Grow Waitaha
Grow Waitaha - a programme that puts learners at the centre of change
Grow Waitaha is an innovative project that began in 2015 to support schools in the greater Christchurch regions as they underwent their post-earthquake rebuilds and new builds. This project extends to 2025 and is an alliance consisting of four organisations that collectively partner with the regional Ministry of Education and Mātauraka Mahaanui (Ngai Tahu).
What is Grow Waitaha?
Grow Waitaha is not professional learning but is an enablement project that uses a range of innovative methods to engage with teachers, school leaders and the wider sector/community.
Key outcomes include:
continued support for kura and schools that undergo significant build projects
supporting kaiako and ākonga in areas of collective need – for example, establishing communities of practice in relation to:
wellbeing
flexible learning
technology education
collaborative teaching and learning.
How we work in partnership with others:
Grow Waitaha partners with Mātauraka Mahaanui when working with schools so a te ao Māori perspective is present. Universal Design for Learning is used to develop new solutions with kura and schools.
Forums, topic-based school tours, pop up events, communities of practice, Digi Awards and many other approaches are used to activate this project. It is open to schools in the Christchurch, Selwyn, Waimakariri, Ellesmere and Banks Peninsular regions.
The impact we are having:
Grow Waitaha has supported over 80 schools with their rebuild and new build projects by helping them write their Education Brief documents.
Rebuilt and new build projects are developed with a strong bicultural connection with mana whenua.
The 2020 Wellbeing Community of Practice was attended by every secondary school in the region.
The 2020 Secondary Flexibility in Learning Community of Practice was attended by 21 out of 34 Ōtautahi secondary schools.
Events are regularly fully booked by interested kaiako – for the curriculum-related roadshows over 100 teachers attended each event.
Grow Waitaha, in partnership with Mātauraka Mahaanui, has supported 1/3 of Christchurch primary and intermediate schools with implementing their local curriculum.
