Te Pukeiti Early Childhood Centre

1 He Kupu Arataki

Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me ngā kaiārahi, ngā whānau, ngā kaiako me ngā hapori o ngā Puna Reo, o ngā Whare Kōhungahunga rānei 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.

2 Te Horopaki

 E tū ana Te Whare Kōhungahunga o Te Pukeiti ki Te Kūiti. Kua raihanatia te whare kōhungahunga ki te whakarato i te mātauranga me te atawhai mō te rā katoa ki ngā mokopuna 50, ā, kia 15 o rātou ki raro i te rua o ngā tau. E kawea ana e te kaiwhakahaere o te whare kōhungahunga ngā whakaritenga ratonga o ia rā, ā, ka whakarato hoki i te tautoko ngaio ki ngā kaimahi whakaako. Tekau mā rima ngā kaimahi, ā, kua whai tohu mātauranga, kua tiwhiketetia hoki ētahi hei kaiako mātauranga kōhungahunga, ā, he tātai whakapapa tō te nuinga ki a Ngāti Maniapoto. E kāwanatia ana rātou e Te Poari Māori o Maniapoto, ā, ka mahi ngātahi ki te whānau me te hapori ki te whakarato i te kounga o te atawhai me te mātauranga ki ngā uri o Maniapoto. Ka whai wāhi atu te ratonga ki tētahi rautaki mātauranga whānui e wawatatia ana kia harikoa ngā whānau o te Maniapoto i roto i te mātauranga, kia whai wāhi atu hoki ki ngā wheako mātauranga e whai pūtake ana, e tika ana hoki, ā, kia rongo i te angitu ā-mātauranga hei uri o Maniapoto.

‘Pukeikura uri whakaheke ko āmua.’

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakapuaki mai o ngā tamariki i tō rātou tuakiri me tō rātou aronga toi whenuatanga?

Ko te tuakiri me te aronga toi whenuatanga o ngā tamariki katoa e ahu mai ana i ngā taonga tuku iho a Maniapototanga mai i te matauranga o Te Pukeiti.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E ako ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao e whakanui ana i te Maniapototanga. Ka whai wāhi atu rātou ki ngā tikanga e noho tūturu ana ki a Maniapoto. Ka taki ngā tamariki i te pepeha o tō rātou whenua, ka karanga i ō rātou hoa i ngā wā whāriki me ngā wā kai. Ka rongo, ka kōrero hoki rātou i te reo o Maniapoto. Ka rongo rātou i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki ō rātou tūpuna, ā, ka hīkoi haere i ia te wā ki te marae, te awa, te urupā, me ētahi atu wāhi whakahirahira o te takiwā e hāpai ai i tā rātou ako i ngā hītori o te wāhi. E hāpaitia ana ngā kaimahi e ngā kaumātua o te hapori kia whanake tō rātou mōhiotanga me tō rātou māramatanga ki Ngā Tamariki o Rereahu. Ka ahu mai te marautanga ā-hapori i ngā kōrero tuku iho e pā ana ki ngā tūpuna rangatira me ō rātou pūmanawa, ā, ka whai wāhi nui kia kite, kia rongo hoki ngā tamariki i ngā taonga tuku iho a Maniapoto, puta noa i te rā.

He māhorahora te tiaki a ngā tuākana i ngā tēina me ngā pēpi. Ka tautoko rātou i ngā tēina, ā, ka aro nui hoki ki ō rātou matea. Ka toro atu ngā tēina ki te ārahitanga me te tautoko o ō rātou tuākana. He tākare te tūhura haere a ngā pēpi i tō rātou taiao. Ka poipoi ngā kaimahi i te tū takitahi, ā, ka akiaki hoki i te taha tūhura o ngā tamariki. Ka whakamanawa rātou i ngā pēpi, mā te noho tata, ā, mā te mārie me te ngāwari o ā rātou mahi. Ka aroha, ka whakaute, ka aro nui hoki ngā kaimahi, ā, ka toro atu rātou ki ngā pēpi ki te tākaro ki te taha o ētahi atu. Ka ako ngā pēpi ki tētahi taiao manaaki, e tautoko ana i a rātou.

E āta whakaaro nuitia ana te ako a ngā tamariki. He whai wāhitanga mō rātou ki te ārahi i ētahi āhuatanga o te hōtaka. Ka whakarato ngā kaimahi i ngā wheako whakaongaonga me ngā taumahi e akiaki ai i te taha tūhura o ngā tamariki. E wātea ana ngā tamariki ki te whai i ō rātou ake ngākau nuitanga, ā, ka whai wāhi nui hoki ki te maha o ngā taumahi ako e wātea ana. Ka toro atu ngā kaimahi ki ngā whai wāhitanga ki te tautoko me te whakawhānui ake i ngā akoranga. E whiwhi ana ngā tamariki i ngā aronga whakaako e whai pūtake ana, ā, e whakawhanake ana rātou i tō rātou tino māramatanga ki a rātou anō, ki tō rātou tūrangawaewae hoki.

Ka mahi ngātahi ngā kaimahi ki te whakatairanga i te aronga toi whenuatanga o ngā tamariki, ā, ki te poipoi hoki i tō rātou tuakiri motuhake hei uri o Maniapoto. Ka whakanuia ngā tūpuna rangatira o Maniapoto, ā, ka hapahapai ō rātou pūmanawa, me ō rātou āhua. Kua takune te poipoi o ngā kaimahi i aua pūmanawa i roto i ngā tamariki e tiakina ana e rātou. Ka whakamaheretia ngā kaupapa katoa nā te whai hononga, nā te hono pū rānei o aua kaupapa ki te Maniapototanga. He maha ngā whai wāhitanga o ngā tamariki e whakahonohono ana i a rātou ki ō rātou tūpuna me ngā kōrero tuku iho a te iwi.

Kua āta whakaritea ngā mahere ako a ngā tamariki, ā, ka hāpai ēnei i ō rātou ngākau nuitanga me ō rātou matea. Ka whai ngā aromatawai i tētahi whakatakotoranga paki ako, ā, kua hopukina ngā akoranga me te ahu whakamua i roto i te roanga o te wā. Hui ai ngā kaimahi i ia te wā ki te whakawhiti kōrero mō ngā take e pā ana ki te akomanga. Ka puta i ā rātou whakawhitinga whakaaro, ko ngā whakarerekētanga, ko ngā whai wāhitanga ako ngaio, me te whakahoutanga ake o ngā kaupapa here. Ka kitea te aromātai, me te hāngai pū o taua mahi ki te whakapai haere. Ko te aronga toi whenuatanga me te tuakiri o ngā tamariki, e poipoia ana mā te ahurea ake o Maniapoto.

He hononga whai pūtake ō ngā whānau ki Te Whare Kōhungahunga o Te Pukeiti. E ai ki ngā mema o te whānau i kōrero ai ki Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, i whiriwhiri rātou i Te Pukeiti nā te āhua tonu o te noho ā-whānau me te rongo i te aroha. E wawata ana rātou mō te mātauranga o te ao Māori, ā, ka whakamana rātou i te reo Māori. E titiro whakamua ana ngā whānau ki te whiriwhiri i tētahi kura o te hapori e pakari ana i roto i te Maniapototanga, ā, e whakarato ana i ngā whiringa reo rua, rumaki reo Māori rānei. Ka rongo te whānau i te kaha o te tautoko. I te wā o te urutā Kowheori-19, he kaha te whakawhitinga kōrero me te ārahitanga i whiwhi ai rātou. Ka rongo ngā tamariki me ō rātou whānau i ngā hononga whakawhirinaki, me ngā hononga tautoko.

E whai wāhi atu ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao ako e whakanui ana i ngā taonga tuku iho a Maniapoto. Ka whai pānga nui te whare kōhungahunga ki te rautaki whānui a te iwi, arā, kia whai oranga, kia tū pakari, kia puāwai hoki hei uri o Ngāti Maniapoto. Ka aro pū ki a Maniapoto i roto i ngā mahi kāwana, ā, kua whakatakotohia ngā hanganga kia āta whai māramatanga ai ngā kawenga mahi me ngā takohanga. He kounga te ārahitanga o te kaiwhakahaere o te whare kōhungahunga, ā, ka pūrongo ki te pou whakahaere me te tumu whakarae. Ka ārahi ngā mahere rautaki me ngā mahere ā-tau i ngā whāinga mō meāke nei, i ngā wawata o te whānau, ā, i ngā whakahaeretanga hoki o ia rā. Ka āta whakatau ngā tukanga o roto i te whakatutukitanga pai o ngā take whakahaere. E hāngai ana te arotake kaupapa here ki te wā, ka tū auau, ā, kua tau pai te mahi hei āhuatanga tonu o ngā mahi whakahaere i te whare kōhungahunga. Ko ngā tukanga kaimahi e āta whakapūmau ana i te tautoko e tika ana ki a rātou. Ka puta i ngā arohaehae, ko te tangongitanga o ngā tūmomo whai wāhitanga ako ngaio o roto, o waho hoki. He auau te toro atu a Te Pukeiti ki te hapori, ā, kua whakaritea hoki ngā hononga ki ngā kura o te takiwā nei. Ko te whakawhanake i te tuakiri o ngā tamariki hei uri o Maniapoto, i tō rātou aronga toi whenuatanga hoki, kei te pūtake o ngā mahi whakahaere me ngā tukanga whakahaere.  

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake 

Ahakoa he marautanga motuhake e pā ana ki a Maniapoto, e mōhio ana ngā kaiārahi me ngā kaimahi, e tika ana kia whakawhanake tonuhia te mōhiotanga o ngā kaimahi ki Ngā Tamariki o Rereahu, ā, kia piki ake hoki te whakamahinga o te reo Māori. Ko te āta whakapūmau i te marautanga motuhake o te whare kōhungahunga, ka whakatairanga tonu ake i ngā putanga ki ngā tamariki.  

5 Te Whakatau a te Whakahaere 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.

Ki tā ngā herenga, mā ngā ratonga mātauranga kōhungahunga katoa e whakatairanga te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, ā, mā rātou anō e arotake i ia te wā, tā rātou whakatutukitanga o ngā herenga ā-ture.

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me ngā kaiārahi o te puna reo, kia whakapūmau tonuhia te marautanga motuhake o Maniapoto, mā te whakawhanake tonu i te mōhiotanga o ngā kaimahi ki Ngā Tamariki o Rereahu, ki te reo Māori hoki.   

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

06 Haratua, 2022

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Whare Kōhungahunga

Te tūwāhi		Kei Te Kūiti
Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga		46211
Te tūmomo raihana		He Ratonga Mātauranga me te Atawhai
Te raihana		Ngā Ture Mātauranga (Ratonga Kōhungahunga) 2008
Te tokomaha mō te raihana		50, kia 15 ki raro i te rua o ngā tau
Te tokomaha kei runga i te rārangi ingoa		46, 11 kei raro i te rua o ngā tau
Ngā hononga ā-iwi		Māori 36, Pākehā 5, Iwi kē 5
Te ōrau o ngā kaimahi kua whakawhiwhia ki ngā tohu mātauranga		80%+
Te tatauranga i pūrongotia ai, ki waenga i ngā kaimahi me ngā tamariki	Ki raro i te rua o ngā tau	1:3	He pai ake i ngā herenga tikanga mōkito
	Ki runga ake i te rua tau	1:7	He pai ake i ngā herenga tikanga mōkito
Te wā i te whare kōhungahunga te rōpū arotake		Hui-tanguru 2022
Te wā o tēnei pūrongo		6 Haratua 2022
Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga		Arotake Mātauranga, Haratua 2018; Arotake Mātauranga, Hakihea 2015

1 Introduction

The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with Puna Reo or Whare Kōhungahunga leaders, whānau, kaiako and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability.

2 Context

Te Pukeiti Early Childhood Centre is in Te Kūiti. The centre is licensed to provide full day education and care for 50 mokopuna including up to 15 under two years of age. A centre manager oversees the day-to-day operation of the service and provides teaching staff with professional support. The staff of 15 include qualified and certified early childhood teachers and almost all whakapapa to Maniapoto. They are governed by the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and partner with whānau and community to provide quality care and education for descendants of Maniapoto. The service contributes to a wider education strategy that aims for Maniapoto whānau to be happy in education, engage in meaningful and appropriate educational experiences and enjoy educational success as Maniapoto.

‘Pukeikura uri whakaeke ko āmua - Our treasures, our future’.

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do tamariki express their identity and belonging?

All Tamariki identity and belonging is grounded in the heritage of Maniapototanga delivered through the curriculum of Te Pukeiti.

4 Findings

Tamariki learn in an environment that celebrates Maniapototanga. They participate in tikanga practices that are authentic to Maniapoto. Tamariki recite the pepeha of their whenua, use karanga to call their peers to mat time and for kai. They hear and speak te reo o Maniapoto. They hear stories about their tūpuna and undertake regular walks to marae, awa, urupā and other local places of significance to support their learning of local histories. Kaimahi are supported by local kaumātua to develop their knowledge and understanding of Ngā Tamariki o Rereahu. Revered tūpuna and their attributes form a unique localised curriculum that supports Maniapoto heritage to be seen and heard by tamariki throughout the day. 

Tuakana naturally care for teina and pēpi. They are supportive of teina and responsive to their needs.  Teina look to their tuakana for guidance and support. Pēpi eagerly explore their environment. Kaimahi foster independence and encourage exploration. They reassure pēpi by sitting nearby and through their calm and gentle ways. Kaimahi are loving, respectful, responsive and invite pēpi to play alongside each other. Pēpi learn in a caring and supportive environment.

Tamariki learning is well considered. They have opportunities to lead aspects of the programme.  Kaimahi provide stimulating experiences and activities that encourage tamariki exploration. Tamariki are free to follow their own interests and enjoy the many learning activities available. Kaimahi seek opportunities to support and extend learning. Tamariki enjoy purposeful teaching approaches and are developing a strong understanding of who they are and where they are from.

Kaimahi work collaboratively to promote tamariki belonging and nurture their unique identity as descendants of Maniapoto. Renowned tūpuna of Maniapoto are promoted and their characteristics and dispositions are championed. Kaimahi are intentional in nurturing these traits in the tamariki they care for. All kaupapa are planned to either have direct or indirect links to Maniapototanga. Tamariki have plentiful opportunities that connect them with their tūpuna and iwi stories.

Tamariki have bespoke learning plans that support their interests and needs. Assessments follow a learning story format and record learning and progress over time. Kaimahi meet regularly to discuss matters pertaining to the akomanga. Their discussions lead to change, professional learning opportunities, and policy updates. Evaluation is evident and reflects a culture that is improvement focused. Tamariki belonging and identity are nurtured in the unique culture of Maniapoto.

Whānau experience meaningful connections to Te Pukeiti Early Childhood Centre. Whānau members who talked to ERO shared, they choose Te Pukeiti for ‘the whānau feel and the feeling of 'aroha'. They aspire for te ao Māori education and value te reo Māori’. Whānau envision choosing a local school that is strong in Maniapototanga and offers bilingual or full immersion reo Māori language options. Whānau feel well supported. They experienced good communication and guidance throughout the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic. Tamariki and their whānau experience trusting and supportive relationships.

Tamariki experience a learning environment that celebrates the heritage of Maniapoto. The centre is an integral part of a wider iwi strategy to live, breathe and prosper as descendants of Ngāti Maniapoto. There is a deliberate Maniapoto approach to governance with structures in place to ensure clarity of responsibility and accountability. The centre manager provides quality leadership and reports regularly to pou manager or chief executive. Strategic and annual plans guide future goals, whānau aspirations and day-to-day operations. Internal processes ensure operational matters are well attended to. Policy review is current, regular and a normal part of centre business. Personnel processes ensure kaimahi are well supported.  Appraisals lead to a variety of professional learning opportunities both internal and external. Te Pukeiti has regular community engagement and has established relationships with local schools. Developing tamariki identity as Maniapoto and their sense of belonging are at the heart of management practices and processes. 

Key Next Steps

While there is a unique Maniapoto curriculum in place, leaders and kaimahi acknowledge there is a need to continue developing kaimahi knowledge of Ngā Tamariki o Rereahu and to increase the use of te reo Māori.  Embedding the services unique curriculum will further improve outcomes for tamariki.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

During the evaluation, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

• emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)

• physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)

• suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)

• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

6 Recommendation

ERO and the puna leadership recommends continuing to embed the unique Maniapoto curriculum by further developing kaimahi knowledge of Ngā Tamariki o Rereahu and the use of te reo Māori.

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

6 May 2022

7 Information about the Whare Kōhungahunga

Location		Te Kūiti
Ministry of Education profile number		46211
Licence type		Education & Care Service
Licensed under		Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for		50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2
Service roll		46 children, including 11 aged under 2
Ethnic composition		Māori 36, NZ European/Pākehā 5, other ethnic groups 5
Percentage of qualified teachers		80% +
Reported ratios of staff to children	Under 2	1:3	Better than minimum requirements
	Over 2	1:7	Better than minimum requirements
Review team on site		February 2022
Date of this report		6 May 2022
Most recent ERO report(s)		Education Review, May 2018; Education Review, December 2015