Hiria Wallace

Ko Maungapōhatu te maunga 
Ko Ōhinemataroa te awa 
Ko Mataatua te waka 
Ko Tauarau te marae 
Ko Ngāti-Rongo te hapu 
Ko Tūhoe te iwi 
Ko Ruatoki te haukainga 

Hiria is of Tūhoe descent and a fluent speaker of te reo Māori, with 27 years of experience in the secondary sector. Based in her hometown of Whakatāne, she works as a kaiwhakangungu ngaiotanga | education consultant throughout Aotearoa. 

Hiria is approved to deliver Ministry of Education PLD in the following areas: 

• Aromatawai 

• Assessment 

She also supports kura and schools in: 

• Te reo me ōna tikanga 

• Mātauranga Māori 

• Second language acquisition 

• Assessment for learning 

• Literacy, including boys in literacy 

• Numeracy 

• Project based learning 

• Culturally responsive and relational pedagogy 

• NCEA assessment and moderation 

• Inquiry and reflective practice  

Hiria partners with kura and schools to strengthen assessment practice, prepare for the NCEA literacy and numeracy co-requisites, and design culturally responsive local curricula that honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and affirm learner identity.

Her facilitation is grounded in the mātāpono of aromatawai: fostering relational trust, ākonga-centred pedagogy, and using evidence and inquiry to drive meaningful shifts in practice. Hiria has led professional development to improve teacher and student capability through Te Poukapa Āheinga mā te Kaiako me te Ākonga | Assessment Capability Matrix for Teachers and Students, and has presented nationally on building aromatawai capability, including at the New Zealand Assessment Institute conference.

Hiria is experienced in English-medium assessment tools, as well as kura and wharekura assessment contexts. Her recent mahi includes leading ‘Ako me te Aromatawai’ wānanga, supporting kura and schools with the introduction of the NCEA co-requisite standards, and guiding principals and teachers to design and embed localised curricula in partnership with iwi, hapū, and whānau.

She also mentors colleagues and shares her expertise through team and national hui. Hiria is deeply committed to ‘Aromatawai o te ako, mō te ako - Assessment of learning for learning’, ensuring that assessment uplifts both learning and mana, and gives kaiako, ākonga, and whānau clarity about progress and next steps.

To keep things in balance, Hiria enjoys time with her whānau, friends and two dogs. She also teaches te reo Māori in the community and is active in her hapū and on her marae.