Module 8: Whānau Whanake (Building Stakeholder Relationships): This module explores building positive and collaborative partnerships and networks with parents, teachers, students, and community members to support school improvement.
Due: 11th August
Nau te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora te manuhiri.
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.
Module Objectives:
- Understand the importance of strong stakeholder relationships in school improvement.
- Identify your key bicultural stakeholders in the community.
- Develop and implement strategies for effective communication and engagement with stakeholders.
- Build trust and foster collaborative partnerships with parents and whānau.
- Utilise community resources to enhance student learning and well-being.
- Develop and implement a stakeholder engagement plan for the school.
The NZ Education Code of Practice 2021 describes stakeholders as “learners, staff, whānau, local communities, employers, iwi, and others who share a meaningful interest in the wellbeing and safety of learners enrolled with the provider.”(p.10) A key principle for forming stake-holder relationships is mahi tahi and kotahitanga: collective benefits and shared aspirations. This module dives into developing culturally responsive practices and engaging with whanau, hapu and iwi. However, the principles explored can be applied to many stakeholder groups.
We are aware that there is a continuum of experiences and expertise among our delegates so please explore the area(s) most relevant to you below.
Defining Culturally Responsive Leadership
Culturally responsive leadership refers to a leadership approach that recognises, respects, and integrates the diverse cultural backgrounds and identities of students, staff, and the community within the educational environment. This approach prioritises inclusivity, equity, and culturally sensitive practices.
Key Components of Culturally Responsive Leadership:
- Cultural Competence: Culturally responsive leaders demonstrate cultural competence by developing a deep understanding of their own cultural biases and beliefs. They actively seek to learn about the cultures represented in their school community.
- Inclusive Leadership: Inclusive leaders foster an environment where all students and staff feel valued and included, regardless of their cultural background. They promote an atmosphere of respect and acceptance.
- Cultural Awareness: Culturally responsive leaders are attuned to the cultural needs and preferences of their students and staff. They adapt their leadership style to accommodate these differences, making the educational experience more relevant and engaging.
Culture Matters!
Culture significantly shapes our thinking, perception, actions, and communication. Learning is intricately linked to culture, meaning that even when the classroom’s teaching methods, resources, curriculum, and relationships remain the same, students’ experiences may differ due to their cultural perspectives and prior knowledge. Problems arise when educators are unaware of the diverse knowledge and experiences diverse students bring to learning. Even if a teacher shares the same culture as their students, understanding their backgrounds isn’t guaranteed as cultural understandings and behaviours vary within cultural groups, and teachers may miss cultural cues. It’s vital not to ignore these differences or treat all students uniformly, but instead, move from cultural blindness to cultural responsiveness.
Bias, Unconscious Bias and Racism:
Biases in educational leadership can manifest in various ways, often stemming from deep-seated societal prejudices. These biases may result in unequal opportunities, resource allocation, and disciplinary practices for students of different backgrounds. Educational leaders, whether consciously or unconsciously, may favour certain groups while unintentionally disadvantaging others. These biases can hinder the creation of inclusive, equitable learning environments, perpetuating disparities in academic achievement and student well-being. Addressing biases in educational leadership is crucial for fostering fairness and ensuring that every student has an equal opportunity to succeed academically and personally. It requires self-awareness, ongoing education, and a commitment to dismantling discriminatory practices to create a more just and equitable educational system.
In leadership and teaching positions we need to be aware of unconscious biases and how these might affect the way in which we operate in a school setting; towards children, colleagues and whanaū. An unconscious bias is more difficult to overcome and can be defined as such:
“Refers to a bias that we are unaware of and which happens outside of our control. It is a bias that happens automatically and is triggered by our brain making quick judgements and assessments of people and situations, influenced by our background, cultural environment and personal experiences.” – Equality Challenge Unit UK: Unconscious Bias in Higher Education Review 2013.
In New Zealand schools students can also experience outright racism, as explored in this article on Mana College – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/racism-in-schools-calls-for-cultural-competency-in-the-classroom/JNSGWAYUUQI5RH65F3535A7YII/
Our Responsibility as School Leaders in Aotearoa:
School leaders clearly have a responsibility to ensure schools are safe and equitable places for learners and their whanau. We know that culturally responsive pedagogies have the potential to narrow the disparities in our school communities, concurrently elevating the overall levels of achievement. Extensive research indicates that these culturally responsive pedagogical approaches boost student performance across diverse cultural groups, ensuring every student is motivated and has the assistance required to unlock their educational potential, irrespective of their social, economic, cultural background, or individual requirements.
In this video, Professor Mere Berryman explains the need and the opportunity to use evidence to make a difference in education in Aotearoa, and why a Tiriti o Waitangi partnership approach – Mana Ōrite – is foundational to success for diverse Māori learners and for all learners in English-medium education.
Task:
Research tells us that there are some key aspects of culturally responsive pedagogy:
- Reflect on your cultural knowledge and teaching assumptions related to culture
- Learn about your students
- Use students’ cultural knowledge, perspectives and skills as a resource for teaching
- Create a safe and supportive environment and build strong relationships
- Encourage a discursive curriculum and enable student self-determination
- Connect with families
- Connect with communities
Select one or two aspects from the list above and reflect on what your school does well in this regard and what next steps you would take to further develop your school’s cultural responsiveness.
Comment on a fellow delegate’s response, remembering that every school is at a different place in this journey. You might offer support if there is a next step you can help with, reassurance if you have been on a similar journey, help with a resource you have found useful etc.
Optional Resources:
Explore the resources most relevant to you.
Working effectively with iwi and hapū, Melanie Taite-Pitama: https://vimeo.com/242861287
Puketeraki Kāhui Ako: Culturally responsive practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQusPg98GcQ
A website with many useful resources and links: https://elearning.tki.org.nz/Leadership/Culturally-responsive-leadership#js-tabcontainer-1-tab-5
Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES): https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/2515/5959
“The real conspiracy is that education is for the rich” L. O’Connell Rapira – https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/24-08-2020/the-real-conspiracy-is-that-education-is-for-the-rich
“They didn’t care about normal kids like me”: Restructuring a school to fit the kids” A. Milne – https://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/6234
“Colouring in the White Spaces: Reclaiming Cultural Identity in Whitestream Schools” A. Milne – https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/7868
Assessment:
- Completion of all relevant readings.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
- Submission of reflection on forum.
7 Responses
Kia Ora,
Connect with communities and Create a safe and supportive environment and build strong relationships are areas that our school is building on.
Our school has started to Connect with communities by having Fono and Hui for our Pasifika and Maori communities to connect and create momentum for students and their families. These gatherings cover things like;
– Who is best to contact at the school
– Who students work with in relation to academic and pathway options
– What community engagement can look like for families
– How the school can better support their needs
Among other items.
Create a safe and supportive environment and build strong relationships is done a number of ways but I think in terms of culture and inclusiveness our kura undertakes ideas like;
– Presentations from guidance and additional support for staff to upskill
– Staff kapa haka to develop and build connections to whakapapa
– Additional learning needs are catered to through diverse and safe environments inside and outside of classrooms.
– Alternative pathways are recognised and catered to for students who are aiming for vocational pathways.
– Always ensuring students safety is paramount in all learning environments.
In addition, a presentation we were presented from our guidance space concentrated on VUCA environments and there effects on adolescent minds. A mnemonic we were presented was “Some Boys Have Mullets.” Where students want to feel Seen, they want to feel like they Belong, they want to know what is Happening and want to know their Mana will remain intact. I think this a great way to present in class and is something that can be gifted to any students.
https://www.engagetraining.co.nz/resources has a number of resources available where this and other similar resources can be found.
As Wesel says, I believe our Kura does particularly well in two key areas: learning about our students and building strong connections with whānau. We run on a whānau based system which runs vertically, allowing relationships between students across different year levels to form. Each whānau teacher builds relationships with their students to support them academically and have an overarching understanding of student academically as well as from a wellbeing perspective. This is allows interventions to be implanted at the earliest opportunity. There are twice annual Parent, Teacher, Student interviews which foster the strong connection between the whānau teacher and the whānau. This allows the whānau to have many different connections with the Kura if they need support or guidance with their child.
All staff are encouraged to contact home when a behaviour or academic issue arises. This helps build those whānau connections and keeps the whānau update with any issues or concerns. We are also encouraged to contact home when there are successes to be celebrated. Again, this has helped strength the whole school community.
Our Kura wide focus for the year is Teaching to the North East. The key takeaways from that are relationships are key to student success and school wide we are implementing changes in our practices to embrace these suggestions.
Learn about your students
At my school, we make a conscious effort to learn about students upon enrolment, including details such as their families, ethnicity, and language. This information helps us to begin building partnerships with both parents and students from the outset. In the classroom, most teachers take time to get to know their students, which strengthens relationships and allows for more responsive teaching.
Tutor groups are another structure that support these connections. They are composite groups based on year level and house, with each group led by a tutor teacher. Ideally, the tutor teacher plays a key role in creating a “family-like” environment where students feel seen, known, and supported. However, there are clear inconsistencies. Some tutors use this time very effectively to connect with students, while others treat it primarily as an administrative session for reading notices. This variation limits opportunities to build the positive and collaborative relationships that are central to our school’s culture.
As leaders, we can strengthen this system by providing tutor teachers with practical tools such as icebreakers and conversation starters at the beginning of the year. In addition, gathering reflective feedback from students and staff—either termly or informally—would give us valuable insight into how tutor periods are being used and how they could be improved.
By ensuring that every tutor group is a genuine space for connection, we can foster stronger partnerships between students, staff, and families. Students will feel more comfortable sharing, communication will flow more easily, and opportunities for peer modelling will emerge. Older students can demonstrate positive behaviours and leadership, while younger students can see what it means to be a role model. In this way, the simple act of learning about our students becomes a powerful driver of positive relationships across our school community and, ultimately, supports school improvement.
I am a part of our school’s “He waka eke noa” programme which is geared around improving Māori achievement and connection to our kura. This is split into 3 “paddles”:
1- Academic achievement
2- Culturally responsive and relational pedagogy
3- Culture and identity.
The purpose of it being set up as such is to try to approach Māori achievement from a range of angles. I personally sit on the culturally responsive and relational pedagogy paddle. As a part of this we have built our approach around all of the above mentioned aspects of culturally responsive pedagogy.
Our school does well in creating a safe and supportive environment by fostering strong relationships between staff, students, and whānau. Teachers make an effort to know students personally, building trust and ensuring learners feel valued and included. Restorative practices are used to resolve issues and maintain positive relationships, while student wellbeing is prioritised through pastoral care systems, peer support, and open communication. This contributes to a school culture where students feel safe to take risks, be themselves, and succeed (with emphasis on whatever “success” looks like for them individually. We work hard to not just assume that success looks the same for everyone, and to understand what each student’s definition and goals are for this requires genuine investment in understanding who they are, where they come from and what makes them tick.
In terms of connecting with families, the school maintains strong lines of communication through regular newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, and other community based events that allow whānau to be kept up to date with student progress and school events. We also celebrate student successes by sharing achievements with families and inviting them to be part of cultural, sporting, and academic occasions. Our paddle has surveyed and communicated with students and their whānau to see what is important to them and where they believe our areas for improvement are. This partnership helps create a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for student learning.
The next steps for further developing our school’s cultural responsiveness include strengthening how we embed Te Ao Māori and other cultural worldviews into our everyday practices, not just during significant events. We are currently in the process of observing every teacher in our school using our “Te Tauranga Matauranga” observation tool that we have developed. This then opens up safe space for coaching conversations with staff members around where they believe they want or need some assistance to do the aforementioned actions. It also gives us an idea of the general “feel” of our school’s collective pedagogical approach.
I believe our school does particularly well in two key areas: learning about our students and building strong connections with whānau. Within our whānau classes, there is a strong focus on relationships. Teachers take the time to understand students’ interests, monitor their academic progress, recognise their strengths and areas for growth, and identify ways to support them. As a House Dean, I know that I can approach any whānau teacher and they will be able to give an accurate picture of what is happening for their students, both academically and personally.
Our pastoral system has also shifted to reflect this emphasis. We have moved away from subject-based PST meetings to a whānau-based structure. This ensures that whānau teachers remain closely aware of their students’ progress and are able to communicate meaningfully with families about how their child is doing at school. This approach also gives families several trusted points of contact within the school, strengthening relationships and ensuring concerns or needs can be raised and addressed more effectively.
Another important practice we have is the expectation that staff communicate directly with caregivers when behaviour issues arise, usually by phone or email. While this reinforces connections with whānau, I believe we could do more to balance this with positive communication. Too often families only hear from the school when something has gone wrong. As a next step, I intend to encourage whānau teachers to share at least two positive updates per week about students in their class. My hope is that this regular recognition of students’ successes will further strengthen our relationships with families and, over time, become a natural part of our school culture.
I’ll select “Connect with families” and “Use students’ cultural knowledge, perspectives and skills as a resource for teaching” as the two aspects to reflect on, as these are critical to building a culturally responsive environment.
What My School Does Well
My school excels at building strong relationships with our students’ whaanau and using their cultural knowledge to enrich our teaching.
Connecting with Families: We have a dedicated team that works closely with our Maaori and Pasifika whaanau to ensure their voices are heard and their aspirations for their children are integrated into our school planning. Our teachers are encouraged to have open and regular conversations with parents, not just when a problem arises, but to celebrate successes and understand what’s happening in the students’ lives outside of school. This builds a foundation of trust (manaakitanga) and shared purpose.
Using Students’ Cultural Knowledge: In my Year 5/6 class, we embrace the diversity of our students’ backgrounds. For example, during our Matariki unit, we had students share their family traditions and stories. This made the learning more relevant and engaging. We also incorporate Te Reo Maaori and tikanga into our daily routines, and we’ve celebrated events like Diwali and Pasifika language weeks by having students and their families lead presentations and share their cultural practices.
Next Steps for Further Development
To further develop our cultural responsiveness, we need to move beyond celebration and into a more embedded, critical practice.
Strengthening Communication: We will continue to build on our communication with whaanau. I would like to introduce a more structured approach to gathering feedback from parents, perhaps through regular small-group hui or surveys that focus specifically on their experiences and how we can better support their children. The goal is to move from simply communicating to parents to genuine collaboration with them, and not just for strategic planning.
Integrating Cultural Perspectives Deeper into the Curriculum: While we do well in celebrating different cultures, I want to further integrate these perspectives as an academic resource. For example, in our writing or science units, we can explore Maaori concepts like kaitiakitanga (guardianship) or the traditional uses of native plants. This moves beyond surface-level cultural inclusion to using students’ cultural knowledge as a foundation for deep, critical learning, aligning with our responsibility as educators in Aotearoa to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi which we do well at Nawton School but to develop this further with He Whakaputanga.
Reflect on your cultural knowledge and teaching assumptions related to culture
As part of the Kahui Ako programme, staff have been engaging in PD on increasing their cultural knowledge and also learning about inclusive pedagogies. As an HOD, I have been lucky to be in a position to ensure that my courses are designed with an inclusive approach. Pasifika and Māori case studies are used, and assessments give the students the choice of choosing businesses or industries that reflect their cultural background. This has seen an increase in engagement and achievement amongst both Pasifika and Māori students. The most important aspect has been ensuring that during marking, teachers do not hold cultural biases and are marking the work in front of them and not prejudging the expected outcome. I would like blind marking in the future to ensure that teacher bias cannot play a part in the marking of student work.
Connect with communities
As HOD Business Studies, Māori business concepts are an essential part of the course and have been for the last decade. To ensure authentic use of these, I sought out the advice of a significant Māori-owned business. They provided amazing information and access, and I was able to develop classroom resources where Māori concepts were taught in an authentic context with real-world applications. Over the years this partnership has continued and strengthened, and students have seen Māori success stories as a natural part of their learning. As a result, our Māori achievement has been at or near 100% at both Y12 and 13 for the last several years. This part of the cohort statistically outperformed other ethnicities. In addition, the school has a growing connection with Ngati Whatua Oraki. This connection could be explored to provide further support for students.