Culture key to success at Hora Hora School

Whangarei’s Hora Hora School has a unique and positive school culture, according to a research report by PhD student Karen Pohio.

Ms Pohio, who has spent 20 years’ teaching in NZ, is examining connection and communication among staff, students and family in lower decile primary schools.

She has been examining different models of communication and connection in schools, and studied the effect of Hora Hora School’s culture on its community.

For this study, Ms Pohio interviewed students, teaching and support staff, family members and a representative from the Board of Trustees.

The school culture is based around the simple statement ‘at Hora Hora School we look after each other’. Principal Pat Newman says the whakatauaki (proverb/motto) was developed in 2000 and is a simple way to encapsulate the way students, staff and whanau work together.

“Every child at our school knows that statement, but more importantly, they know what it means,” says Mr Newman.

“Our students understand, right from Year 1, that we are all looking out for each other.”

Ms Pohio noted that once people enter the school, they immediately sense the ‘caring, supportive, welcoming environment that is unquestionably unique’. She also found this culture to be very significant, as it influenced ‘attitudes, wellbeing, feelings of safety’.

Many of the participants in her study commented that the ‘looking after each other’ culture had extended into their home life.

Hora Hora School has a roll of just under 300 and 40 staff. The school is also a base for local special education teachers, and welcomes all children, including those that need that little extra help to succeed.

Ms Pohio’s research found that, ‘the success rate of these children in terms of settling down and eventually having positive academic and social outcomes is astonishing’.

Many staff who were interviewed commented that, ‘it is not only the staff who help these children but the [fellow] students have their own way of interacting and helping... Again, it’s the culture that embraces these students, helps to place them in a caring environment and comforts their need to gain recognition through inappropriate means’.

Ms Pohio says that Hora Hora School works hard to remove any barriers for families. Tangible elements of the school culture include an open door policy, welcoming parents into classrooms, and family events such as an annual food festival and free family BBQ. Teachers and principal regularly communicate with parents, either in person or via phone.

Ms Pohio says that while it is difficult to determine whether the school culture has had tangible effects on student outcomes, she firmly believes the culture has had intangible effects on the students and their ability to develop their key competencies.

According to the NZ Curriculum, key competencies are the key to learning and therefore are integral to student outcomes.

Mr Newman says his team have welcomed Ms Pohio’s report as independent affirmation of their approach.

“We feel we’re doing great things here at Hora Hora, and it’s been wonderful to see that detailed in Karen Pohio’s report. We’re very proud of our students, our staff and our wider school community.”