Week 4 Term 1 - English Department: Department Goal Review 2025 (February 16 - February 20)

For any team, reflecting on past journeys is essential for charting a successful course forward. The English Department's 2025 strategy was built around a dual commitment to Māori Achievement and Staff Wellbeing, recognizing these as mutually reinforcing pillars of a successful learning environment. Our review highlights the significant progress made in embedding Te Reo and Māori worldviews into our curriculum, which in turn fostered deeper engagement and improved outcomes for all students. A key lesson learned was the powerful correlation between investing in our team's wellbeing—through flexible planning time and targeted professional development—and the sustained capacity for innovative, culturally responsive teaching. Moving forward, the insights gained affirm that our holistic approach, where staff strength directly fuels student success, is essential for achieving true educational equity.

Goal 1 Māori Achievement: To raise Māori student achievement and cultural visibility. That 85% of Māori students will achieve NCEA Level 2.

Identifying and tracking our Senior Maori Achievement data for English is a priority for me in my role as HOLA. I have specifically tracked our NCEA Level 2 Maori students who take NCEA Level 2 English. I have tracked their achievement over the course of Term 3 and Term 4. I have linked in evidence below of the tracking.

• Peer observation and feedback: It would be a good idea to find teachers in the department who have a strong relationship, effective teaching strategies particularly with our Level 2 Maori cohort and establish a collegial process where teachers can observe one another specifically on culturally responsive teaching practices and provide strategies on how to engage with our Maori learners. 
• Data Analysis with a cultural lens: Disaggregate achievement data to identify specific patterns for Māori students. Use this information to tailor interventions, review curriculum choices, and reflect on teacher practice

Goal 5 Staff Wellbeing: Staff at Tamaki College will be well supported so that their practice meets the needs of our students.

Redesigning our curriculum to meet the needs/interest of our students and align with Te Mataiaho (Curriculum Refresh).

• Junior English (Year 9 and Year 10) Program 2026
• NCEA Level 1 English Program 2026
• NCEA Level 2 English Program (Scholarship/Academic Program) 2026
• NCEA Level 3 English Program 2026

It is a common experience to look at our ambitious goals and feel that, despite our best efforts and achievements, we remain perpetually in a state of becoming. This feeling is not a sign of failure, but rather a reflection of a healthy, growth-oriented mindset, acknowledging that every milestone reached simply reveals a new, more expansive horizon. We recognize that our journey is less about a final destination and more about the continuous process of learning, adaptation, and discovery, which reminds us that there is always more to explore, more to master, and more meaningful work to be done.