2014 Annual Report
Welcome Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 11 Portland Crescent, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand Private Bag 39992, Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045, New Zealand Telephone: 0800 65 99 88 www.tekura.school.nz Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report I
Key Points 2014 1. Te Kura in the education sector In March Te Kura co-hosted delegates from New Zealand, Australia and overseas at a conference on authentic learning. Keynote speakers included Hon Hekia Parata the Minister of Education; co-founder of Big Picture Learning Elliot Washor; Director of Big Picture Education Australia Viv White and Te Kura Chief Executive Mike Hollings. In recent years Te Kura has worked closely with Big Picture Education Australia and Big Picture Learning USA to offer the benefits of authentic learning to our students, as well as sharing our knowledge of authentic learning with other New Zealand educators. Also in March, our CE and Board Chair attended Festival of Education sessions with international ministers of education and New Zealand s own Minister. It was an opportunity to promote Te Kura as part of the education system in New Zealand alongside the Ministry of Education, the Education Review Office, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Careers New Zealand and the Teachers Council. At the end of term three, the Chief Executive and the Development Manager were invited speakers at two international conferences Big Picture Week, held in The Netherlands; and the Commonwealth of Learning Big Picture Development Workshop in Bangladesh where they shared Te Kura s expertise and experience in authentic learning. They also presented to the Innovation Unit in the United Kingdom, which is interested in rolling out Big Picture learning there. 2. Online learning As part of our Online Learning Strategy, in 2014 Te Kura accelerated the move from a predominantly paper-based delivery model to an online one. We put all NCEA course materials onto our Online Teaching and Learning Environment (OTLE) in digital form and began developing new online courses to replace the existing courses for years 9 and 10. This project entailed the development of 13 subject courses at curriculum levels 3 5 as online modules to be available from the beginning of the 2015 school year. 3. New authentic learning initiative In July 2014 Te Kura began implementation of a four-year initiative with the Ministry of Education to provide face-to-face support for 80 at-risk students referred to Te Kura. The initiative involves a contact person working in partnership with Te Kura s subject teachers to ensure each student has a learning programme based on their passions and aspirations. Around 20 students are taking part in each of Te Kura s four regions and are located in Auckland, Palmerston North, Feilding, Hastings, Nelson and Christchurch. 4. Māori student success 2014 was the first full year of implementation of our Māori Student Success Framework (2013 2018), designed to enable Māori students enrolled with Te Kura to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori. 5. Pasifika Strategy As part of our 2014 work to achieve the goals of our Pasifika Strategy, we instituted an online programme of Pasifika professional development for teachers, and appointed Glen Tuala as our Auckland-based Kaiako Matua (senior teacher) Pasifika Education. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report II
6. New Board appointments In June 2014 Karen Sewell, Chair of Te Kura s Board of Trustees, announced the appointment of two new Board members Stuart Middleton and Lalita Rajasingham bringing the Board up to its full complement of a chair and up to six members appointed by the Minister of Education. Stuart Middleton is the Director of External Relations at the Manukau Institute of Technology and Lalita Rajasingham is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Victoria University of Wellington s School of Information Management. 7. Prizegiving An innovation in 2014 was the introduction of regional prizegiving ceremonies for students who had been awarded cross-school and subject prizes. The presence of te reo and a kuia from the community recognised the culture, language and identity of the Māori students and their whānau who attended. The ceremonies were well-attended and provided an opportunity for students and their whānau to meet their teachers as well as other students in their region. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report III
Ngā Kaupapa Matua 2014 1. Te Kura me te whai i te mātauranga I te Poutū-te-rangi ko Te Kura tētahi o ngā kaimanaaki i ngā māngai o Aotearoa, Ahitereiria me tāwāhi i te hui kaupapa ako tūturu. I waenga i ngā kaikauwhau matua ko te Minita Mātauranga a Hēkia Parata; ko tētahi o ngā pou matua o Big Picture Learning a Elliot Washor; Te Ringa Whakahaere o Big Picture Education Australia a Viv White me te Amorangi o Te Kura a Mike Hollings. I roto i ngā tau tata nei i te mahi tahi a Te Kura, a Big Picture Education Australia me Big Picture Learning USA kia whiwhi ā tātou tauira ki ngā hua o te kaupapa ako tūturu, me te toha hoki i ō tātou mōhiotanga ki te kaupapa ako tūturu ki ētahi atu kaiako i Aotearoa nei. I te Poutū-te-rangi anō hoki, tērā tō tātou Amorangi me te Heamana o te Poari i haere ki te Ahurei o te Mātauranga ā ngā Minita Mātauranga o te ao whānui me tō tātou ake Minita Mātauranga o Aotearoa nei. He mea i āhei ai te whakapiki i Te Kura hei wāhanga tūturu tonu o te pūnaha mātauranga o Aoteroa i te taha mai o te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga, te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, te Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa, Rapuara Aotearoa, me te Kaunihera Kura Māhita. I te mutunga o te wāhanga tuatoru o te tau kura kua hipa, ka pōhiritia te Amorangi me te Kaiwhakahaere Whanaketanga hei kaikauwhau ki ngā hui e rua i tāwāhi ki te Wiki Big Picture, i tū ki Hōrana; me te Papamahi Whakawhanake a te Commonwealth of Learning Big Picture i Penekāri i horahia ai e rāua ngā rokohanga me ngā wheako o Te Kura e pā ana ki te kaupapa ako tūturu. I taki whakaatū hoki rāua ki Te Tari Auaha i Piritana Nui, e whaiwhakaaro mai rā ki te hora i te kauapapa ako tūturu ki reira. 2. Te ako i runga i te Ipurangi Nā te mea he wāhanga ia o tā tātou Rautaki Ako i runga i te Ipurangi, i te tau 2014 ka whakahohoro Te Kura kia kawea te nuinga o ana mahi ā-pepa o mua ki runga kē i te ipirangi. Ka purua ā tātou rauemi akoranga NCEA katoa ki te ipurangi i runga i a OTLE, (te Online Teaching and Learning Environment) tōna āhua pūhiko, kātahi ka tīmata ki te waihanga akoranga hōu ki te ipurangi hei whakakapi i ngā akoranga mō ngā tau akonga tau tuaiwa, tau tuangahuru hoki. Ko te arohanga o tēnei kaupapa he waihanga ki a 13 tikanga akonga kia eke ki ngā paerewa 3 5 o te marautanga hei kōeke ako i runga i te ipurangi mai i te tīmatatanga o te tau kura hōu 2015. 3. He tīmatanga kaupapa akonga tūturu hōu I te marama o Hōngongoi 2014 ka tīmata te whakakaupapa a Te Kura me te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga i tētahi whāinga ā-whā-tau nei ki te tautoko ā-kanohi i te 80 tauira te tūpono taka ki te raru i tohia ki raro i te maru o Te Kura. Ko tā te tikanga nei he whakarite takawaenga hei mahi tahi me ngā kaiako a Te Kura kia āhei ai te whiwhi o ia tauira ki tētahi hōtaka ako me whakaraupapa i runga i ōna aurere me ōna tūmanako ake. He 20 pea ngā tauira te whai wāhi mai i ngā rohe e whā o Te Kura te noho mai ra i Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Papaioea, Aorangi, Heretaunga, Whakatū me Ōtautahi. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report IV
4. Ngā angitū o ngā tauira Māori Ko te tau 2014 te wā tuatahi i whakairihia ai te Angitūtanga o ngā Tauira Māori ki runga i tā mātou raupapa (2013-2018), e kitea ai ngā tauira i uru ki Te Kura i ngā painga me ngā hua o te mātauranga ka whiwhi te Māori. 5. Te Rautaki Pasifika He wāhanga o ā tātou mahi i te tau 2014 kia ekeina ngā whāinga o tā tātou Rautaki Pasifika, i tīmatahia e tātou i te ipurangi he hōtaka whakapiki pūkenga kaiako Pasifika, ka whakatūria hei a Glen Tuala tā tātou Kaiako Matua Mātauranga Pasifika ki Tāmaki Makaurau. 6. Ngā whakatūnga mema hōu ki te Poari I te Pipiri 2014, nā Karen Sewell, Heamana o te Poari Kaitiaki o Te Kura i whakapuaki te tohinga o ngā mema hōu e rua ki te Poari ko Stuart Middleton rāua ko Lalita Rajasingham kia eke ai te Poari ki tōna rahi o te heamana me ngā mema tokoono e tohia e te Minita Mātauranga. Ko Stuart Middleton te Kaitaki i ngā Take Whakawhanaunga ā-waho o te Kura Takiura o Manukau, ko Lalita Rajasingham he Ahorangi Kairīwhi nō te Kura Tokonga Kōrero o te Whanganui-a-Tara i te Wānanga o Wikitōria. 7. Te tuku whakamānawa He whāinga hōu mō te tau 2014 te whakaaranga o ngā whakahaere tuku whakamānawa i ngā rohe mō ngā tauira i whakawhiwhia ki ngā tohu ā-kura, ā-kaupapa ako hoki. Ko te whai wāhi o te reo me te kuia nō te kāinga ki ngā whakaritenga i whai mana ai ngā tikanga ā-iwi, te reo me te mōhio o aua tauira me ō rātou whānau i tae mai ki tō rātou takenga mai. He rahi tonu i rauika atu ki ngā whakahaere i āhei ai ngā tauira me ō rātou whānau ki te tūtaki ki ō rātou kaiako me ētahi atu hoki o ngā tauira o tō rātou rohe. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report V
Contents 1 Chair s Report 2 Te Kupu a te Heamana 2 Chief Executive s Report 4 Te Kupu a te Kaihautu 3 Governance 6 Te Poari Whakahaere 4 Our students and community 7 Ā Mātou Ākonga, Tō Mātou Hapori 5 2014 Activities 12 Ngā Mahi a 2014 6 Strategic Context 16 Te Horopaki Rautaki 7 Māori student success 18 Ngā angitū o ngā tauira Māori 8 Statement of Service Performance 21 Te Tauaki Whakatutukitanga Ratonga 9 Achievements 24 Ngā Mahi Kua Oti 10 Financial Statements 41 Ngā Purongo Putea Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 1
1 Chair s Report Te Kupu a te Heamana I am pleased to present the 2014 annual report for Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu. In 2014 Te Kura launched several initiatives which will see a fundamental shift in the way the school provides teaching and learning for each of its students, particularly those in years 9 to 13 (the largest area of the school). As part of the school s online learning strategy, in February 2014 work began on a two-year programme to develop 13 new online courses at curriculum levels 3 5 (years 9 and 10), to replace print-based courses developed during the 1990s. This is a significant programme of work to ensure Te Kura students acquire the digital literacy skills they will need to be successful citizens of the 21st century. Learning online enables students to build their skills and knowledge using the wealth of resources available online, under the guidance of their teachers. For students learning at a distance, online tools enable them to bridge the physical distances between them, to collaborate and share ideas. In March the Minister of Education Hon Hekia Parata, announced funding for a four-year initiative to provide face-to-face support for at-risk students enrolled with Te Kura. The additional funding will enable 80 Te Kura students to benefit from face-to-face support in their community and an individualised learning programme based on Te Kura s authentic learning approach. We have seen improved educational outcomes for students when they are well-supported and have a learning programme that engages their interest in an authentic, real life context. Following a comprehensive planning phase involving both Te Kura and the Ministry of Education, the first advisories started at the beginning of term 3. Staff based in the regions and in Wellington are working with community partners and whānau to support the students, who regularly attend advisories, maintain a learning journal and participate in authentic learning activities including exhibitions, work placements and learning internships. In its role as a leader of Big Picture-style authentic learning in New Zealand, Te Kura co-hosted delegates from New Zealand, Australia and overseas at a conference on authentic learning, held in March. Keynote speakers included the Minister of Education Hon Hekia Parata; cofounder of Big Picture Learning Elliot Washor; Director of Big Picture Education Australia Viv White and Te Kura Chief Executive Mike Hollings. Te Kura has been working closely with Big Picture Education Australia and Big Picture Learning USA over the past three years to offer the benefits of authentic learning to our students, as well as sharing our knowledge of authentic learning with other New Zealand educators. Later in the year the school s Chief Executive and Development Manager were invited to share our expertise and experience in authentic learning at two international conferences Big Picture Week, held in The Netherlands; and the Commonwealth of Learning Big Picture Development Workshop in Bangladesh. They also presented to the Innovation Unit in the United Kingdom, which is interested in rolling out Big Picture learning there. We were delighted to welcome two new members to the Board in May: Lalita Rajasingham and Stuart Middleton. Lalita is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Victoria University of Wellington s School of Information Management. Her research and teaching in the application of information technology such as the internet, virtual reality/hyperreality and artificial intelligence to human communication has helped set future directions in education and introduced the concepts of virtual classes, HyperClasses, virtual universities, and virtual Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 2
learning on the internet. Following many years as a school principal, Stuart is now the Director of External Relations at the Manukau Institute of Technology, a member of the Ministerial Cross Sector Forum on Raising Achievement and the Youth Guarantee Advisory Group. In 2010 Stuart was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education. We are extremely privileged to have Lalita and Stuart on our Board. Te Kura has a long history of contributing to the New Zealand education system through the provision of high quality distance education which complements the face-to-face schooling sector. Since the school was established in 1922 we have changed and evolved to meet the needs of students for whom distance does not refer to geographical location. We look forward to continuing this work and to ongoing collaboration with our educational and community partners throughout the country. Karen Sewell QSO Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 3
2 Chief Executive s Report Te Kupu a te Kaihautu In 2014 significant progress was made in advancing our online and authentic learning strategies. A review of curriculum development and delivery, carried out in 2013, led to the establishment of a new position to provide strong pedagogical leadership and cement our focus on online delivery within an Education 3.0 context. In June we appointed Marg McLeod to the role of Deputy Chief Executive Ako. Marg is highly experienced educator with a passion for online learning. Since taking up the role she led the development of a comprehensive programme of professional learning for Te Kura staff and assumed oversight of the work to develop new online courses at curriculum levels 3 5. The new courses are being written by Te Kura teachers who are expert in the delivery of learning programmes at a distance. Teachers have embraced the opportunities offered through the use of online tools to create innovative, engaging resources that utilise a variety of interactive resources as well as video, audio and animation. Five modules in each of the new courses were completed and ready for students to begin their online programme at the start of the 2015 school year. The remaining modules will be completed during 2015. A key element of our online learning strategy is ensuring students have access to suitable devices and internet connectivity. In preparation for the new courses, Te Kura established partnerships with local providers to assist families who do not have sufficient access to a suitable device or connectivity. At the time of writing, we have provided more than 40 laptop computers and broadband subsidies to full-time students enrolled in a year 9 or 10 programme. As part of our strategy, digitised versions of booklets for students in years 11 to 13 studying towards a National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) were made available through the school s Online Teaching and Learning Environment (OTLE). This meant that schools, and students living overseas, could access all of their learning materials through the OTLE enabling students to start their course as soon as their application for enrolment was approved. Throughout this process we kept in close contact with organisations that register or enrol students with us particularly alternative education providers, schools and the Department of Corrections to support a smooth transition to online learning for those students. At the same time, we automated the registration process for students registered under the secondary dual gateways, significantly reducing the time it takes to register these students and speeding up the enrolment process for all other student types as a result. The announcement by the Minister of Education of additional funding for 80 at-risk students enabled the establishment of new authentic learning advisories in each of the four regions. At the same time, we have continued to develop partnerships in other communities to set up advisories and give greater support to students, particularly those who have been disengaged from learning. Maui Tū is an example of such a partnership, with the Ministry of Education, Te Waiariki Purea Trust and Te Kura working together to re-engage Rotorua youth who have been out of school, using our authentic learning approach. We have also extended our partnerships with polytechnics and private training establishments to offer Te Kura students a wide range of opportunities through our trades academy, Huarahi. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 4
In a first for Te Kura, we held four regional prize giving ceremonies at the end of term 4 rather than a single ceremony in Wellington. This meant that many more students were able to go to their region s prize giving with their whānau. The ceremonies were very well attended and also provided an opportunity to showcase student artwork and performances. Mike Hollings Chief Executive Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 5
3 Governance Te Poari Whakahaere Te Kura is governed by a Board of Trustees, the composition of which is determined by the Minister of Education in accordance with section 95 of the Education Act 1989. The constitution of Te Kura s Board is gazetted. The Board is supported by the Risk Assurance Committee and the Employer Committee, which between them deal with much of the detailed work prior to consideration by the Board. The following table details the term of office for trustees who served on the Board during 2014: Name Term expires Karen Sewell (Chair) appointed September 2012 September 2015 Paul Adams appointed September 2012 September 2015 Gillian Heald appointed September 2012 September 2015 Maxine Moana-Tuwhangai appointed June 2012 June 2015 John Sproat appointed June 2012 June 2015 Stuart Middleton appointed May 2014 May 2017 Lalita Rajasingham appointed May 2014 May 2017 The Board is supported by the following two committees: Risk Assurance Committee Maxine Moana-Tuwhangai (Chair) Paul Adams John Sproat Karen Sewell Employer Committee Gillian Heald (Chair) Stuart Middleton Lalita Rajasingham Karen Sewell Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 6
4 Our students and community Ā Mātou Ākonga, Tō Mātou Hapori Te Kura was established as the Correspondence School in 1922 to provide primary level education for 83 students living in remote areas. Expansion in 1929 allowed the extension of services to secondary students. Since then, the school has grown and developed to meet changing demands as our role in the national education system has evolved over time. Our cumulative roll in 2014 was 24,500 with around 13,000 students enrolled at any one time. While most are of secondary school age, our students range from pre-schoolers to senior citizens and live in all regions of New Zealand and overseas. While still a Wellington-based organisation, Te Kura has regional offices staffed by teachers in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and an increasing number of smaller centres. Te Kura is New Zealand s largest provider of distance education in the early childhood and compulsory education sectors, providing educational services to early childhood, primary and secondary level students for whom we are the best current option, as well as supplementary services to students already enrolled in other New Zealand primary and secondary schools. Our services are also available to adults accessing second-chance education. In certain circumstances, students may be enrolled on a fee-paying basis. Enrolment type 2014 Student Enrolment category cumulative enrolments* Early childhood 828 Full-time Year 1-6 528 Full-time 344 Dual 14 Other Year 7-10 1035 Full-time 3629 Dual 33 Other Year 11-13 1630 Full-time 7502 Dual 162 Other Adults 3963 Including 1825 Dept of Corrections adult enrolments Young Adults 4865 Total 24533 *These figures represent cumulative enrolments throughout 2014, not a count of students. Our full-time students (i.e. where we are their only school) may come from families who are geographically remote or itinerant, or living overseas. The larger proportion, however, consists of students whose alienation is the result of complex social circumstances or psychological problems. They may have been alienated or excluded from their face-to-face school or referred to Te Kura by the Ministry of Education because they have psychological or psycho-social needs. They may be young parents, or students who have been referred by Child, Youth and Family. These students make up 26% of our full-time roll at years 1 to 8 and 60% at years 9 to 13. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 7
Te Kura has a sizeable Māori community, with Māori students comprising 28% of full-time enrolments at years 1-8 and 38% at years 9-13. We recognise the need to engage, develop and support Māori learners to be successful and to do so in ways that support their identity as Māori. Our Māori Student Success Framework 2013 2018 is designed to enable Māori students enrolled with Te Kura to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori. Among a wide range of other ethnic groups, our roll includes a number of Pasifika students. As the largest school in New Zealand with a presence throughout the country, we believe we have a significant role to play in reaching Pasifika students, their families and communities to help deliver better results for Pasifika students. We work with students, their whānau and community to provide effective teaching and personalised learning to enhance student engagement and achievement. To do this we have focused on building and strengthening partnerships with our students families, communities and other agencies throughout New Zealand to help build readily accessible support for our students learning. Providing authentic learning experiences that build on students passions and goals is a key element of our approach to teaching and learning. Our authentic learning approach is inspired by the international Big Picture learning model, and sees our skilled learning advisors and liaison teachers working closely with students and whānau to identify each student s passions and goals, and then personalising a programme of learning to enable the student to reach those goals. Each student s programme is likely to include real life learning experiences such as STAR courses, a Gateway placement, enrolment in a trades academy or internship in their community. Students also have the opportunity to participate in advisories, led by Te Kura staff, where they can work collaboratively with other students. Our roll includes a large number of publicly-funded young adult enrolments. Our Enrolment Policy agreed with the Ministry of Education allows students aged 16 or over who are not attending a school full-time to enrol at Te Kura up to and including the end of the year in which they turn 19. Where possible, young adult students who are enrolled with us in two or more subjects are allocated their own learning advisor for ongoing pastoral support. Te Kura also has a substantial number of dual-registered students from primary and secondary schools, who come to us for curriculum access, adaptation or extension. Through these registrations the school has developed solid working partnerships with most of the country s primary and secondary schools and regional health schools. Each of these partnerships is based on a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that formalises each party s responsibilities for the student s education. While early childhood enrolments encompass a diversity of lifestyle, socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, they continue to be drawn mainly from rural areas. Most of these students go on to attend their local primary school. However, in 2014 the demographic of Te Kura s Early Childhood service changed as a number of community agencies were contracted by the Ministry of Education to encourage families to enrol children in early childhood education services. Under this Engaging Priority Families (EPF) initiative we offered a programme to children in urban areas who, for a variety of reasons, have not enrolled with a face-to-face early childhood education provider. The geographical location of the playgroups Te Kura supports also changed in 2014. We now support nine playgroups operating in West Auckland. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 8
Our Early Childhood teachers have this year become learning advisors to Te Kura s adult students, contacting them to see what assistance could be offered to help keep them engaged with their study. This innovation has provided Early Childhood teachers the opportunity to use their skills in a different context. Years 11 13 enrolments included many young adults of 16 or over who have left the schooling system but have since chosen to return to school to gain specific credits or qualifications. Like our adult students, they typically enrolled at Te Kura in 2014 to gain specific credits, skills or qualifications. Funding and enrolment Te Kura is funded by the Ministry of Education in accordance with section 81A of the Education Act 1989. Funding is based on student engagement. The resourcing notice from the Ministry of Education stipulates the funding to be provided to the school. The enrolment of students is governed by sections 7 and 7A of the Education Act 1989 which describe restrictions on enrolment and access to government-funded education. The enrolment policy is agreed annually between the Ministry of Education and the Board of Trustees and is published by Gazette notice. Students who meet the policy criteria may enrol as government-funded students. In certain circumstances, students may be enrolled on a fee-paying basis. Organisational structure Te Kura is organised into three wāhanga (areas) Learner Services, Operations and Performance, and the Chief Executive s office. The Chief Executive and the Board are supported by the Chief Advisor. Learner Services is responsible for the school s teaching and learning, curriculum leadership and development and has school-wide responsibility for the assessment of years 1 to 13 students and for leading, developing and coordinating online learning. Integral to the work of this wāhanga is the position of Senior Advisor Māori Education. Learner Services also provides in-region pastoral support through regional, cross-disciplinary teams Northern, Central North, Central South and Southern. Teachers work in multidisciplinary teams to promote better understanding and engagement with students, creating an environment conducive to improved student achievement. Learner Services responsibilities also include early childhood teaching and learning. Operations and Performance provides the school s corporate support structure. Its functions include enrolment services, procurement, facilities management, finance, human resources, information resources, the library, media and distribution services, and organisational performance, planning and reporting. The Chief Executive s office provides advice and support to the Chief Executive (CE), the Board of Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This wāhanga is made up of the Chief Advisor to the CE and the Communications Specialist. SLT has responsibility for the overall leadership and strategic direction of Te Kura, and comprises the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive Ako, Deputy Chief Executive Operations and Performance, and the Chief Advisor. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 9
The school s Lead team comprises SLT, the Development Manager, the four regional managers, a management representative from the Operations and Performance Wāhanga and the Communications Specialist. Each senior manager has accountability for specific areas of activity, management of resources and leadership of people and projects. During 2014 Te Kura employed around 470 staff members, the equivalent of approximately 431 full-timers. In addition, we employ 129 teacher aides. Around 35% of staff are based in regional offices outside Wellington. Our management structure is detailed in the diagram below. Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) programme The school reports annually to the Board of Trustees on its EEO programme, providing a snapshot of Te Kura s staff, with information on their gender, age and ethnicity at the end of each calendar year. This ongoing reporting supports identification of trends and appropriate responses. The report excludes data on teacher aides, relief teachers, temporary employees and contractors. Such staff are generally employed for very short periods of time and including their data would disproportionately affect the information presented. The total number of permanent and fixed term staff at the end of 2014 is 472. The average age of Te Kura teachers is 55, and 47 for our support staff. The average age of the Te Kura workforce has increased by one year, to 53, with the median age also increasing by one year to 56 years. The gender mix of all Te Kura s employees, at 72% female and 28% male, is little changed from that of 2013 and is in line with that of other New Zealand schools. Te Kura does not currently require employees to provide ethnicity information and therefore staff ethnicity data included in the report is based on information relating to the 78% of current permanent and fixed term staff who reported their ethnicity. Around 7% of them are recorded as Māori, one percent more than in 2013. The ethnic diversity of Te Kura employees is a reasonable match with the general New Zealand workforce, although all the minority groups are slightly underrepresented. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 10
Location and regional services The school s Wellington operations are housed at its Portland Crescent site in Thorndon, with a complex inventory, distribution and delivery system for student learning materials managed from the school s warehouse in Petone, Lower Hutt. Te Kura is also represented in regional offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Hamilton, which provide a base for the region s local liaison teachers and a number of subject teachers, while in-region offices in locations such as Whangarei, Tauranga, Palmerston North and Nelson support local activity and connections in their communities. The regional managers for Northern and Central North are also based in the regional offices. Regional managers are key contacts for stakeholders in the regions. To support our full-time students they work with communities, non-government and government agencies, and lead the development of new relationships in the region. Regional Reference Groups provide a forum for all our stakeholders to hear about what is happening at their school and to provide their own feedback. Relationship coordinators in each region work with dualeducation providers to support the learning of dual-registered students. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 11
5 2014 Activities Ngā Mahi a 2014 Te Kura s trades academy Te Kura s Huarahi Trades Academy, in operation since September 2012, provides an opportunity for senior secondary students to complete NCEA Level 2 through Te Kura and, through access to our Trades Academy partners, to gain relevant industry standards towards NCEA Levels 1, 2 or above, in a vocational pathway. Te Kura seeks to provide secondary/tertiary support through Huarahi for our students, wherever they are in New Zealand. To this end, where there is a need from one or more of our students we continue to develop relationships with providers. In 2014 through the arrangements we made with a number of providers we were able to expand the range of programmes, some of which lead to national certificates, which students could work towards. This saw Huarahi offering our trades academy students a diverse range of programmes including agriculture, aviation, building, construction and allied trades, early childhood, electronics technology, engineering (automotive, electrical, mechanical), hair and beauty, hospitality, joinery, primary industries, retail, and trades technology. In 2014 Huarahi had 14 partners, a significant shift from the one partner we began with, and we filled our allocated 100 student places and 73 funded Gateway placements. Pasifika Strategy As the largest school in New Zealand with a presence throughout the country, we believe we have a significant role to play in reaching Pasifika students, their families and communities to help deliver better results for Pasifika students. Te Kura's revised Pasifika Strategy has been in place since July 2014. In the Ministry of Education s Statement of Intent 2014 2018 Pasifika students are identified as a priority group whose presence, engagement and achievement in education need to be improved. The Pasifika Education Plan 2013 2017 is the Government s response to accelerating the progress of Pasifika learners. Te Kura s Pasifika Strategy reflects the Ministry s Statement of Intent and aligns with the relevant focus areas of the Ministry s Pasifika Education Plan. Our Pasifika Strategy has a focus on building relationships with Pasifika families and communities, as well as building the capacity of Te Kura staff to meet the needs of these learners. To achieve these goals, in 2014 we appointed a Kaiako Matua (senior teacher) Pasifika Education, Glen Tuala, based in Auckland, and instituted an online programme of Pasifika professional development for Te Kura s teachers. During 2014 Te Kura enrolled 1113 Pasifika students: 17 in early childhood, 82 full-time, 170 young adults, 235 adults, 33 primary dual-registered, 565 secondary dual-registered and 11 others. Authentic learning Our authentic learning strategy is based on the Big Picture learning approach, and Te Kura has a close relationship with the founders of Big Picture Australia and Big Picture Learning in the United States. Te Kura Chief Executive Mike Hollings and Development Manager Jen McCutcheon are on the Board of Big Picture Education New Zealand, which was established as a trust in 2012 and is a member of the Big Picture International network of educators. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 12
The Big Picture approach has the following characteristics: one student at a time in a community of learners learning based on each student s passions and interests curriculum relevant to each student; personalised flexible learning to support interest real-life learning in the community within the student s own context students working together in small groups or advisories, supported by a learning advisor. During 2014 Te Kura has continued to work with other schools and providers who want to incorporate Big Picture-style authentic learning into their teaching practice. By supporting such schools and passing on expertise in this style of authentic learning, Te Kura is helping the growth of practices closely aligned with 21st century education aspirations. In March 2014 we hosted an international Big Picture Learning Conference which was oversubscribed due to the interest shown by schools from around New Zealand and participants from schools in Australia, Malaysia and the USA. This conference, and other work within New Zealand schools, has led to requests from schools for more in-depth professional learning opportunities, which we will be providing from early 2015. Over the course of 2014 authentic learning as a strategy became further embedded into practice at Te Kura. Staff have been involved in advisories around the country, with learning advisors focusing on student passions and interests leading to personalised programmes which include increased participation in secondary-tertiary opportunities. New authentic learning initiative Working with the Ministry of Education, in July 2014 Te Kura began implementation of a four-year initiative to provide face-to-face support for 80 at-risk students referred to Te Kura. Where students have been disengaged from education for an extended period before enrolling with Te Kura, it has been shown to be difficult to re-engage them using distance education alone. The programme aims to provide face-to-face support for these students in their community, providing them with a contact person with whom they and their whānau can build a continuous relationship. The initiative involves that person working in partnership with Te Kura s subject teachers to ensure each student has a learning programme based on their passions and aspirations. A number of locations are involved in this initiative, including Auckland, Palmerston North, Feilding, Hastings, Nelson and Christchurch. Approximately 20 students are taking part in each of Te Kura s four regions. Although distance education might not seem suited to students who have been disengaged from learning, we know that some of these students do very well at Te Kura. By working one-to-one with students who have struggled to succeed in a classroom environment this initiative will include development of a highly personalised programme which, combined with good support at home and in the community, will greatly assist students to achieve. Online learning As part of our Online Learning Strategy, in 2014 Te Kura accelerated its move from a predominantly paper-based delivery model to an online one. We put all NCEA course materials onto our Online Teaching and Learning Environment (OTLE) in digital form and began developing new online courses to replace the existing courses for years 9 and 10. This project entailed the development of 13 subject courses at curriculum levels 3 5 as online Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 13
modules to be available progressively from the beginning of the 2015 school year. The courses include a mix of text and other online resources like quizzes, games, audio and video files as well as practical activities for students to complete offline. OTLE is a very student-focused learning management system. It provides a learning experience which is designed to be personalised and responsive to each individual student. The new online courses have been developed to maximise opportunities for personalisation so that each student s learning programme meets their needs. For some of the new courses (including maths and English) the first activity students complete is a diagnostic that enables their Te Kura teacher to determine the level the student is working at and choose the most appropriate modules for them to focus on. In 2014 dual students registered for Te Kura s NCEA Level 2 and 3 courses accessed their learning materials in through the OTLE. As a transition phase, NCEA Level 1 dual students (apart from those registered in our fully online courses) accessed their first work through the OTLE, with the option to request printed workbooks following return of their first assessment. Students enrolled in fully online courses such as art, te reo Māori and digital technology continued to complete and submit their work online through the OTLE. Surveys conducted by Te Kura have shown that many of our students have some access to a computer and the internet. However, mindful of our obligation to ensure none of our students is left behind, in 2014 we established a programme to offer assistance to eligible New Zealand-resident families whose full-time year 9 and 10 students were enrolling in Te Ara Hou and/or one of the new online courses in 2015. Eligible families are able to apply for access to a re-conditioned laptop computer and/or a subsidy towards the cost of internet connectivity across the school year. In addition, Te Kura worked closely with Computers in Homes to refine their bricks and mortar school-based access pathways so its assistance programme is suitable for families of Te Kura students. Te Kura values During 2014, Te Kura staff participated in workshops to consider the values that underpin the organisation. Workshop discussion and feedback culminated in identification of five succinct values with a stronger focus on students, which we articulate like this At Te Kura we demonstrate by our actions that we: put the success of our students at the forefront of everything we do respect each other, students, their whānau and our partner organisations see strength in diversity celebrate innovation and success communicate openly and honestly. External stakeholders were given the opportunity to have input to the proposed values as part of consultation on the draft Charter and Annual Plan 2015. Further discussion on embedding the values and what they mean for Te Kura staff and stakeholders will occur during 2015. Te Kura in the education sector In March 2014, Te Kura was invited to take part in the Festival of Education. Our CE and Board Chair attended sessions with international ministers of education and New Zealand s own Minister. Our involvement in the Festival included hosting a stall at the Wellington Festival, highlighting in particular our Early Childhood service and our focus on authentic Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 14
learning. We were represented on the Education Agencies combined stall at the Auckland and Christchurch Festivals. Te Kura was also represented at the Education System Stewardship Forum senior management retreat in August. Senior officials from across the wider education sector agencies discussed a range of topics that offer the potential for joint development and a commitment was made to scope the work on each of four topics and report back to Chief Executives. One of those topics a 10-year vision for education went on to become a workstream jointly led by the Ministry of Education and Te Kura. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 15
6 Strategic context Te Horopaki Rautaki Our strategic direction 2014 has been the second year of our Strategic Plan, guiding Te Kura through to 2018. The strategic plan highlights the specific areas where our efforts will be focused over a five year period. This annual report reflects our 2014 charter and annual plan. Te Kura s contribution to the education sector in 2014 has echoed the Ministry of Education s future priorities for the sector, as expressed in the Ministry s Statement of Intent 2013 2018. These priorities are aimed at ensuring the education system delivers on the Government s key goals for better public services which in turn will deliver improved outcomes for all New Zealanders and build a more competitive and productive economy. Te Kura s strategic goals and priorities fit within and align to these Ministry priorities. To achieve these key government goals, the Ministry set targets for the education sector with the learner as the central focus, starting with increased participation in high-quality early childhood education, continuing through to attainment of core skills and qualifications. It identified the key priority groups for improved education outcomes as being Māori students, Pasifika students, students with special education needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds. The key themes in our Strategic Plan 2013 2018 support the Ministry s education sector targets described above. These themes are personalising learning, and a focus on futureoriented learning and teaching and the embracing of Education 3.0 a concept which describes the transformation necessary to enable the current system of education, developed in the age of industrialisation, to meet the evolving and dynamic challenges of the 21st century. Te Kura s strategic direction remains centred on three overarching and integrated strategic goals, which are the focus of everything we do, within the context of teaching and learning as core delivery for the school: Student Presence => Student Engagement => Student Achievement Over the period 2013 to 2018 we are focusing on three strategic priorities: Online learning Improving education outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students and other priority groups Authentic and engaging learning experiences. These priorities are the key changes we want to make towards achieving our vision and moving into an Education 3.0 model of teaching and learning for our students. Some of the key characteristics of this model are a transfer of ownership from teachers to students, authentic learning and collaborative learning techniques. Education 3.0 is a future-oriented learning system in which family and whānau view schools as a place for them to learn as well. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 16
The key priorities are supported by three enabling strategies which are the means we employ across the school to support and enable achievement of goals and priorities and our core delivery of teaching and learning. These encompass every aspect of the school s operations and typically contribute to more than one of our strategic priorities. Underpinning our five-year strategy are three capability improvement initiatives designed to ensure that resources, tools and systems are fit for purpose and focused on achieving our goals. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 17
7 Māori student success Ngā angitū o ngā tauira Māori Māori Student Success Framework (2013 2018) 2014 was the first full year of implementation of our Māori Student Success Framework (2013 2018), designed to enable Māori students enrolled with Te Kura to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori. The Framework follows four principles, based on Ka Hikitia 2013 2017: Māori potential Ako a two-way teaching and learning process Identity, language and culture count Productive partnerships. Key activities in 2014 In 2014, we identified six school-wide actions. The work we carried out in support of them is as follows: Capture and reflect Māori student voice across all Te Kura services to Māori students As part of our 2014 2015 Student Voice project, we began a methodology and analysis of Māori student feedback, based on He Kākano models and survey and video capture, with the intention of developing a plan for capturing Māori student voice more widely. As part of annual planning, teams collected data on Māori students, to increase the visibility of Māori students and encourage tailored responses to the situations and learning programmes of Māori students. The Northern region created video resources of Māori student experiences. Design and implement a pedagogy for improving outcomes for Māori students enrolled at Te Kura Across Te Kura, teams established dedicated times to share practice and strategies for working with Māori students. Following some such sessions, teachers collaborated with buddies in regions to work more effectively with Māori students. We sourced external expertise to understand how resources can be prepared and edited in a way that is likely to work best for Māori students. The Northern region set an indicative target of 65% attendance at face-to-face events, achieving the highest engagement levels in the region s Tai Tokerau rohe, where there is a large concentration of Māori students. The Central North region set a target for Māori student engagement, to be demonstrated through advisory attendance. One region trialled a Māori students-only advisory event. Attendance numbers were reported as increasing from a handful of students to approximately 30 Māori students. Team plans expressed a range of approaches to working towards this action, such as: o o o setting percentage targets for all of their full-time Māori students to attend advisories; summarising the team s plan on the front page to provide an easy reference point and way of keeping the focus on work with Māori students; focusing on assessing each Māori student s programme of learning for suitability. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 18
Staff members performance development and achievement plans for 2014 included goals such as competency in working with the Early Childhood Māori curriculum goals and Māori whānau; and developing resources that follow the MSSF principles (having appropriate contexts, student voice and agency). Build Te Kura staff s Māori cultural competency Regional activities included regular surveying of staff self-perceptions of competence in te reo Māori and comfort in tikanga Māori settings; a Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop organised for staff; and contact made by learning advisors with each Māori student every fortnight. In addition to widespread staff use of Te Rito, our interactive online platform for learning about te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, communicating with Māori and mātauranga Māori, staff looking for more guidance on pronunciation and usage sought other online resources for their te reo Māori development. Teams practised greetings/mihi/pepehā at team meetings and organised marae visits. We mapped Tātaiako competencies against Registered Teacher Criteria competencies. We aligned teacher job descriptions with Te Kura s Effective Teacher/Kaiako Profile, and recruited to that profile. We developed a video resource for recruiting managers regarding the use of tikanga and te reo Māori in interview settings. Build productive partnerships with iwi, hapū, whānau and Māori organisations to enable Māori student success A staff working group was set up to develop a shared definition of what productive partnerships means for Te Kura. Memoranda of Understanding were established in our Northern region with Te Aupōuri and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua. The Central North and Central South regions also put significant time and effort into building a relationship with local iwi. Team plans included building on relationships with local Māori wardens and a Whānau Ora navigator to promote Māori student engagement. A kaumātua day was held at Rehua marae, Christchurch. Work in Hawera to become part of its education services group provided an opportunity to collaborate with Māori wardens and local government agencies. We worked to strengthen existing relationships with Māori groups such as Heke Mai and Te Aroha Noa who are already operating in early childhood and primary. Nurture relationships with Māori parents and whānau to ensure Māori students enjoy and achieve education success As a precursor to establishing a whānau group, Southern region worked to assist Māori students to connect with their iwi and/or a local iwi. We sourced external expertise to quality assure the te reo Māori course resources for Level 1 NCEA. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu 2014 Annual Report 19