Te Kura O Waimata
Te Kura o Waimata is a level three Māori Immersion Kura situated in a rural setting 5 minutes south of the Waihi township on State Highway 2. Founded in 1916 the school originally catered for the farming families of the district. Changes to the farming sector have seen a decrease in the local rural population, meaning the vast majority of students now live in Waihi. Waimata's appeal still rings true to its small rural school character, whānau atmosphere, and the importance that is placed on developing positive, confident learners.
The schools curriculum places a major focus on learning through play and authentic experiences outside of the classroom walls, with many activities displaying strong tuakana teina principles. Extra curricular activities including hikoi, camps, sports & cultural days and whole school trips are vital features of our curriculum. All of this enriched through an emphasis on developing our students knowledge and understanding through the 'Key Competencies'.
Te Kura o Waimata possesses some fantastic facilities including a large newly built student designed playground and woodland area, a heated swimming pool, new turf court, a student designed BMX track, wood construction cave and is very well stocked in terms of teaching and learning resources.
Our Story
LEVEL THREE MĀORI IMMERSION
All schools working from the New Zealand Curriculum are obligated to deliver contextual learning from both ‘English’ and Te Ao Maori worldviews in line with principles o Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Regardless of a schools ethnic make up, or the value a community or whanau places on Te Ao Māori, the expectation to deliver contextual learning from a Māori world view is still something that we have to meet as a compliance.
How we have chosen to meet the expectations of this principle can best be incapsulated like this.
When a student, whānau or stakeholder of any kind walks in to our school for the first time they will not have to choose whether to learn from a Pakeha/Kiwi world view or a Māori world view, because we have challenged ourselves to ensure that we deliver the New Zealand Curriculum from both perspectives. Furthermore we have taken the steps to ensure that we don’t fragment this concept into time tables, or set periods for each. We instead choose to operate in a way that acknowledges both world views in all that we do, not sacrificing one for the other, or even attempting to be something we aren’t. We just do our all everyday to best represent and uphold the integrity of the bi- cultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The schools curriculum places a major focus on learning through play and authentic experiences outside of the classroom walls, with many activities displaying strong tuakana teina principles. Extra curricular activities including hikoi, camps, sports & cultural days and whole school trips are vital features of our curriculum. All of this enriched through an emphasis on developing our students knowledge and understanding through the 'Key Competencies'.
Te Kura o Waimata possesses some fantastic facilities including a large newly built student designed playground and woodland area, a heated swimming pool, new turf court, a student designed BMX track, wood construction cave and is very well stocked in terms of teaching and learning resources.
Our Story
LEVEL THREE MĀORI IMMERSION
All schools working from the New Zealand Curriculum are obligated to deliver contextual learning from both ‘English’ and Te Ao Maori worldviews in line with principles o Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Regardless of a schools ethnic make up, or the value a community or whanau places on Te Ao Māori, the expectation to deliver contextual learning from a Māori world view is still something that we have to meet as a compliance.
How we have chosen to meet the expectations of this principle can best be incapsulated like this.
When a student, whānau or stakeholder of any kind walks in to our school for the first time they will not have to choose whether to learn from a Pakeha/Kiwi world view or a Māori world view, because we have challenged ourselves to ensure that we deliver the New Zealand Curriculum from both perspectives. Furthermore we have taken the steps to ensure that we don’t fragment this concept into time tables, or set periods for each. We instead choose to operate in a way that acknowledges both world views in all that we do, not sacrificing one for the other, or even attempting to be something we aren’t. We just do our all everyday to best represent and uphold the integrity of the bi- cultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand.