The contributions partial-immersion Maori programmes offer to the wider educational landscape of Aotearoa is essential to Maori achieving as Maori. In this article, partial-immersion settings are defined as Level 2 immersion (51%-- 80% te reo Maori instruction) and Level 3 immersion (31%--50% te reo Maori instruction). While lower levels of immersion can be less effective for language acquisition than full-immersion Maori environments (May et al., 2004), this study finds that partial-immersion programmes are perceived to produce beneficial outcomes in terms of ahurea tuakiri and culturally empowering practice.