Te Kōhanga Reo o Tūraki Ao

1 Te Horopaki

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo o Tūraki Ao ki Elgin, i Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa. He tino hononga tō rātou ki ngā iwi o te rohe o te Tai Rāwhiti. Hei te tau 2018 rātou whakanui ai i te ekenga o te kōhanga reo ki te 30 o ngā tau e whakahaerehia ana, ā, e whakariterite ana mō aua whakanuitanga i tēnei wā tonu. He mārama ngā wawata o te whānau mō ā rātou tamariki, arā, kia ako rātou i te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. He mātanga te kaiako, ā, he kaha tōna ārahi ngaio i te kōhanga reo.

2 Ngā Whakaaturanga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa ngā tamariki e whakaatu i tō rātou māramatanga ki te whanaungatanga?

Ka kitea te tino māramatanga o ngā tamariki ki te whanaungatanga i roto i ō rātou hononga ki ētahi atu.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

E ako ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao e āta poipoi ana i ō rātou hononga ki ō rātou tīpuna. Ka whakarato ngā kaimahi i tētahi hōtaka akoranga e arotahi ana ki ngā atua Māori. Ka taki ngā tamariki i ngā ingoa o ngā atua, ā, ka kōrero hoki rātou mō te whai wāhi pānga nui me te tūnga o ngā atua Māori ki tō rātou ao. Ka whakamahi ngā kaimahi i ngā māra kai hei hāpai i te ako a ngā tamariki ki te hauhake whenua, te whakatō, me te whakatupu i ngā huawhenua, hei āhuatanga tonu o te ako i a Rongomātāne. E mōhio ana ngā tamariki ki ngā ingoa o ngā taputapu māra, me ngā tūmomo whakamahinga o aua taputapu hei tiaki i te māra kai. E hāpai ana ngā mōteatea i te ako a ngā tamariki i ngā tīpuna o te Tai Rāwhiti, me ngā kōrero tuku iho e pā ana ki a Paoa me te waka o Horouta. E akiaki ana ngā kaimahi i te whai wāhi mai o ngā tamariki ki ngā tikanga, mā ngā whakatau, ngā karakia, ngā mihi, me ngā waiata. E whanake ana te noho mōhio o ngā tamariki ki tō rātou whai wāhi nui ki te ao.

E hāpaitia ana te māramatanga o ngā tamariki ki tō rātou tuakiri. Ka whakarato ngā kaimahi i tētahi taiao e poipoi ana i te whakapapa. Ka tautoko rātou i te whakapuakitanga o ngā tamariki i ō rātou pepeha me ō rātou whakapapa, ā, e hāpai ana tēnei i te māramatanga o ngā tamariki ki ō rātou hononga ā-whānau. Ka whakaatuhia hoki ki ngā pakitara, ā, ki ngā pūkete anō hoki a ia tamaiti. Ko ngā haerenga ki te marae e whakawhānui ake anō ngā tamariki i ō rātou mōhiotanga ki ō rātou whakapapa. Ka whakanuia e ngā kaimahi ngā whakamātau a ngā tamariki, i a rātou e mārama haere ana ki a rātou anō. E mōhio ana ngā tamariki ki a rātou anō me tō rātou tūrangawaewae.

E ako ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao ratarata, rerehua hoki. Kua whakaritea e ngā kaimahi ngā hononga o te aroha me te manaaki ki ngā tamariki. Ka akiaki rātou i ngā tamariki tuākana kia whai manaakitanga ā rātou taunekeneke ki ō rātou tēina. Ko ngā taumahi ako me ngā taumahi tākaro he whai wāhitanga mō ngā tuākana ki te hāpai i ngā tēina. Ka hāpai anō hoki ngā kaimahi i ngā tēina ki te haereere puta noa i te wāhi nei. Ka kitea te ngākau nuitanga o ngā tēina ki te tākaro ki te taha o ō rātou hoa me ngā pākeke. Ko ngā whakaahua o ngā tamariki i te hōtaka akoranga e hāpai ana i tō rātou mōhiotanga ki a rātou anō, me te kōrero anō hoki mō rātou ko ō rātou hoa, ki te taha tonu o ngā kaimahi. Ka tautokona ngā tamariki e mau nei i ngā matea ako ake. Ka hāpai ngā kaimahi i tā rātou whai wāhi ki te hōtaka akoranga, i runga anō i te āhua o te noho ā-whānau. Kei te harikoa, kei te mauritau hoki te āhua o ngā tamariki.

E whanake ana ngā pūkenga o ngā tamariki ki te whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro mā te reo Māori. He mārama ngā wawata o te whānau mō ā rātou tamariki, kia ako rātou i te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. E ako ana ētahi o te whānau i te reo Māori, hei hāpai ake anō hoki i ā rātou tamariki i te kāinga. Ka whakamahi ngā kaimahi i te reo ā-iwi, ā, ka whakatauira anō hoki i ngā hanganga reo e tika ana, hei hāpai i te whakawhanaketanga reo o ngā tamariki. Ka whakamahia ngā waiata hei hāpai i te ako a ngā tamariki i ngā oro o ngā pū, me ngā ingoa o ngā tae, ngā tūāhua, me ngā kararehe. Ka kipakipa, ka akiaki hoki ngā kaimahi i ngā tamariki ki te whakautu pātai me te kōrero anō hoki mō ngā taumahi i ā rātou akoranga. Ka whakamahi ngā kaimahi i ngā karakia, ngā waiata, me ngā mihi hei hāpai i te whakamahinga o ngā tamariki i te reo Māori ki ngā horopaki ōkawa. Ka hāpai ngā kaimahi i ngā pēpi ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou whakaaro mā ō rātou nekehanga ā-tinana, ā-kanohi, ā-ringaringa hoki, hei whakaatu tonu i tō rātou māramatanga. E whanake ana ngā tamariki ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.

E ako ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao hihiri. Kua waihangatia te wāhi ako hei whakahihiri i ngā tamariki i roto i ā rātou akoranga. Kua whakaritea ngā wāhi mō ngā tuākana, ngā tēina, me ngā pēpi, kia āhei ai rātou ki te tūhura haere i roto i ngā wāhi e hāngai pū ana ki ō rātou reanga. He pai te whakatakotoranga o ngā rūma, he nui ngā rauemi o roto, ā, he muramura hoki. He maha ngā whakaaturanga o ngā mahi a ngā tamariki. He papa tākaro kei te wāhi o waho, he māra kai hoki, ā, i aua wāhi hoki e whakatairangatia ana nga mahi tākaro, te tūhura auaha, me te atawhai hoki i te taiao. He mauritau ngā tamariki ki te taiao o te kōhanga reo.

Te Whakamahere me te Aromātai

E hangaia ana ngā akoranga a ngā tamariki, ā, e whai pūtake ana hoki. Ka mahi ngātahi ngā kaimahi ki te whakamahere i te hōtaka akoranga. He mārama ngā tūmanako, ā, e ahu mai ana ēnei i Te Whāriki, e hono ana anō hoki ki te tirohanga whānui ā-tau, ngā mahere ā-wāhanga me ngā mahere ā-wiki, ngā kaupapa whānui, me ngā kaupapa whāiti. Ka whakaatu ngā kaimahi i ngā pūkete a ngā mokopuna ki ngā mātua, ā, e hāngai ana ēnei ki ā rātou akoranga. Whakaratohia ai e rātou i ia te wā, ko ngā pūrongo ki ngā hui ā-whānau. Ka whakamahia te poutama hei aroturuki i te whakawhanaketanga ā-tinana, ā-tangata hoki o ngā pēpi. Ka whakatakoto ētahi o ngā kaimahi i ā rātou kitenga ki ā rātou whakaritenga i ia rā. Ka whakaarohia te ako a ngā tamariki me ō rātou whakawhanaketanga.

E whai kawenga ana te whānau i roto i ā rātou mahi ki te whakahaere i te kōhanga reo. Ka whakarato ngā kaimahi i ngā pūrongo i ia te wā, mō te ako a ngā tamariki. Kei te kaiwhakahaere te kawenga ki te whakapūmau i te rere o ngā whakahaeretanga ki te kōhanga reo. Ka arotakengia ngā kaupapa here, kia hāngai tonu ai ēnei ki te rā, ā, kia tutukihia ai hoki ngā herenga ā-ture. E whakahaere ana te whānau i te kōhanga reo hei tino painga mō ā rātou tamariki.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka Whai Ake

Me whakapakari tonu i te aromātai o te hōtaka. Me arotake ngā kaimahi i te riterite o ā rātou mahi ki te whakapuaki i te hōtaka. Ahakoa ngā hononga ki waenga i ngā mahere me ngā aromatawai, ka whakapai ake anō hoki te auau o te aromātai hōtaka i te kounga o ngā akoranga a ngā tamariki.

Kāhore anō te whānau kia whakawhanake i tētahi mahere rautaki ka whakatinana haere i tā rātou ahu whakamua ā meāke nei. He mea nui kia tāutuhia ngā kaupapa matua ka ārahi i te whakamaheretanga o te ahu whakamua. Ka hāpai te aromātai o roto i te aroturuki a te whānau i te ahu whakamua me ngā whakatutukitanga.

Me whakawhanake ake i te arohaehae. Kāhore ngā mahi arohaehae e hāngai ana ki ngā tuhinga tūranga mahi, kāhore hoki e tū ana ngā huihuinga o ia te wā ki te whakawhiti kōrero mō te ahu whakamua, i runga anō i te āhua o ngā whāinga ngaio.

3 Te Whakatau a te Whānau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te aromātai, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha o te kōhanga reo ki te whakahaere i ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei e whai pānga nui ana ki te waiora o ngā tamariki:

• te haumaru whatumanawa (tāpiri atu ko te ārahi mauritau, ko te ārai tamariki)
• te haumaru ā-tinana (tāpiri atu ko te mātakitaki tamariki; ko ngā whakaritenga whakamoe; ko ngā aituā; ko te whāngai rongoā; ko ngā whakaritenga akuaku; ko ngā kaupapa here me ngā tikanga haerenga whakawaho)
• te tū tika o ngā kaimahi (tae atu ki ngā taumata tohu mātauranga; te arowhai a ngā pirihimana; ngā rēhitatanga kaiako; me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaiako me te tamaiti)
• ngā whakaritenga, tikanga hōneatanga e pā ana ki te ahi me te rū whenua.

Ko te tikanga, ka whakatairanga ngā kōhanga reo katoa i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, me te arotake anō hoki i ia te wā i tā rātou whakatutukitanga i ngā herenga ā-ture. Hei whakapai ake i āna whakaritenga, me tahuri te whānau ki te:

• ārahi me te tautoko i ngā kaimahi ki te aromātai i ia te wā, i te kounga o te whakapuakitanga ki te whakatutuki i te ako a ngā tamariki me ō rātou whakawhanaketanga
  [R 43 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; C1 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]
• āta whakarite i tētahi tukanga arotake whaiaro e haere ana i ia te wā, hei hāpai i te kōhanga reo ki te whakapūmau me te whakapai ake i te kounga o te mātauranga me te atawhai
  [R 46 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA6 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]
• āta whakarite i te whakatinanatanga i ia te wā o ngā mahi ki te arohaehae i ngā kaimahi katoa.
  [R 47 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA7 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]

4 Ngā Taunakitanga

I whakawhanakehia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me te whānau o te kōhanga reo ngā taunakitanga e whai ake nei, arā, kia:

• toro atu ki te tautoko ka whakapakari i te māramatanga ki ngā mahere rautaki me te aromātai o roto
• tahuri ngā kaimahi ki te whakawhanake i ngā rautaki ka whakapai ake i ngā whakaritenga e hāngai ana ki te kounga o ngā akoranga a ngā tamariki.

Hei ā hea Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga aromātai anō ai i te kōhanga reo?

Ka aromātai anō Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i Te Kōhanga Reo o Tūraki Ao i roto i te toru o ngā tau.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Kaiurungi Whakaturuki Arotake Māori

13 Whiringa ā-rangi, 2017

Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kōhanga reo

1 Context

Te Kohanga Reo o Tūraki Ao is located in Elgin, Gisborne. They have close connections with the tribes in the Tairāwhiti region. In 2018 they will celebrate 30 years in operation and are currently planning for those celebrations. The whānau has clear aspirations for their children to learn te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. The kaiako is highly experienced and provides strong professional leadership for the kōhanga reo.

2 The Evaluation Findings

How well do children show their understanding of whanaungatanga?

Children show a good understanding of whanaungatanga through their relationships with others.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

Children learn in an environment where connections to their ancestors are nurtured. Kaimahi provide a learning programme that focuses on atua Māori. Children recite the names and talk about the place and role atua Māori have in their physical world. Kaimahi use the māra kai to support children with preparing the whenua, planting and caring for vegetables as part of learning about Rongomātāne. Children know the names for garden tools and how to use these to care for the māra kai. Mōteatea are used to help children learn about Te Tairāwhiti tīpuna and histories related to Paoa and Horouta waka. Kaimahi encourage children to participate in practices of whakatau, karakia, mihi and waiata. Children are developing an awareness of where they fit in the world.

Children are supported to understand about their identity. Kaimahi provide an environment which fosters whakapapa. They support children to share their pepeha and whakapapa, which are used to help them understand their whānau links. These are displayed on the walls and included in their individual profiles. Trips to marae allow children to learn more about their whakapapa in a practical way. Kaimahi acknowledge children’s efforts as they grow their understanding of who they are. Children know who they are and where they come from.

Children’s learn in a friendly, welcoming environment. Kaimahi have established loving and caring relationships with children. They encourage the older children to interact in a caring way with tēina. Learning and play activities provide opportunities for tuākana to support tēina. Kaimahi support tēina to move freely in the environment. Tēina appear to enjoy playing with peers and adults. Photos of children in the learning programme help them with recognise and talk about themselves and others with kaimahi. Support for children with additional learning needs is provided. Kaimahi include them in the learning programme as part of the whānau. Children appear happy and secure.

Children are developing skills to communicate in te reo Māori. Whānau have clear aspirations for their children to learn te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. Some whānau are learning te reo Māori to support children at home. Kaimahi use the regional dialect and model correct language structures to support children’s language development. Waiata are used to help children to learn letter sounds, names for colours, shapes and animals. Kaimahi prompt and encourage children to reply to questions and talk about activities in their learning. Kaimahi use karakia, waiata and mihi to support children‘s use of te reo Māori in formal settings. Kaimahi allow babies to express themselves using their body, face and hands movements to show their understanding. Children are developing as speakers of te reo Māori.

Children learn in a vibrant environment. The learning environment is created to excite children in their learning. Designated areas for tuākana, tēina and pēpi enable them to explore in a space that is relevant for their age groups. The rooms are well organised, resourced, and colourful. There are lots of displays of children’s work. The outdoor area has a playground and māra kai that promotes play, creative exploration and care for the environment. Children are comfortable in the kōhanga reo environment.

Planning and Evaluation

Children learning is structured and purposeful. Kaimahi work collaboratively to plan the learning programme. There clear expectations based on Te Whāriki that link to the annual overview, term and weekly planning, kaupapa whānui and whāiti. Kaimahi share mokopuna profiles about their learning with parents. They regularly provide reports at hui-ā-whānau. A poutama is used to monitor babies’ physical and social development. Some kaimahi record daily observations about their practice. Children’s learning and development is considered.

Whānau are responsible managers of the kōhanga reo. Kaimahi provide regular reports about children’s learning. The kaiwhakahaere has responsibility for maintain kōhanga reo operations. Policies are reviewed to keep these up to date to meet legislative requirements. Whānau manage the kōhanga reo in the best interests of their children.

Key Next Steps

Programme evaluation requires strengthening. Kaimahi need to review consistency of their delivery practices. Although there are links between planning and assessment, regular programme evaluation will improve the quality of children’s learning.

The whānau have not developed a strategic plan to inform their future direction. It is important to identify priorities to guide forward planning. Internal evaluation will assist whānau with monitoring progress and achievement.

Appraisal requires further development. Appraisal practices do not reflect job descriptions or include regular meetings to discuss progress against professional goals.

3 Whānau Management Assurance on Compliance Areas

During the evaluation, ERO looked at the kōhanga reo 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 kōhanga reo are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. To meet the compliance requirements, the whānau must:

• provide guidance and support for staff to regularly evaluate the quality of delivery to cater for children’s learning and development
  [Regulations 43 (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; C1 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]

• ensure there is an ongoing process of self-review to help the kōhanga maintain and improve the quality of its education and care
  [R46 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; GMA6 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]

• ensure appraisal for all employed staff is regularly implemented.
  [R47 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, GMA7 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]

4 Recommendations

ERO and the Kōhanga Reo whānau developed the following recommendations:

• seek support to strengthen strategic planning and internal evaluation understanding

• kaimahi to develop strategies to improve practices related to the quality of children’s learning.

When is ERO likely to evaluate the kōhanga reo again?

The next ERO evaluation of Te Kōhanga Reo o Tūraki Ao will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Māori

13 November 2017

Information about the Kōhanga Reo