Update on our Kāhui Ako or Community of Learning

Sylvia Fidow —

Congratulations to Susan Jackson (West Melton Principal) and Sandra Keenan who were appointed as shared leaders of our Kāhui Ako - Ngā peka o Tauwharekākaho

BACKGROUND: The government’s policy, Investing in Educational Success (IES) announced in 2014, seeks to lift educational achievement by establishing Communities of Learning/Kāhui Ako (CoL). The policy encourages collaboration across, and within, early childhood services, kura and schools, and new leadership roles that have been established to oversee and coordinate the work of the CoL. 

IES is intended to raise the learning(akō) and achievement of all our children and young people particularly for ākonga/students that are most at risk of underachieving. It will enable a system wide lift for all ākonga/student achievement by: 

* Encouraging greater collaboration between kura/schools across the schooling system 

* Recognising, supporting and using professional expertise across the system where it is needed most 

* Enhancing opportunities for teacher-led innovation of new and good practice, to make clearly visible what is possible, new and exciting.

IES provides resources to help ensure that the work of teachers, tumuaki/principals, Boards of Trustees, and the system is supported in ways that build teachers’ individual and collective capacity to attend to the needs of every student. 

The evidence shows that when kaiako/teachers engage in collaborative professional problem solving, focused on the impact of teaching on learning (ako) for students, they can deliver significant and sustained improvement in students’ educational outcomes.

We were gifted our name Ngā peka o Tauwharekākaho by Taumutu Rūnanga which means ‘The connecting branches of the Rolleston area’. 

Current projects underway include ... 

*Reviewing and updating the CoL website (established early in 2017) to make it fit for purpose 

*Promoting collaboration within the 11 schools and 22 Early Childhood Centres (ECE) in the first instance, for our educators. Co-leaders are engaging and visiting all 22 Early Learning Centres across our CoL/Kāhui Ako building relationships 

*Establishing a Stewardship Group who effectively have a similar role to a Board of Trustees. This group consists of a Taumutu representative, principals, and Board of Trustee members from across the CoL. 

*Roles and Responsibilities for this group would include the following: 

-Advisors Strategy and planning

-Communications

-Finance and resources

-Concerns and complaints

-Employers roles and responsibilities

-Monitoring progress towards achievement challenges

-Self review 

* Reviewing and developing operating protocols and decision making processes developed as a cluster of schools since 2014 

* Collating evidence across the CoL in preparation for discussions for our achievement challenges 

* Engaging with our local iwi - Taumutu Rūnanga 


Sandra Keenan Susan Jackson Leads