Te Kete Hono Announces Winding Down, Passes The Baton To New Global Owner, And Celebrates Legacy

Te Kete Hono, a social impact educational enterprise founded to enhance teaching and learning across New Zealand, has announced the winding down of its operations at the end of 2024. Since its establishment in January 2022, Te Kete Hono has impacted over 25,000 learners in more than 60 schools with digital tools that support effective teaching practices, improve student agency, and strengthen home-school partnerships.

This transition comes amidst significant changes within the New Zealand education landscape, including recent policy adjustments, curriculum changes, and funding constraints affecting Professional Learning and Development (PLD) providers across the sector.

Despite these challenges, Te Kete Hono is delighted to announce a significant step forward for its flagship tools, including SchoolTalk, Engagement Sliders, and the Agency Survey Tool. The organisation has partnered with Talink, a New Zealand-founded global software company, which will carry forward these tools through a new entity, Progressify. As of November 1, 2024, Progressify will take ownership of Te Kete Hono’s educational products, investing in their ongoing development and expansion.

Passing the Baton

Te Kete Hono’s winding down will mark the end of an impactful journey, but its tools and mission live on through Progressify. The organisation extends its deepest gratitude to its partners, funders, and the many educators and families who have been part of this vibrant community. The Te Kete Hono team is confident that Progressify will continue to evolve these resources, ensuring their positive impact reaches beyond New Zealand.

“We’re excited to build on the work Te Kete Hono started,” says Richard Doig, Director of Talink and CEO of Progressify. “We see tremendous potential in enhancing these products for both local and international markets. Progressify will focus on developing Version 2.0 of SchoolTalk over the next few months and strengthening our presence in New Zealand and Australia before expanding further.”

A Legacy of Innovation and Impact

Te Kete Hono was born out of a collaboration between Stonefields Collaborative Trust (SCT) and the Hugh Green Foundation (HGF) to improve educational equity and outcomes for New Zealand learners. With a mission to transform evidence-based teaching practices into scalable digital tools, Te Kete Hono developed SchoolTalk and other resources designed to empower teachers and engage students in their own learning journey.

In three short years, Te Kete Hono’s tools have reached over 60 schools and contributed to accelerated student progress. SchoolTalk, the flagship platform, has provided a curriculum-aligned progression tracking system, helping students become self-directed learners and enabling teachers to design interventions tailored to their students’ unique needs.

Supporting Digital Equity for New Zealand Schools

Te Kete Hono also prioritised digital equity, partnering with the EPIT philanthropic foundation to reach schools in high-equity-need areas. Through this program, 19 schools received free access to SchoolTalk and associated support resources, bridging digital divides and providing transformative learning opportunities to underserved students and whānau in remote and rural communities.

“SchoolTalk has brought transparency to our classrooms, allowing students and parents to engage directly with learning goals. We’ve seen incredible strides in student independence and learning progress,” says a Year 7/8 Teacher and SchoolTalk user.

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