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Ako provides tamariki between 5-12y with a learning space, as an alternative to traditional schools, that is play-based, child-led &outdoors
Auckland
Ako is a learning space that provides tamariki with an education based on the needs of each child and the aspirations of a new age.
It is play-based, child-led, passion-driven and outdoor-centred.
Our approach is based on research on brain development, creativity, child psychology and parenting.
We value play as the best way to learn.
We believe that finding your passion is crucial to becoming a valuable member of society.
We value imagination and the ability to express ourselves creatively.
We believe that everyone is a learner and everyone is a teacher.
We see children as whole beings and we acknowledge that we learn with our hands, head and heart.
We believe parents should have a choice as to what school to send them to but we had to start as a private school which prevents a lot of whānau to have their tamariki attend
I am one of the co-founders of Ako. I am a mother of 6y old twin girls and live in Auckland. My strengths are connecting people, projects and organisations to explore synergies and create mutually beneficial outcomes. I mainly drive strategy and the business side of Ako.
To deliver a learning experience based on our values, we have to start as a private school which means that we are currently not eligible for government funding. But charging fees means that Ako is not accessible to a large part of our community.
The funds will be used to keep our fees low for our starting class.
Progress update 1 November 2017
Hi everyone, I guess we have been so busy working on things that we had forgotten to keep our Give a little community up to date. This is where we are at:
- We are in the process of working with the Ministry of Education towards becoming a provisionally registered private school for Term 1, 2018.
- We had planned to start our class in a scout hall, which requires certain consents for the Ministry of Education to approve. We have since found an even better option and are in discussion with Awataha Marae to look at co-locating there.
- We will be holding an Open Day in Onewa Domain (close to Awataha Marae ) on Fr 1st Dec
- We are super happy to introduce you to Claudia Gray, a registered primary school teacher with a strong science and mathematics background, who is joining our team as an educator.
- We are very fortunate to have a group of very diverse and passionate wahine who contribute a wealth of knowledge to our team.
Our Advisory Board includes:
Sarah Aiono, Director of Longworth Education (Longworth Forest has been named one of most innovative education projects across the world as part of HundrED);
Tineke Sutton, Educator and Owner of Oma Rapiti Childcare Centre who is also a music lover (and teacher!);
Dr Amanda Lloyd, Outdoor connections owner and well regarded researcher in outdoor practice;
and Ann Langis, Educator and Playcentre expert who holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University.
We have uploaded full bios on our Akospace website.
Nga mihi
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