Whitby Educare - Whitby

We are committed to follow the aspirations of the New Zealand National ECE Curiculum, Te Whāriki,

“For children to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society”.

Te Whāriki envisages kaiako in early learning settings working in partnership with parents, whānau and community to realise this vision. The expectation is that, in their early years, children will experience a curriculum that empowers them as lifelong learners.

Te Whāriki supports this work by providing a framework of principles and strands. The principles are the foundations of curriculum decision making and a guide for every aspect of pedagogy and practice. The strands are 5 areas of learning and development, where the focus is on supporting children to develop the capabilities they need as confident and competent learners. Each setting takes these principles and strands and, in partnership with parents and whānau, uses them to ‘weave’ a curriculum whāriki that is specifically designed for their children.

Here at Whitby Educare, we are committed to an on-going bi-cultural learning journey. Kaiako are supported on this journey by learning about our local Tangata Whenua, Ngāti Toa Rangatira. We are always looking at ways to improve our use of reo within our practice, alongside learning about pepeha, waiata, and karakia. Kaiako work hard to identify areas in our practice and environments that may need strengthening. Internal evaluations support us to look closer at our environments, wall displays, and front foyer area which is inclusive ever-growing with more natural resources such as kete, shells, bark, and feathers to mention a few. We endeavour to use Te Reo Maori names within these areas, and are proud of our bi-cultural journey.