Introducing Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu - known as Te Kura
Learning that fits your world.
At Te Kura, we shape your learning around you – how you learn, what you're interested in, and the support you need. You can learn from home, school, or anywhere else that works for you, with your whānau involved every step of the way.
As an ākonga of our kura, our kaiako help you learn in ways that make sense for you, your world today and your future goals.
You can start with Te Kura at any age. We support preschoolers to teenagers to adults, and our curriculum covers early childhood all the way to NCEA Level 3.
If you're catching up, or if you're moving ahead, Te Kura is here to support you and your whānau all the way.
On this page
Our kaupapa
We're all about you.
No matter where you are at, who you are, or where you've come from, we exist to support you in your learning. There are a multitude of ways we support our ākonga and their whānau, and all of the information can be found on this website.
Te Kura values te ao Māori, we support all identities, and we are staunchly committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Explore our kaupapa
Our values
This is how we show up every day.
You and your whānau are at the centre of our kaupapa. Our three values of Manaaki, Whanaungatanga and Tika are what guide us in everything we do, every day. This is how we make sure that you feel like you matter – that you're being listened to and supported.
Ngā Uara o Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu – our values
- Manaaki – how we show up (showing respect, generosity, and care)
- Whanaungatanga – how we team (building relationships and belonging)
- Tika – how we practise (acting fairly and honestly)
- Ākonga at the centre – guiding every decision we make
Our aim is for our school community to feel like these values are being prioritised in every interaction with Te Kura.
Our values - a visual
Our history
Get to know us, to trust us.
Te Kura has been around for a little while; more than 100 years, in fact! In the beginning, back in 1922, we started with 100 ākonga. They would receive their mahi in the post and send it back to be marked by the one and only kaiako we had, Miss Janet Mackenzie.
Times have now changed, and we've grown a lot since then. We now have more than 30,000 ākonga join our school every year, with more than 1,000 kaimahi to help them with their learning. That means we are the biggest kura in Aotearoa New Zealand. That's pretty amazing!
Want to learn more about our history?
From supporting 25 ‘lighthouse children’ to supporting thousands of ākonga each year, Te Kura started small and grew fast! Read about some of our achievements over the last 100 years.
Our wāhanga
Learn about the different parts of Te Kura.
Te Kura is organised into four different departments, or wāhanga.
Learning Delivery
Kaiako and kaimahi across our seven regions work alongside our ākonga and their whānau to ensure everyone gets the right support. Kaimahi also connect with local kura, community groups, and government agencies to facilitate access to a range of learning opportunities. The Student and Whānau Support team manages our contact centre for ākonga and whānau.
Curriculum
This wāhanga creates and looks after Te Ara Pounamu – our local curriculum. The team designs and checks the learning resources and assessments you use in My Te Kura, and works with NZQA to ensure our qualifications align with your learning.
Systems and Support
The Information Resource Group, Finance Group, and People and Capability team work behind the scenes to support kaimahi and ākonga with a range of systems and processes to keep Te Kura running smoothly.
Chief Executive's Office
Kaimahi in this wāhanga look after our school-wide communications, organisational performance, planning and reporting, and our policy framework. The team also provides support and advice to the Senior Leadership team and Board of Trustees.