Te Atatu Village Kindergarten

"Children experience a strong sense of community in their kindergarten. Teachers know children and whānau well. They are responsive to children's care and learning needs, and are warm and positive in their interactions. These features, alongside whānau involvement in the kindergarten, mean that children are comfortable, happy and secure in their learning environment."

Strong sense of community; warm responsive relationships; children comfortable, happy and secure.

"Teachers and whānau promote te reo Māori and tikanga meaningfully in daily practices and in the environment. Kaumātua and kuia have a valued role in the kindergarten. Alongside the strongly bicultural curriculum, teachers ensure that the various cultures of all children are reflected in the kindergarten. As a result, children value their bicultural heritage of Aotearoa and are confident in their own cultural identity."

Meaningful te reo Māori and tikanga integration; valued kaumātua and kuia involvement; strongly bicultural curriculum.

"The head teacher is experienced and has high expectations for herself and the teaching team to promote positive outcomes for children and whānau. Her collaborative approach provides good opportunities for shared leadership within the teaching team. A very good model of internal evaluation led by one of the teachers provides a useful approach for ongoing change and improvement."

Experienced head teacher with high expectations; collaborative shared leadership; strong internal evaluation model.