA Levels 2 and above. The gap between Decile 1-3 and Decile 9-10 schools has narrowed by 6 percentage points between 2009 and 2014.

We’re also seeing a narrowing of the achievement gap in terms of Māori and Pasifika.

From 2011 – 2014, the NCEA Level 2 achievement for Māori rose 10.6 percentage points, and for Pasifika by 9.5 percentage points. These rates compare with an increase of 5.8 percentage points for NZ European/Pākehā over the same period.

Our education system isn’t perfect, but we think it certainly is world class. 

Vegetable gardens, fruit trees, worm farms, and even a lizard garden are just a few of the new additions to Discovery School’s expanded eco-system following a Treemendous School Makeover.

The school is one of 4 throughout the country to win an outdoor makeover this year, thanks to the Mazda Foundation and Project Crimson.
More than 250 members of the Whitby community, including teachers, students and family members, lent a hand for the last of 3 working bees to complete the project.

Teacher Natalie Packer, who project managed the transformation, says the makeover has been a huge community effort.

"So many different people and organisations have worked on the project, it has been truly amazing" she says.

Local businesses and organisations donated goods and services free of charge. Even Rimutaka Prison pitched-in, donating more than 700 trees and plants from its nursery and a number of kit-set bird feeders and weta hotels.

Discovery School caretaker Aaron Semmens, who spent a lot of time on the project, says the community’s sense of connection with the school is now muchbetter.

"It is not just a school anymore, it’s their place," Aaron says.

The kids have really given to the project, Natalie says. “They feel invested in it and will see it as a sort of legacy when they leave the school."

Natalie says the new spaces will be used every day by teachers and students for learning and investigation, morning tea, lunch breaks and much more.

"This term I’m going to take a group of 5 year olds and we will build a strawberry garden," she says. “That’s just one example of a great learning opportunity."

Well known entomologist and Project Crimson trustee Ruud Kleinpaste, also known as The Bugman, recently spent a day with staff and students to encourage them to make the most of their new space.

The new trees and plants will now be roped-off for a few weeks to allow them to settle-in before being exposed to little feet.

When she first applied for the $10,000 Treemendous School Makeover, Natalie says she didn’t expect to win.

"This crazy idea that we had worked,” she says. “It was really hard work but I highly recommend it."

Asked how many hours have been put in by the school and community to create the garden, Natalie says she cannot not even count that high.
Go to the Treemendous website to apply for the 2017 Treemendous School Makeovers.

Hamilton’s Southwell School Pumpkin Club is now in its third year and last month’s harvest was as big, orange, and delicious as ever.

School chef Gareth Lusty, who started the unique club along with technology teacher Kerry Williams, says the green fingered students learn a lot by being in the club.

The 26 students gather together throughout the growing season to grow their produce and examine their results. Students set personal bests for the size of their pumpkins and then try to beat them.

“The children get a lot of joy and excitement out of growing their pumpkins and a great sense of belonging from being in the club,” says Gareth. “There are now 26 students in the club and they’re all learning that if you work hard then you will get there. It’s a great lesson for the kids.”

“We teach the students that when the pumpkins don’t grow or die it isn’t a failure,” Gareth says. “We look at what we’ve learnt and how we can do it better next year. It’s all about commitment and learning new things.”

The motto for the club is ‘If you’re growing outside, you’re growing inside.’

Gareth says some of the children in the pumpkin club have not had the opportunity to grow their own vegetables in the past, so it is a great introduction to gardening and a fun way to learn.

“A highlight of the season is when the students take their pumpkins to the pumpkin carnival.”

Hamilton’s Great Pumpkin Carnival is an annual event that sees people from throughout the country get together to celebrate pumpkins.

A participant from last year’s event currently holds the record for the Southern Hemisphere’s heaviest pumpkin, which weighed-in at a whopping 754.5kg that’s more than 7 Richie McCaws!

The record holder may have to face some competition from the Southwell School Pumpkin Club in the years to come. The record for the club’s biggest pumpkin is 130kg and the top pumpkin from this year’s harvest weighed in at 74kg.

Southwell School Pumpkin Club would like to see other schools take up the challenge of starting their own pumpkin clubs.

“It opens up so many opportunities for kids, they will love it,” Gareth says.

So far 7 schools in the Waikato, Auckland, Northland and Nelson regions have closed while they confirmed which staff and students are immune to measles.

Those who weren’t immune had to be excluded from school and quarantined for 14 days. The group most at risk is those aged 10-29, as they're least likely to have been fully immunised.

Go to the Ministry of Health website to find out more about the measles outbreak.

If you are unsure about your immunity to measles ring 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863) or Healthline on 0800 611 116.

Schools can contact their local DHB Public Health unit at any time if they are concerned or have any questions.

What schools can do to be prepared Before an outbreak:

1. Ask staff, students, parents and caregivers to make sure that they have received 2 doses of MMR vaccine. Everyone born from 1 January 1969 is eligible for free MMR vaccinations. Immunisation records are kept by family doctors and in Well Child Tamariki Ora (or Plunket) Books. The ministries recommend that those who are unable to find their immunisation records check with their family doctor and get vaccinated – it’s free.
2. Record the names of students who are not immunised or who cannot find their records. This will enable public health officials to quickly identify those at risk should the need arise.

During an outbreak:

1. Inform staff, students, parents and caregivers about the current measles cases in your area.
2. If someone develops symptoms of measles, separate them from others while they are waiting to be taken home and call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice as soon as possible.
3. Ensure that people with measles, and unimmunised people who have been exposed to measles, don’t attend school while they are infectious.

Twice a day George jumps into his van and heads off to do his pick ups and drop offs. But unlike many other drivers, George takes a special friend along for the ride – Lobo, his black Labrador.

In his spare time George volunteers as a puppy raiser for Assistance Dogs NZ. So with the permission of the student’s parents and their school, he does his rounds with Lobo in tow.

“The kids just love it,” George says. “They think it’s awesome having a dog on board every day. If there’s room, then a dog will come with me morning and night.”

Originally from the Manawatu, George and his wife moved to Hamilton 3 years ago to be closer to her brother and open a pet shop. When George saw an advertisement in the local paper from Go Bus Transport looking for drivers, he decided to apply.

“We have a special needs child ourselves so I know a little bit about working with these sorts of children,” he says. “It is really neat to be part of these kids' lives and watch them grow and develop over time.

“I enjoy seeing the kids each day, it is just awesome. They always give me a nice big smile and when they come out of school and see me I always get a great reaction.”

George, who has a background in farming, says he has always loved dogs, so when he heard about a Hamilton organisation that was looking for volunteers to help raise assistance dogs he signed up.

He helps raise one dog at a time for a period of 12 to 14 months and teaches them the basics, including household rules, good manners and social skills. The assistance dogs then go off for advanced training for their future roles working with people in the community with disabilities.

“I love working with the dogs,” George says. “I’ve learnt a lot from doing it.”

George was speaking to his manager when the pair had the idea of taking the dogs along on his daily school transport runs. 

Together they got permission from the children’s parents, and ensured the school was happy with the idea.

When George started bringing the first dog on his runs, he says the kids all wanted to sit beside it and pat it. “They were all very excited,” he says. “I had to explain that it’s a working dog so we have to do things a bit differently.”

George says while the children love having the dogs come for a ride in the van, it’s not just beneficial for the students. “It’s really great for the dogs and for their social skills as many of them will end up working with children.”

George’s last assistance dog went to Tauranga after its advanced training so that it could work with a young girl with autism. Assistance dogs often also work with children who have epilepsy, diabetes, are amputees or are in wheelchairs.

Outside of George’s special needs run and as part of puppy development, he visits other Hamilton schools where his assistance dogs socialise and meet other students with disabilities.

George also helps to fundraise for Assistance Dogs New Zealand.

Special education assistance drivers work throughout the country to deliver students safely to and from school every day.

Levels of transience have been fairly static over recent years apart from a spike because of the Christchurch earthquakes. At the same time achievement statistics for NCEA Levels 1- 3 for all students show continuous improvement since 2008.

While transience can set some students back, moving schools shouldn’t be a barrier to learning. Teachers are trained to assess a student’s learning needs and tailor teaching to those needs including supporting children who are new to a school.

We assist schools to help them do this by putting systems in place to ensure schools can support students who move. The ENROL system allows schools to share information about where students are up to in their learning - key to ensuring a smooth transition and minimise potential disruption.  

And NCEA and vocational pathways provide flexibility and cater for the different interests and capabilities of students.

Some schools also offer online tuition for courses of study others have flexible timetabling options so that students can access the content they may not have covered in their previous schools.

Schools around the country are coming together to form Communities of Learning so they can work together and share their best teaching ideas. 

These Communities allow schools to collaborate more closely on priorities set by those Communities. These may include ensuring students go to school and supporting those who may have learning challenges due to difficulties caused by moving schools.

“There were three trucks with three pieces of classroom on them," he says. “I was down the road watching them heading into the junior school on my very first day."

That was in April last year, and 12 months later, the classroom is working very well.

"We absolutely love it!" he says. "We’re very lucky to have it."

Year 1 teacher Lee Newlands says she really enjoys working in the new building.

"These are wonderful modern new spaces," she says. "It’s a flexible space, and we can use it in lots of different ways.

"I love the bright colours – the blues and the reds.

"It’s a welcoming environment, and it will be lovely and warm in the winter."

Lee also calls it an "all-weather" building as she can open doors to the decks on either side.

"That’s a great little area," Jeremy says. "Lee gets out the paints and easels and it’s easy to clean up afterwards."

He notes that although the classroom is open plan, the noise factor is very low.

"Some classrooms have to put baffles in or break up the space with furniture. Here, if people are talking in one corner, you can still talk in the other corner."

Jeremy was also surprised at how quickly the building was installed after the components arrived on site.

"Within a couple of weeks, we were walking around inside it, the pieces were joined up and the carpet was down," he says.

"I’d love to have another one for our senior school. I’d recommend them to anyone."

The achievements of sixteen people in early childhood, primary and secondary education were acknowledged including former Ministry of Education Secretary Karen Sewell who was named Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Dame Karen was honoured for her service to education including heading the Education Ministry, the Education Review Office and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. She is currently the chair of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu Correspondence Board, served on numerous other education bodies and led the implementation of National Standards, a new national curriculum, and Youth Guarantee.

Queen's Birthday Honours also included the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CMZM) for Myrlene Dawn Jones OBE for services to netball and education, Office of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for Heather Irene Bell for services to education and Alexandra Mary Raine Matheson, for services to performing arts, education and LGBTIQ rights.

The Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to education went to: Tristan David Brebner, Jacqueline Duncan, Kieran Francis Fouhy, Thomas Hullena, Barry Douglas Petherick, Anthony James Pope, Amalia Tuffield, Graham Stewart Young, Susana Lemisio received the same award for services to the Tokelau community and early childhood education and Rahera Shortland, for services to Māori, education and television. 

Queen Service Medals were awarded to Pareaute Polly Nathan, for services to Māori and education and Arihia Amiria Stirling, for services to education and Māori.  

In a bright new building near a playing field, the air is filled with the scent of fresh baking.

The muffins are out of the oven, and students crowd round their kitchen counter.

Northern Health School head teacher Vivienne Clarke says this is the heart of the school’s brand new building, and it helps make it comfortable and “homely” for the students.

She says the school’s students face major health issues such as severe injuries, heart conditions, cancer, severe diabetes, depression and anxiety disorders.

“For the students with physical illnesses, they need a clean and healthy environment,” she says.

“The students with mental health issues may have had negative learning experiences, so it’s important they feel safe and welcomed.”

The school’s building is on the Devon Intermediate School grounds in New Plymouth, and has its own access driveway and enclosed vehicle bay.

This is suitable not only for students who have physical disabilities, but also those with anxiety disorders who would be unable to walk the length of a busy mainstream school.

“Here they feel more comfortable – they are still part of the school with a fine view of the playing fields, but more protected from the world.”

Over the last few years, an increasing number of students put pressure on the existing resource centre, which provides services for the whole Taranaki district.

“At one point, there were 7 teachers and 20 students all in one room,” Viv says. “There were teachers sharing desks.

“For us, this space is perfect because it’s got separate areas for the students to learn in. It is a versatile space which gives us opportunities to do extra activities with our students.”

The kitchen is one of those areas which offers a chance for students to learn life skills. As well as being able to heat up food and make hot drinks, students can practice cooking and baking.

The Northern Health School has around 600 students in the North Island. The Taranaki site has about 30 students, although they aren’t all there at once as they come in at various times during the week.

The exposed wooden frame is a popular design with new schools, and can be seen in rebuilt schools in Christchurch, such as Marshland School.

Ministry property advisor Laura Keenan says the collaboration with the health school has resulted in an excellent facility for the students and teachers.

“It’s a warm, comfortable, homely, bright space,” she says. “This is a nice golden space.”

McAuley High School in Auckland was the big winner, taking home the Supreme Award and the award for Excellence in Engaging.

The judges praised the school’s cohesive values and emphasis of care on every student and their family, with a relentless focus on individual potential and the refusal to give up on any student.     

Deputy Principal Curriculum, Rachel Williams, praised the hard work of staff:

“This is testimony to the hard work put in by all staff members over a sustained period of time. It is also a wonderful acknowledgement of the commitment that the wider McAuley High School community has made to the education of our young Catholic women.”

The Education Focus Prize went to Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College & Early Learning Centre, based in Canterbury. The focus this year was on health and wellbeing.

Former student at the college, Amanda Anthony explains what Karanga Mai meant to her:

“With the birth of Katie came a great selfless love which drove me to be more than I could have ever been without the opportunity to succeed here at Karanga Mai. With dedication and determination, from staff and students combined, it really is a place where dreams become reality.”

The award for Excellence in Leading went to Rotorua Boys’ High School, which was described by the judges as a “role model of transformation.”They praised the outstanding lift in achievement that’s underway, demonstrating how a shared vision and focus on respecting the ability and character of each boy transforms their learning.

Principal Chris Grinter praised everyone who’d supported and contributed to the boys’ stories of success:

“It has been a team effort and immensely rewarding to see our students enjoying great success as young Māori men. We are proud to be a winner. Whaia te iti kahurangi.”

Te Puna Reo o Puna Kaiti, is a Māori immersion early childhood education centre based in Gisborne. The judges chose the ECE as winner of the Teaching and Learning award, acknowledging how this Puna Reo based teaching and learning on their local iwi identity of Poroutanga so that the mana of each child and their whānau is respected and enhanced. 

Erana Haerewa says they’re honoured to receive the award:

“We have strived to deliver a curriculum authentic for our tamariki so they can stand tall as Māori Leaders of the future instilled with values and tikanga.”

Awarding Rangitoto College the Excellence in Governing award, the judges praised the governance of the Board of Trustees at Rangitoto College for showing them to be masters of complexity in scale and in culture. 

Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees, Rangitoto College, Mike Shaw says:

“I’m passionate about school governance and the important role it plays in setting the direction and expectations for schools. The Awards have been a great way of examining the impact of our decisions and in demonstrating to our community the strength of the governance and leadership present within the school.”

Winners from each category were awarded $20,000 and a professional development opportunity.

The Supreme Award winner received an additional $30,000 and an opportunity to represent New Zealand education.

Education Minister, Hekia Parata, said with a record number of entries the awards demonstrate the great work being done across New Zealand:

“The winners and all the finalists are a credit to the teaching profession. They showed the difference that great teaching and great leadership backed by strong governance make to kids’ lives.”

This was the third Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards, and attracted more than 200 entries.

Deputy Secretary for Early Learning and Student Achievement at the Ministry of Education, Lisa Rodgers, praised the calibre of all the finalists:

“These awards are designed to celebrate the high quality of teaching and education practice in New Zealand. This year’s winners are testimony to the hard work being done by staff and students from early learning to senior school everyday right across the country.”

• Go to the Prime Minister’s Education  Excellence Awards website for more information.
• Go to the awards categories, criteria and frameworks, on the Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards website.

The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG), which is responsible for analysing the performance of the public sector, has released its third and final report on how well the education system supports Māori students to achieve their full potential. The report is part of a 5 year programme of work started in 2012.

This most recent report confirms the positive difference that education data makes to lifting the achievement of Māori students – in essence, when schools use data and information well, Māori students do better.  Those schools that were using information effectively had some things in common including; 

• an intense focus on using information to change processes
• managing and using information about individual students
• monitoring the relationship between the school, students, and whānau.

Successful schools were also;

• setting strategic goals
• measuring the school's performance
• building relationships with, and working hard to understand, their students and the wider community
• exhibiting a culture of inquiry and challenge
• asking how all of this relates to achievement.

Characteristics of schools with great results

“Better-performing schools also tended to do a more detailed analysis of the educational success of different groupings of students, whether by year, gender, ethnicity, learning needs, or level of transience.”

The report said schools with better results for Māori students used data to inform their activities and to decide how and where to target resources to get the best result.

“These schools were committed to improvement and had management cultures that valued inquiry and challenge. The schools wanted to see continuous improvements, and people were encouraged to ask questions and challenge norms.”

The report also noted that strong leadership is needed to build a culture focused on performance and improvement, and the importance of a school’s charter in improving Māori achievement.

“A basic start is to ensure that schools identify the performance of Māori students in particular.” Many schools chose to signal these goals and targets in the school’s charter. The OAG looked at school charters to find out whether they had achievement targets for Māori.  Of the 553 charters the OAG examined, 77% included achievement targets for Māori students.

The report also recognised that better-performing schools collected and used cultural information, such as a student’s ties with their iwi.

“This is a rich source of information. The challenge for the education sector will be to better collect this information at the aggregate level to inform and improve its decision-making.”

Ministry of Education responds to the report

The Ministry’s Deputy Secretary (Early Learning and Student Achievement), Lisa Rodgers, said the Ministry welcomed the report, and supported the information in it that showed that schools collecting and effectively using data on student progress was critical to supporting improved Māori education achievement.

“We congratulate the schools that are already doing this work, and we encourage all schools to keep focusing on understanding data to see what is working well and what needs to change,” she said.

Lisa Rodgers said the report provided helpful insights on how top performing schools use data, and the power of data to help schools raise achievement for Māori students. The Ministry supported the call made in the report to increase and improve the collection and use of data across the education system, especially student achievement data. This has been a focus of action for the Ministry she said, and acknowledged there was more work to do but was also pleased with progress across New Zealand.

Work is already underway

 “A large number of schools in the country regularly give us data on student achievement. We analyse these data and talk with schools about the results. We also give schools tools so they can understand what progress looks like for children throughout their learning. This helps teachers to focus effort early and responsively, to help every child reach their potential. This is particularly important to catch students falling behind, and develop tailored responses to help them.

“Each year we provide every secondary school in the country with an individualised dossier of information called an Achievement and Destinations Profile. This contains information on students’ NCEA achievement, as well as the National Standards results from nearby contributing schools and tertiary destination information for student leavers,” she said.

The Ministry also used data to work with schools directly in raising attainment. The At Risk of Not Achieving (ARoNA) work was an example of the Ministry using data to support system change to improve education results, she said. In ARoNA, Ministry staff used a student focussed methodology based on NCEA achievement data to support secondary schools and the students’ families to identify how individual students at risk of not achieving NCEA Level 2, can be motivated and assisted to succeed in their studies.

Report recommendations

There are 5 recommendations in the report for the Ministry of Education. In summary they are:

• work with schools to establish a framework for collecting cultural information and other information about Māori enjoying educational success as Māori
• help those schools that do not have enough understanding about what Māori enjoying educational success as Māori means with better guidance and information that they can use to measure Māori enjoying educational success as Māori
• use currently available information to investigate the variation in performance of similar schools in similar circumstances and assist the lower-performing schools to do better
• work with the education system to ensure that there is effective leadership and common understanding of the purpose and use of information to improve outcomes for Māori students (this recommendation is, we understand, directed to education sector agencies and schools)
• lead the education system to ensure that practices to collect, analyse, use and share information improve.

Lisa Rodgers said the Ministry was carefully considering the report and its recommendations.

Read the full report on the Office of the Auditor General’s website: Education for Māori: Using information to improve Māori educational success.

On behalf of the Minister of Education, the Ministry of Education is seeking candidates who are interested in becoming members of the Education Council pursuant to Schedule 21 of the Education Act 1989.

Nominations open 16 June and close 21 July.

There are up to 6 positions, 3 starting in December 2016 and 3 starting in July 2017. Appointments are for terms of up to 3 years.

We are looking for candidates who have knowledge of education, experience of governance, leadership experience and skills, financial skills and an understanding of the partnership principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

We are particularly interested in candidates who:

• are currently practising as teachers
• have experience in improving educational outcomes for Māori and/or can speak te reo
• have experience in early childhood education
• have strong financial acumen
• are based in the South Island.

The Education Council meets in Wellington around 10 times a year. The expected time commitment for members is 30 days per year for meeting attendance and other Education Council business.

You can nominate yourself, or another person, with their agreement. Find out more information and submit your nominations online at Crown entity and other statutory board appointments.