Professional development in early learning

Whakapiki i te reo Māori and SELO professional development programmes.

Early learning staff who want to engage in professional development may be interested in learning about Whakapiki i te reo Māori and SELO.

• Whākapiki i te reo Māori
• SELO

Whakapiki i te reo Māori

Whakapiki i te reo Māori is a professional development initiative for teachers who use te reo Māori.

Whakapiki i te reo Māori is available to kaimahi who work in Māori immersion and bilingual early learning services (speaking te reo Māori 51-100% of the time), and aims to strengthen their existing skills and knowledge. It recognises identity, diversity, language and culture as critical ingredients for the success of Māori tamariki in education.

For more information, email: ECE.info@education.govt.nz

SELO

SELO (Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities for children, whānau, families and communities) is a professional development programme to support early learning services. A facilitator will work with management and teachers/educators to support a shift in practice towards high quality management, teaching and learning. SELO is grouped into two programmes.

Programme 1: Support to meet licensing requirements (SELO 1)

Programme one provides in-depth professional development to early learning services to help them meet licencing requirements. This may include (but is not limited to) support for:

• governance and management
• financial management
• strategic planning
• performance management systems
• policy and procedures
• leadership and team relationships
• human resources and understanding roles and responsibilities
• health and safety
• Te Whāriki curriculum

Programme 2: Regionally allocated PLD

Regionally allocation PLD provides flexible and targeted support to services to meet the national education and learning priorities (NELP’s). This includes providing support on: 

1. Inclusive early learning environments

• Create inclusive environments where diversity is valued and tamariki feel safe and are able to thrive. This may include a particular focus on:
  • Supporting services and kaimahi to understand, recognise and respond to issues of racism, discrimination, and bullying.
  • Understanding and supporting Māori cultural, identity and language and world views
  • Understanding and supporting Pacific cultural, identity and language and world views
  • Understanding and supporting tamariki with additional learning support needs.
• Engage with their community and whānau to design and deliver education that better supports the aspirations of Māori and Pacific communities.

2. Te Whāriki delivery, inclusive of early numeracy and literacy

• Deliver Te Whāriki whilst valuing the cultural knowledge each whānau and ākonga bring to their education, including supporting early numeracy and literacy skills.

3. Te reo and tikanga Māori practices

• Build their capability in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori practices and integrate this into curriculum delivery. 

4. Leadership

• Build leadership capability. This may include a particular focus on:
  • Pacific leadership
  • Māori leadership 

5. Teaching and learner support capability 

• Strengthen their practice through:
  • identifying gaps in capabilities and developing confidence and competence to teach diverse learners and deliver culturally responsive teaching.
  • supporting children’s progress by engaging with whānau to help identify children’s next learning steps in key areas of learning such as social and emotional learning.

Professional development facilitators

There is an approved panel of SELO providers able to deliver professional to early learning services across the country.

For more information about becoming an approved SELO provider, you can contact our National Office SELO Lead at ece.selo@education.govt.nz

Accessing SELO

Early learning services are welcome to enquire about professional development support.

Regional Ministry SELO leads

Last reviewed: 12 September 2023 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback