About the research centre
The Woolf Fisher Research Centre is an internationally recognised research centre for the development of educational success for diverse communities within New Zealand.
Te Pūtahi Whakatairanga Hapori Ako Angitu
The Māori name for the Woolf Fisher Research Centre means 'The centre for the promotion of successful learning communities'. Our research and development work has always been about partnerships with the various communities that make up an educational system. This includes schools and groups of schools (students, leaders and teachers) and early childhood services as well as families and whānau and the communities of funders and policy makers. Different communities means also the diverse communities from which our students (and whānau) come. The qualifier of ‘success’ is because we are committed to educational success for our communities – in terms of valued student outcomes, teacher capability and resilient families and whānau. Our new Māori name also firmly establishes the centre and its identity.
E ngā iwi, e nga reo, e ngā karangatanga maha o ngā hau e whā, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. Mai i Te Rerenga Wairua, tae atu ra ki te Rakiura ki te Waipounamu … Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!
All the people, all voices, all of those from the four winds. From Te Rerenga Wairua to Stewart Island in the south… greetings, greetings, greetings to you all!
Established in 1998 with funds from the Woolf Fisher Trust, the Woolf Fisher Research Centre is an internationally recognised research centre for the development of education and schooling success for diverse communities within New Zealand, with a particular focus on Māori and Pacific communities.
The centre has spent more than 15 years developing a model to raise and extend student achievement, working in approximately 400 schools and in 5 countries.
It has successfully raised literacy levels in urban decile one schools to within the national average, and has improved results in a range of other schools including rural and small town schools. It is recognised as one of New Zealand’s most successful projects to improve educational results for Māori, Pacific and children from low socio-economic communities.
In addition to promoting research-based educational interventions, the centre provides a vehicle for research expertise for local communities, contributes to developing teacher education programmes which are responsive to local needs and goals, promotes tertiary education pathways and contributes to research at the the University of Auckland.
Vision
An internationally recognised research centre for the development of education and schooling success for diverse communities, within New Zealand including a particular focus on Māori and Pacific communities.
Mission
We aim to continue building a world class research facility at the University of Auckland with recognised capability and achievements in research to positively affect schooling success for diverse communities.