Urgent Response Fund enhances learning in Te Matau-a-Māui

Exploring at Te Tipu Whenua o Pa Harakeke.

Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti schools and early learning services have been able to support their communities with just under $3.5 million in funding from the Government’s Covid-19 Urgent Response Fund (URF).

Daniel Murfitt, the director of education for Hawke’s Bay/Tairāwhiti, describes hearing and seeing evidence of genuine success as a result of the URF.

“The successes I’ve heard about are from the narrative of principals and teachers. You know when it’s genuine. In my experience, leadership in schools want to do the best thing, and when given the opportunity, in a post-Covid environment, they really stepped up,” says Daniel.

According to Daniel, the fund provided schools and early learning centres with the opportunity to “do things differently” and it was important that the fund be available across all sectors of education.

COVID SUPPORT FOR EARLY LEARNING

Te Tipu Whenua o Pa Harakeke, an early learning centre in Flaxmere, made the most of the opportunity for extra, urgent funding. They offer teen parents the opportunity to continue their education, while simultaneously providing education for their children.

Head teacher Mel Madden describes the concept as “amazing and unique”, adding that “we have the opportunity to make a real difference, to make some changes in a positive way”.

During Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, they faced many challenges as the already vulnerable students and their tamariki were unable to participate in familiar routines. Prior to the restrictions, students who were struggling to attend school would be visited and supported with a free van to ensure they fulfilled their educational goals.

“During Covid-19, we couldn’t go and visit so we made regular weekly contact with the mums to see if they needed anything and we would get the agencies that needed to work with them involved,” says Mel. 

After restrictions were eased, factors such as anxiety contributed to a slow return for many students.

Mel, along with Melanie Fowler, who is the head of the Teen Parent Unit, reinstated home visits to remove as many barriers as possible for the teen parents.

“[We did] home visits for welfare checks; we would take things around if they needed them – nappies, formula, food, clothing, bedding – and try and support them to come back in,” she says.

Mel also recalls having to reassure the parents that it was safe to return, as many were fearful of their young children contracting Covid-19. 

Mindfulness, led by Judy Hunter, at Te Tipu Whenua o Pa Harakeke.

Breathing life back after lockdown

The centre ensured as smooth a transition back as possible by returning quickly to familiar routines. They used the URF to bring in an expert mindfulness teacher, ensuring the anxiety experienced by the teen parents as a direct result of Covid-19 restrictions did not filter down to their young children.

The programme includes deep belly breathing and ‘blowing out the candle’ to help the children bring themselves back when they are struggling to self-regulate.

“The benefit is just amazing. We had a girl reminding her parents to be mindful, and she talked about it with them, and the mum came in the following day and asked about mindfulness and told us the story of her reminding dad to breathe. It was gorgeous,” says Mel.

Of the 18 tamariki currently enrolled, there are a mixture of ages and Mel believes the mindfulness programme has helped to promote tuakana/teina within the centre.

“Our older children do really use it and it’s really cool because they use it with the little ones as well. There’s a lot of tuakana/teina that happens within our environment,” says Mel. 

After experiencing such success, including with attendance, the centre is now funding the mindfulness programme themselves, and it continues to this day.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE SQUARE AT INTERMEDIATE

The holistic approach to reintegration and re-engagement has also continued through the primary and intermediate sector.

Lesley Smith, acting principal at Hastings Intermediate School, describes her school’s approach as being all about reconnecting, adding that there was a lot of anxiety about coming back to school once the restrictions of lockdowns were lifted.

As a direct result of the URF, the school was able to implement a programme to mentor ākonga Māori to support their ability to attend school, and engage with their learning.

Lesley says the school worked collaboratively to “think outside the square”.

“We brainstormed a role for someone who would touch base with the kids who needed it. It was a seed and we took it and planted it and grew it,” she says.

The funding also supported Lesley to work closely alongside her acting assistant principal, Pam Mohi, and her learning support coordinator, Wendy Jablonski, to create a role built around Ka Hikitia (the Māori Education Strategy), and the school’s manaakitanga values.

Daniel De Theirry with Trident, who has become a young leader at Hastings Intermediate.

Mentorship and empowerment 

It was then that Daniel De Thierry was employed as the school’s ‘Māori mentor’. Daniel provides support for a group of boys in the classroom, while also helping them to engage with their culture as a means of personal development.

The leadership team worked closely with classroom teachers to identify students in need of mentorship. They looked at attendance data, PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) data and what they knew of the tamariki in order to create an inaugural group to be supported by Daniel.

Of his role, Daniel says, “It’s not a job... it’s empowerment – being able to connect with [the boys] daily and just developing a really good relationship with them once I connect with them.

“We have been brought up with values, but maybe we have lost our way through life. I like the Māori part of it. We get cultural engagement, which is missing for the kids – they need to be culturally connected. I am just hoping that I am empowering them and having a positive impact.”

When Education Gazette visited Hastings Intermediate, the boys were busy making bone carvings. Daniel also ensures they engage with Kapa Haka. He has a presence in the playground and runs a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) programme at lunchtime.

Trident, a student from Daniel’s inaugural group, has been identified as having leadership potential. Daniel has continued to nurture Trident, who has become a role model for a second group of boys.

Of the programme, and Daniel, Trident says it has been an integral part of his personal development, and helped him to speak to adults with confidence as well as making the right choices at school.

“[Daniel] is cool as. When I first met him, I thought he was someone I would get along with. He’s like a dad. He’s taught me to do the right things,” says Trident.

The programme is so successful that there is a waiting list for Daniel’s programme and the school has also funded a second initiative targeting Pacific learners.

Aware of the short window they have to impact these tamariki, they will be ensuring they support these at-risk students with their transition through to high school as needed.

Lesley says they are “always striving” for more of a connection with high schools in the area, adding that Daniel will be instrumental in helping these boys transition to the next phase of their learning.

WHAKAWHANAUNGATANGA AT SECONDARY

Tamatea High School has been implementing a programme that also encourages cultural connectedness and a sense of belonging and whakawhanaungatanga (getting to know each other).

Tamatea High School principal Robin Fabish.

The Napier secondary school has 310 students from a diverse range of backgrounds, and principal Robin Fabish says they all had different experiences during Covid-19.

“Some students had had some really tough times through lockdowns. We maintained connections through our whānau group teacher relationships – whether that was by phone, Zoom, or by Facebook – one way or another we stayed in touch with people,” he says.

After the lockdowns, Robin and his team decided to “draw a line, reconnect and start again” with the focus being placed largely on reconnection and re-engagement.

At the end of term 4 last year, the school set up an additional classroom and targeted students who were falling behind in their programmes and assessment. A teacher was hired to offer additional support and awhi to these rangatahi.

“She would give them Milo and do baking and they were really motivated because it was a really welcoming environment and they were experiencing success. That was hugely beneficial having the funding to be able to pay for her,” says Robin.

Marae experience supports NCEA achievement 

In 2021, the school began a new and innovative programme for Year 11 students as a direct result of the URF.

“All Year 11 students need to achieve 80 credits, and it seems like a huge mountain, especially knowing that we could have gone into lockdown at any time,” says Robin.

The school ran an intensive programme in week four of term 1 in which the entirety of their Year 11 cohort spent three days at Wharerangi Marae. They learned karakia, and more about pōwhiri, manaaki manuhiri and performing waiata. They invited other local schools and whānau and provided them with kai and performances.

The school took this as an opportunity to uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, while also providing their students with an authentic context in which to gain some recognition for their learning in the form of NCEA credits.

Robin adds that this alleviated some of the anxiety around uncertainty and provided these rangatahi with insurance going forward, having now accumulated several credits.

“There is obviously the positive of modelling biculturalism and the partnership of the Treaty. We get some of our Māori kids who are haututū in the class – they get sent out of class. But at the marae they are standouts! They’re running it, they’re doing stuff, they’re up early because they know what’s expected. It’s an opportunity to focus on strengths outside of the classroom.”

Rich learning experience for all

Further to gaining credits, the funding provided a rich learning experience for both Māori and non-Māori students and Robin describes the sense of pride he felt at providing such important learning opportunities.

“Our Māori kids got the opportunity to learn about their birthright, and our non-Māori kids got to experience this too. With the emphasis on the Education and Training Act that we must effect as boards and school leaders, as well as the Treaty; this is an example of what this looks like on the ground. They are not easy credits – there is a whole lot of prior learning and it is valuable learning. Having an understanding of that is so important for tikanga.”

Robin would like to continue the programme and provide it across different year groups, visiting different local marae and ensuring all students at Tamatea High School can experience the sense of whakawhanaungatanga created by the programme.

In summarising the ways in which local schools have used the URF, Daniel Murfitt says the schools involved, along with others, identified that they really wanted to support their students’ sense of belonging and help them to feel connected to their learning.

“It’s around learning but it’s also around social connection – being part of something bigger.”

Tamatea High School students who took part in the marae stay, with principal Robin Fabish (centre).  

Urgent Response Fund

Schools, kura and early learning services me ngā kōhanga reo were all eligible to apply for funding to help address attendance issues, re-engagement in learning and wellbeing for children and young people following the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Applications for the fund, a year-long initiative, closed at the end of June this year and all $50 million has now been allocated.
Find out more about the fund, and how much was allocated in each region on the Ministry of Education website(external link).

For ongoing need relating to the impacts of Covid-19, contact your local Ministry office(external link).