
Judging your entries
Te whakawā
If your team has achieved outstanding results at your school, kura or early learning service, our judges will be excited to hear about your work.
Your entry will be judged on the extent to which it shows that a change in practice has resulted in improved and sustained outcomes for all children, young people and the broader community. The criteria for judging are drawn from the world-renowned Best Evidence Synthesis and supported by education strategies and curriculum documents developed in New Zealand. See the Resources section for more information.
Note that the judging process is completely independent. Neither the Ministry of Education nor the convenor has any influence on the judging panel’s decisions regarding the selection of finalists and winners.
Mēnā kua tino whai hua ā koutou ko tō tīma mahi ki tō kura, tō ratonga kura kōhungahunga raini, ka mate ā mātou kaiwhakawā kia rongo i ā koutou mahi.
Ka whakawākia tā koutou tono whakauru i runga i te āhua o ngā mahi i panoni kia puta mai tētahi painga mauroa mō ngā tamariki me ngā taiohi katoa me te hapori whānui. He mea ahu mai i ngā ariā rongonui o tēnei hanga e kīia nei ko Te Ariā Kete Raukura ngā paearu whakawā, ka mutu e tautokona ana ki ngā rautaki mātauranga me ngā tuhinga marautanga i waihangatia i Aotearoa tonu. Tirohia te wāhanga Rauemi mō ētahi atu kōrero.
Ka wehea atu kia noho motuhake te tukanga whakawā. He whakaaweawe kore tā te Tāhuhu, tā te Kaiwhakarite raini ki ngā whakatau a te Taumata Whakawā I ngā whiringa toa.
The Judging Process
Te Tukanga Whakawā

Step 1
TUATAHI
First, all entries received by the closing date will be assessed to make sure they’re eligible — so don’t forget to view the eligibility criteria (on the entry form) before you start.
Ka tirotirohia ngā tono whakauru katoa ka tae mai mua ā te rā aukati kia kitea ai pēnā raini ko ea te wāhi ki ngā tikanga māraurau — kaua e wareware ki te tirotiro ki aua tikanga ā mua i tō tīmatanga.

Step 2
TUARUA
An independent judging panel of New Zealand education leaders, academics and commentators will review the entries as outlined in the bullet points below.
The judging panel then meets to select up to four finalists for each category and for the Education Focus Prize.
Ka tirohia ngā tono e te taumata kaiwhakawā rātou ko ngā kaiārahi mātauranga, ko ngā pūkenga, ko ngā mātanga hoki i runga i te āhua o ngā kōrero e meinga ana ki ngā tongi matā o raro iho nei.
Kātahi ka hui te Taumata whakawā kia kōwhiria kia tokowhā, tokoiti iho raini, ki ia wāhanga, ki te Taonga Aronga Mātauranga hoki.

Step 3
TUATORU
The judging panel visits the finalists to see the case studies in action and speak with the team. After that, they convene to select each of the four category winners, the Education Focus Prize winner and winner of the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award.
Ka toro atu te paepae kaiwhakawā ki ngā whiringa toa kia kite i ngā mahi, ki te kōrero hoki ki te rōpū. Kātahi ka hui rātou ki te whakatau i ngā toa ki ngā wāhanga e whā, te toa o te Taonga Mātauranga, me te toa o te Tohu Nui a te Pirimia.
What the judges look for
We asked past judges how to write a successful entry. Watch the video to see what they had to say.
Tā ngā kaiwhakawā e kimi ana
I ui mātou ki ngā kaiwhakawā o mua mō te pēheatanga o tuhi tono kia angitu. Mātakihia te ataata kia rongo i ngā kōrero.
The judging panel will review the entries to identify the extent to which each case study shows:
Ka arotakengia ngā tono e te paepae kaiwhakawā kia tautuhi i te meatanga a ia o ngā wānanga i:
- change that reflects best evidence of what works to improve outcomes for children and young people
- the use of curriculum and strategies developed in New Zealand
- clear improvement in outcomes for children and young people – social, cultural and academic
- that the improvements achieved are ongoing – i.e. that they were sustained over at least two years
- evidence that your team’s entry has integrated the three elements of the Education Excellence Framework.
- te kaha hiki i te whainga huanga ki tā ngā taunakitanga i kī ai mō ngā mahi whai hua mā ngā tamariki me ngā taiohi katoa
- te whai i ngā marautanga me ngā rautaki i waihangatia i Aotearoa tonu
- te huanga pai mai mō ngā tamariki me ngā taiohi katoa – ā-pāpori, ā-ahurea, āmātarunaga hoki
- te ritenga tonutanga o ngā tutukitanga – ana, ko neke atu i ngā tau e rua e tautīnei ana
- te taunakitanga e whakaatu mai ana i tā tō tīma whakaurunga pāhekoheko i ngā huanga e toru o te Papa Kairangi.