Hiruharama School

The roll ERO recorded, and when

ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 104 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.

1. October 2025

   118

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 10 December 2025

This is one count taken for one report. It says what the roll was on that day, and nothing about how the roll has moved.

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 10 December 2025 — “Ngā Kitenga Arotake Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.

ERO wrote this report in te reo Māori and in English. Both are here as ERO published them, in ERO’s order, untranslated.

1 He Kupu Arataki

Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ngā whānau, ngā kaiārahi, ngā kaimahi me ngā hapori ki te whakawhanake i ngā tirohanga aromātai e whai wāhi nui ai ki te hāpai i te kawenga takohanga me te whakapaitanga, ki te tautuhi i te ahu whakamua, ā, ki te whakapakari ake hoki i te āheinga ki te aromātai. E hāngai ana tēnei pūrongo ki ā rātou pūnaha, ki ā rātou whakaritenga, me ā rātou mahi whakahaere. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā whānau, mā ngā hapū, me ngā iwi.

2 Te Horopaki

“Iti te kōpara e kai tākirikiri ana i runga i te kahikatea”

E tū ana Te Kura o Hiruharama ki te tonga o Ruatōrea. He kura tuatahi tēnei e poipoi ana i ngā uri o ngā tau 1 ki te 8. He tino hītori tā te kura; nō te tau 1895 i tuwhera ai, ā, koia nei tētahi o ngā kura reo rua tuatahi i whakatūngia ai ki Aotearoa. Nō Ngāti Porou te tino nuinga o ngā kaimahi me ngā whānau, ā, he tino hononga anō ki Te Aitanga a Mate rātou ko Te Aowera, ko Te Awemapara, ko Te Whānau a Rākairoa, ko Ngāti Hinekehu. Nō te tau 2024 te kura i hono atu ai ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, ā, ko te whāinga pae tawhiti kia tū hei kura rumaki reo Māori.

He pēhea rawa te rongo o ngā uri i te angitu ki tā Te Aho Pūkenga e meatia ana?

He pai te ahu whakamua me te rongo o ngā uri i te angitu ki tā Te Aho Pūkenga e meatia ana, mā te manawa whakahī ki te tuakiri, mā te whai pūtaketanga o te ako, me te whakatutukitanga o ngā wawata.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E poipoia ana te ngākau titikaha, te waiora me ngā pūkenga ārahi o ngā uri mā roto mai i tētahi taiao i āta whakatōngia ai, i āta whakatinanahia ai hoki i ia te rā ngā uara o te kura, arā, ko te Manaakitanga, te Māiatanga, te Manawatanga, me te Manahautanga. Kua pouherea taua aronga ki te Whaioranga, ā, ka whakatinana ngā uri i aua uara mā ngā karakia, mā ngā mihimihi, mā te taki i ngā pepeha, me te kaha tautoko atu i ngā kaupapa a ngā hapū me te iwi ki ngā marae o te takiwā nei. E whakakoia ana te ako i ngā mōteatea me ngā waiata i te tuakiri o ngā uri, ā, ka tūhono i a rātou ki ngā pou whenua whakahirahira o Te Awemapara. Ko te toro atu ki ngā akoranga ki tua atu i te akomanga e whakapakari ana i te hononga o ngā uri ki te whenua. Ka whakapakari aua wheako i te manawanui, i te whakahikohikotanga, me te manawa whakahī ki te whakapuaki i tō rātou reo Māori e pakari haere ana, me te whai wāhi nui ki te hāpai i te hapori. E whai pānga aua pūkenga me aua pūmanawa ki te pūkete manu tāiko, arā, ki Te Aho Pūkenga , ā, e whakatairanga ana ngā hākinakina – pērā i te kākari ringawae, te oma whenua, me te takaporepore – i te waiora me te angitu o ngā uri. E whanake ana ngā uri hei ākonga ngākau titikaha e āta pupuri ana i te hōhonutanga o te ahurea.

E pou here ana, e waihanga ana hoki te whakapapa o te kura me te hōhonutanga o tōna hītori i te whakatinanatanga o te whakataukī a te kura e mea ana, “Kia kaha, kia ū” , ā, nā aua tūāhuatanga ka whiwhi ngā uri i ngā akoranga whai pūtake e hāngai ana ki ō rātou tuakiri. I te kura e ahu whakamua ana ki te tū hei kura rumaki reo Māori, kua whakahāngaitia ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga a ngā uri ki The New Zealand Curriculum me Te Marautanga o Aotearoa . E arahina ana te kāhui rumaki e Te Marautanga o Aotearoa , ā, ka whakatairanga i te tōpūtanga me te whānuitanga o ngā akoranga. Kei te mārama ngā takune ako, ā, ka haere ngātahi me ngā poutama o te Anga Putanga Ako ki te whakatairanga i te kōkiri a te ākonga i a ia anō, i tana aromatawai whaiaro hoki. E whai hua ana ngā uri nā te aronga ā-kura ki te tuhituhi, ā, he tino tauira ngā kaihāpai e akiaki ana, e whakapoutama ana i te whakawhanaketanga o ngā pūkenga. Kua waihangatia ngā hōtaka kia whai pānga ai ki ngā ngākau nuitanga o ngā uri, ā, ka whakatairanga ake i te whai wāhi atu, me te noho tahi o te tuākana me te taina. Kei te hihiri ngā taiao e miramira ana i ngā mahi a ngā uri, ā, ka poipoi i te manawa whakahī me te hāngaitanga o ngā mahi ki a rātou anō. Nā tēnā, e whanake ana te ngākau titikaha, te tū tangata, me te mana motuhake hei ākonga.

I te mutunga o te tau 2024, i eke te nuinga o ngā uri ki ngā tūmanako o te kura – ki tua atu rānei – i roto i te pāngarau, te pānui, me te tuhituhi. Ka ārahi ngā amorangi i te tātari me te aromātai o ngā wāhanga marau, hei tautuhi i ngā rerekētanga, me te whakatakoto haere i ngā whakaritenga ka whai ake. Ka aro nui ki te ako ngaio me te whakawhanaketanga ngaio hei whakapakari i ngā pūkenga whakaako, hei whakatairanga hoki i te whakatere ake o rātou ngā uri e tika ana. Ka aro nui te kura ki te tangongitanga o ngā matea o ngā uri mā te ako ā-rōpū me te whakahāngai ake hoki i te tautoko. Ka whai pānga nui ngā kaihāpai ki ngā mahi e poipoi ai i te ngana me te angitu o ngā uri. Ka āta poipoia ngā uri e tika ana hei hāpai ake. Ka whanake ngā uri i ngā pūkenga me ngā mōhiotanga e hāpai ana i a rātou ki te puāwai me te eke angitu. Mā te pakari o te tautoko me te ārahitanga, e whakamanahia ana rātou kia eke angitu, kia manawa whakahī anō hoki mō ā rātou whakatutukitanga.

Kua whakaritea e ngā amorangi te tino ahurea e kawe ngātahi ai te angitu o ngā uri. Ko te whakatairangatanga o te tauira ārahi e whakaaweawe ana i te hiranga, ā, e poipoi ana i te ngākau nuitanga o ngā kaimahi katoa. Ka toro atu ngā amorangi ki te aronga pakirehua, ā, ka whakaaro huritao, kei te tākare hoki, ā, ka kitea te auaha o ō rātou whakaaro i a rātou e mahi ana ki te whakawhanake me te whakapai ake i ngā angamahi marau me ngā putanga. Ka whanake ngā uri i ngā waiaro me ngā pūmanawa e whai hua ana ki tā rātou whakatinanatanga i ō rātou tino pitomata.

Kei te mātātoa, kei te whai hua Te Poumarumaru ki te whakakanohi me te hāpai i te hapori o kura. He tokomaha ngā mema kua whai wāhi atu ki Te Poumarumaru mō ngā wāhanga poari e toru, ā, he mātanga, he tirohanga ā-whakatupuranga, he whakawhirinakitanga hoki ngā pūkenga ō rātou e hāpai ana i ngā whakataunga. E aro nui ana te tauākī taketake, te tirohanga, me ngā aronga rautaki kia tū pakari, kia manawanui hoki ngā uri i tā rātou whai i te hiranga. Kua whai hua ngā poumarumaru ki te whakatutuki i ngā whāinga i whakatakotohia ai mō te roanga o te wā, hei painga mō te kura, mō ngā whānau, me ngā hapū. E hāpai ana te huringa taiāwhio kaupapa here i te hāngaitanga o ngā kaupapa here ki ngā herenga ā-ture o te wā. E whai hua ana ngā amorangi, ngā kaiako, ngā uri, me ō rātou whānau nā ngā whakataunga nahanaha i āta whakaarohia ai, me te aronga o ērā ki te tupu tonu me te whakapai tonu.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Kua tīmata noa ngā amorangi ki te whakahou ake i te angamahi hou o te marau ā-kura, o Te Whāriki . Me haere tonu taua whakawhanaketanga i roto i ngā marama 12 ka whai ake, ā, me hāpai ake mā tētahi mahere mahi ka āta whakatakotohia hei whakapūmau i te whai huatanga o te whakatinanatanga. Ko te aro matua ki aua mahi ka whakapakari ake i te waihanga me te whakapuakitanga o te marau. Ka whakatairanga te auaha i ngā wheako ako o ngā uri, ā, ka poipoi i te whakapaitanga ake o ngā putanga.

Me arotake i te māramatanga o ngā kaimahi me ngā poumarumaru o te kura ki ā rātou takohanga, ki tā te Children's Act 2014 e meatia ana. Kua tautuhia e ngā kaimahi – kua whakataungia hoki e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga – me aro pū ki te arotake me te whakahou ake i te kaupapa here e pā ana ki te ārai tamariki, hei āta whakatau i te noho mōhio o ngā kaimahi katoa ki ngā tukanga me ngā tūmanako e pā ana ki ngā kaupapa here. Ka whakatairangatia te haumaru me te waiora o ngā uri i te wā e tino māramahia ana ngā kaupapa here, ā, e āta whakatinanahia ana hoki i ia te wā.

5 Te Whakatau a Ngā Kura ā-Iwi ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I mua i te aromātai, i whakatutukihia e te poari kaitiaki me te tumuaki he Tauāki Kupu Tūturu a Ngā Kura ā-Iwi me tētahi Rārangi Arowhai Tātari Whaiaro. I roto i aua tuhinga i oati rātou i whāia e rātou ngā huarahi whai take hei whakatutuki i ā rātou herenga ā-ture e pā ana ki:

ngā whakahaere a te poari

te marautanga

ngā whakahaere mō te hauora, te haumaru, me te oranga tinana

ngā whakahaere o ngā kaimahi

ngā whakahaere o te pūtea

ngā whakahaere o ngā rawa.

I te wā o te aromātai, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei, i te mea he nui te pānga o ēnei ki te haumaru me te waiora o ngā ākonga:

te haumaru aronganui o ngā ākonga (tāpiri atu ki te ārai i ngā mahi whakawetiweti me ngā mahi whakaaito)

te haumaru ā-tinana o ngā ākonga

ngā rēhita a ngā kaiako

te tukanga whakatū kaimahi

te whakaunu, te aukati, te pana me te whakarerenga

te tae ā-tinana atu a ngā ākonga ki te kura

te whakatutukitanga o ngā kaupapa here o te kura i ngā tikanga o te Children's Act 2014.

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia aro pū ngā poumarumaru me ngā amorangi ki te whakahou ake i Te Whāriki , me te arotake i te kaupapa here e pā ana ki te ārai tamariki, hei kōkiri i te whakapaitanga ake o te marau, hei whakahaumaru anō hoki i te waiora o ngā uri.

Tiwana Hibbs Toka ā Nuku - Director Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

10 Hakihea, 2025

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Kura

Te tūwāhi Kei Ruatōrea

Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga 2578

Te tūmomo kura He kura tuatahi (Tau 1-8)

Te tokomaha o ngā ākonga o te kura 118

Ngā hononga ā-iwi Māori 100%

Ngā āhuatanga motuhake Ngā Kura ā Iwi

Te wā i te kura te rōpū arotake Whiringa-ā-nuku 2025

Te wā o tēnei pūrongo 10 Hakihea 2025

Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga Arotake Mātauranga, Pipiri 2020; Arotake Mātauranga, Haratua 2015; Arotake Mātauranga, Pipiri 2010

1 Introduction

The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with whānau , leaders, kaimahi and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability. This report reflects their systems, operations and management practices. The ERO reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi.

2 Context

“ Iti te kōpara e kai tākirikiri ana i runga i te kahikatea ”

Hiruharama School is located in Hiruhārama, south of Ruatōrea. It is a Full Primary and caters to uri in Years 1-8. The school has a rich history; it opened in 1895 and was one of the first bilingual schools established in Aotearoa . The staff and whānau are almost exclusively Ngāti Porou and hold close connections to Te Aitanga a Mate, Te Aowera, Te Awemapara, Te Whānau a Rakairoa, and Ngāti Hinekehu. In 2024, the kura affiliated to Ngā Kura-ā-iwi o Aotearoa and have a long-term goal to become full immersion Māori.

How well do uri experience success as expressed in Te Aho Pūkenga?

Uri progress well and experience success, as described in Te Aho Pūkenga through pride in identity, purposeful learning, and achievement of aspirations.

4 Findings

Uri confidence, wellbeing, and leadership are fostered in an environment where the kura values of Manaakitanga, Māiatanga, Manawatanga, and Manahautanga are embedded and experienced daily. Whaioranga underpins this approach and uri demonstrate these values through karakia, mihimihi, reciting pepeha , and by actively supporting hapū and iwi kaupapa at local marae. Learning mōteatea and waiata affirm uri identity and connects them to significant landmarks associated with Te Awemapara. Engaging in learning beyond the classroom strengthens uri connection to the whenua. These experiences build persistence, motivation, and pride in sharing their developing confidence in te reo Māori and their contributions to the hapori. These skills and attributes align with Te Aho Pūkenga , graduate profile, while hākinakina such as taekwondo, oma whenua , and takeporoporo promote uri’ wellbeing and success. Uri develop as culturally grounded, confident learners.

The kura whakapapa and its rich history underpin and shape the realisation of the kura whakatauki, “Kia kaha, kia ū” , resulting in uri experiencing meaningful, identity-based learning. As the kura progresses toward full immersion te reo Māori, teaching and learning for uri in the bilingual classes align to both The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA). The rumaki unit is is guided by TMoA, promoting coherence and breadth of learning. Clear learning intentions and the Anga Putanga Ako progressions promote learner agency and self-assessment. Uri benefit from a kura -wide focus on tuhituhi, and kaihāpai are encouraging role models who scaffold skill development. Programmes designed around uri passions enhance engagement and tuākana–taina relationships, while vibrant environments showcasing uri work foster pride and ownership. As a result, uri develop as confident, self-assured, and increasingly autonomous learners.

At the end of 2024, the large majority of uri achieved at or above kura expectations in pāngarau, pānui and tuhituhi. Amorangi lead analysis and evaluation of curriculum areas to identify disparities and inform next steps. Professional learning and development are prioritised to strengthen teaching capability and promote accelerated progress for uri who require this. The kura responds to the diverse needs of uri through group learning and targeted support. Kaihāpai play a vital role in fostering uri engagement and success. Uri requiring additional support are well catered for. Uri develop skills and knowledge that enable them to thrive and succeed. With strong support and guidance, they are empowered to achieve and take pride in their accomplishments.

Amorangi have established a strong culture of collective responsibility for the success of uri. A transcended leadership model inspires excellence and fosters commitment from all staff. Through an inquiry approach, Amorangi are reflective, enthusiastic, and demonstrate innovative thinking as they work to develop and improve curriculum frameworks and outcomes. Uri develop positive attitudes and attributes that position them well to realise their full potential.

The Poumarumaru actively represent and serve the kura hapori well. Many members have served for three prior terms and bring expertise, intergenerational insight, and relational trust to decision-making. The mission statement, vision, and strategic direction emphasise uri to be strong and steadfast in their pursuit of excellence. Poumarumaru have been successful in achieving goals set overtime for the betterment of the kura, whānau, and hapū . A policy review cycle assists in keeping policies aligned to current legislation. Amorangi, teachers, uri, and their whānau benefit from considered and deliberate decision-making that has a focus on continuous growth and improvement.

Key Next Steps

Amorangi are in the early stages of updating the new marau ā-kura framework, Te Whāriki . It is critical that this development continues over the next 12 months, supported by a clear action plan to ensure successful implementation. Prioritising this work should strengthen curriculum design and delivery. Innovation enhances uri learning experiences and fosters improved outcomes.

Kura staff and poumarumaru understanding of their obligations to The Children’s Act 2014 needs to be reviewed. Kaimahi have identified, and ERO agrees, a review and refresh of the Child Protection policy should be a priority to ensure all staff are familiar with procedures and policy expectations. Uri safety and wellbeing is enhanced when policies are clearly understood and consistently implemented.

5 Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the evaluation, the board of trustees and tumuaki completed the ERO Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

board administration

curriculum

management of health, safety and welfare

personnel management

financial management

asset management.

During the evaluation, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:

emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

physical safety of students

teacher registration

processes for appointing staff

stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

attendance

school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

6 Recommendation

ERO recommend that the poumarumaru and amorangi prioritise updating Te Whāriki and reviewing the Child Protection policy to drive curriculum improvement and safeguard uri wellbeing.

Tiwana Hibbs Toka ā Nuku - Director Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

10 December 2025

7 Information about the Kura

Location Ruatōrea

Ministry of Education profile number 2578

Kura type Full Primary (Years 1-8)

Kura roll 118

Ethnic composition Māori 100%

Special features Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi

Review team on site October 2022

Date of this report 10 December 2025

Most recent ERO report(s) Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, May 2015; Education Review, June 2010

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →