Creating healthy learning environments in Franklin District schools

Pukekohe North School demonstrate the power of kapa haka and the mana mauri it brings to learners.

The Franklin District comprises 46 schools in the southernmost part of New Zealand’s Auckland region, a unique cluster of schools including town, rural and urban settings. 

For the term 2 teacher-only day, nearly 1,000 teachers from the district gathered to share insights on meeting the needs of their diverse learners.

Building on last year’s event, Franklin District schools focused on embodying whanaungatanga, fostering valuable collaboration and information sharing among the dedicated teachers at its schools. The agenda featured purposeful discussions aligned with national education priorities to help inform a refreshed curriculum.

Key topics included the new requirement for a structured literacy approach in teaching reading and highlighted the outstanding initiatives and programmes already being led in Franklin schools, reminding teachers of their significant achievements.

Influential guest speakers presented research and pedagogy incorporating cultural perspectives, such as te ao Māori, aimed at improving educational success, attendance, and student wellbeing in Franklin schools.

Haydon Brill, Te Kahu Rolleston, Dr Alison Davis, Lysandra Stuart, Te Radar and Jonathan Salisbury enjoy a moment together celebrating the day’s kaupapa.

Te Radar, a humorist and documentarian, served as an engaging MC and keynote speaker, tying together the day’s insights with humour and uniting the teachers for the profound conversations to come.

The event was organised by three principals and kāhui ako leaders: Lysandra Stuart, Glenbrook School principal, Waiuku Kāhui Ako lead principal and Franklin Principals Association president; Jonathan Salisbury, Harrisville School principal and Tuakau Kāhui Ako lead principal; Haydon Brill, Pukekohe Kāhui Ako lead principal.

“When we organise teacher-only days, we’re driven by our duty and care as leaders to celebrate the essential work of our educators and support their professional development as priorities evolve,” shares Lysandra.

“The most important thing we can do is to give our teachers time to be inspired, to collaborate and to be valued. Our teachers do make a difference and we are extremely proud of the work they do.”

Jonathan expresses a similar sentiment.

“By supporting each other and sharing resources and knowledge, our teachers enhance their skills and become more confident, leading to improved student achievement,” he says.

Humorist and documentarian Te Radar served as MC and keynote speaker.

Creating a culture of belonging

Across Franklin District, fostering a healthy learning environment is essential for students to feel a sense of belonging in their kura.

“A learning relationship that promotes whanaungatanga is when students feel their teachers understand them, believe in them and have high expectations for them,” explains Lysandra. “This connection leads to improved student commitment to learning and better school attendance.”

Reflecting this outlook, guest speaker Dr Russell Bishop emphasised the importance of creating a culture of belonging to support student attendance, drawing from his book Teaching to the North-East. 

His key message is clear: for educators to perform their roles effectively, they must establish strong, caring relationships with students. 

Russell highlights that culturally responsive pedagogies are often confused with cultural competence, which expects teachers to learn about the culture of every student. Instead, he encourages teachers to nurture students’ language and culture, viewing their contributions as strengths rather than deficiencies.

Vanessa West, head of the RTLB service, found Russell’s insights transformative.

 “Dr Bishop enriched my understanding of how to address educational disparities and enhance teaching practices effectively, particularly for Māori and marginalised students,” she says.

“We know that professional learning relationships are crucial, but they must be combined with effective pedagogy. I hope his message challenges some of our teachers.”

Organisers and lead principals Jonathan Salisbury, Haydon Brill and Lysandra Stuart bring the day to a close.

The workshop also resonated with Te Paina School principal Adam Tamariki, who said being culturally responsive was familiar territory.

“Listening to Dr Bishop’s talk, I felt incredibly proud of my kura for already meeting many of the tikanga protocols and expectations,” he explains.

Structured literacy

Structured literacy was a key focus of the day, with a keynote from Dr Alison Davis on the Science of Reading and the importance of consistent teaching practices across schools. 

“I learned that our school is already doing so much of the pedagogy,” says Adam. “We have started structured literacy and have a focus on whānau and student relationships. It is reassuring to know we are on the right track, because we do feel that way.”

“The Better Start Literacy Approach is a great idea,” adds Mauku School principal James Christie. “I really enjoyed Dr Alison’s emphasis on the importance of making learning relevant and harvesting the curiosity of students.” 

Te ao Māori supports for engagement in literacy 

Renowned educator Te Kahu Rolleston (Ngāi Te Rangi), the ‘taniwha of slam poetry’, says te ao Māori perspectives can be weaved into teaching practices to foster a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. 

Te Kahu Rolleston shares the educational benefits of poetry, including traditional Māori mōteatea, waiata and oral storytelling.

Te Kahu is a spoken word poet, educator, legal rights advocate and health worker from Tauranga. He works extensively in schools and in the community, teaching spoken word and promoting poetry as a way of learning.

With Franklin Schools, he shared the educational benefits of poetry, including traditional Māori mōteatea, waiata and oral storytelling, highlighting its potential for students to retain and pass down information through generations. 

He uses his unique kete (basket of knowledge) in spoken word poetry as a vehicle to engage young people in writing, improve their memory and confidence in public speaking. His clear examples of managing the mauri of students provided an exciting reminder of the power of words. 

“In my workshops with rangatahi (young people) in schools, I create mnemonic devices. This involves kids turning their schoolwork into poetry to make it easier for them to learn,” explains Te Kahu.

Lysandra says the session was a lot of fun.

“Te Kahu shared a way for our learners to improve their literacy and speaking skills; a way that speaks well not only to our Māori students but all students, underlining the value te ao Māori brings to learning across the board,” reflects Lysandra.