Nicky Anderson, Lead Principal of Ahuriri Kahui Ako, standing in front of Warren Pohatu's painting 'Tamatea-Pokai-Whenua'
While lockdown forced many of us to spend time apart, for a group of Napier schools it was a time of coming together.
"He waka eke noa – we are all in this together" is a Maori whakatauki which has been used throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and has rung true for the Ahuriri Kāhui Ako, a community of schools in Napier, says Tamatea High School deputy principal Nicky Anderson.
This small and tight-knit group comprises Wharerangi, Onekawa and Tamatea kindergartens, Tamatea Primary, Porritt Primary, Westshore School, Tamatea Intermediate, Fairhaven School and Tamatea High School.
"These schools have banded together to support one another throughout the past few weeks," Nicky says.
Collaboration is at the heart of this Kāhui Ako with principals meeting regularly, via Zoom, throughout the lockdown and into Level 3, to share experiences, concerns and ideas.
"Learners and their whānau have been at the centre of our discussions. We share some of the same whānau, so knowing that they are safe and sound during this time has been important."
Nicky says this approach has fitted well with the Kāhui Ako's mission statement, 'We use collaboration and creativity to maximise ākonga (student) learning. We actively build relationships with whānau and the wider community to support our ākonga. We develop the confidence, abilities and citizenship of our ākonga to live a successful life.'
Prior to lockdown the Kāhui Ako had completed the process of revising and refreshing their strategic plan, which Nicky became lead principal of last October.
"It seemed timely that a review took place," she says.
"The basis for Kāhui Ako is to work collaboratively to identify a small number of ambitious and measurable achievement challenges, that are clearly articulated and understood by students, teachers, leaders, parents and whānau."
The previous achievement challenges were focused on improving Maori and Pasifika boys writing at primary school, improving junior numeracy and literacy at secondary school and enhancing the quality of qualifications for seniors at Tamatea High School.
"When our initial achievement challenges were written we were very much in a national standards era. Since then, national standards have ceased, and our schools have worked hard to embed our own assessment tools and understandings of student achievement and progress."
The Ahuriri Kāhui Ako is committed to providing equitable outcomes for all ākonga, Nicky says.
"We have a high number of Māori students across our kura, with 45 per cent identifying as Māori. Our priority as a Kāhui Ako is to ensure the cultural identity of ākonga is strong and secure and they are learning and achieving to their full potential. We know strategies that work for Maori also benefit the learning and development of non-Maori."
Nicky says the newly revised achievement challenges aim to address inequity and support the growth and development of all students, in particular Māori students.
"We are working in new ways to develop rich and engaging learning that is responsive to our community but also reflects the types of skills, knowledge and dispositions that support our ākonga to take part and contribute fully as confident and competent citizens."
Nicky believes collaboration between school and communities has never been as important as it is now. "Schools have been forced to work in different ways to support their students and whanau. Nā tō rourou ka ora ai te iwi - With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive. When schools and their communities work together, there is greater potential to accelerate the learning of Māori students so that they can enjoy and achieve education success 'as Māori'. Ahuriri Kāhui Ako will continue to work together to ensure 'authentic learning and real futures for all Ahuriri ākonga'."