COMMUNITIES OF LEARNING

COMMUNITIES OF LEARNINGINFORMATION FOR STAFFVERSION 2 November 2016

IntroductionEvery child deserves educational success. To achieve this, we need to ensure aconsistently high standard of teaching and leadership at every stage of every child’slearning journey.The Ministry plays a central role in this. We do not teach, but we are crucial toteaching and learning as the steward’s of and the Government’s lead advisors on theeducation system—which is large, complex and involves many moving parts.Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako are a new approach and represent afundamental change in the way education and training providers interact – fromcompetition to collaboration.Learner-centred rather than provider-centred, they In essence, collaborationinvolve early learning, schools, kura, and potentially is at the heart ofpost-secondary providers working together to help Communities of Learningevery child in that community learn and grow totheir full potential.Each Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako sets | Kāhui Ako. Educationshared goals, or achievement challenges based on and training providersdata about the particular needs of its children and working together canyoung people. Once these have been endorsed by achieve much more tothe Minister of Education, the Community of raise educationalLearning | Kāhui Ako works with learners, their achievement for all Newparents, whānau, iwi and communities to achieve Zealanders than they canthose challenges.Most Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako are alone.formed geographically enabling them to provide locally-relevant and engaginglearning opportunities that meet the developing needs and interests of each student.This locally-focused approach also provides more opportunities for parents, familiesand whānau and communities to be involved with their children and young people'slearning.When providers collaborate and share resources, students’ learning pathways can bemore effectively supported, resulting in better transitions through the educationsystem - from early learning and school on to further study and employment.The Ministry, as leaders of the Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako work—essentially needs to ‘walk our own talk’ and work in a more collaborative way.Our agreed organisational behaviours, if they are adhered to, support the idea ofcollaboration. They encourage Ministry people to be respectful, actively listen, be

open to learning, back each other to be successful, work together to achievemaximum impact and ultimately, to do an excellent job.What I need to know about Communities of Learning| Kāhui AkoYou may find this information useful if you are talking to people about Communitiesof Learning | Kāhui Ako.How Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako workA Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako is a group of education and training providers(early learning, schools, kura, and post-secondary) working together to help studentsachieve their full potential.Each Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako sets shared goals, or achievementchallenges, based on the particular needs of its children and young people. Oncethese have been endorsed by the Minister of Education, the Community of Learning| Kāhui Ako works with the students, their parents, whānau, iwi and communities toachieve the challenges. The schools and kura in the Community of Learning | KāhuiAko share their best teaching and leadership resources in order to meet these goals.They receive additional resources to support teachers and principals to collaborate.

Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako rolesRoles play a lead role in planning, coordinating and facilitating the work of the Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako and1 Community of Learning | the other Community teacher roles. Kāhui Ako Leader: use their expertise to work within their own school to Community of Learning | provide best teaching practice in order to meet the shared Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako achievement2 Kāhui Ako within school challenges. teacher: use their expertise to work across schools within their Community of Learning | Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako to improve teaching practices in order to meet the shared achievement3 Kāhui Ako across schools challenges. teacher:Who can join or form a Community of Learning |Kāhui Ako?Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako form around the learner education pathway inthe local community, and at a minimum will include primary and secondaryschools/kura, although early learning do play a key role in the whole 0-18 learnerpathway. Membership is voluntary. Funded teaching positions and the leadershiprole are only available for schools/kura, but early learning centres can still benefitfrom membership through improved communication, planning and joint problemsolving.If schools, ECE/Kōhanga Reo or kura are interested in joining or forming a Communityof Learning | Kāhui Ako they should contact their assigned Education Adviser at theirlocal Ministry office who can answer their questions and provide guidance andsupport.

The benefits of Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako For children and young people  The wider pool of expertise provided by a Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako makes it easier to identify and address the barriers to achievement  Children benefit from the skills and knowledge of great teachers from across a whole Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako other than just from their particular school.  Primary, intermediate and secondary schools work together, so a child’s journey through the education system is easier.  A bigger pool of teacher expertise will be available to students e.g. expertise in cultural responsiveness and other subjects will benefit all students in a Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.  Students will have access to more resources across a Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako including infrastructure/property and IT.

For teachers, principals and boards of trustees:  The Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako format provides opportunities to work collaboratively across the wider community.  Education providers can pool their expertise and resources to address local achievement challenges.  Teachers learn best from each other. Sharing practice and PLD across schools will build teacher capability – Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako help them do this better.  Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako provide new career opportunities for teachers giving them additional progression choices with options to go into management or stay in the classroom.  New roles offer principals career advancement opportunities and Deputy and assistant principals can step up to strengthen team leadership.  Lifting achievement by sharing teaching and leadership expertise will raise the status and reputation of the teaching profession and assist school leaders to focus on leading e.g. leading change and challenging norms  The Principal Recruitment Allowance and Teacher-led Innovation Fund are available for any eligible school or group of teachers  Economies of scale – shared and pooled resources and assets (greater access to a wider range of resources across the Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako)  Boards of Trustees will be able to share knowledge and experience across Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako to strengthen governance

For Early Childhood Education Services ngā Kōhanga (Services)  All children and young people benefit when educators across the learning pathway share practice expertise and improve their teaching capability.  Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako are an opportunity for schools and Services to expand their thinking and collaborate to make transitions between the learning stages more effective.  Services will have a unique understanding of parents, families and whānau in the early learning sector and therefore how their needs can best be met as part of a Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako.  Services have a valuable contribution to make to the educational achievement of all young children.  Through Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako, services can increase their understanding of specific challenges tamariki face as they transition to schools and kura. They can be more aware and responsive to these challenges through implementation of Te Whāriki.Further information Useful links to learn more about Communities of Learning: http://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/col/ https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/more-half-schools-communities- learning http://tetahuhu.moe.govt.nz/ourOrganisation/CommunitiesOfLearning.aspx .