Te Kōhanga Reo Puāwai o Te Awamutu

1 Te Horopaki

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo Puāwai o Te Awamutu ki te tāone o Te Awamutu, ki te taha o Te Wānanga o Aotearoa me Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura. He hononga ā-whakapapa ō te nuinga o te whānau ki a Tainui. Kei roto te whānau i te purapura o Karioi. Ka whakawhiti atu te nuinga o ngā tamariki ki Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura.

2 Ngā Whakaaturanga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa ngā tamariki e whakaatu i te whanaungatanga?

Ka kitea ki ngā tamariki tō rātou māramatanga ki te whanaungatanga mā te āhua o ā rātou taunekeneke ki ētahi atu.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

E whai wāhi nui ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao e tautāwhitia ana rātou ki te whanaungatanga. Ka whakatauira te whānau i te whakaute, te manaaki, me te whai whakaaro nui hoki mō ētahi atu. He ngāwari ngā reo kōrero o ngā kaimahi ki te taha o ngā tamariki, ā, ka awhiawhi, ka kihi hoki rātou i ngā tamariki. Ka rāhiritia e rātou ngā tamariki ki ngā menemene me ngā ringa awhi. Nā aua tūāhuatanga, he ngākau aroha anō hoki ō ngā tamariki i a rātou e taunekeneke ana ki ō rātou hoa me ngā pakeke. Ka whakamahi ngā kaimahi i te reo ā-tinana, ā-kanohi hoki hei tohu i tō rātou tautoko i ngā mahi angitu a ngā tamariki. Ka whiriwhirihia tētahi tamaiti kē i ia rā ki te ārahi i ngā karakia. Ka kawe atu ngā kōtiro i te karanga e tohu ai kua horahia ngā tēpu mō te wā kai. Ka tūmāia ngā tamariki ki te whakatutuki i aua tikanga. Ka hāpaitia ngā hononga o te tuakana me te teina e ngā kaimahi. He manaakitanga tō ngā taunekeneke a ngā tuākana ki ō rātou tēina. Kei te haumaru, kei te mauritau hoki te āhua o ngā tamariki.

E whiwhi ana ngā tamariki i ngā akoranga e whai pānga matua ana ki tō rātou tuakiri hei tangata whenua. Ka whai te kōhanga reo i ngā tikanga me ngā kawa o Tainui. Kei te tino mōhio ngā kaimahi ki ngā tamariki, tae atu hoki ki ō rātou whakapapa. Ka hāpai rātou i ngā tamariki ki te ako i ō rātou pepeha, ō rātou marae, ō rātou whenua, ō rātou maunga, me ō rātou awa. Ka whakamanahia ngā kāwai whakapapa o ngā tamariki ki a Tainui, ā, ki iwi kē atu hoki. Ka āta whakarite ngā kaimahi kia māramahia, kia whāia hoki e te katoa, ko ngā tikanga i te hōtaka me ngā mahinga i tō rātou kōhanga reo. He ngāwari tonu te whakatutukitanga o ngā tamariki i aua whakaritenga. He ngāwari hoki tā rātou whakawhiti atu i te hōtaka ki ngā mahinga. E whai wāhi atu ana te whānau ki tā rātou purapura. Ka whakapuaki rātou i ngā akoranga e pā ana ki te kapa haka, ngā haerenga, me ngā whakanuitanga - pērā i a Matariki. Ka kitea ki ngā tamariki tō rātou noho mōhio ki tō rātou taiao.

E rumakina ana ngā tamariki ki te reo Māori. He pakari te whānau me ngā kaimahi ki te kōrero i te reo Māori. Ka kitea ki ngā tamariki tō rātou māramatanga ki te reo Māori. Ka tungou, ka pīoioi hoki pēpi i ngā wā waiata. Ka whakautu ngā tuākana i ngā pātai māmā, ā, ka whai hoki i ngā tohutohu. Ka patapatai, ka whāngai kupu, ka whakatauira i te reo Māori, ka waiata hoki ngā kaimahi hei hāpai i te ako a ngā tamariki i te reo. E whanake ana te puāwai o ngā tamariki ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.

E whai wāhi atu ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao e poipoi ana i te ako me te taha pākiki. He whānui ngā tūmomo taumahi ako e wātea ana hei tūhuratanga mā ngā tamariki. Ko ētahi o aua kaupapa, ko te peita, ko ngā taonga tākaro, ā, ko ngā mahi toi hoki. E wātea ana ngā tamariki ki te tākaro ki roto, ki waho rānei i te whare o te kōhanga reo. He ngāwari tā rātou whakawhitiwhiti haere puta noa i te kōhanga reo, ā, ki ngā tūmomo taumahi ako hoki. Kei ngā tamariki te tikanga i roto i ā rātou whiringa tākaro. Ka taea e rātou te kōkiri ngā akoranga e whai pūtake ana ki a rātou. Kei te wāhanga ōkawa ake o te hōtaka akoranga, ko ngā karakia, ngā hīmene, me ngā mihimihi. Kua whakainakitia te wā kai o ia reanga, hei poipoi i ngā matea ā-tinana, ā-tangata hoki o ngā tamariki. He akoranga ake mā ngā tuākana, hei whakariterite i tā rātou whakawhiti atu ki te kura. Kei te tūmāia haere ngā tamariki hei ākonga.

Te Whakamahere me te Aromātai

E āta whakaarohia ana ngā matea ako o ngā tamariki. Kua whakatakotohia ngā mahere. He tino hononga ki Te Whāriki. Ka taea e ngā kaimahi ā rātou mahere te whakapuaki. He nui ngā rauemi i te kōhanga reo. Kua āta whakaarohia te noho wātea mai o ngā wāhi o waho, o roto hoki, ā, he māmā noa ki te whakapā atu ki ngā rauemi. Kei te mātātoa, kei te pukumahi hoki ngā tamariki hei ākonga.

Kua whakatutukihia e te whānau ētahi o ā rātou kawenga mahi. Kua roa nei ētahi o te whānau i whai wāhi atu ai ki te kōhanga reo. Ka āta whakarite rātou i te tū auau o ngā hui ā-whānau me te kaha tae ā-tinana atu. Ka whai wāhi atu te whānau, ā, e whai mōhiotanga ana ā rātou whakataunga e pā ana ki ētahi o ngā āhuatanga whakahaere o te kōhanga reo. Kua oti te arohaehae kaimahi, ā, e hāpai ana hoki i ngā whai wāhitanga mō ngā kaimahi ki te toro atu ki ngā kaupapa ako ngaio me te whakawhanaketanga ngaio. Ko ngā tamariki kei te pūtake o ngā whakataunga katoa a te whānau.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka Whai Ake

Kāhore te aromātai o roto e āta whakatutukihia ana. Kāhore i te riterite te āhua o ngā mahi ki te pūrongo i ngā wāhanga matua o ngā whakahaeretanga ki te kōhanga reo. Me arotake i te tūtohinga me ngā kaupapa here. Tērā ētahi kaupapa here mō te hauora me te haumaru hei whakahāngai ki ngā herenga ā-ture o te wā me te Children’s Act 2014. Kāhore te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki e āta whakaarohia ana. Kāhore he mahere ā-tau hei ārahi i ngā whakahaeretanga. He mea nui kia whakatakotohia e te whānau tētahi mahere ā-tau e tutuki ai i ngā rārangi mahi nui i te wā e tika ana. Ka taea e te whānau ā rātou whāinga me ō rātou wawata te whakapuaki, engari kāhore he mahere rautaki i tēnei wā hei ārahi i tā rātou aronga rautaki.

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. Kei raro iho nei ngā wāhanga herenga ā-ture i tāutuhia ai hei whakatutuki, arā, me:

• whakarite i tētahi tukanga o te arotake whaiaro, o te aromātai o roto rānei ka haere tonu i ia te wā, hei hāpai i te kōhanga reo ki te whakapūmau me te whakapai ake i te kounga o ngā whakaritenga mā ngā tamariki
  [R47 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]
• arotake, me whakahou ake hoki i ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga, hei āta whakarite i te whakapau kaha ki te whakatutuki me te whakapūmau i ngā mahi e whakatairanga ake ana i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, hei painga mō te oranga ā-whatumanawa, ā-tinana hoki o ngā tamariki katoa
  [R46 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; HS1-33 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]
• whakarite i tētahi mahere ā-tau e ārahi ai i ngā whakahaeretanga o te kōhanga reo.
  [R47 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA8 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:

• whakapakarihia te aromātai o roto
• arotakengia te tūtohinga, ngā kaupapa here, me ngā tukanga
• whakaritea tētahi mahere ā-tau.

5 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 Puāwai o Te Awamutu i roto i te toru o ngā tau.

Gloria Takuira

Toka ā-nuku Whakakapi

07 Whiringa ā-rangi, 2019

Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kōhanga reo

1 Context

Te Kōhanga Reo Puāwai o Te Awamutu is in Te Awamutu. They are situated next to Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura. Most whānau share whakapapa links to Tainui. The whānau are part of Te purapura o Karioi. Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura is the natural pathway for most whānau.

2 The Evaluation Findings

How do children show whanaungatanga?

Children demonstrate an understanding of whanaungatanga through their interactions with others.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

Children enjoy an environment where they are embraced by whanaungatanga. Whānau model respect, care and concern for others. Kaimahi use soft tones, hugs and kisses with children. They welcome children with smiles and open arms. Because of this, children interact positively with their friends and adults. Kaimahi use body language and facial gestures to signal their affirmation of children’s success. Different children are chosen to lead karakia for the day. Girls are given responsibility for leading the karanga signalling that kai is ready. These roles are carried out with confidence. Kaimahi encourage tuākana teina relationships. The older children are caring in their interactions with their teina. Children appear safe and secure.

Children experience learning based on their identity as tangata whenua. The kōhanga reo follow ngā tikanga and kawa o Tainui. Kaimahi know their children well which includes their whakapapa. They support children to learn about their pepeha, marae, whenua, maunga and awa. Children are acknowledged for their kawai whakapapa whether they are from Tainui or another iwi. Kaimahi ensure tikanga around the programme and routines within their kōhanga reo are understood and followed by everyone. Children follow these with little fuss. They transition from the programme to routines smoothly. Whānau are contributing members of their purapura. They share learning around kapa haka, trips and celebrations such as Matariki. Children show they are familiar in their environment.

Children are immersed in te reo Māori. Whānau and kaimahi are confident speakers of te reo Māori. Children show an understanding of te reo Māori. Babies nod and sway to waiata. Tuakana answer simple questions and follow instructions. Kaimahi use questions, prompts, model te reo Māori and sing waiata to support children’s language learning. Children are developing as beginning speakers of te reo Māori.

Children participate in an environment that fosters learning and curiosity. There are a range of learning activities for children to explore. These include painting, toys, and arts activities. Children have the freedom of choice to play either inside or outside. They move with ease around the kōhanga reo and amongst learning activities. Children have free choice of what they want to play with. They can initiate learning that is meaningful to them. The more formal part of the learning programme includes karakia, himene and mihimihi. Kai time for all ages are staggered to meet children’s physical and social needs. Tuakana have focused learning to prepare them for kura. Children are growing in confidence as learners.

Planning and Evaluation

Children’s learning needs are well considered. Planning is in place. There are clear links to Te Whāriki. Kaimahi can articulate their planning. The kōhanga reo is well resourced. There has been consideration to outdoor and indoor access and resources are readily available. Children are active, busy learners.

Whānau have attended to some of their responsibilities. Some whānau have a long history of involvement with the kōhanga reo. They ensure whānau hui are regular and well attended. Whānau are involved and make informed decision about aspects of kōhanga reo operations. Kaimahi appraisal is complete and supports kaimahi professional learning and development opportunities. Children are at the centre of all whānau decisions.

Key Next Steps

Internal evaluation is not well attended to. Reporting on key areas of kōhanga reo operations is not consistent. The charter and policies need to be reviewed. There are health and safety policies that need to be aligned with current legislation, the Children’s Act 2014. Children’s health and safety is not well considered. There is no annual plan to guide the operations. It is important that whānau have in place an annual plan to meet important deadlines. The whānau can articulate their goals and aspirations, but currently have no strategic plan to guide their strategic direction.

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. The following areas of non-compliance require attention;

• establish an ongoing process of self- review or internal evaluation to help maintain and improve the quality of practice for children
  [Regulation 47 (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; GMA6 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• review and update policies and procedures to ensure that all reasonable steps to promote the health and safety of children are met and maintained for the emotional and physical wellbeing of all children
  [Regulation 46 (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; HS1-33 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• establish an annual plan to guide the operations of the kōhanga reo.
  [Regulation 47 (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; GMA8 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:

• Strengthen internal evaluation
• Review charter and policies and procedures
• Establish and annual plan.

5 When is ERO likely to evaluate the kōhanga reo again?

The next ERO evaluation of Te Kōhanga Reo Puāwai o Te Awamutu will be in three years.

Gloria Takuira

Acting Toka ā-nuku

7 November 2019

Information about the Kōhanga Reo