Piritahi Kahui Ako was the first kahui ako in NZ to be up and running. It began in 2015 as Blenheim 2BCos - two communities of schools operating as one in the Blenheim/Marlborough region. As it matured its name changed to Piritahi - Whiria nga tahi nga akonga - Weave Learners Together to better describe the purpose and work of the group of learners.  

Purpose and Vision Our initial goal was simple - to bring together our 21 schools and 6 Kindergartens from operating independently (in some instances in isolation) to work as a collaborative, and create a wider vision for education in Marlborough - our school of 6000.  Our ultimate goal was to raise achievement outcomes for all students in Marlborough through a success-focused learning pathway where high-quality collaborative teaching and leadership across the system are the key drivers. 

Our Journey Piritahi is a story of the evolving success and progress of Aotearoa New Zealand’s first, longest-serving, and one of the largest kahui ako. It tells of how strengthening engagement in collaborative practices across learning institutions can really make a difference to leadership capability, teaching practices, and positive learning outcomes for our students when we all work as one. 

The story is about the growing and strengthening of leadership in a context where no real authority exists only influence, but which flourishes on the strength of collective agreement, sound research and commitment to purpose. It is a story of growing the understanding of practice across the sectors - kindergarten, primary and secondary, and about exploring methodologies that create seamlessness from kindergarten to year 13. It is a story about how a strong influence on teaching practice can create excellence in the learning of all students, in particular our identified priority students.