Te Kura o Waikare

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 65 — 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. August 2025

   86

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 9 February 2026

2. April 2022

   87

   Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 10 August 2022

We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.

What ERO wrote in its latest report

This is ERO’s report of 9 February 2026 — “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

E tū ana Te Kura o Waikare ki te hapori tuawhenua o Waikare, e pā tata atu ana i Kawakawa. He uri ngā whānau nō ngā hapū o Te Kapotai rāua ko Ngāti Pare, nō te marae hoki o Waikare. Kua tūhono atu te kura ki Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, ā, e whakarato ana i te mātauranga kaupapa Māori mā ngā uri o ngā tau 1 ki te 15. I te tau 2024 Te Poumarumaru i whakatū ai i tētahi tumuaki hou.

He pēhea rawa te whakaatu mai a ngā uri i tō rātou mātau ā-tinana, ā-whatumanawa, ā-tangata hoki ?

Ka kitea ki ngā uri te hononga hōhonu ki tō rātou taiao me tō rātou iwi.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

Ka kitea ki ngā uri te tino aronga toi whenuatanga. Kua āta pou herea te marau ā-kura ki te taiao me ngā kōrero tuku iho o te takiwā nei. Ko ngā maunga e rima o Te Kapotai te angamahi e whakatinana ana i te takotoranga o te marau me ngā whakaritenga whakaako. E whai pūtake ana te whakahono i ngā akoranga ki te taiao, ā, ka whakahōhonu ake i te māramatanga o ngā uri ki tō rātou taiao me tō rātou whai tūnga.

Ka whakarato ngā kaiako i ngā wheako reo hōhonu mō ngā uri, ā, ka whakatairanga i te reo ake me ngā kīanga ake o te kāinga nei. Kua whakatōngia ngā tikanga pērā i ngā karakia me ngā waiata ki ngā whakaritenga o ia rā, hei horopaki hōhonu mō ngā akoranga. He ngākau titikaha ō ngā tuākana ki te kawe atu i ngā tūranga ārahi, mā te whaikōrero, te karanga, me te kapa haka. Ko taua aronga ā-ahurea e hāpai ana i te whai pānga, i te tūturu, me te hāngaitanga anō hoki o ngā akoranga ki ngā wawata o ngā whānau, ngā hapū, me te iwi. Ka tūmāia ngā uri nā tō rātou mōhio ki tō rātou tuakiri, ki tō rātou tūrangawaewae hoki.

E whai wāhi atu ana ngā uri ki tētahi taiao ako papai. E whakatinana ana ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga i te marau ā-kura. Kei te whai pūtake te whakaako, kei te mārama anō hoki ngā whāinga ako me ngā rautaki e hāpai katoa ana i te whai wāhi atu a ngā uri ki ngā akoranga. Ka whakamihi hei ārahi i te whanonga pai, hei whakanui hoki i ngā mahi angitu, ā, he tūāhuatanga tēnei e hāpai ana i te kaha o te tautoko i roto i te ako. E whai wāhi atu ana ngā uri o te wharekura ki tētahi hōtaka e whakatairanga ana i te ako mā ngā horopaki tūturu i te taiao. E whiwhi ana ngā ākonga katoa o te wharekura i te tautoko kua whakahāngaitia i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau, hei whakawhanake i ngā pūkenga mō te ako takitahi, me te whakariterite i a rātou mō Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea. E whakarato ana te kura i tētahi hōtaka akoranga mō ngā ākonga o te Tau 11, ā, e ahu whakamua ana ki te whiwhi i te whakamanatanga a Te Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa ki te aromatawai mā ngā paerewa o Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea. E whiwhi ana ngā uri katoa o te wharekura i te tautoko kua whakahāngaitia i roto i te reo matatini me te pāngarau, hei whakawhanake i ngā pūkenga mō te ako takitahi, me te whakariterite i a rātou mō Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea. Kei te whai wāhi mātātoa ngā uri hei ākonga.

E arahina ana ngā mahi kāwana e ngā uara me ngā tikanga o te hapū me te iwi. Tū ai ngā hui i ia te wā, ā, he whai wāhitanga mō te whakawhiti kōrero me te whakatau ngātahi i ngā whakaritenga. Ka whakawhāriki te tumuaki i ngā pūrongo kia noho mōhio ai Te Poumarumaru ki ngā take e pā ana ki ngā whakahaeretanga me te mātauranga. Kua whakatakotohia ngā kaupapa here, ā, ka whai i tētahi huringa taiāwhio auau mō te arotakenga, hei hāpai i te takohanga me te whakapai tonutanga. Ka whakaū i ngā hononga pū ki te hapori, ā, ka whakapūmau i te tūnga o te kura mā roto mai i ngā horopaki o te ahurea me te pai here tangata. He mahi whakapūmau tā te ārahitanga o te kura, ka hāpai i te mahi moroki me te ngākau nuitanga puta noa i te kura. Kei te hou te tumuaki ki tōna tūranga, ā, e whakarite mātātoa ana i te ārahitanga me ngā pūnaha ā-kura e whakatairanga ana i te māramatanga me te takohanga. Ka toro atu te tumuaki ki ngā kōtuitanga ā-takiwā me te tautoko o waho, hei whakapakari i ngā pūkenga ārahi. Ka aro matua ki te hauora me te waiora o ngā uri.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

E whanake tonu ana ētahi wāhanga o ngā mahi kāwana. Kua tae ki te wā kia whakapakarihia e Te Poumarumaru te māramatanga ki ngā tūranga kāwana me ngā kawenga mahi. I tēnei wā kei te arotakengia te mahere rautaki. Me whakarato Te Poumarumaru i ngā whai wāhitanga mō ngā whānau ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou wawata hei poipoi i te kawe ngātahi i te kaupapa, i te pūmau tahitanga hoki ki te angitu o ngā uri.

Kua tautuhia e te kura e tika ana kia arotakengia te marau ā-kura. Nō te tau 2021 i whakawhanakehia ai, ā, me tahuri i nāianei ki te whakatakoto i te tukanga ki te arotake ngātahi i te marau ā-kura, mā te whai wāhi mai hoki o ngā whānau, ngā kaimahi, me ngā uri. Ka hāpai taua arotakenga i te whai pānga tonu o te marau ki te whanaketanga haere o ngā wawata o ngā whānau mō ā rātou tamariki, kia whai pānga tonu, kia whai pūtake tonu, ā, kia hāngai tonu te marau ki te tuakiri ā-ahurea motuhake me ngā whāinga mātauranga o te kura. Waihoki, i te wā o te arotakenga nei, kāhore he mōhiohio o te wā hei aromātai mō te ahu whakamua me ngā paetae a ngā ākonga. Me whai wāhi ki te arotake, ko te aromatawai, te whakaemi, me te aroturukitanga o te ahu whakamua o ngā uri katoa, hei whakatau i te tika o ngā mahi aromatawai. Ka whakatairangatia ngā putanga ki ngā uri i te wā e hāngai ana, e whai pūtake ana hoki te marau me ngā mahi aromatawai.

Tērā ētahi tūāhuatanga o te hauora me te haumaru hei tirohanga wawe. Me whakauru ki te kura, ko tētahi pūnaha pūoho ahi e whakatutuki ana i ngā herenga ā-ture, hei āta whakatau i te whakahaeretanga o ngā akoako hōneatanga ohotata i ia te wā, me te tuhi haere o aua akoako i ia te wā kia tika. Me mātua whakatau i te noho rite o ngā uri, ngā kaimahi, me ngā whānau ina ka pupū ake tētahi tūāhuatanga ohotata. Waihoki, he mea nui kia whakatinanahia tētahi tukanga mō te arowhai i ngā tūāhuatanga whakamōrearea i ia rā, hei whakahaere, hei whakaiti hoki i ērā ka whakararu pea i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā ākonga, ngā kaimahi, me ngā manuhiri i te kura. Ka whakatairangatia te hauora me te haumaru o ngā uri mā te whakapai ake i ngā pūnaha me ngā tukanga.

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.

Hei whakatutuki i ā rātou herenga ā-ture, me tahuri rātou ki te:

whakatakoto me te whakatinana i tētahi kaupapa hōneatanga e whakatutuki ana i ngā herenga ā-ture [Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018]

whakahaere me te whakaiti i ngā tūāhuatanga ka whakararu pea i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā ākonga, ngā kaimahi, me ngā manuhiri i te kura. [s30 Te Ture mō te Hauora me te Haumaru i te Mahi 2015]

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakatutuki te kura i ngā whakaritenga matua me ngā take herenga ā-ture i whakaraupapahia ai ki tēnei pūrongo kia whāia.

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

9 Huitanguru 2026

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Kura

Te tūwāhi Kei Waikare, ki Kawakawa

Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga 1666

Te tūmomo kura He kura hiato Tau 1 ki te 15

Te tokomaha o ngā ākonga o te kura 86

Ngā hononga ā-iwi Māori 86

Ngā āhuatanga motuhake Ngā Kura ā Iwi

Te wā i te kura te rōpū arotake Here-turi-kōkā 2025

Te wā o tēnei pūrongo 9 Huitanguru 2026

Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga Arotake Mātauranga - Mana Whakahaere, Haratua 2022; Arotake Mātauranga, Pipiri 2018; Arotake Mātauranga, Hui-tanguru 2014

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 o Waikare is located in the rural community of Waikare , near Kawakawa. Whānau are uri of Te Kapotai, Ngāti Pare hapū, and Te Marae o Waikare . The kura is affiliated to Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa and provides kaupapa Māori education for uri from Years 1–15. In 2024, the Poumarumaru appointed a new tumuaki .

4 Findings

Uri show a strong sense of belonging. The marau ā-kura is intentionally underpinned by the local environment and its cultural narratives. The five maunga of Te Kapotai provide a framework that informs curriculum design and teaching practices. Learning is meaningfully connected to the taiao , deepening uri understanding of their environment and sense of place.

Kaiako provide uri with rich language experiences that promotes the local dialect and nuances. Tikanga such as karakia and waiata are embedded in daily practice as rich contexts for learning. Tuākana confidently carry out leadership roles through whaikōrero, karanga , and kapa haka . This culturally grounded approach allows for learning that is relevant, authentic, and reflective of the aspirations of whānau, hapū, and iwi. Uri are confident in who they are and where they are from.

Uri experience a positive learning environment. Teaching and learning reflect the marau ā-kura in practice. Teaching instruction is intentional, with clear learning goals and strategies that support uri engagement in lessons. Positive reinforcement is used to guide behaviour and celebrate success, contributing to a supportive learning culture. Wharekura uri engage in a programme that promotes experiential learning in the environment. All wharekura students have been provided with focused literacy and numeracy support to develop skills for independent learning and prepare them for National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA). The kura provides a learning programme for Year 11 students and are working towards gaining accreditation from the New Zealand National Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to be able to assess against NCEA achievement standards. All wharekura uri are provided with targeted literacy and numeracy support to develop skills for independent learning and prepare them for NCEA. Uri are actively engaged learners.

Governance is guided by the values and tikanga of the hapū and iwi . Regular hui are held, providing consistent opportunities for discussion and collective decision-making. The tumuaki provides reports, keeping the poumarumaru informed of operational and educational matters. Policies are in place and follow a regular review cycle, supporting accountability and continuous improvement. Strong connections to the local community are maintained, reinforcing the place of the kura within its wider cultural and social context. The kura leadership provides stability, supporting continuity and confidence across the kura . The tumuaki is new to the role and is actively establishing leadership practices and schoolwide systems that promote transparency and accountability. The tumuaki engages in local networking and external support to strengthen leadership capability. Uri health and wellbeing is prioritised.

Key Next Steps

Aspects of governance practices are still developing. It is timely for the poumarumaru to strengthen its understanding in relation to governance roles and responsibilities. The strategic plan is currently under review. There is a need for the poumarumaru to provide opportunities for whānau to contribute to their aspirations, fostering shared ownership and a collective commitment to uri success.

The kura has identified the need to review its marau ā-kura . Originally developed in 2021, the current marau ā-kura now requires a collaborative review process involving whānau, kaimahi, and uri . This review will allow the curriculum to continue to reflect the evolving aspirations of whānau for their tamariki and remains relevant, purposeful, and aligned with the unique cultural identity and educational goals of the kura . Furthermore, at the time of the review, no up-to-date student progress and achievement information was available for the purposes of the evaluation. It is imperative that the review includes assessing, collating, and monitoring the progress for all uri to ascertain the reliability of assessment practices. Outcomes for uri are enhanced when curriculum and assessment practices are fit for purpose.

Aspects of health and safety matters requires urgent attention. The kura must install a compliant fire alarm system to ensure that emergency evacuation drills are conducted regularly and that accurate records of these drills are maintained. This is essential to ensure uri, kaimahi, and whānau are well prepared in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, it is important to implement a process for daily hazard checks to manage and minimise any risks to the health and safety of students, staff, and visitors to the kura. Uri health and safety is enhanced through improved systems and processes.

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.

Actions for Compliance

To meet compliance requirements they must:

create and implement a compliant evacuation scheme [ Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018 ]

manage and minimise any risks to the health and safety of students, staff, and visitors to their school. [S ection 30 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 ]

6 Recommendation

ERO recommend that the kura address the key next steps and areas of compliance matters outlined in this report.

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

9 February 2026

7 Information about the Kura

Location Waikare, Kawakawa

Ministry of Education profile number 1666

Kura type Composite Years 1-15

Kura roll 86

Ethnic composition Māori 86

Special features Ngā Kura ā Iwi

Review team on site August 2025

Date of this report 9 February 2026

Most recent ERO reports Education Review – Mana Whakahaere , May 2022; Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, February 2014

Read this report on ero.govt.nz →