Te Kura Awhitu Charter School to Open in Te Urewera by Term 2 2026

The school is being hailed as a significant step forward in both educational innovation and the evolving relationship between Tūhoe and the Crown.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has announced that Te Kura Awhitu, sponsored by the Tūhoe Charitable Trust, will open by Term 2 2026 as a new charter school — delivering a full Māori immersion education grounded in the language, tikanga and environment of Te Urewera.

The school is being hailed as a significant step forward in both educational innovation and the evolving relationship between Tūhoe and the Crown.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in ways which are more specific to their needs,” Mr Seymour said.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the innovation enabled by the charter school model.”

Charter School Model Supporting Community-Led Education

Mr Seymour said charter schools provide communities with greater flexibility to design education that reflects their own aspirations, while maintaining strong accountability for student outcomes.

“Charter schools show education can be different if we let communities bring their ideas to the table,” he said.

“These schools have more flexibility in return for strictly measured results.”

He described the charter model as:

“The same funding as state schools, plus greater flexibility plus stricter accountability for results, equals student success.”

Strengthening the Crown–Tūhoe Relationship

The establishment of Te Kura Awhitu also fulfils an important long-standing commitment made in 2013 as part of the reset of the Crown–Tūhoe relationship.

“Tūhoe and the Crown stood apart for generations,” Mr Seymour said.

“Today’s announcement delivers on an important commitment to investigate a charter school for Tūhoe-based learning.”

Mr Seymour said the school represents a meaningful step forward, enabling Tūhoe to exercise autonomy in education while embedding cultural identity at the centre of learning.

“Autonomy is important to Tūhoe, and the charter school model enables this,” he said.

“It means Tūhoe can embed their tikanga, language, values, environment, and cultural identity into the curriculum.”

Full Māori Immersion Education Rooted in Te Urewera

Te Kura Awhitu will offer a full Māori immersion curriculum, guided by principles drawn directly from the Te Urewera environment.

“The school will prepare its students for modern life from traditional roots,” Mr Seymour said.

Students will learn through the lens of Tūhoe knowledge systems, with Te Urewera itself becoming a central part of the classroom experience.

Te Urewera as a Living Classroom

A distinctive feature of Te Kura Awhitu is its place-based learning model, where students will engage practically with the natural world while incorporating mātauranga Māori.

“The school will have the use of Te Urewera as a classroom, to learn practically about natural sciences, biodiversity, and geography,” Mr Seymour said.

Learning will include topics such as:

• Environmental change

• Biodiversity and conservation

• Waterways management

• Whakapapa and cultural history

• Sustainable land and resource use

This approach blends modern science with traditional knowledge, creating an innovative framework for future-focused education.

NCEA Standards Integrated Into Practical Learning

Students will work toward NCEA achievement standards while completing real-world learning modules.

“NCEA achievement standards will be used for learning,” Mr Seymour said.

For example, a module on water restoration could earn credits across multiple subjects, including:

• Sustainability

• Biology and environmental science

• Agriculture

• History

This integrated model is designed to ensure students gain recognised qualifications while learning in culturally meaningful contexts.

Charter School Expansion Continues Nationwide

Te Kura Awhitu will join other charter schools announced over the past year, all set to open in 2026.

“This takes the total number of charter schools to 19,” Mr Seymour said.

He noted that further announcements are expected before the end of the year, including the first state schools converting to charter status.

Mr Seymour also acknowledged the work of the Charter School Agency and Authorisation Board, which assessed strong demand for new schools.

“They considered 52 applicants for new charter schools. They tell me this round the choices were very difficult,” he said.

“This Is Just the Beginning”

Mr Seymour said Te Kura Awhitu reflects the wider potential of charter schools to unlock community-led solutions in education.

“There are more ideas in the communities of New Zealand than there are in the Government,” he said.

“This is just the beginning. I hope to see many more new charter schools opening, and state and state-integrated schools converting.”