
Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards
Posted on 21 July, 2017
https://poutamapounamu.org.nz/news/2017/congratulations-to-william-colenso-college
Celebrating the winners
The Poutama Pounamu team congratulates William Colenso College, which was recently awarded the Excellence in Leading award at the 2017 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards. William Colenso College was the only school in the country to be finalists in three out of the four possible categories for the awards.
The Excellence in Leading award was accepted from the Prime Minister by a full contingent of the leadership team at William Colenso College - their Head Girl, members of the Board of Trustees and the in-school senior leadership team.
William Colenso College demonstrates an approach to leadership that critically examines their professional practice to ensure equity, excellence and belonging for all. They focus on activating their collective potential to promote a climate of trust, mutual respect, open-mindedness and willingness to learn from each other.
For Daniel, leadership is about embracing the concept of tuakana teina and “acknowledging other people are coming to the table with all these skills and knowledge and background… that supports the team in going where you want to go… It’s about having everybody on the waka and then you’re much more powerful as a group.”
The educational community has also been the only school to be acknowledged by the Minister of Education for having improved NCEA results for four years in a row, particularly for their Māori students. Daniel believes, "it's about focusing on the difference you can make and not worrying about the things you can't change ... everyone's contribution adds up to one big achievement.”
The principal of William Colenso College, Daniel Murfitt, is also the leader of the Matariki Community of Learning. The Matariki Kāhui Ako embraces the following whakataukī, alongside their vision of maximising students outcomes through collaboration:
Kia kairangi te tū!
Striving for excellence together/collectively!
William Colenso College’s journey towards embedding and sustaining cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy began when they entered Te Kotahitanga as a Phase 5 school in 2009, then participating in Kia Eke Panuku from 2014. The College now works alongside an expert partner and accredited facilitator within Poutama Pounamu as part of the Matariki Community of Learning. For the seven schools within the Kāhui Ako, the seven stars of matariki represent a collective understanding of a new beginning and a celebration of what they hold.
The schools and principals in the Matariki Kāhui Ako are:
- Henry Hill School - Jason Williams
- Hukarere Girls’ College - Lelie Pearcey
- Maraenui Bilingual School - Chris Worsley
- Marewa School - Chris Meynall
- Richmond School - Maurice Rehu
- Te Aute College – Shane Hiha
- Te Awa School - Tim Van Zyl
- William Colenso College - Daniel Murfitt.
Submitted by Zac Anderson
Awards-related videos
- The Prime Ministers Excellence in Education Awards videos can be viewed here.
- The highlights package from the Awards night can be viewed here.
Associated videos
This earlier video highlights aspects of leadership at the College.
This video tells of the establishment of the Matariki Kāhui Ako.