Looking after each other at Hora Hora School

“We have one rule: ‘We look after each other here at Hora Hora School’,” says principal Pat Newman.  

“That means we take all kids, including those that other schools exclude. We get a lot of children who are at the high end of behaviour and also a lot of children suffering from trauma and abuse at various levels.” 

The first initiative funded by the Trust was an early childhood transition programme that identifies children who are not ready for school and scaffolds their transition from early childhood education into a new entrant environment. The Trust is eager to broaden its transition programme, possibly to other schools with similar needs. 

The Trust gained funding for a trial on counselling tamariki who have experienced trauma and abuse. After some research, the school introduced a programme of trusted role models and mentors who deliver art or sewing or woodwork/sculpture tuition to small groups of eight to 10 tamariki. They have all been identified as having challenging behaviours which can range from total withdrawal through to violence.

“Having mentors is the most effective practice for children who are suffering from abuse and trauma,” says Pat. 

Hora Hora School also has a big focus on cooking, with a local poultry farm donating about 900 eggs a week.

“Rather than a breakfast programme, the kids are cooking regularly through the day. They are learning skills which they can use at home and are also producing food. It’s a nice way to get around the fact that a lot of our families were having trouble with food and it is very educational. It’s covering a multitude of things – it’s exciting.

“There is still challenging behaviour in the school, but it’s had a huge calming influence and it’s helped the children’s learning.”

Diverse learning – Also refer to article on “Focus on life stills helps students find success(external link)”.