Pōwhiri: A ritual of encounter framework for engaging with whānau

English-medium schools often find successful engagement with their Māori hapori and whānau challenging. This article endeavours to provide guidance to schools wanting to successfully and authentically engage with their Māori hapori and whānau. It suggests that adopting the pōwhiri ritual as the foundation of their whānau engagement strategy can considerably improve attendance at their hui. This article provides a framework which recognises the autonomy of schools to utilise the expertise of their Māori hapori to create a process that suits their particular context.