Giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi: One school’s journey built on Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning
Introduction/Whakataki
Ka whangaia, ka tupu, ka puāwai
Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai
That which is nurtured blossoms and grows
Nurture the seed to bloom
This best evidence in action feature focuses on transformative change at Frimley Primary School[1] in Heretaunga | Hastings, in the Ngāti Kahungunu rohe.
In 2021, Frimley Primary School won the Supreme Prime Minister’s Award for Educational Excellence | Te Tohu Nui a Te Pirimia, and the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning | Te Hiranga o te Ako. The school was also a finalist for the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Engaging | Te Hiranga o Te Tuitui Tāngata.
When Tim White became Principal of Frimley Primary School in late 2016,[2] he was concerned that:
‘Our school was Eurocentric… We weren’t valuing the place of culture, language and identity.’
He asked himself:
‘What were those culturally responsive practices or strategies that worked for Māori and also worked for all?’
Tim was determined to make a difference. Seven years later Frimley Primary School won the Supreme Prime Minister’s Award for Educational Excellence | Te Tohu Nui a Te Pirimia.
This feature focuses on evidence about the expert support and the ‘how’ of Frimley Primary School’s change process to support school leaders, teachers and policy decision-makers to give practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The feature brings the transformative educational changes for equity, excellence and ākonga belonging and wellbeing to life through videos.
There are three parts to this feature:
- Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning: Expert support for leaders and educators
- Excellence in Engaging | Te Hiranga o Te Tuitui Tāngata
- Enabling Excellence in Teaching and Learning |Te Hiranga o te Ako
Footnotes
- Frimley Primary School is a large decile 4, Year 1-6 school (Equity Index 466), with 550 – 600 students including a majority of Māori ākonga along with a ‘United Nations’ diversity of ākonga including Pākehā, Pacific and Asian students.
- Tim White was Principal at Frimley Primary School from 2016 to 2022. He is now the Chief Advisor of the Ministry of Education’s Leadership Advisory Programme Te Pou Ohumahi Mātauranga.