Nau mai Haere mai ki te Kura o Tuahiwi

Te Kura o Tuahiwi is situated in a rural mārae village 28 kilometres north of Christchurch and close to Woodend, Rangiora and Kaiapoi. The first government supported school opened in 1863 as a Mission School, and in 2013 we celebrated our 150th Jubilee.
We have over 170 tamariki and 9 classes: Four Māori medium and five English medium. Many of our tamariki are Māori and whakapapa to our local Ngāi Tūāhuriri hāpū. We are fortunate to have the local mārae close by, as part of our learning environment.

Since term 3, 2023 Te Kura O Tuahiwi is now officially a designated character kura which emphasizes our special character of Te Reo Māori me ona tikanga.

Our kura reflects Ngai Tūāhuriri’s aims and aspirations to re-vitalise māori language, culture and identity for ākonga in their own home area. Tūāhuriritanga is the essence of the kura values and the backbone of their curriculum.

Level 1  81-100% Te Reo Māori spoken in the class

level 2  51-81% Te Reo Māori spoken in the class

The kura uses collaborative and Māori pedagogical practices throughout the kura.

In English medium classes (Puaka), tamariki follow the New Zealand curriculum with literacy and mathematics being taught in English. Teachers use Te Reo Māori and teach this with a focus on listening and speaking. In Māori medium classes (Whitireia), tamariki learn in Māori contexts following Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Literacy and Mathematics are taught in Te Reo Māori. As tamariki progress in Te Reo Māori, Te Reo Pākehā is introduced. All learning is measured against either curriculum document. 

A small number of our tamariki reside in Tuahiwi, while the majority travel to us from other areas of North Canterbury, and some from Christchurch. There is no bus service, however a travel grant is available for whānau choosing to transport their tamariki to a Whitireia class.

We appreciate a close relationship with both our on-site Tuahiwi Community Preschool and Honeybeez in Kaiapoi. For secondary school education most tamariki attend Kaiapoi High School, some Rangiora High School or a school in Christchurch. 

Our school community is committed to our Uara o Te Kura (School Values) and expect that people uphold our values while on school site at all times.

We follow restorative practice, with a focus on nurturing positive relationships amongst tamariki, whānau and kaiako. 

Hui with whānau are scheduled each term to engage, consult and share aspects of our teaching and learning. We also encourage our whānau to come and talk to us about their child's personalised learning plan (Ara Ako) at anytime.