Te Kōhanga Reo o Awhina Te Kaahui Nohinohi

1 He Kupu Arataki

Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ngā whānau, ngā kaiārahi, ngā kaimahi me ngā hapori ki te whakawhanake i ngā tirohanga aromātai e whai wāhi nui ai ki te hāpai i te kawenga takohanga me te whakapaitanga, ki te tautuhi i te ahu whakamua, ā, ki te whakapakari ake hoki i te āheinga ki te aromātai. E hāngai ana tēnei pūrongo ki ā rātou pūnaha, ā rātou whakaritenga, me ā rātou whakahaeretanga. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā hapū me ngā iwi. 

2 Te Horopaki 

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo o Āwhina Te Kaahui Nohinohi ki Naenae, ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Kua raihanatia te kōhanga reo mō ngā mokopuna 50, me te 12 o rātou ki raro i te rua o ngā tau te pakeke. E noho ngākau nui ana te whānau ki te reo Māori, ki ngā tikanga Māori, ki te mātauranga Māori, me te whakawhiti hūrokuroku atu o ngā mokopuna ki te kura kaupapa Māori. 

I kitea ki te aromātai a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā whakaritenga Mana Whakahaere i te Mahuru o te tau 2023, kei te hāpai, kei te whai wāhi nui hoki ngā uara o te whanaungatanga ki te āhua o ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau ki te kōhanga reo. He pakari ngā tukanga kāwana, ā, kei te hāpai i te ako me te atawhai i ngā mokopuna. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakapuaki mai o ngā mokopuna i tō rātou tuakiri hei mokopuna o te ao Māori? 

Ka whakamana ngā mokopuna i tō rātou tuakiri, ā, ka whakapuaki nuitia ō rātou hononga ki ngā taonga tuku iho. 

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga – Mana Mokopuna 

E rumakina ana ngā mokopuna ki te hōhonutanga o ngā wheako tūturu, ā, ka mātakina, ka kōrerohia, ka whakatinanahia hoki e rātou ngā uara i pou herea ai ki te ao Māori. He ngāwari te tautoko, te whāngai kupu, me te akiaki a ngā kaimahi, hei poipoi i te tū o ngā mokopuna ki te ārahi. Ka whakamahi ngā tuākana i te reo Māori ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou whakaaro i ngā horopaki ōkawa, ā, ka puta māhorahora hoki te reo. Kua tuitui i ngā pātai whānui me te tangongitanga o ngā waiata, ngā haka, ngā tohutohu, me te tāruarua ki te hōtaka akoranga, hei whakapakari i te whakawhanaketanga reo o ngā mokopuna me ngā puna kupu. Ka tohu ā-ringa, ā-kanohi hoki ngā pēpi me ngā tēina, ka whakaputa oro hoki, hei whakaatu i tō rātou māramatanga. Ka whakatairangatia te mōhiotanga o ngā mokopuna ki ō rātou hononga ā-whakapapa ki a rātou anō, ki te whenua hoki, mā te taki i ō rātou pepeha. Ka whai whakaaro nui ngā tuākana i a rātou e āta tautoko ana i ō rātou tēina. Kei te tākare te whai wāhi atu a ngā kaimahi me ngā mokopuna ki ngā taumahi ako ngahau, ā, he auaha, he pārekareka hoki. Ko ngā menemene me ngā katakata o ngā mokopuna e whakaatu ana i tō rātou manawa reka me tō rātou harikoa. 

Kei te muramura, kei te hihiri, kei te rāhiri hoki te taiao ako o roto. Kua taunga ki ngā mokopuna ngā wāhi ako me ngā tūmomo tikanga e whai pānga ana ki ia wāhi. E poipoi ana te wāhi o waho i te taha tūhura, e hāpai ana i ngā mokopuna ki te whai wāhi atu ki te tangongitanga o ngā taumahi, ki te taunekeneke anō hoki ki waenga i a rātou anō. Ka whakapā atu ngā mokopuna ki te tangongitanga o ngā rauemi e whakaongaonga ana i ō rātou ngākau nuitanga. Ka akiaki ngā kaimahi i ngā taunekeneke e whai pūtake ana, ā, ka toro atu ki ngā mokopuna, i a rātou e tūhura haere ana i tō rātou taiao, e whai ana hoki i ō rātou ngākau nuitanga. Ka whakamihi, ka akiaki hoki ngā kaimahi i ngā wā katoa, hei rautaki e whakatairanga ana i te ngākau titikaha ō ngā mokopuna. E puāwai ana ngā mokopuna ki tētahi taiao e poipoi ana i tō rātou waiora, e whakapūmau ana i tō rātou tuakiri ā-ahurea, ā, e tuitui hūrokuroku ana i te aronga toi whenuatanga ki te ao Māori. 

E whai hua ana te whakahaeretanga o ngā take kaimahi, mā ngā tuhinga whiwhi mahi pērā i ngā kirimina mahi a ia kaimahi, i ngā tuhinga tūranga mahi, me ngā tuhinga kua manatokotia mō te arowhai i te haumaru o ngā kaimahi. E hāpai ana ngā arotake whaiaro i te tupu me te whakawhanaketanga o ngā kaimahi. Kua whai wāhi atu ana ngā kaimahi ki ngā hōtaka whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio, tae atu hoki ki te Child Matters – Child Protection Training. Ko ngā mokopuna kei te pūtake o ngā whakataunga a te whānau katoa, me te hāngai pū o te titiro ki tā rātou ako, me tō rātou waiora tonu. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

E whakaae ana hoki te whānau, ki te haere tonutanga o te aronga e whakatairanga ai i te kounga o te ako me ngā putanga ki ngā mokopuna. E tautoko ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i taua tūāhuatanga hei whakaritenga matua ka whai ake e ārahi ai i te ahu whakamua o te whānau ki ā rātou whāinga. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna nā te hāngaitanga pū o ngā aronga. 

5 Te Whakatau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te arotake, i tirohia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha ki te whakahaere i ngā wāhanga e whai ake nei, arā, ki:

• te haumaru ā-whatumanawa, tae atu ki te ārahi mauritau me te ārai tamariki
• te haumaru ā-tinana, tae atu ki te mātakitaki tamariki, ngā whakaritenga whakamoe, ngā aituā, te whāngai rongoā; me ngā kaupapa here, ngā tukanga hoki mō ngā haerenga whakawaho
• te tū tika o ngā kaimahi, tae atu ki te tika o ngā tohu mātauranga, ngā mahi arowhai a ngā pirihimana, me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaiako me te tamaiti 
• ngā whakaritenga ohotata me ngā tikanga ohotata e pā ana ki te rū whenua, te ahi, te waipuke, te tai āniwhaniwha, me te mate urutā. 

Darcy Te Hau
Toka-ā-Nuku
Te Uepū-a-Motu – Māori Services

5 Paengawhāwhā, 2024

6 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Kōhanga Reo

1 Introduction

The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with whānau, leaders, kaimahi and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability. This report reflects their systems, operations and management practices. ERO reports provide important information for hapū and iwi. 

2 Context 

Te Kōhanga Reo o Awhina Te Kaahui Nohinohi is in Naenae, Wellington. The kōhanga reo is licensed to cater for 50 mokopuna including up to 12 under two years of age. Whānau are dedicated to te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and seamless transition for mokopuna into kura kaupapa Māori.

The ERO September 2023 evaluation of Mana Whakahaere practices found the values of whanaungatanga supported and were reflected in how the whānau managed the operations of the kōhanga. Sound governance processes supported overall learning and care of mokopuna.

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do mokopuna express their identity as mokopuna o te ao Maori?

Mokopuna embrace their identity showcasing their connection to their cultural heritage.

4 Mana Mokopuna

Mokopuna are immersed in rich authentic experiences where they observe, converse, and embody values underpinned by te ao Māori. Kaimahi provide gentle support, prompts and encouragement to foster mokopuna leadership roles. Tuākana use te reo Māori to express themselves in both formal settings and spontaneous ways. Open ended questions and a range of waiata, haka, instructions, and repetition are integrated into the learning programme to build mokopuna language development and vocabulary. Pēpi and tēina use hand actions, facial expressions and sounds to demonstrate their understanding. Mokopuna knowledge of their whakapapa links to each other and whenua are enhanced through reciting their pepehā. Tuākana are considerate as they confidently support their tēina. Kaimahi and mokopuna enthusiastically participate in learning activities that are fun, creative, and enjoyable. Mokopuna smile and laugh as an expression of satisfaction and happiness. 

The indoor learning environment is colourful, vibrant and welcoming. Mokopuna are familiar with the learning spaces and the associated tikanga for each area. The outdoor area fosters exploration, enabling mokopuna to engage in various activities and interact with each other. Mokopuna access a wide range of resources that stimulate their interests. Kaimahi encourage meaningful interactions and engage with mokopuna as they explore their taiao and pursue their interests. Constant praise and encouragement are strategies used by kaimahi to promote mokopuna confidence. Mokopuna thrive in an environment that nurtures their wellbeing, upholds their cultural identity and seamlessly integrates a sense of belonging in te ao Māori.

Personnel matters are efficiently managed with employment documentation comprising of individual employment agreements, position descriptions and verified kaimahi safety checks. Self-appraisals contribute to the growth and development of kaimahi. Kaimahi have participated professional development and learning programmes, including Child Matters - Child Protection Training. Mokopuna are the focus of collective whānau decision making, prioritising their learning and overall wellbeing. 

Key Next Steps

Whānau agree to a continued approach to enhance the quality of learning and outcomes for mokopuna. ERO supports this as a key next step in guiding whānau towards their goals. Mokopuna benefit from focussed approaches.

5 Kōhanga Whānau Assurance on Legal Requirement

During the evaluation, ERO looked at systems for managing the following areas:

• emotional safety including positive guidance and child protection.
• physical safety including supervision, sleep procedures, accidents, medication, excursion policy and procedures.
• suitable staffing including appropriate qualifications, police vetting, ratios.
• emergency procedures and practices for earthquakes, fire, flood, tsunami and pandemic.

Darcy Te Hau
Toka-ā-Nuku – Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

5 April 2024

6 Information about the Kōhanga Reo