CUR101 Te Whariki 25.4 | Windsor Montessori

Te Whariki Policy V4

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa

Let us keep close together, not wide apart

Reference:

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; Licensing Criteria C110-C112

Te Whāriki is the Ministry of Education’s early childhood curriculum for Aotearoa/New Zealand. It is a framework for providing tamariki early learning and development within a sociocultural context. Te Whāriki expresses a vision for all tamariki to grow up as “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 Whariki is embedded within Windsor Montessori’s programme, our vision and our philosophy.

The Montessori philosophy lays the foundation for what we do along with the guiding principles, strands and goals found in Te Whāriki. Both share many similar concepts and values.

At Windsor Montessori, we respect the bicultural nature of Te Whāriki and its principles and strands to support the best learning outcomes for all our Tamariki. Our teaching practices will reflect the protection of Māori language and culture along with the cultures of all our Tamariki

Our Vision:

To take each tamaiti/child on a voyage of discovery where they will discover their own path of learning in an environment that nurtures their wellbeing.

To enable every tamaiti to know who they are, to support them to discover what they can do and to inspire them to explore what they can become.

Mission

To provide a high quality authentic Montessori learning experience that will enrich the lives of tamariki and whānau

To be a community that is inclusive, accepting, respectful, caring, and supportive.

To celebrate and respect tamariki identity and culture.

To support tamariki to become self-motivated, independent lifelong learners who will become a positive and confident contributing member of our society.

To provide the opportunity for tamariki to experience a Montessori education which promotes self-motivated, independent, life-long learners by supporting the natural development of each tamaiti.

Our Statement of Intent:

We value and embrace all that Te Whāriki offers to guide us in our teaching practice and in supporting us to promote the best possible learning outcomes for our tamariki, parents, whānau/caregivers as they journey with us.

We are guided by:-

The principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki
The Montessori approach to learning and development outlined in MJ2Ex (Montessori Journey to Excellence principles and learning outcomes.
Kōwhiti Whakapae's curriculum resource that will support tamariki development in social & emotional, oral language & literacy, and maths learning areas.
Parents, whānau/families aspirations and input regarding the learning and development of their tamariki.

Our Values:

We embrace the values of:

Whānau tangata/Family & Community

Welcoming: We welcome tamariki/parents/whānau/caregivers into our preschool in a warm and supportive manner
Partnership: We deeply respect the invaluable knowledge and experience that parents and whānau bring to their tamaiti development. By working in true partnership, we blend their unique understanding with our educational expertise.
Participation: We encourage parents/whānau/caregivers to be involved in the life of our preschool so they feel part of our learning community. We develop shared aspirations by providing opportunities for communicating and collaborating in setting shared goals together.
Inclusion: We embrace, support and respect the culture of all our tamariki and their whānau.

Ngā Hononga/Relationships

Connection: Building ngā hononga/relationships is at the heart of our preschool’s philosophy. We work to develop strong, positive relationships
with our parents/whānau/caregivers based on empathy, support and mutual respect where kaiako are approachable and available.
Belonging and Wellbeing: Building supportive, caring, nurturing and positive relationships with all Tamariki when they begin is a priority. We believe all tamariki learn, grow and develop through meaningful connections within their learning environment.
Values: Our values of responsibility, respect, kindness and empathy support tamariki to learn how to care for themselves, others, their immediate environment and beyond.
Citizenship: We want tamariki to see themselves as important and valued members of our learning community as well as valued citizens who can actively contribute to the world they live in.

Whakamana/Empowerment

Identity: We are passionate about empowering tamariki to know that they are unique and special and that in recognising their sense of worth, they will continue to develop into confident and capable learners.
Social Emotional Competencies: We support and guide tamariki to develop independence and confidence in their abilities and to grow in self-awareness, self-regulation and resilience. When challenges arise, we empower them to face, solve and learn from these. We believe that this inner confidence will help them to persevere and experience success.
Contribution: We want tamariki to learn they have a powerful voice and to know that their contributions are greatly valued and respected.

Kotahitanga/Holistic Development

Montessori: This approach to learning is a holistic approach which emphasizes all aspects of active learning in harmony with the unique pace of development of each tamaiti
Te Whare Tapa whā: We recognise that the physical, personal, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of tamariki, as well as cognitive aspects of learning are closely interwoven and interdependent.
Independence: We believe that when tamariki are given the freedom to choose, explore, and master skills at their own pace, they develop a strong sense of agency. This is fundamental to them developing their true sense of independence.

Our Actions:

We will weave the principles, strands and goals of Te Whāriki alongside the Montessori philosophy and Kōwhiti Whakapae curriculum support to enhance the learning and development of all tamariki.
Kaiako are committed to grow in their understanding and knowledge of how best to implement the Montessori approach, Te Whāriki and Kōwhiti Whakapae curriculum in a meaningful way. We will seek out opportunities for professional development within staff meeting time as well as making use of other learning opportunities (courses, online, readings, discussions within the team, reflections on our practices and within our Professional Growth Cycle process)
We will use Te Whāriki as a tool to guide us in our planning. Our assessment documentation will record evidence of learning progress for individual tamariki in relation to the learning outcomes of both Te Whāriki and those of MJ2Ex (Montessori Journey to Excellence).
Kaiako will have a good knowledge of how Te Whāriki, Kōwhiti Whakapae and the Montessori approach to learning align and will have a clear understanding of how they both work together to enhance tamariki learning and development.
Kaiako will use Te Whāriki as a guide when inquiring into their practices in supporting and celebrating the identities, languages and cultures of all tamariki, parents, whānau/families.
Kaiako will use the reflective questions and resources that are available in Te Whāriki to support their own teaching practice.
Kaiako will have an intentional approach when considering what to teach, how to teach and when to teach.

Date: Term 3 2025

Next Review Date: Term 3 2027