Transition to School – Pacific Medium

Soso’o le fau ma le fau: Connect the fibre with another fibre

What was the project about?

We want our children to know who they are, where they are from and how they belong. We aspire for our children to thrive as citizens who actively contribute to our increasingly diverse society.

Download the research report

This collaborative participatory action research project by Tātai Aho Rau Core Education, in partnership with Rātā Foundation, focuses on our Pacific āiga (family). This 21-month long project worked with four early learning services (ELS) and three schools in Canterbury.

Learning about how to support successful transitions for Pacific tamaiti (children) from early childhood education (ECE) to school takes time, attention, and personalised approaches. A successful transition makes a huge difference for tamaiti and their āiga, by giving them a sense of belonging, wellbeing, and engagement in their new learning community.

The research report and resources allow educators and teams to dive more deeply into the project, findings, and recommendations.

Strengthening identities, languages, and cultures of tamaiti through transitions between early learning services and schools will activate success and enhance positive outcomes for Pacific learners in education.

O mo’omo’oga ma mana’oga ausia | Our aspirations and outcomes

The questions we had were:

What do successful transitions look like, sound like, and feel like from the perspectives of Pacific āiga?
From a Pacific worldview, what is the fau and what does this look like for children transitioning from A’oga Amata (Pacific ELS) to English-medium schools?
From a Pacific worldview, what is the fau and what does this look like for Pacific children transitioning from English-medium ELS to English-medium schools?
How can the fau be strengthened to ensure children’s transitions are successful?
What can ELS and primary teachers do to ensure the fau is strong for all Pacific children and their āiga?