As the koru opens so too does the person' - This whakatauāki inspires the Waipapa Wellbeing Trust to inspire students’ futures and make a difference in their lives.
We believe that effective engagement in learning is based on supporting positive wellbeing through relationships built with each of our students. We do this so that, like a koru opening, each student will achieve to their full potential, will develop personal values and competencies critical to successful learning and living in society.
The vision of the Waipapa Wellbeing Charitable Trust is to support students’ attendance and engagement in education across our schools by targeted support and interventions that support the student and their whānau so like the koru they can grow and unfurl.
Te Puna Wai o Waipapa Hagley and Ao Tawhiti Discovery Unlimited are well known for their destigmatising environments, which are the epitome of a mixture of trauma-informed second chance education, disproportionate numbers of neurodiverse students, creativity not well catered for in stereotypical mainstream kura, and students ‘escaping’ educational environments at which their diversity is often not understood, negatively singled out by their peers and not celebrated.
Ao Tawhiti Discovery Unlimited has creativity and self-directed pathways to learning as a foundation from which to nuture talent, support wellbeing, support individuality and academic achievement. This is Ao Tawhiti’s designated character. Te Punawai o Waiapa has at its core acceptance and support of diversity in all its forms and acceptance in its enrolment policy of supporting those who have experienced barriers to their education elsewhere. This is Te Punawai o Waipapa Hagley College’s designated character. These factors set both kura apart from others in Christchurch. With these points of difference comes certain challenges and a high level of success for students.
Provide targeted support and interventions for students with barriers to attendance and engagement at Ao Tawhiti and Te Puna Wai o Waipapa – Hagley College
The Waipapa Charitable Trust funds the role of a social worker and a mental health adviser in a sustainable way