Te Kura aa Iwi o Ngaati Kauwhata

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 57 — 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. June 2025

   55

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 27 November 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 27 November 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

Mai i te tau 2015, i whakahaerehia Te Kura aa Iwi o Ngaati Kauwhata hei akomanga i raro i te maru o Te Kura-ā-Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano. I te tau 2023, i whakaae te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga kia tū takitahi te kura hei kura āhuatanga motuhake mō ngā kōhine me ngā tama o ngā tau 1 ki te 13. E hono ana te kura ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, ā, i tēnei wā e whakahaerehia ana mā roto mai i ngā whare o tētahi kura tuatahi o mua ki te hapori o Cheltenham. E tatari ana kia oti te hanga o ngā whare hou. He Poari Kaitiaki Whakatūnga tō te kura, ā, he tino pūkenga, he tino mātau hoki ngā mema e kōkiri ana i ngā mahi whakapū e hāpai ai i ngā wawata o Ngāti Kauwhata mō te whakarato i te mātauranga ki ō rātou uri. Nō te tau 2024 tētahi tumuaki i whakatūngia ai, ā, mai i taua wā kua hono mai anō hoki ētahi atu kaimahi hou ki te kura.

He pēhea rawa te whakaatu mai a ngā uri i tō rātou whai tukuihotanga me tā rātou whakaaweawe?

Kei te ngākau titikaha ngā uri ki tō rātou ūkaipōtanga, ā, he manawa whakahī ō rātou ki te whakapuaki i te reo Māori, i ngā tikanga, i te mātauranga anō hoki o Ngāti Kauwhata.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E tino tautokona ana ngā uri ki te taiao ako e whakatairanga ana i te ahurea o te ākonga, me te whai wāhi mātātoa atu ki te ao o te kura. He ngākau titikaha ō rātou ki te whai wāhi atu ki ngā karakia, ngā mihimihi, me ngā pepeha, ā, ka kitea tā rātou piri atu ki ngā uara o tō rātou iwi, ō rātou hapū, me Te Kīngitanga. Tautoko ai ngā uri i ia te wā i ngā kaupapa a ngā hapū me te iwi mā te toro atu ki ngā marae, ā, kua taunga ki a rātou ngā tikanga o te wāhi nei. Ka kitea te pakari o ngā hononga ki waenga i te tuākana me te tēina, ā, ka noho maioha ki te ārahi me te tautoko o tētahi ki tētahi. Ka whakapuaki ngā pouako i ngā taiao ako e whakakotahi ana i te katoa, ā, e ū ana hoki ki ngā uara, e kaha whakatere ana i te reo Māori mā te akomanga whakawhiti . Kei te hihiri ngā uri, ā, e tupu ana hei ākonga ngākau titikaha, hei ākonga auaha hoki. Ka whakapuaki rātou i tō rātou manawa whakahī mō tō rātou tuakiri me tō rātou tūrangawaewae.

E whai wāhi nui ana ngā uri ki tētahi marau hōhonu e aro nui ana ki a rātou. E whanake tonu ana te marau ā-kura hei angamahi e kōkirihia ana e te iwi, ā, e tohu ana i ngā tūmanako me ngā wawata o ngā whānau. Ko te whanaungatanga me te manaakitanga kei te pūtake o ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā uri ki ngā akoranga whai pūtake e tūhonohono ana i a rātou ki te mātauranga, ki ngā tikanga, ā, ki te reo hoki o Ngāti Kauwhata. Ko te whakamahere puta noa i a Whio (te kura teina), i a Matuku (te kura waenga), me Kawau, e āta whakatau ana i te whakatutukitanga whānui o te marau, ā, e whakapūmau ana hoki i ngā uri ki tō rātou ūkaipō. He aronga kia whakawhanakehia e ngā uri ngā tino tūāpapa i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau. I a Kawau, kei ngā uri ā rātou ake mahere mātauranga, ā, e mahi ana ki te whakatutuki haere i ngā paetae o Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea. Kua whakaaro nui ngā kaiārahi i roto i ā rātou mahi ki te whakatinana i Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea, ā, kua whakawhanakehia ngā huarahi umanga, e tautoko ana hoki i ngā kaiako hou. He pai te rere o ngā akoranga kua āta whakamaheretia ai, ā, ka hāpai i te tupu haere o te uri i ōna pūkenga ki te kōkiri i a ia anō. Kei te māramahia e ngā uri ngā whāinga ako, he pai tā rātou mahi ngātahi, ā, kei te pakari tā rātou patapatai hei whakahōhonu ake i ō rātou whakaaro. Ka kitea tō rātou manawanui ki te ako, mā roto mai i tētahi marau e whai pānga nui ana ki ngā wawata o te iwi.

Ka whakatairangatia te ūkaipōtanga o ngā uri mā tā rātou whai wāhi mātātoa ki te ao Māori me te hapori e akiaki ana anō hoki i tō rātou maioha ki te ako. Ko ngā pouārahi, ngā pouako, me ngā pakeke, he tino tauira rātou katoa o ngā tikanga me te reo ake o te iwi. Nā runga i te hononga o te kura ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa me Ngāti Kauwhata, ka kitea hoki tō rātou ngākau nuitanga ki te whakatō i te mātauranga ā-iwi ki roto i te marau ā-kura. Ka toro atu rātou ki ngā wānanga me ngā akoranga ngaio moroki e whakatairanga ake ana i ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga kaupapa Māori nei. Kei te pakari haere ngā uri hei kaitiaki o ngā kōrero tuku iho a te iwi, ā, ka whakapuaki rātou i a rātou anō mā te āhua e āta tohu ana i ngā uara me ngā tirohanga o Ngāti Kauwhata.

Kua āta whakatakotohia e te Poari Kaitiaki Whakatūnga te tino tūāpapa mō rātou ngā poumarumaru ka whakatūngia e te hapori hei kawe i ngā mahi kāwana. Kei te whai hua te whakatinanatanga o ngā tuhinga ārahi matua, tae atu ki te mahere rautaki, mahere whakatairanga hoki, ngā tukanga e pā ana ki ngā pūmanawa tāngata, te hauora me te haumaru, me ngā pūnaha mō te whakahaeretanga i te taha kura me te taha tari. Ka hono pū ngā whakahaeretanga o te kura, te marau ā-kura, me te tirohanga māramarama, hei painga mō ngā uri, ngā whānau, te hapū, me te iwi. E mahi ana te poumarumaru hei painga mō ngā uri me ō rātou whānau, ā, e aro nui ana ki te hāpai i tō rātou iwi kia puāwai.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Kua tīmata noa te whakawhanake i ngā pūnaha me ngā whakaritenga mō te aromatawai, te aroturuki, me te pūrongo i te ahu whakamua me ngā whakatutukitanga o ngā uri. Kua tīmatahia te āta whakamahi i aua tuhinga i ia te wā, i te kura e whakapakari ana i āna aronga whakapū. Hei whakatairanga ake i te angitu torowhānui o ngā uri katoa, me hāngai pū te titiro ki te āta whakatau i te whakapūmautanga me te whakapakaritanga o ā rātou paetae me tō rātou tuakiri, i a rātou e ahu whakamua ana i roto i Te Marautanga o Aotearoa me te marau ā-kura. Ko te ū ki aua aronga e rua ka whai wāhi atu ki te āta tautoko i ngā whakatutukitanga o ngā angamahi, me te kore pā tōraro ki te hōhonutanga o te ahurea me te whai pūtaketanga ā rātou akoranga.

5 Te Whakatau a Te Poumarumaru ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

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

ngā whakahaere a te poari

te marautanga

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

ngā whakahaere o ngā kaimahi

ngā whakahaere o te pūtea

ngā whakahaere o ngā rawa.

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

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

te haumaru ā-tinana o ngā ākonga

ngā rēhita a ngā kaiako

te tukanga whakatū kaimahi

te whakaunu, te aukati, te pana me te whakarerenga

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

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

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakapakari tonu, kia whakatō tonu ngā kaiārahi o te kura i te aromatawai i roto i ngā whakaritenga ako, hei whakamōhio i ngā whakaakoranga whai aronga, ā, hei whakatau i te tino ahu whakamua o ngā uri katoa mā roto mai i ngā taumata me ngā wāhanga o te marau.

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

27 Whiringa-ā-rangi, 2025

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Kura

Te tūwāhi Kei Cheltenham, ki Aorangi

Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga 3618

Te tūmomo kura He kura hiato (Tau 1 ki te 13)

Te tokomaha o ngā ākonga o te kura 55

Ngā hononga ā-iwi Māori 55

Ngā āhuatanga motuhake Ngā Kura ā Iwi

Te wā i te kura te rōpū arotake Pipiri 2025

Te wā o tēnei pūrongo 27 Whiringa-ā-rangi 2025

Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga Koia nei te aromātai mātauranga tuatahi mō tēnei kura.

1 Introduction

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

2 Context

Te Kura aa Iwi o Ngaati Kauwhata operated as a satellite class affiliated with Te Kura-ā-Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano since 2015. In 2023, the Ministry of Education approved the establishment of a standalone Years 1-13 co-educational designated character kura . The kura affiliates to Ngā Kura ā-Iwi o Aotearoa (NKaI) and is currently operating out of a previously closed primary school in Cheltenham, while awaiting a new build to be completed. An Establishment Board of Trustees (EBoT), made up of highly skilled and knowledgeable members, has advanced foundational work to support the aspirations of Ngāti Kauwhata to provide an education to their uri . A tumuaki was appointed in 2024, and new staff have joined the kura since then.

How well do uri show they are culturally autonomous and influential?

Uri are confident in their ūkaipōtanga , proudly expressing their Ngāti Kauwhata te reo Māori , tikanga , and mātauranga .

4 Findings

Uri are well supported by a learning environment that promotes culturally grounded learners who are actively engaged in the life of the kura . They confidently participate in karakia , mihimihi , and pepeha , showing strong alignment with their iwi , hapū , and Kīngitanga values. Uri regularly support hapū and iwi kaupapa through visits to the local marae and are familiar with local tikanga . Strong tuākana and tēina relationships are evident, with mutual guidance and support appreciated. Pouako create inclusive, values-based learning environments where te reo Māori is intentionally accelerated through akomanga whakawhiti . Uri are motivated and growing into confident and creative learners. They express pride in who they are and where they come.

Uri experience a rich and responsive curriculum. The marau ā-kura continues to develop as an iwi -led framework that reflects the hopes and aspirations of whānau . Whanaungatanga and manaakitanga are at the heart of teaching and learning. Uri engage in meaningful learning that connects them to the mātauranga , tikanga , and te reo of Ngāti Kauwhata . Planning across Whio ( kura tēina ), Matuku ( kura waenga ), and Kawau ensures broad curriculum coverage and keeps uri connected to their ūkaipō . There is an emphasis on uri developing strong foundations in te reo matatini and pāngarau . In Kawau , uri have individualised education plans and are working toward National Certificates in Educational Achievement (NCEA) achievement standards. Leaders have taken a thoughtful approach to implementing NCEA, developing vocational pathways while also supporting new teaching staff. Lessons are well-paced and carefully planned, helping uri grow their independence as learners. Uri understand learning goals, work well together, and confidently ask questions to deepen their thinking. They demonstrate a determination to learn through a curriculum that reflects iwi aspirations.

Uri ūkaipōtanga is enhanced through their active engagement in a te ao Māori environment and a hāpori that encourages an appreciation of learning. Pouārahi , pouako , and pakeke are positive role models of tikanga and the dialect of the iwi . As a kura affiliated to NKaI and Ngāti Kauwhata , they demonstrate a strong commitment to embedding mātauranga ā- iwi within the marau ā-kura . They engage in wānanga and ongoing professional learning that further enhances kaupapa Māori teaching and learning. Uri are becoming kaitiaki of iwi narratives and express themselves in ways that reflect Ngāti Kauwhata values and perspectives.

The EBoT have laid a strong foundation for a community-elected poumarumaru to take over governance. Key guiding documents, including strategic and improvement plans, human resource processes, health and safety procedures, and systems for kura operations and administration are being implemented efficiently. There is a clear alignment between kura operations, the marau ā-kura , and the well-articulated vision for uri , whānau , hapū , and iwi . Uri and their whānau are being well-served by a poumarumaru that is focused on supporting their iwi to thrive.

Key Next Steps

Systems and practices for assessing, monitoring, and reporting uri progress and achievement are in the early stages of development. These are beginning to be used more consistently as the kura builds its foundational approaches. To b etter promote the holistic success of all uri , deliberate attention is needed to ensure that their progress through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and Te Marau-ā-kura continues to uphold and strengthen both their achievement and identity. Maintaining this dual focus will help ensure uri are well supported to achieve across both frameworks, without compromising the cultural richness and relevance of their learning.

5 Te Poumarumaru Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

board administration

curriculum

management of health, safety and welfare

personnel management

financial management

asset management.

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

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

physical safety of students

teacher registration

processes for appointing staff

stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions

attendance

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

6 Recommendation

ERO recommend kura leaders continue to strengthen and embed assessment for learning practices that inform responsive teaching, ensuring all uri make meaningful progress through curriculum levels and phases.

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

27 November 2025

7 Information about the Kura

Location Cheltenham, Fielding

Ministry of Education profile number 3618

Kura type Composite (Years 1-13)

Kura roll 55

Ethnic composition Māori 55

Special features Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi

Review team on site June 2025

Date of this report 27 November 2025

Most recent ERO report(s) This is the first Education Evaluation for this kura .

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →