Nga Iwi School

Have you ever seen a school where gardens sprout everywhere you look? At Nga Iwi School in Mangere, Auckland, that’s exactly what you’ll find. Nga Iwi School isn’t just a place for learning from books. It’s a place where learning grows from the ground up. Established sometime before 2018, Nga Iwi School’s vision is to grow “learning-empowered and empathic” children. Guided by the whakataukī, “Ngā iwi o te motu kia kotahi ai – People of the land be one,” Nga Iwi School embraces its community and heritage. The school grounds are a testament to this vision. Flourishing gardens surround the school. Fruit trees, vegetable patches, and native plants line the bike path. Two small orchards burst with apples, pears, peaches, and feijoas. Each class at Nga Iwi School has its own tree to nurture. Their banana garden thrives. A sensory garden invites exploration with its array of aromas and textures. Native flax provides a peaceful corner for reflection. These gardens aren’t just for show. They are living classrooms. Students at Nga Iwi School participate in planting, harvesting, and even cooking the food they grow. Lessons focus on sustainability. The school honors Māori cultural practices by planting harakeke, used for traditional crafts in the Whānau Tu Pākari (Māori enhancement unit). The school also extends its green thumb to the community. Nga Iwi School connects with local families through planting projects and shares knowledge about gardening, healthy eating, and cooking fresh produce. In the heart of the school sits the māra kai (food garden). Raised garden beds occupy the space where an old classroom block once stood. Designed by Enviroschools Learning Leader, Kathrina McGuire, and built with the help of teachers and students, the garden beds overflow with vegetables, herbs, and flowers for the bees. A compost bin and worm bin complete the sustainable cycle. The food grown here is either used at the school or shared with families. Nga Iwi School has been an Enviroschool since 2018. This program reinforces their commitment to environmental and sustainability values. The Enviroschools kaupapa is woven into the fabric of Nga Iwi School. Math lessons incorporate waste audits. Students harvest crops and calculate how much produce is needed for recipes. They learn about different tree species and create art and music inspired by nature. Some students even set up a stall to sell produce. They then used the proceeds to buy new seedlings, learning valuable lessons in math, teamwork, and gardening. Students are encouraged to participate in gardening whenever they like. They can pick ripe fruit from the orchard trees. They learn about the origins of food, how to care for plants through watering, weeding, and composting, and how to cook what they grow, skills they can take home to their families. The school also connects with the wider environment. Students have participated in planting at Ashcroft Reserve across the road. They’ve visited the nearby Auckland Teaching Gardens to learn from experts. Nga Iwi School also plans to plant six native trees as part of the Māngere Ngahere Project, a collaborative effort to increase forest and canopy cover in Māngere.