Māori Medium Pathways
What is it?
Māori medium education is an approach where teaching is delivered mostly or fully in te reo Māori, and learning is grounded in Māori culture, values, and worldviews. It aims to revitalise the language, affirm Māori identity, and support tamariki to thrive both academically and culturally. This includes settings like kura kaupapa Māori, wharekura, and rumaki reo units within mainstream schools, where te reo Māori is the primary language of instruction.
How it operates at Gate Pā School
At Gate Pā School, Māori medium education is a vital part of our kura identity. We offer two rumaki akomanga with 80–100% te reo Māori immersion: one for Year 1–3 and another for Year 4–6. We also offer three Level 3 bilingual classes for Year 2–6, welcoming tamariki of all backgrounds to learn te reo and tikanga Māori. These spaces honour and celebrate te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and the unique stories and identity of our ākonga by immersing them in the richness of our language and history. We are proudly connected to Ngāti Ranginui and are working to strengthen our ties with Ngā i Tamarāwaho of Huria Marae. Our kaupapa includes marae noho, kapa haka, and active participation in local events, with all tamariki involved in these cultural experiences. Whānau are seen as key partners in learning, regularly contributing ideas and feedback to help shape kaupapa that reflect their aspirations.
Key links from research
Research shows that Māori learners often thrive in these settings—academically, socially, and emotionally—because their language, whānau, and whakapapa are valued and central to the learning environment.
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- Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T., Teddy, L., (2009), Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand, Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5), p.734-742.
- Ministry of Education (2019c). The future of Māori education – National report: conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/maori-education/resources
- Ministry of Education. (2020). He Whakaaro: The importance of Māori identity, language and culture for ākonga Māori: https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz
Celebrating Culture
We are immensely proud of the cultural diversity of Gate Pā School and take every opportunity to embrace and celebrate the histories and traditions of all students. These groups include Māori, Pakeha, Filipino, Indian, Pasifika, Korean, Chinese, Argentinean and South African.
We treasure the unique place of Māori and all students have the opportunity to develop their te reo and tikanga.
Culturally Responsive Practice
In truly knowing who our students are, it is vital that our staff understand and connect to the cultural capital of each individual. This involves giving every student multiple opportunities to share their culture, language, and identity.
At Gate Pā School, this is achieved by a focus on relationships and a school curriculum that maximises opportunities for students to share their own knowledge, values, and beliefs.
Cultural Groups
We have a number of cultural groups who meet regularly and perform at many school and community events. We pride ourselves on honouring special cultural celebrations like Matariki, Ramadan, Samoan language week, Tongan Language Week, White Sunday, and Diwali. Regular whānau/family meetings also take place for these groups.
Groups include:
- Kapa Haka
- Pasifika
- Samoan
- Filipino
- Indian
- Spanish
- ESOL Students
Our ESOL specialist tutors assists those students whose first language is not English.
