Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Whanau Tahi

What Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Whanau Tahi does

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi is a state-integrated Māori-medium school (Kura Kaupapa Māori) located at 83 Lyttelton Street, Spreydon, Christchurch, New Zealand. Established approximately 30 years ago (the toru tekau tau milestone was publicly commemorated in 2026), the kura delivers full immersion te reo Māori education from Tau 1 through Tau 13 across five interconnected year-level groupings: Te Kākano (Tau 1-2), Te Pihinga (Tau 3-4), Te Mahuri (Tau 5-6), Te Tipuranga (Tau 7-8), and Te Puāwaitanga/Wharekura (Tau 9-13). The full curriculum is structured around Te Aho Matua, a six-principle philosophical framework (Te Ira Tangata, Te Reo, Ngā Iwi, Te Ao, Āhuatanga Ako, Te Tino Uaratanga) that governs curriculum, assessment, pastoral care, and cultural activities, with secondary-level NCEA qualifications available through Wharekura.

The kura's underlying technology stack is composed of mainstream educational and communications SaaS tools rather than proprietary systems: Seesaw for student portfolios, Kamar Parent Portal, SchoolAppsNZ for the mobile app (attendance, announcements), SkoolLoop for student-led Hui Pakiako booking, Google Workspace and Google Forms for collaboration and enrolment, MailPoet for the weekly Pānui ā-Kura newsletter, SchoolDocs for policy management, and PhotoShots/Ticketek for ancillary commerce and ticketing. Programmes include Kapa Haka (live performance at the national Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa broadcast on Māori+ television), Manu Kōrero speech competitions, mau rākau, and sports pathways producing nationally selected athletes (e.g., NZ Junior Black Sox U18 Men's Softball World Cup 2027 selection).

The business and revenue model is that of a Crown-funded state-integrated school: the primary revenue stream is government operational grant funding (per-pupil, covering teacher salaries and core operations), supplemented by voluntary whānau donations, community fundraising for specific initiatives (e.g., the Amorangi Japan trip, pou pōtūkohu/basketball hoops), and small ancillary streams — uniform sale/hire through Te Tari, stationery packs, and PhotoShots school photography (with a $1.10+gst handling charge on non-post orders and a 10% discount over $120). Enrolment is community-led via an Expression of Interest Form reviewed by an enrolment committee, with formal enrolment policy currently under review to manage roll growth and rising whānau demand. Governance is provided by Te Poari Matua (Board of Trustees) with co-Presiding Members, Principal, Staff Representative, Student Representatives, and Parent Representatives, and the kura is part of the Te Waka cluster of Canterbury Kura Kaupapa Māori and aligned with Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa.

Name

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Whanau Tahi

Legal name

TKKM o Te Whānau Tahi

Website

https://whanau-tahi.school.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi is a state-integrated, full-immersion Māori-medium school in Christchurch, NZ, delivering Tau 1-13 education under the Te Aho Matua philosophy to Māori whānau, funded primarily by Crown operational grants with supplementary donations and ancillary sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Māori-medium K-12 education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Language Schools (61163)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Indigenous/Culturally Focused & Community-Based Schools (EDAJACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tribal Teacher Education & Indigenous Language Colleges (Educator Prep/Language Revitalization) (EDAHANAG), Tribal Arts, Culture & Heritage Colleges (Arts/Media/Cultural Preservation Focus) (EDAHANAH)

Keywords

• Māori medium education
• Kura kaupapa schooling
• Primary secondary education
• Te Reo Māori immersion
• Te Aho Matua philosophy

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch, Canterbury

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Operational): As a state-integrated school (Kura Kaupapa Māori), the primary revenue source is government operational funding, which covers teacher salaries and core operational costs.
2. Donations, Fundraising & Kohi Pūtea: The kura actively fundraises for specific initiatives such as the Amorangi trip to Japan, pou poitūkohu (basketball hoops), and general operational costs. Whānau and community donations are solicited for events, trips, and cultural activities.
3. ancillary Services & Products: Revenue from sale of school uniforms, school photos (via PhotoShots), stationery packs, and occasional bake sales by tauira (students).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi is a state-integrated Kura Kaupapa Māori (Māori-medium school) in Christchurch delivering full immersion education from Tau 1 through Tau 13 (Years 1-13) under the Te Aho Matua philosophical framework. Curriculum spans primary and secondary schooling through five interconnected year-level groupings (Te Kākano, Te Pihinga, Te Mahuri, Te Tipuranga, Te Puāwaitanga/Wharekura), including NCEA qualifications at Wharekura level, alongside extracurricular offerings such as Kapa Haka, Manu Kōrero, mau rākau, and sports.

Product overview

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi is a full-service Māori medium school (Kura Kaupapa Māori) offering education from Tau 1-13 (Years 1-13). The school operates through five interconnected year-level groupings: Te Kākano (Tau 1-2), Te Pihinga (Tau 3-4), Te Mahuri (Tau 5-6), Te Tipuranga (Tau 7-8), and Te Puāwaitanga/Wharekura (Tau 9-13). The school follows Te Aho Matua philosophy with six core principles: Te Ira Tangata, Te Reo, Ngā Iwi, Te Ao, Āhuatanga Ako, and Te Tino Uaratanga. Supporting the academic program are cultural activities including Kapa Haka and Manu Kōrero, the Pūmanawa Tautono mobile app for communications, whānau reo Māori classes, and school photography services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Māori-Medium Education (Tau 1-13) Full immersion education from Year 1 to Year 13 structured through five year-level groupings (Te Kākano Tau 1-2, Te Pihinga Tau 3-4, Te Mahuri Tau 5-6, Te Tipuranga Tau 7-8, Te Puāwaitanga/Wharekura Tau 9-13), covering Te Reo Rangatira, Pāngarau, Pūtaiao, Hītori, Puoro, Te Reo Pākehā, Whare Tū Tauā, Hāngarau, Ngā Toi, Kapa Haka, and NCEA qualifications for whānau families seeking te reo Māori immersion schooling.
• Kapa Haka Cultural performing arts programme featuring traditional Māori song, dance and chant, with students regularly competing at regional and national levels including Te Matatini and live performance at Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa.
• Manu Kōrero Speech competition programme in which students prepare and present speeches in te reo Māori, with annual competitions at regional and national levels.
• Whakaahua ā-Kura (School Photography Service) Annual school photography service delivered through PhotoShots, providing class photos, sibling photos, and purchasable products including canvas prints, framing options and digital files for whānau.
• Te Reo o Te Whānau (Whānau Reo Māori Classes) Whānau reo Māori classes held Tuesday evenings 5:30-7:00pm, open to all proficiency levels in Tuawera and Rapanui, designed to build confidence in te reo Māori among parents and community members.
• Akoranga Tikanga ā-Iwi Cultural learning programmes for families covering traditional practices, mahi kai (food cultivation), and tikanga Māori education, supporting whānau engagement with kaupapa Māori.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students regularly achieve top placements at regional and national competitions including Poirewa (regional/national speech competition) and Kapa Haka events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• School Lunch CollectivecoreOthers · 1 January 2026The School Lunch Collective is a government-funded initiative that provides free school lunches to eligible kura. Te Whānau Tahi is one of only two kura in Aotearoa selected to trial new meals weekly as part of this programme. The kura provides feedback to the Collective on meal quality through student surveys conducted by kaiako.
• Department of Māori Indigenous Health Innovation (MIHI) & Otago UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The MIHI Clinic from the Department of Māori Indigenous Health Innovation at Otago University brings fifth-year medical students to the kura under the supervision of Māori doctors and child health specialists to conduct health checks (height, ears, eyes/vision, heart health) on ākonga. This is an annual hauora (health) initiative specifically targeting Māori mokopuna.
• Canterbury RamsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026The Canterbury Rams professional basketball team offers discounted tickets to whānau for home games, and runs holiday basketball camps and Game Day Clinics open to Te Whānau Tahi tauira (students in school years 3-10). The Rams have donated basketball tickets to support the kura's poiwhana (basketball equipment) fundraising efforts.
• Sport CanterburyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sport Canterbury, through its Play Activation Fund, has provided support to the kura's application for a new poiwhana (basketball hoop). The kura's Te Pihinga tauira prepared a video and application for the funding.
• BodyfixminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Bodyfix (a health/fitness business) has sponsored cycling lessons for whānau as part of the Amorangi (senior students) trip fundraising to Japan. Bodyfix organised family cycling sessions to raise funds for the trip.
• PhotoShotsminorOthers · 1 January 2026PhotoShots is the official school photography provider, capturing Whakaahua ā-Kura (school photos) each year. Photos are delivered back to the kura or posted, with a range of products including canvases, frames, and digital files.
• SchoolDocscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026SchoolDocs is a policy management platform used by the kura to maintain, update, and review all school policies and procedures. The Poari Matua (Board of Trustees) works with SchoolDocs to align policies with the Te Aho Matua philosophy. Whānau can access and participate in policy reviews through the SchoolDocs portal (username: whanau-tahi, password: poipoia).
• Mainland PouākaiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Mainland Pouākai (a basketball team) co-hosts holiday camps with the Canterbury Rams, offering basketball development programmes for boys and girls in school years 5-10 during the July school holidays.
• Pioneer Recreation & Sports CentreminorOthers · 1 January 2026Pioneer (in Christchurch) is a community recreation centre frequently used by the kura for sports programmes including basketball, swimming (Kauhoe/Swimsafe), fitness training, and physical education activities for tauira across all year levels.
• Parakiore Recreation & Sports CentreminorOthers · 1 January 2026Parakiore Recreation & Sports Centre is a major Christchurch venue used by the kura for sports events, community activities, and Canterbury Rams basketball games that whānau attend. The kura's rōpū pūmanawa (gifted students) have also used Futsal facilities there.
• Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o AotearoacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Te Rūnanga Nui is the national governance body for Kura Kaupapa Māori. Te Whānau Tahi participates in Hui ā-Tau (annual conference), and the kura's policies and practices are aligned with Rūnanga Nui guidelines and directives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tūhoe: Tūhoe-based Kura Kaupapa Māori delivering full immersion education grounded in iwi tikanga. Directly comparable as a Te Aho Matua kura serving whānau in a defined regional catchment with similar cultural-educational mission.
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi: One of the longest-established Kura Kaupapa Māori in Aotearoa (Auckland), delivering full Te Aho Matua–aligned Māori-medium education from primary through secondary. Directly comparable as a state-integrated, community-governed indigenous K-12 institution with similar pedagogical philosophy and operational structure.
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito (Palmerston North): Lower North Island Kura Kaupapa Māori providing full-immersion Māori education. Direct peer with comparable pedagogical approach, NCEA pathway, and community-driven enrolment model.
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kōtuku: Kura Kaupapa Māori in the Rotorua region offering full Māori-medium education through Te Aho Matua framework. Comparable as a sister kura within the national KKM network with similar curriculum structure, whānau governance, and cultural identity focus.
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa: Kura Kaupapa Māori delivering full Māori-medium education within the Ngāti Kahungunu region. Comparable as a state-integrated indigenous K-12 school with whānau-led governance and Te Aho Matua philosophy.
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Rakaumanga: Kura Kaupapa Māori in Whakatāne delivering Māori-medium education across year levels. Direct peer offering the same Te Aho Matua-aligned indigenous K-12 pathway with comparable governance by whānau and focus on te reo Māori revitalisation.

Regional players

• St Patrick's College (Wellington) / Mainstream NZ Schools: Representative of mainstream New Zealand secondary schools serving Canterbury/Christchurch catchments. Tangential peer for benchmarking student pathways and competition for whānau choosing between mainstream and Māori-medium education options.

Broad incumbents

• Te Kura (Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu): The NZ government's correspondence and online school providing distance and dual-medium education across all year levels, including Māori-medium options. Broader incumbent offering overlapping educational delivery but with a national rather than community-specific focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/1270459956356546
• Instagraminstagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1ka00jhgma5tg&utm_content=m255klr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/te-kura-kaupapa-maori-o-te-whanau-tahi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Whanau Tahi