|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Port Waikato students have benefited from new classrooms and learning support resources under the current government. This represents three years of strong investment for schools, Port Waikato MP Andrew Bayly contends.
“Infrastructure and learning support investment is one way that the National-led government is making sure that kids are being taught the basics brilliantly,” he says. “We’re able to make this investment through responsible fiscal management and cutting wasteful spending.”
Through budgets 2024–26, the government has made investments in education, building more classrooms and providing more resources for students across Port Waikato and the country.
By standardising the design of a new classroom, the government has been able to build twice as many, Bayly says.
Across the electorate, this has resulted in 27 extra classrooms to accommodate roll growth at six schools, three Māori medium classrooms for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waiuku, a new 14-classroom school for Pokeno West and a $5.2 million redevelopment for Pokeno School.
“Not only have we invested in school infrastructure across the country, but we’ve also banned cell phones in classrooms, mandated an hour each of reading, writing and maths and we are refreshing the curriculum to prepare our kids for the 21st century,” he adds.
“That’s why we’ve already seen 43 per cent of new entrants exceeding at early reading and kids making 12 months’ maths progress in just 12 weeks. It’s all part of National’s long-term plan to fix the basics and build the future.”
Figures released by Bayly’s office include:
Port Waikato Electorate
School Property funded through Budgets 24, 25, and 26.
27 Roll Growth Classrooms
Tuakau College (8)
Pokeno School (5)
Pukekohe North School (4)
Waiuku College (2)
Te Kauwhata Primary School (2)
Pukekohe High School (6)
Three Māori Medium Classrooms for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waiuku
Two Learning Support satellite classrooms for Pukekohe High School
$5,200,000 redevelopment funding for Pokeno School
A new school expansion for Pookino West School with 14 classrooms
Learning Support Coordinators
Twenty-one schools received funding for access to a learning support coordinator (LSC) for 2026–28:
- Aka Aka School
- Awhitu District School
- Glenbrook School
- Harrisville School
- KingsGate School
- Meremere School
- Onewhero Area School
- Otaua School
- Pokeno School
- Pukekawa School
- Pukeoware School
- Sandspit Road School
- St Joseph’s School (Pukekohe)
- Te Kohanga School
- Te Paina School
- Tuakau College
- Tuakau School
- View Road School
- Waiau Pa School
- Waipipi School
- Waiuku Primary School
From 2028, all schools with Years 1-8 will have access to an LSC. Schools that previously did not have access to an LSC will gain this in the 2026, 2027, or 2028 cluster.
Any schools not listed on your electorate sheet either do not teach Years 1-8, or already have access to an LSC because they:
- Already had access to an LSC
- LSC access funded through Māori Medium
- Private school or specialist school
Maths and Literacy
Nineteen schools received funding for access to a structured literacy intervention teacher:
- Sandspit Road School
- St Joseph’s School (Pukekohe)
- View Road School
- Waiau Pa School
- Aka Aka School
- Glenbrook School
- Harrisville School
- Otaua School
- Te Paina School
- Tuakau School
- Te Kauwhata Primary School
- Tamaoho School
- Buckland School
- Mangatawhiri School
- Maramarua School
- Mauku School
- Pukekohe Hill School
- Pukekohe Valley School
- Waikaretu School
Thirteen schools received funding for access to a maths intervention teacher:
- Sandspit Road School
- Waiau Pa School
- Aka Aka School
- Glenbrook School
- Harrisville School
- Otaua School
- Te Paina School
- Tuakau School
- Te Kauwhata Primary School
- Pukekohe Hill School
- Waikaretu School
- Awhitu District School
- Pukeoware School
Nine schools participated in the Maths Acceleration Programme, which involves small group tutoring to boost the progress of students who are more than a year behind the curriculum in their maths:
- Waiau Pa School
- Te Paina School
- Mangatawhiri School
- Maramarua School
- Tuakau College
- KingsGate School
- Pukekohe North School
- Te Kauwhata College
- Pukekohe Intermediate
