Evaluation of the Intervention:

Evaluating data from the beginning of the year to the end of the year!

At the beginning of the year, our staff reflected on their confidence in using Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), and in applying culturally responsive teaching practices. As we reach the end of the year, revisiting those same reflections shows clear growth. In Term 1, most teachers rated their confidence with Te Reo Māori and NZSL between 2–5 out of 10. By Term 4, those ratings had risen to 6–8, with many teachers now describing themselves as “comfortable” in teaching these aspects. Confidence in culturally responsive teaching grew even more significantly, from an average of 5 to around 7. This reflects both increased exposure and practice, as well as the impact of targeted school wide initiatives. Together, these shifts demonstrate a collective belief in our ability to create inclusive, culturally rich classrooms where language and identity are celebrated every day.

At the start of the year, many classrooms included cultural content only once or twice a term. By the end of the year, almost all teachers reported including students’ cultures regularly in their planning and activities. Simple beginnings like circle time, waiatas, and greetings in Te Reo and NZSL have evolved into daily routines that include karakia, multilingual visuals, and student-led sharing in some classes. Teachers have moved from acknowledging culture to actively celebrating it; shifting from one-off events to ongoing practices that reflects genuine engagement.

As one teacher reflected:

“At the start of the year, I focused on learning about each learner’s background. Now, I’m actively celebrating culture every day, it’s become part of who we are as a class.”

The introduction of multilingual visuals and Language Week resources played a key role in supporting this transformation. At the start of the year, only about half of teachers were using multilingual materials. By Term 4, nearly all were doing so; describing them as helpful, time-saving, and confidence-boosting. These tools made a tangible difference, helping staff move from simply acknowledging diversity to embedding it in daily teaching and classroom environments.

A highlight of the year was expressed as our Cultural Festival, which many described as fun, meaningful, and a proud moment for both students and staff. While some noted logistical challenges such as timing and crowding, the overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The event fostered a strong sense of belonging and pride, offering students a platform to share and celebrate their identities. The festival served as a living example of our school’s commitment to inclusivity, and how far we’ve come in making culture a visible, celebrated part of school life. Our reflections also highlight key areas for ongoing development:

- Continued PLD in Te Reo Māori and NZSL to build fluency and confidence.

- Deeper integration of cultural practices within the curriculum, balancing time and priorities.

- Enhanced support for whānau communication, particularly for families who need interpreter assistance.

- Consistent, school-wide inclusion, ensuring all cultural groups are represented and celebrated.

The difference between Term 1 and Term 4 goes beyond improved confidence scores, it represents a shift in mindset. We’ve moved from awareness to action, from inclusion as an event to inclusion as a way of being. Our classrooms now have greetings in multiple languages, waiatas sung, and the learning that reflects the richness of our community.

As one teacher put it:

“We are more aware of Māori culture now, and there are so many opportunities to engage with different cultures at school.”

While we still have progress to make, this year we’ve made a strong start toward becoming more culturally aware, and it shows.

Reflecting

As we continue to embed language and cultural practices across our school, I’ve been reflecting on how we can deepen their impact in meaningful, sustainable ways. Over time, I’ve learned that real change doesn’t happen overnight, it grows through consistent effort, collaboration, and reflection.

One key insight has been the value of introducing new resources and routines gradually and changing where need. When we allow teachers and learners time to adapt, the results are far more lasting.

I’ve also recognised the importance of differentiation. Every learner connects with language and culture differently, so resources need to be flexible, using simplified visuals, tactile supports, or AAC where needed. This is something I’ll continue to guide alongside our Learning, Language, and Cultural Capabilities team, offering ideas and support while empowering classroom teachers to take the lead in their own spaces. Supporting teachers remains one of my biggest focuses. While I had hoped to deliver more practical professional learning sessions this year, time has certainly flown by! That said, we are making some progress as a school, from incorporating greetings in different languages to celebrating diverse cultures and weaving these practices into our daily routines for most people.

When I speak with teachers about language and cultural responsiveness, there’s a genuine enthusiasm to learn and grow. Many express a desire for more hands-on strategies they can easily implement in their classrooms. Yet, despite sharing resources, engagement is still low which tells me that perhaps we need to rethink how support is offered and this was rethought during my monitoring and adapting phase.

Moving forward and thinking into the future, I want to explore ways to provide deeper, more accessible guidance that builds confidence and participation. A goal is to make cultural and language integration feel not just achievable but exciting and rewarding for everyone involved as it is much appreciated by our whānau.

Together, we can continue to nurture a school environment where language, culture, and identity are celebrated every day and we will continue to work on it.

Adapting on the Go: What Monitoring Has Taught Me

When I first set out to implement this project, I had a clear plan in mind. But, as with most things in education, the reality in the classroom quickly reminded me that flexibility is key.

During the monitoring stage, I started to notice that the overall participation and engagement wasn’t quite where I hoped it would be. Teachers were interested, but time was tight. Classes were already packed with other priorities, and my initiative was competing for attention.

Rather than pushing harder, I decided to step back and rethink my approach. I began tweaking the resources so they could be more easily integrated into everyday lessons or during language weeks. I simplified some activities with help from others who sent amazing resources to me, created shorter versions for quick use, and adapted materials to suit different learners making sure that everyone, regardless of ability or learning style, could take part meaningfully, even if this was just through song.

These small but intentional changes made a big difference in my opinion. We saw more engagement and the intervention began to feel like a natural part of classroom rather than an extra task for some.

Monitoring has shown me that success isn’t always about sticking rigidly to the original plan, it’s about being responsive, adaptable, and willing to meet people where they are and sometimes adding more is just too much.