Spreading & embedding Equity, Excellence and Belonging
Posted on 06 August, 2017
https://poutamapounamu.org.nz/news/2017/spreading-and-embedding-equity-excellence-and-belonging
Working with Kāhui Ako
Since its beginnings at the start of 2017, members of the Poutama Pounamu whānau have consolidated prior relationships and begun to develop new relationships with schools and Kāhui Ako/Communities of Learning. We have both Expert Partners and Accredited Facilitators available to support PLD planning and delivery and we are working across all regions of Aotearoa from Te Tai Tokerau in the north to Murihiku in the south.
Thriving and succeeding
Members of the whānau are working to support a kaupapa of Equity, Excellence and Belonging. To date we are working in 47 individual schools; primary and secondary. Some of these schools have chosen to continue existing relationships that were developed through Kia Eke Panuku.
Other schools are new to this work and new to the whānau.
However, our foundational principle of developing cultural relationships and using a responsive approach with schools is allowing us to build on the existing skills and expertise in these schools to provide a one size fits one response. These understandings are being promoted across these varied settings in order to support the vision of Māori and all students thriving and succeeding within education.
Working with Kāhui Ako and schools
In addition to the work with individual schools, the whānau is also engaged with 16 Kāhui Ako. This includes both Expert Partner and Accredited Facilitator roles and responsibilities. At last count, this brings more than 170 additional schools, including some early childhood settings, with whom potentially we will be able to work.
Working with schools and Kāhui Ako to respond to their evidence, and plan for PLD, touches on all core aspects of our work. By way of example, across our schools, members of the Poutama Pounamu whānau are:
- working with teachers and middle leaders, and in-school and across-school PLD Leads to spread and embed cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy
- supporting school leaders in their own critical inquiry focused on their leadership roles and responsibilities towards equity, excellence and belonging
- working with strategic change leaders within the school to embed critical cycles of inquiry focused on equity, excellence and belonging
- supporting schools to develop and enrich educationally powerful connections with whānau, hāpū and iwi
- supporting literacy strategies that have been shown to promote educationally powerful connections between homes and school
- working with schools to develop and implement Teacher Led Innovation Funding (TLIF). To date we have been successful in two out of three proposals.
Contact us
If you would like to discuss your school’s PLD priorities with one of us or explore how we can support the work in your school or Community of Learning please contact: poutamapounamu@waikato.ac.nz
Submitted by Robbie Lamont