Te Pā o Rākaihautū: From Vision to Reality
The vision of establishing Te Pā o Rākaihautū as a unique 21st-Century pā wānanga (learning village) in Ōtautahi Christchurch has made significant strides towards becoming a reality. Led by EHF Fellow Rangimarie Parata Takurua, with support from Fellows, including Joanne McEachen, and Sarah Grant, the pā wānanga is designed to serve students from early childhood through tertiary education on a single site, championing cultural identity, heritage, and educational excellence.
The new location for Te Pā o Rākaihautū at Diamond Harbour. Photo: Tahu News
As a major milestone, the Christchurch City Council recently approved the sale of land to Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke (the local sub-tribe of Ngāi Tahu), paving the way for the establishment of a new and permanent home for Te Pā o Rākaihautū. This decision marks a significant step forward in realising the vision of a modern Māori learning village. The new location, an 8-hectare site in Diamond Harbour, will integrate mātauranga Māori-centred education, wellness facilities, substantial vegetable gardens, fruit and rongoā (traditional healing) orchards, and staff housing.
Rangimarie Parata Takurua emphasises the cultural and historical significance of the site and the decision. “Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke are the mana whenua of Lyttelton Harbour, and as a result of the forced land sales of the 19th century we lost 98.7% of our lands. When the City Council declared a significant parcel of land surplus in our takiwā (area) it created an opportunity for the hapū to increase its land holdings in our takiwā and allow Te Pā - the first kura ā Iwi (tribal school) in Te Waipounamu (South Island) - to come home, providing a model of education designed by and for the people of these lands.”
The approval to purchase the Diamond Harbour land provides a long-awaited opportunity to create a state-of-the-art Māori learning village tailored to the aspirations of Māori communities. This new location will allow Te Pā to approximately double its current roll and expand its innovative educational model.
Scaling Deep for Systemic Change
Te Puna Hauaitū
Photo/ Te Pā o Rākaihautū
Since its inception in 2015, Te Pā o Rākaihautū has consistently demonstrated remarkable achievements despite operating from school buildings not fit for purpose and in need of repair. Students have repeatedly met or exceeded national standards in reading, writing, and mathematics, with NCEA achievement rates significantly above the national average. Beyond academics, students actively participate in community activities, reflecting the school's values. The need for a larger, purpose-built site has become critical to accommodate the special character of Te Pā and to meet demand.
Rangimarie fondly refers to the kura as ‘the school that whānau built’ and stresses the importance of Māori-led system design. “Te Pā o Rākaihautū is not just about building another school; it is about creating conditions for systemic change.” She notes this involves shifting narratives, recentering non-dominant perspectives, and redefining success. The goal is to create a transformation in leadership, organisation, and management, moving from hierarchical to networked structures. This approach recognises the importance of lived experiences, shared power, and collective learning.
Te Pā o Rākaihautū Graduates - 2023
Photo/ Te Pā o Rākaihautū
Rangimarie also points out that the work of Te Pā is deeply rooted in community relationships, healing, and personal transformation. She emphasises the interconnectedness of systems, the importance of localised context, and the need for intergenerational approaches. By restoring traditional practices, language, and culture, Te Pā aims to create conditions for healing and systemic change. She highlights how te ao Māori (Māori worldview) takes a holistic approach recognising the interdependence between people and the land, promoting the health and wellbeing of both.
The map shows the current site of Te Pā o Rākaihautū and the future site at Diamond Harbour.
Te Pā Foundation and Supporting the Vision
In 2024, to support this ambitious vision, the Te Pā Foundation was established (with support from Fellow Steven Moe) as a charitable trust. Its purpose is to attract investment and support to scale deep, expand, and extend its impact as a model that inspires other communities locally and around the world. The Foundation will draw on a nationwide network of Māori initiatives and communities to foster collective action and achieve lasting change. Jojo McEachen has joined Rangimarie on the board of the newly established Te Pā Foundation and reflects on what it has meant to her personally.
“Joining the Te Pā whānau has felt like coming home, it has grounded me back with my people and given me the opportunity to contribute my skills and knowledge from global education. But it is also one of the most inspiring groups of educators that I have worked with and I see so much potential to share these ideas around the motu (country) and globally. And I am not stopping this fight until we’ve seen the whole Pā Wānanga become a reality.”
As well as helping with the early set up of the charity, Kia Kotahi Ako - an alliance of EHF Fellows which includes Jojo and Sarah Grant - is supporting the vision by building champions across government, the Fellowship and with funders. Jojo has played a key role on the project team working with the Ministry of Education to overcome barriers to the project and capture learnings from this new approach to share with others. Sarah and other Fellows have come together to provide advice and connections to potential funders and partners to accelerate Te Pā Wānanga to realise their hard-fought vision. Sarah says:
“It has been an incredible privilege to support and learn from this group. Walking through the early childhood sites to the temporary site and then on to the new site in Diamond Harbour, it is so evident the sense of belonging and identity that Te Pā instills for the next generation of leaders and explorers.”
Sarah notes that across the Edmund Hillary Fellowship there are incredible connections to new ideas and resources and harnessing this will drive transformative change through this kaupapa (programme), with Fellows such as Todd Porter, Rich Bodo and Steven Moe already contributing advice and ideas for the future.
Recently Kia Kotahi convened over 20 Fellows and funders on a friendly ‘pitch call’ so Rangimarie and whānau could continue to refine and share their story and get feedback to develop their ‘asks’. A group of Fellows also visited Te Pā to meet with whānau and explore the current site, hearing firsthand the aspirations and excitement for the new site.
A Homecoming and a New Beginning
Students
Photo/Te Pā o Rākaihautū
For many, the establishment of Te Pā on Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū (Banks Peninsula) signifies a homecoming. The site holds deep ancestral connections. By returning to this ancestral land, Te Pā not only honours its roots but also enhances opportunities for meaningful engagement with local rūnanga (tribal councils). This initiative promises to strengthen cultural identity and educational excellence for generations to come.
The land sale approval means the dream of Te Pā o Rākaihautū becoming a 21st-century Māori learning village is closer to becoming a reality, transforming Māori education and revitalising cultural identity.
Rangimarie reflects, “Our journey to find a permanent home has been long and challenging but since we cast our eyes back over the Port Hills just 12 months ago and saw this whenua, hidden in plain sight, the pace has picked up. As we approach Matariki again with the land all but secured I can almost see our tīpuna (ancestors) clapping and cheering us on and possibly, rolling their eyes wondering what took us so long to find our way home.”
Rangimarie Parata Takurua
For more information on Te Pā o Rākaihautū visit rakaihautu or if you would like to support Te Pā Foundation, please contact sarah@kiakotahi.org
