Te Kōhanga Reo o Tōmairangi 2

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 

“Kia tau te tōmairangitanga o te Ariki ki runga ki a tātou”

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo o Tōmairangi 2 ki Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa. I te tīmatanga, i whakahaerehia te kōhanga reo i te Scouts Hall, i Mangapapa. I te tau 2011 i hūnuku ai ki tētahi atu wāhi, ā, e whakahaere tonuhia ana i tēnei wā. I te tau 2021 tētahi atu wāhi i hokona ai, hei hāpai i te tokomaha e hiahia ana ki te uru ki te kōhanga reo. E poipoi ana te kōhanga reo nei i ngā mokopuna 25, ā, i te tekau o rātou kei raro i te rua tau te pakeke. 

 3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakapuaki mai a ngā mokopuna i tō rātou māramatanga ki te mana hā? 

He ngākau titikaha ō ngā mokopuna, i a rātou e whakaatu ana i tō rātou māramatanga ki te mana hā, mā roto mai i te tangongitanga o ngā wheako me ngā horopaki o te ao Māori.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E rumakina ana ngā mokopuna ki te hōhonutanga o ngā wheako tūturu, nā konā rātou mātakitaki ai, kōrero ai, whakatinana ai hoki i ngā uara kua pou herea ki te ao Māori. Ka whakamahi ngā kuia me ngā kaimahi i te tangongitanga o ngā aronga e akiaki ana i ia mokopuna ki te tūhura i te reo, ki te whakatika i a ia anō, me te whakatairanga i te whakapuaki kōrerorero. Kei te tākare te whai wāhi mātātoa atu a ngā mokopuna ki ngā waiata, ngā karakia, ngā mōteatea, ngā haka, me ngā mihimihi. E hāpai ana aua tūāhuatanga i te whai māramatanga o ngā mokopuna ki ngā tauira reo, ki te whakapiki ake hoki i te mātau ki te reo, me te ako i ngā kōrero tuku iho e pā ana ki ō rātou tīpuna. Ka taea e ngā tuākana te taki kōrero, me te iti noa o te āwhina. Ka whakarongo ngā pēpi, ā, ka whakaatu i tō rātou māramatanga mā te tāwhai, mā ngā nekehanga ā-ringa, ā-kanohi hoki, ā, mā te reo ā-tinana hoki. Ka āta whakatau ngā kaimahi i te whai wāhi atu a ngā mokopuna ki ngā kaupapa pērā i ngā whakatau me ngā pōwhiri. Ka ārahi, ka hautū ngā kuia me ngā kaumātua i aua wā. Ka kite ngā mokopuna i te whakatinanatanga o ngā tikanga e pā ana ki te karanga me te whaikōrero, i a rātou e whai wāhi mātātoa ana rātou ki ngā mōteatea, ngā harirū, me ngā hongi. Mā tēnā, ka whai māramatanga ngā mokopuna ki ngā tikanga, ngā kawa, me tō rātou tū hoki hei tangata whenua. He whai wāhitanga tūturu ēnei e tautāwhi ana i te mana āhua ake o ia mokopuna, i a ia e poipoi ana i tana whai wāhi mātātoa atu. Kei te mauritau, kei te harikoa hoki ngā mokopuna hei ākonga ki tētahi taiao e poipoi ana i tō rātou waiora, e whakaūmau ana i te tuakiri ahurea, ā, e tuitui hūrokuroku noa ana i te aronga toi whenuatanga ki te ao Māori. 

Ka hāpai ngā kaimahi i te kōkiri me te whakahaere a ngā mokopuna i ā rātou ake akoranga. Kua āta whakaritea ngā wāhi ako, ā, ka hāpai i ngā mokopuna ki te whiriwhiri me te whai wāhi atu ki ngā taumahi, i runga anō i te āhua o ō rātou ngākau nuitanga. Kua whakawhanakehia te wāhi o waho, ā, he tuputupu māori o roto hei tino taonga mā ngā mokopuna ki te whakatewhatewha, te whakahura, me te tūhura hoki mā te tākaro. E pou here ana te manaakitanga me te aroha i ngā taunekeneke katoa i roto i te hōtaka akoranga. Ka rongo ngā mokopuna i te aroha me te manaaki o ō rātou kuia, ō rātou kaumātua, ō rātou kaimahi, ō rātou whānau, me ētahi atu tāngata anō hoki. Ka kitea tā rātou whakaute, tō rātou whakaaro nui hoki i roto i ā rātou taunekeneke ki ngā pakeke, ki ō rātou hoa, ā, ki te taiao hoki. Ka tūmāia ngā mokopuna hei ākonga i roto i ō rātou horopaki. 

He pai te poipoi, te aroturuki, me te pūrongo i ngā matea ako o ngā mokopuna. Ka arotahi ngā kaimahi ki te kounga o te whakaako me te whakapuaki, ā, ka whakamahi i Te Whāriki a Te Kōhanga Reo me Te Korowai. He mārama, he hōhonu hoki tō rātou mōhiotanga ki te pūtake me te hua o te aromatawai, te whakamahere, me te aromātai. Ka whai pūtake ngā mahere, kua āta whakaritea, ā, ka ārahi i te whakatinanatanga o ngā kaimahi i te hōtaka akoranga. Ka whakatakoto ā-tuhi nei ngā kaimahi i te ako me te ahu whakamua a ngā mokopuna. Ka arotahi rātou ki ngā pūkenga whakawhanaketanga o ngā mokopuna, ā, ka whakaemi i ngā aromatawai whai pūtake hei whakahāngai i ngā wheako ako ki ngā matea o ia mokopuna, o ngā rōpū mokopuna hoki. Whakapuakihia ai ki te whānau te tupu me te ahu whakamua o ngā mokopuna i ia te wā. Hui ai ngā kaimahi i ia te wā, ki te whakaaro huritao, ki te whakawhiti kōrero, me te whakapuaki i ngā rautaki e whakapai ake ai i ngā putanga ki ngā mokopuna. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna nā ngā whakaritenga e aro nui ana ki ō rātou matea. 

He pūnaha whai hua ā te whānau mō te aroturukitanga o ngā whakahaeretanga ki te kōhanga reo. Ka whakamōhio, ka whakaaweawe hoki te aromātai o roto i ngā tukanga e pā ana ki te whakatau whakaritenga. Ko te noho tahi mai o ngā kaumātua ki te kōhanga reo tētahi āhuatanga whakahirahira. E whakatakoto ana te tūtohinga i te hītori o te kōhanga reo, mai i tōna orokohanga. E whakaraupapa ana taua tuhinga i te aronga i whakamaheretia ai, i pou herea ai hoki ki ngā mātāpono o Te Korowai. Tū ai ngā hui ā-whānau i ia te wā, ā, he pai te taetae atu. He tino mōhiohio o roto i ngā meneti o ngā hui. Ko ngā kaupapa here matua me ngā tukanga matua o te hauora, te haumaru, me ngā kaimahi, e hāngai katoa ana ki ngā herenga ā-ture o te wā, hei āta whakatau i te whakaarotau ki te whai oranga o ngā mokopuna. Whakatutukihia ai e ngā kaimahi ngā hōneatanga ohotata i ia te wā, ā, ka āta tuhia hoki. Ka kitea ki ngā whānau me ngā kaimahi tō rātou māramatanga pū ki te Children’s Act 2014, me te ū ki ā rātou tukanga i whakaraupapahia ai. He pai te whakahaere i ngā take e pā ana ki ngā kaimahi. E hāngai ana ngā tuhinga whiwhi mahi a ngā kaimahi ki te wā, ā, e tika ana hoki te whakapūmau. Kua whakatutukihia ngā arohaehae, ā, e arotahi ana te whakawhanaketanga ngaio ki te whakapiki ake i te mōhiotanga o ngā kaimahi, inarā, i ngā mōhiotanga e pā ana ki te whakatairanga tonutanga. Ka aro nui ngā whānau ki ngā mahi katoa me ngā kaupapa matua katoa o roto i te tari. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna nā te whai huatanga o ngā pūnaha, ngā aronga, me te kaha o te whānau ki te ārahi. 

He matawhānui te mahere rautaki, ā, kua whakatinanahia ki Te Ara Tūāpae. Kei ngā whāinga pae tawhiti, ko te tōpūtanga o ngā wawata o ngā whānau mō ngā mokopuna. He auaha te mahere, ā, ka hāngai pū ki te poipoi i ngā whakatutukitanga, ki te whakatupu i ngā kaiārahi, me te whakatō i ngā uara o te ao Māori hei hāpai i te eke angitu o ngā mokopuna ki tua atu i te kōhanga reo. Ka kitea ki te mahere mahi, ko te ngākau nui ki te rōnaki tonutanga mō meāke nei. He māramatanga ngātahi, he whakatau ngātahi a te whānau ki tēnā e tika ana kia whāia, kia tutuki ai ā rātou kaupapa matua. Ko ngā mokopuna kei te pūtake o te whakatau ngātahi a te whānau i ngā whakaritenga. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Ki tā te whānau kua tīmata rātou ki te tūhura i ngā huarahi kia whakatōpūngia ngā kōhanga reo e rua ki te wāhi kotahi. Ka aro pū rātou ki te whakaaro, ko te tino whāinga o taua kōkiritanga, ko te waihanga i tētahi taiao e hāpai ai i ngā mokopuna katoa ki te puāwai, i a rātou e whai wāhi nui ana ki ngā akoranga. E tautoko ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i tēnei whakaaro, hei whakaritenga matua kia whāia, ā, ka akiaki i ngā whānau ki te mahi tahi me te tari ā-rohe o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo, me te toro atu ki a rātou kia tautokona te kaupapa nei. 

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 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.

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia whakamahi tonu te whānau i te arotake o roto, hei aroturuki, hei pūrongo hoki i te āhua tonu o ngā mahi i te kōhanga reo, i te whakatutukitanga o te mahere rautaki, i ngā kaupapa matua hoki i whakaritea ai hei whakawhanake. 

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

21 Whiringa ā-rangi, 2023

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 

“Kia tau te tomairangitanga o te Ariki ki runga ki a tatou”

Te Kōhanga Reo o Tomairangi 2 is located in Gisborne. The original kōhanga reo began its operations from The Scouts Hall in Mangapapa. In 2011, a new site was acquired and remains in operation. By 2021, an additional site was purchased to meet the increasing demand. This kōhanga reo caters up to 25 mokopuna including 10 under two years of age. 

3 Evaluation Focus

How effectively do mokopuna express their understanding of te mana hā?

Mokopuna demonstrate with confidence their understanding of te mana hā through a range of experiences and te ao Māori contexts.   

4 Findings 

Mokopuna are immersed in rich authentic experiences where they observe, converse and embody values underpinned by te ao Māori. Kuia and kaimahi use a range of approaches to encourage mokopuna to explore language, self-correct and promote expressive communication. Mokopuna actively engage in waiata, karakia, moteatea, haka and mihimihi with enthusiasm. This supports mokopuna to recognise language patterns, increase language proficiency and learn stories of their tipuna. Tuākana are able to recite with minimal support. Pepi listen and communicate their understanding through mimicking, hand actions, eye movement and body language. Kaimahi ensure mokopuna are included in settings such as whakatau and pōwhiri. Kuia and kaumatua provide guidance and leadership during these times. Mokopuna observe the practices of karanga and whaikorero while actively participating in mōteatea, hariru and hongi. Through this, mokopuna acquire an understanding of tikanga, kawa and their role as tangata whenua. These deliberate opportunities embrace the uniqueness of each mokopuna fostering their active participation and valuable contribution. Mokopuna are calm, happy learners in an environment that fosters their wellbeing, preserves cultural identity and seamlessly integrates a sense of belonging in te ao Māori. 

Kaimahi support mokopuna to initiate and direct their own learning. Learning spaces are well organised which allow mokopuna to select and engage in activities according to their interests. The outdoor area has undergone development and features native plantings as a valuable resource for mokopuna to investigate, discover and explore through play. Manaakitanga and aroha underpin all interactions in the learning programme. Mokopuna experience love and care from their kuia, kaumatua, kaimahi, whānau and others. They show respect and consideration in their interactions with adults, their peers and te taiao. Mokopuna are confident learners in their settings. 

Mokopuna learning needs are well catered for, monitored and reported. Kaimahi are focussed on the quality of learning and delivery using Te Whāriki ā Te Kōhanga Reo and Te Korowai. They have a clear, in-depth understanding of the purpose and value of assessment, planning and evaluation. Planning is purposeful, well organised and guides kaimahi to implement the learning programme. Kaimahi document mokopuna learning and progress. They focus on mokopuna developmental skills, gathering purposeful assessments to tailor learning experiences that meets both individual and group needs. Mokopuna growth and progress is regularly shared with whanau. Kaimahi meet regularly to reflect, discuss and share strategies to improve outcomes for mokopuna. Mokopuna benefit from practices that are responsive to their needs.   

The whānau has effective systems to monitor the kōhanga reo operations. Internal evaluation informs and influences decision-making processes. The presence of kaumatua is a distinctive attribute to the kōhanga reo. The Tūtohinga includes the history of the kōhanga reo since its inception. This document sets out a planned approach underpinned by the principles of Te Korowai. Whānau hui are held regularly and well attended. Hui minutes offer valuable information. Core health, safety and personnel policies and procedures align to current legislation to ensure mokopuna wellness is a priority. Kaimahi conduct regular emergency evacuations, these are well documented. Whānau and kaimahi demonstrate a clear understanding of the Children’s Act 2014 and adherence to their outlined procedures. Personnel matters are effectively managed. Kaimahi employment documentation is current and appropriately maintained. Appraisals are complete with professional development focussed on increasing kaimahi knowledge particularly aimed at continuous enhancement. Whānau are attentive to all administrative tasks and priorities. Mokopuna benefit from efficient systems, approaches and strong whānau leadership.

The strategic plan is comprehensive and informed by Te Ara Tūāpae. Long term goals include the collective aspirations of whānau for mokopuna. The plan is innovative and dedicated to nurturing achievement, growing leadership and embedding te ao Māōri values to support mokopuna to be successful beyond kōhanga reo. The action plan reflects a commitment to sustainability for the future. Whānau have a shared understanding and agreement of what they need to achieve their priorities. Mokopuna are the centre of collective whānau decision making. 

Key Next Steps

Whānau shared that they are in the early stages of exploring the potential to amalgamate the two kōhanga reo to one site. They highlight that this initiative aims to create an environment that assists all mokopuna to thrive as they engage in learning. ERO supports this as a key next step and encourage whānau to work in collaboration with the district tari for support in this venture. 

5 Kōhanga Whānau Assurance on Legal Requirements

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.

6 Recommendation

ERO recommends that whānau continue to use internal review to monitor and report on the overall performance of the kōhanga reo, its strategic success and planned priorities for development.

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

21 November 2023

7 Information about the kōhanga reo