Use these questions in team discussions to guide you through the process of establishing and reviewing your setting’s curriculum and learning priorities. 
 

• What is the collective vision for children in this setting? Who do we want our children to be and become? 
• What worlds do our children live in and will live in? How well does this setting reflect the community in which it stands? 
• How do all voices in the setting inform the vision, philosophy, and learning priorities? 
• What are the goals and aspirations whānau have for their children? How do we know? 
• What are the goals and aspirations children have for themselves? How do we find out? 
• How well are children learning and progressing across the whole curriculum? How do we know? How do we make it visible to them and to their whānau? 
• What is the learning that is valued in this setting? How are we ensuring that all children have fair and equitable opportunities to achieve this? 
• What kind of learning environment do we need to create to respond to our vision? What is working well? What needs to change? How do we know? 
• How are our priorities evident in our setting and our curriculum design? 

Pedagogical Leaders in early childhood settings take responsibility for leading and evaluating teaching and learning. For leaders, identifying priorities for weaving a whāriki could involve:

• Leading the process to develop a shared vision for curriculum and learning priorities, that is deciding “what matters here”. 
• Ensuring there are systems and processes for: 
  • developing and reviewing the setting’s philosophy of teaching and learning 
  • assessing children's progress and valued learning in relation to the strands, goals, and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki  
  • conducting internal evaluation of what is currently happening and how well it is working 
  • considering kaiako interests, beliefs, skills, and knowledge in the provision of curriculum 
  • collecting and considering whānau aspirations and wider community goals and concerns – including those of local iwi and/or hapū 
  • supporting continuity of early learning as children transition to school. 
• Prioritising time in team meetings to talk about children’s progress, development, and learning. 
• Being willing to confront longstanding “ways we’ve always done this”, provoking reflection, and inviting different views. 
• Accessing and circulating relevant readings and resources and leading discussion of topics related to evolving priorities. 
• Accessing appropriate professional learning support – for example, a “critical friend”, who may bring a fresh perspective to everyday happenings kaiako may take for granted. 

Whakamana | Empowerment

Children have voice in the process of deciding “what matters here” for their own priorities for learning. Assessment documentation provides information about each individual child and groups of children in relation to their progress, strengths, learning, interests, and development. Children and their whānau are empowered to engage in this process. Together with information gathered through internal review and consultation with parents, whānau, and communities, this information is used to set curriculum and learning priorities that empower children to learn and grow in an environment that recognises them as capable and competent learners. It is important to include children in this process through self-assessment, decision-making, and identifying what their learning priorities are.

Whānau Tangata | Family and Community

Parents, whānau, and kaiako share responsibility for the setting’s curriculum and learning priorities. Parents and whānau have a wealth of valuable information and understanding regarding their children that can inform these priorities. Children bring their funds of knowledge into their ECE context. In addition, parents, whānau, and communities have aspirations, expectations, and goals for their children that may be woven into a setting’s curriculum. 

Kotahitanga | Holistic Development

Curriculum and learning priorities should encompass all dimensions of children’s learning and development and should see both the child and the curriculum as a whole. The way curriculum priorities are identified and enacted in each early childhood setting should ensure that children have the best possible environment to grow, flourish, and progress in relation to all components of Te Whāriki. 

Ngā Hononga | Relationships

Each setting’s curriculum will be influenced by the relationships between adults and children, adults and adults, and children and children. Strong, reciprocal relationships ensure that information and knowledge shared adds colour and texture to the setting’s whāriki. In addition, the people have relationships with places and things in both the setting and the community that will support implementation of the curriculum. Curriculum and learning priorities should take into consideration ways to strengthen and enhance these relationships. 

• Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia and Tau Mai Te Reo 
  Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia is the Māori Education Strategy, and Tau Mai Te Reo is the Māori Language in Education Strategy. Together, they outline the shifts needed in education for Māori to enjoy and achieve educational success as Māori, and for growth in te reo Māori for both Māori and non-Māori learners. 
• Learning wisdom: Young children and teachers recognising the learning 
  A two-year research project that took place in nine early learning services. Teachers assisted children to articulate their understanding of what they had learned and how they had learned it through documenting and revisiting past learning.