In the Te Puawai rūma we aspire to create a nurturing and respectful environment that encourages competent and confident tamariki (children). We are inspired by the philosophy of Reggio Emilia and the principles of respect, responsibility, and community. This is achieved through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children.

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We believe that by building meaningful and respectful relationships with whānau (family) through the concept of whakawhanaungatanga, we are able to empower our tamariki with a sense of belonging, enhancing their mana and wairua. These relationships are based on collaboration, manaakitanga (kindness/generosity) and a mutual respect.

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The richness and uniqueness of our homely environment is designed to inspire children to explore their natural curiosities of the world around them, engage with others and build meaningful relationships. We see importance in all children having meaningful and authentic learning experiences that help to promote and develop their academic, social and emotional growth.

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Our curriculum is child-initiated where we believe that children must have some control over the direction of their learning. Children’s interests, strengths, curiosities and play direct and support our curriculum. We embrace the principle of ako where our kaiako support and encourage a caring and inclusive learning space where our tamariki feel that they are valued and empowered to learn with and from each other, participating to their full potential. We believe that our tamariki should have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves, learning through authentic experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing.