Te Kōhanga Reo o Puketapu

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. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā whānau, ngā hapū, me ngā iwi. 

2 Te Horopaki

Ko Mookau ki runga
Ko Taamaki ki raro
Ko Mangatoatoa ki waenganui
Ko Pare Waikato
Ko Pare Hauraki
Ko Te Kaokaoroa o Paatetere
Maa te reo, maa ngaa mokopuna taatou e paihere

Ko Te Kōhanga Reo o Puketapu tētahi o ngā kōhanga reo e ono ki te takiwā o Rāhui Pōkeka. Kei te marae o Ōhaki te kōhanga reo e tū ana, ā, nō te tau 1983 i whakatuwheratia ai. E whakariterite tahi ana te whānau ki te whakatū i tētahi papa tākaro hou e hāpai ana i te waiora me te kotahitanga, ā, e whakarato ana i ngā whai wāhitanga mō te ako me te tupu o ngā whakatupuranga kei te heke mai. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakapuaki mai a ngā mokopuna i tō rātou māramatanga ki te tuakiritanga me ngā hononga ki ā rātou taonga tuku iho? 

Ka whai wāhi mātātoa ngā mokopuna ki ngā akoranga e whakapakari ana i tō rātou māramatanga ki te tuakiri me ngā taonga tuku iho.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

Ka ngākau nui ngā mokopuna ki te whai wāhi atu ki ngā wheako ako e poipoi ana, e whāngai ana hoki i tō rātou tuakiri. Ka āta whakarite ngā kaimahi i te whai wāhi mai a ngā mokopuna ki ngā whakatau, nā konā rātou ako ai i tō rātou tū hei tangata whenua mā ngā haka pōwhiri me ngā whaikōrero. Kei te tākare te whai wāhi atu a ngā mokopuna ki ngā haka, ngā waiata tautoko, ngā harirū, me te hongi. Ka ārahi, ka hautū hoki ngā whānau me ngā kaimahi, i a rātou e whakatauira ana i ngā tikanga, ngā kawa, me te mita o Waikato. Kei te hakune te whakamahinga a ngā kaimahi i te reo ōkawa, i te reo tūpuna, i ngā whakataukī, me ngā pao, hei whakapiki ake i te mōhiotanga me te māramatanga ki te reo. Ka whai wāhi mātātoa ngā mokopuna ki ngā taumahi whakahirahira, pērā i ngā karakia Pai Mārire, i ngā mōteatea, i ngā waiata ā-iwi, me ngā mihi ki te tangata. Ka whakawhānui ngā kaimahi i ngā akoranga mā te akiaki i ngā mokopuna ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou mōhiotanga ki ngā whakapapa me te tūrangawaewae. Ka taki ngā mokopuna tuākana i ō rātou pepeha me ā rātou mihimihi mā te iti noa o te āwhina. Ka kitea te māramatanga o ngā pēpi nā te āhua o ō rātou kanohi me tō rātou reo ā-tinana. Kei te mauritau, kei te harikoa hoki ngā mokopuna hei ākonga ki tētahi taiao e poipoi ana i tō rātou waiora me tō rātou tuakiri, ā, ka whakapuaki mākohakoha anō hoki i te aronga toi whenuatanga. 

Ka whai pānga matua te manaakitanga me te aroha ki ngā taunekeneke katoa i te hōtaka akoranga. Ka rongo ngā mokopuna i te aroha me te atawhai o ngā kaimahi, ngā whānau, me ētahi atu. Ka hāpai ngā tuākana i ngā tēina, ka whakatauira i ngā ariā o te ngākau tuku, te ngākau mākoha, me te māhorahora. Whakamihi ai ngā kaimahi i ia te wā i ngā mokopuna mō ā rātou whakatutukitanga, hei akiaki i tō rātou tupu me tō rātou ngākau titikaha. Kei te tākare te whai wāhi atu a ngā mokopuna ki ngā taumahi whakangahau, taumahi auaha, taumahi pārekareka anō hoki, tae atu ki ngā akoranga pāhekoheko mā te pae ipurangi. Ka hāngai ētahi o aua wheako ki ngā wāhanga o te marae, me ngā tini kaupapa e pā ana ki ngā atua Māori. Mā roto mai i aua taumahi, ka whakapakari ngā mokopuna i ngā hononga whai pūtake ki waenga i a rātou anō, ki tō rātou marae, ā, ki te taiao hoki, ā, he māmā noa ki a rātou te whakapā atu ki te tangongitanga o ngā rauemi e whakaongaonga ai i ō rātou ngākau nuitanga. Ka ngākau nui ngā mokopuna ki te ako mā roto mai i tētahi taiao e whakatairanga ana i ngā whakapapa me te whanaungatanga. 

E whai hua ana ngā mokopuna nā te pakari o ngā mahere, te aromatawai, me te aromātai hōtaka. E whai pūtake ana ngā mahere, kua āta waihangatia, ā, kua whakahāngaitia ki Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo. Kei te mahere ako ngā mahere ā-tau, ā-wāhanga, ā-wiki hoki hei ārahi i ngā kaimahi, ā, hei āta whakatau i te aronga o te hōtaka. Ka whakaemihia, ka whakatakotohia ngā mōhiohio aromatawai ki te mātai i te tamaiti me ngā īkōnae, ā, ka whakatakoto i ngā tauira mahi me ngā paki ako e miramira ana i te tupu me te ahu whakamua a ia mokopuna. He pai te whakamōhio i te whānau ki ngā akoranga me te ahu whakamua a ngā mokopuna mā ngā kōrero whakamōhio auau. Ka whakaaro huritao ngā kaimahi, ka tautuhi i ngā whakaritenga ka whai ake e whakatairanga ake ai i te hōtaka akoranga, hei hāpai ake i te whakawhanaketanga o ngā mokopuna. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna nā ngā mahi ngātahi a ngā kaimahi. 

Kua whakawhanakehia e te whānau ā rātou ake pūnaha e whakahaere ai i ngā whakaritenga mā te whakamahi i tētahi pae matihiko matawhānui. Nā taua pae, ka whakapā atu, ka tuku kōrero atu mō ngā mōhiohio whakahaere katoa, hei āta whakatau i te whakahāngaitanga o ngā tukanga, i te whai huatanga ake o ngā whakataunga, me te papai ake o ngā putanga ki ngā mokopuna. Ka hāpai i te noho riterite me te aro nuitanga hoki o te wāhi. Tū ai ngā hui ā-whānau i ia te wā, ā, he pai te taetae atu. Kei ngā meneti o ngā hui ngā tino tirohanga, ā, kei te mārama ngā pūrongo puta noa i ngā wāhanga whakahaere. Ko ngā kaupapa here matua me ngā tukanga matua mō te hauora, te haumaru, me ngā kaimahi, ka hāngai ki ngā herenga ā-ture o te wā, ā, ka āta whakatau i te aronga nui tonu ki te waiora o ngā mokopuna. Ka kitea te mātau o te whānau ki te whakahaere i ngā mahi me ngā kaupapa matua i te tari. Ka whai hua te whakahaeretanga o ngā take e pā ana ki ngā kaimahi. Kei ngā tuhinga mahi ko ngā kirimina tuku mahi takitahi, ko ngā tuhinga tūranga mahi, me ngā tuhinga e arowhai ana i te haumaru o ngā kaimahi. Kua whakaritea e te whānau ngā pūnaha me ngā tukanga e pā ana ki ngā mahi arohaehae. Ka whai wāhi ki ērā, ko te arotake whaiaro me te aronga ki te whakawhanake i ngā pūkenga me ngā āheinga o ngā kaimahi. Kei te tūtohinga te hītori o te kōhanga reo, mai i tōna tīmatanga. Ka whakatakoto taua tuhinga i te aronga nahanaha ki te whakahaeretanga o ngā whakaritenga e pou herea ana ki ngā mātāpono o Te Korowai. Ka puāwai ngā mokopuna nā te tautoko ka ahu mai i ngā pūnaha i āta waihangatia ai, i ngā aronga whai hua, me ngā mahi ārahi a te whānau. 

Ka āta whakamaheretia te toitūtanga o te kōhanga reo. Kei te matawhānui te mahere rautaki, ā, e arahina ana e Te Ara Tūāpae, kua tuituia hoki ngā wawata o te whānau mō ngā mokopuna. He mahi auaha e ū ana ki te poipoi i te angitu, ki te whakawhanake i te ārahitanga, me te tuitui i ngā uara o te ao Māori hei hāpai i te puāwai tonutanga o ngā mokopuna ki tua atu i te kōhanga reo. He māramatanga ngātahi, he whakataunga ngātahi hoki tā te whānau mō ngā whakaritenga e tika ana ki te whakatutuki i ō rātou whāinga. Ko ngā mokopuna kei te pūtake o te whakatau ngātahi a te whānau i ngā whakaritenga. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Ahakoa kua whakatakotohia tētahi kaupapa here mō te ārai tamariki, e mōhio ana te whānau me ngā kaimahi e tika ana kia takune ā rātou mahi tonu ki te whakatairanga ake i te mōhiotanga me te māramatanga ki ngā tukanga. E tautoko ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i taua whakataunga, ā, ka kitea te aronga nui ki te haumaru me te waiora o ngā mokopuna. 

5 Te Whakatau a te Whānau o te Kōhanga Reo ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te arotake, i tirohia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha a te kōhanga reo ki te whakahaere i ngā wāhanga e whai pānga nui ai ki te waiora o ngā tamariki, 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; ngā mahi akuaku, 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, ngā rēhita a ngā kaiako, me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaimahi me ngā tamariki
• ngā whakaritenga ohotata me ngā tikanga ohotata e pā ana ki te rū whenua, te ahi, te waipuke, te tai āniwhaniwha, me te urutā. 

Ko te tikanga, ka whakatairanga ngā kōhanga reo katoa i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, ā, ka arotake i ia te wā i tā rātou whakatutukitanga i ngā herenga ā-ture. 

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakapiki tonu te whānau i te mōhiotanga me te māramatanga ki ngā tukanga i whakaraupapahia ai ki te kaupapa here e pā ana ki te ārai tamariki. 

Tiwana Hibbs
Toka ā Nuku 
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

07 Poutūterangi, 2025

7 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. ERO’s reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi.

2 Context 

Ko Mookau ki runga
Ko Taamaki ki raro
Ko Mangatoatoa ki waenganui
Ko Pare Waikato
Ko Pare Hauraki
Ko Te Kaokaoroa o Paatetere
Ma te reo, ma ngā mokopuna tātou e paihere

Te Kōhanga Reo o Puketapu is one of six kōhanga reo in the Raahui Pookeka area it is on Te Marae o Te Ōhaki, and first opened its doors in 1983. The whānau are collaborating to create a new playground that supports wellbeing, inclusion, and offers opportunities for learning and growth for future generations.

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do mokopuna express their understanding of tuakiritanga and connections to their cultural heritage?

Mokopuna actively engage in learning that strengthens their understanding of identity and cultural heritage.

4 Findings

Mokopuna willingly participate in learning experiences that foster and nurture their identity. Kaimahi ensure mokopuna are included in whakatau where they learn about their role as tangata whenua through haka pōwhiri and whaikōrero. Mokopuna enthusiastically participate in haka, waiata tautoko, harirū and hongi. Whānau and kaimahi provide guidance and leadership as they model tikanga, kawa and te mita o Waikato. Kaimahi are deliberate in their use of te reo ōkawa, te reo tūpuna, whakataukī, and pao to increase language awareness and understanding. Mokopuna actively participate in significant activities such as karakia Paimārire, mōteatea, waiata-ā-iwi, and mihi ki te tangata. Kaimahi extend learning through encouraging mokopuna to share their knowledge of whakapapa and tūrangawaewae. Older mokopuna recite their pepehā and mihimihi with minimal assistance. Pēpi convey their understanding using facial expressions and body language. Mokopuna are calm, happy learners in an environment that fosters their wellbeing, identity and seamlessly integrates a sense of belonging.

Manaakitanga and aroha are central to all interactions in the learning programme. Mokopuna experience love and care from their kaimahi, whānau and others. Tuākana support their tēina, modelling concepts of ngākau tuku, ngākau mākoha and māhorahora. Kaimahi frequently offer praise to mokopuna for their achievements encouraging their growth and confidence. Mokopuna enthusiastically participate in fun, creative and enjoyable activities including interactive learning through an online platform. These experiences include ngā wāhanga o te marae and various kaupapa pertaining to ngā Atua Māori. Through these activities, mokopuna build meaningful connections with one another, their marae and te taiao with easy access to a wide range of resources to stimulate their interests. Mokopuna enjoy learning in an environment that promotes whakapapa and whanaungatanga.

Mokopuna benefit from sound planning, assessment, and programme evaluation. Planning is purposeful, well-designed, and aligned with Te Whāriki ā Te Kōhanga Reo. The mahere ako includes annual, term, and weekly plans to guide kaimahi and ensure the programme is focussed. Assessment information is collected and captured in mātai i te tamaiti, and īkōnae portfolios, featuring work samples and learning stories that highlight individual mokopuna growth and progress. Whānau are kept informed about mokopuna learning and progress through regular updates. Kaimahi reflect and identify next steps for enhancing the learning programme to better support mokopuna development. Mokopuna benefit from collaborative kaimahi practices.

Whānau have developed their own systems to manage operations using a comprehensive digital platform. This platform provides access to and enables input on all operational information ensuring streamlined processes, better decision making and enhanced outcomes for mokopuna. It supports a well organised and responsive environment. Whānau hui are held regularly and are well attended. The hui minutes provide valuable insights with clear reporting across operational areas. Core health, safety and personnel policies and procedures align to current legislation, ensuring mokopuna wellness remains a priority. Whānau demonstrate diligence in managing administrative tasks and priorities. Personnel matters are effectively managed. Employment documentation includes individual employment agreements, position descriptions and verified kaimahi safety checks. Whānau have established systems and processes for appraisals. These include self-review and focus on developing kaimahi skill and capability. The tūtohinga includes the history of the kōhanga reo since its inception. This document sets out a planned approach to the management of operations that are underpinned by the principles of Te Korowai. Mokopuna thrive through the support of well-designed systems, efficient approaches and whānau leadership. 

Sustainability for the kōhanga reo is thoughtfully planned. The strategic plan is thorough and guided by Te Ara Tūāpae, incorporating the collective aspirations of whānau for mokopuna. It is creative, committed to fostering success, developing leadership, and integrating te ao Māori values to support mokopuna to thrive beyond kōhanga reo. Whānau share understanding and agreement on the steps required to achieve their goals. Mokopuna are the centre of collective whānau decision making practices. 

Key Next Steps

While there is a Child Protection Policy in place, whānau and kaimahi acknowledge the need to be intentional in their ongoing efforts to enhance awareness and understanding the procedures. ERO agrees with this and acknowledges the emphasis on prioritising mokopuna safety and wellbeing.

5 Kōhanga Whānau Assurance on Legal Requirements

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, excursion policy and procedures.
• suitable staffing including appropriate qualifications, police vetting, ratios.
• emergency procedures and practices for earthquakes, fire, flood, tsunami, and pandemic.

All kōhanga reo are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

6 Recommendation

ERO recommend that whānau continue to increase awareness and understanding of the procedures outlined within the Child Protection Policy. 

Tiwana Hibbs 
Toka ā Nuku - Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

7 March 2025

7 Information about the kōhanga reo