Tui Tuia | Learning Circle
To stitch, to string, to thread, or to bind together

Future Learning Solutions – Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland’s professional development service for educators – is delighted to launch its new bilingual name: Tui Tuia | Learning Circle.

Tui Tuia | Learning Circle provides services and programmes to strengthen the capability and resilience of New Zealand educators in our rapidly changing world. 

Working alongside leaders, teachers and school communities, the organisation has a history of designing and delivering quality professional learning and development. This includes leadership development, language learning, literacy development and Reading Recovery. The organisation also delivers culturally sustaining practice including Pacific-led professional development and support for kura, ākonga and kaiako in Pāngarau and Te Reo in Māori and English, focusing on improving outcomes for learners. 

Tui Tuia | Learning Circle also supports all the Ministry of Education’s regionally-allocated professional development priorities.

Its work is informed by the latest research and findings through its close relationship with Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Director Yvonne Lim said the name change was prompted by a review that found the education sector was aware of only some of the services offered by the organisation.

“Binding all areas of our business together with a new name, website and visual identity that has a stronger resonance for our staff and New Zealand schools represents a confident new chapter for Tui Tuia | The Learning Circle.

“Our Māori name Tui Tuia means ‘to stitch, to string, to thread, or to bind together’. It exists in our Maori Medium team, or Te Whānau Maioha’s whakataukī: Tuia kia mau. Herea kia tau. Our English name, Learning Circle, conveys inclusiveness and the commitment to continual learning across all the areas we operate in,” said Lim.

The refined Learning Circle logo continues to celebrates the harakeke, which symbolises the family and the cycle of life. The rito (harakeke shoot) in the logo is the child. It is protected by the awhi rito (parents). The outside leaves represent the tūpuna (grandparents and ancestors). The Tui is a symbol of the people and the act of guardianship, and the flower represents the seed of knowledge.

The new name was ushered in with a poignant dawn ceremony last week led by Michael Steedman (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Te Uri o Hau), kaiarataki in the office of the Pro Vice Chancellor (Māori) at the University of Auckland, and a representative from Tui Tuia | Learning Circle. 

Tui Tuia – Learning Circle offers the following services and programmes to educational leaders and teachers in New Zealand and abroad:

Leadership

Learning Circle is also the new name for the Centre of Educational Leadership and provides a range of leadership services for educational leaders and organisations in New Zealand and overseas. Our work is informed by rigorous educational leadership research and the practical experience of our team of researchers, past principals and senior leaders. 

Te Whānau Maioha

Te Whānau Maioha supports teachers and kaiako in Māori medium settings. This includes the delivery of Te Reo Matatini and Pangarau maths based on best practice from Te Puna Wānanga (School of Māori education within the Faculty of Education, University of Auckland). This contributes to providing learning solutions for ākonga Māori to achieve education success as Māori. Te Whānau Maioha is also active in delivering to Ministry of Education priorities for regionally-allocated professional learning and development programmes to support Kura.

Languages

Learning Circle is also the new name for Centre for Languages and offers programmes, workshops, online support and resources to grow, strengthen and advocate for language learning, use and language maintenance in New Zealand schools. 

Literacy

Learning Circle works with schools to build the literacy capability of school leaders and teachers to accelerate learning outcomes for all students. We believe that each child deserves an equitable opportunity for success in life, and through targeted literacy interventions we can support those students who need it most. Key initiatives include Reading Recovery, an evidence-based early literacy intervention for six-year-olds not getting underway well with reading and writing.

Pacific-led Education

Learning Circle is focused on using Pacific ways of knowing and being to establish culturally responsive learning solutions across the Pacific and New Zealand, and which support Pacific children to excel. We partner across the Pacific Islands with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade and Pacific Island Ministries of Education to improve teacher practice and student literacy standards. We believe that cultural heritage, faith, family and service are important values to be passed from generation to generation.