Campbell Kindergarten

1 Evaluation of Campbell Kindergarten

How well placed is Campbell Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Campbell Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Campbell Kindergarten, located in Karori, provides all-day education and care for up to 32 children over the age of two years. Mixed-age sessions run daily through the week from 8.30am to 2.30pm. The current roll is 46 children.

The recently reviewed kindergarten philosophy reflects the vision and values of the kindergarten and includes input from staff, community, whānau and children. Since the August 2016 ERO review there have been staff changes including the appointment of a new head teacher. All teachers are fully qualified and registered.

Campbell Kindergarten is administered by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association (the association). A team of senior teachers oversees and supports the professional practice of the teachers. The association runs 102 early childhood services which includes three Pacific kindergartens and a Pacific home-based service.

The previous ERO report identified the need to strengthen assessment practice through internal evaluation. The association has made progress in improving the quality and monitoring of support for individual kindergartens, and appraisal.

This review was one of eight in He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association, Wellington region.

The Review Findings

Children play freely in a well-resourced environment. Opportunities to initiate and select activities enable them to learn. Teachers work alongside children, allowing them the space and time to engage in exploration. The outdoor environment provides opportunities for children to challenge themselves through active play. Children are familiar with expectations and routines and confidently contribute their ideas as they are given opportunities to lead their learning.

Valued outcomes for children have been collaboratively identified by teachers and whānau and are strongly reflected in practice. Whānau aspirations for their children's learning are regularly gathered with learning stories frequently showing the ways in which teachers are responding to these as they work with children.

The kindergarten’s curriculum is culturally inclusive and is responsive to each child's language and identity. Where appropriate learning stories are translated into children’s home languages. Teachers greet children in their home language. Social stories are used with children needing higher levels of support to understand appropriate ways of managing themselves.

Kaupapa Māori concepts are highly evident in the learning environment. Te reo Māori is meaningfully incorporated into the curriculum throughout the day. Teachers use te reo Māori in general conversations with children to reinforce the learning.

The new teaching team work collaboratively to consolidate consistency of practice. They are supported to develop their teaching and leadership skills.

Assessment, planning and evaluation practices are clearly evident through group plans. These are well displayed for parents to see along with photos and learning stories that encourages children to revisit their learning. A recently introduced on-line tool usefully enables the teaching team to share this information and strengthen partnerships with families.

Further consideration should be given to how teachers can effectively develop their understanding of intentional learning and record their conversations about individual children to create individual learning plans.

Teachers tailor their planning for individual children with additional learning needs, and thoughtfully adapt their intentional teaching strategies to suit what works for these children. Leaders and teachers work alongside families and whānau to access external agencies when required.

The kindergarten has well established relationships with local schools. Transition processes foster children’s confidence and familiarity with school expectations. To support individual needs additional visits are negotiated.

Leaders and teachers are highly improvement focused. They use systematic self review to support the quality of education and care for all children. Developing teachers’ knowledge and understanding of internal evaluation is an ongoing focus as they consider the effectiveness and impact of their practice on outcomes for children.

The association's guiding documents effectively support leaders' and teachers' practice. These are used by leaders and teachers to plan and analyse practice, support assessment and underpin decision making. Following association guidance for assessment is a continued next step.

A well-considered appraisal process has recently been enhanced to better develop teacher practice. Teachers are expected to inquire into the effectiveness of their teaching. Purposeful appraisal goals focus on improving aspects of leadership and practice to support children’s learning and wellbeing.

Senior teachers are reflective and highly improvement focused. They successfully foster a collective sense of responsibility to implement the vision, values and mission of the association. Systems and processes have been well developed to guide teacher’s capability and positively impact on children’s learning.

Senior leaders work effectively together, with a shared commitment to meeting strategic goals and objectives for the benefit of children, whānau and community. Well-considered resource allocation supports and enhances children’s learning and wellbeing.

Key Next Steps

A priority for teachers is to:

• continue to develop and refine assessment and planning practices.

ERO and senior leaders agree that the association's next step is to:

• continue to follow the strategic direction set through Tūmanako, Te Tiriti o Waitangi based strategic priority framework.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Campbell Kindergarten completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

• curriculum
• premises and facilities
• health and safety practices
• governance, management and administration.

During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

• emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)

• physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)

• suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)

• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

12 June 2020

The Purpose of ERO Reports

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:

Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children

Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children

Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children

Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.

Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.

ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.

A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.

For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.

ERO’s Overall Judgement

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

• Very well placed

• Well placed

• Requires further development

• Not well placed

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.