Date
24 March 2024

Establish a learning support community team

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Coordinating community and cluster-wide learning support’

Partner with local iwi from the outset

Partner with local iwi from the outset

Develop reciprocal relationships with local hapū and iwi. Learn about iwi education strategic plans and how as a team you can support them.

Seek guidance on how to do this respectfully.

The following resources and videos illustrate how other communities are navigating this journey:

Contact your local regional office for guidance.

Have the right people at the table

Have the right people at the table

Determining who will be part of the learning support community team will require a lot of discussion.

Possible collaborators could include:

Make your network of relationships visible

Make your network of relationships visible

Mapping connections.

Every early learning service, school, and kura will have established learning support processes and teams within its community. View this example from Te Kauwhata College.

Each school will also have relationships with other groups, such as ASD specialists or youth group leaders.

As a school, document or create a map of your key relationships that you can share with the learning support community team.

This will enable the team to see common relationships and identify areas of knowledge and expertise (in areas such as dyslexia or NZSL).

Reflection questions

Reflection questions

Reflect on what you will need to uncover and discuss to enable partnership and collaboration.

Learning partnerships flourish when power is shared and the principle of ako – reciprocal learning and teaching – is in play.

  • How will these principles underpin your learning community team’s interactions?
  • How will you know?

Source: Poutama Pounamu (opens in a new tab/window)

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

Groups that can support you

A list of organisations and groups that provide support to parents or carers.

Visit website

Website

Educationally Powerful Connections video kete

A kete of videos that focus on learning pathways, community, mentoring, and whānau conferencing.

Publisher: University of Waikato

Visit website

Website

Mana motuhake – Empower

Mana motuhake – Empower is the final stage of the He Pikorua practice sequence for RTLB and Ministry learning support specialists. It focuses on strengthening the capacity of all who support learners, promoting positive relationships and environments.

Publisher: He Pikoura

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Coordinating community and cluster-wide learning support”:

Return to the guide “Collaborative planning for learning”

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