Te Kohanga Reo O Ranana was established in October 1997 under the auspices of Ngati Ranana Maori Culture Club. Te Kohanga Reo o Ranana was set up by a very dedicated and committed group of parents who were fighting to give their tamariki (children) what they considered a vital but missing part of their children’s upbringing; their reo (Maori language), their tikanga (customs) – their identity. Being so far away from whanau (family) and home, these parents wanted to be able to give this to their tamariki no matter how small the input was or might be.

Over the years, TKR has grown from strength to strength. The arrival of new whanau, new skills, fantastic kaiako, (teachers) who volunteer their gift of Te Reo and their time with love and commitment, and the ongoing tautoko (support) of Ngati Ranana has seen our Kohanga remain proud and an integral part of many whanau’s time here in the UK.

Whilst Te Reo and Tikanga Maori are paramount, Kohanga also offers tautoko, aroha and tumanako to each and every member of the whanau making it a whole lot easier to raise a family so far from home. Due to time, distance, location and resource availability, Kohanga can only operate for 2 hours a week but the tamariki love every minute they get.

‘Ahakoa he iti…he pounamu’
‘No matter how small, it is a treasure.’

Te Kohanga Reo O Ranana meets from 10:30 am- 12:30 pm every Sat. morning (term time) on the 4th Floor of NZ House, Haymarket, London. Check the calendar for the latest Kohanga events.

Te Whakamarama o tenei whakaahua (Kohanga Logo)

1. The main head represents Io o nga Mano - the supreme being - breathing knowledge into Tane, the smaller head below. 2. The smaller head represents Tane Whakapiripiri – uniter of people – and symbolizes the room used by the Kohanga. 3. The Kowhaiwhai patterns represent Nga Hau e Wha, people of the four winds, who come and go from Kohanga - the Kohanga whanau. 4. Black around Kowhaiwhai: Our dead never forgotten – a tribute to Hine-nui-te-po. 5. Three kite of knowledge placed amongst whanau – a resource of knowledge to abstract as needed, as well as a storing place. 6. The red, yellow and orange colours depict one’s enlightenment of Te Reo and knowledge of things Maori, as each person grows in their learning and better understanding. The London Kohanga Reo logo was designed by Ben Ward – one of the parents who founded Te Kohanga Reo O Ranana in 1997.

Te Kohanga Reo o Ranana in the News

Over the years Kohanga has appeared in both local UK and international media in both print and the small screen.

Kohanga's most recent appearance was as part of a TV3 news article in New Zealand for Maori Language Week on the 22nd of July 2008. Kohanga has also featured in the Children's BBC series, Take a Bow (2007) and prior to that on Teletubbies in 1999. Kohanga has also appeared in numerous UK and NZ newspapers like the NZ Herald, UK NZ News, London Time magazine and many other publications.

Kohanga in the NZ Herald, 19 February 2007

Te Kohanga Reo o Ranana Komiti 2008

Chairman - Matua Scott
Secretary - Whaea Nicole
Treasurer - Matua Andrew
Ngati Ranana Liaison - Whaea Michelle

Click here to email Kohanga

Te Kohanga Reo o Ranana Kaiako

Whaea Donna
Whaea Vanessa
Whaea Tania
Whaea Melissa