20 Rushton Road, Morrinsville
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Central Kids Kindergartens - Rushton Road is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Central Kids Kindergartens - Rushton Road is located in the rural township of Morrinsville. It is licensed for 40 children over the age of two years. Currently there are 45 children enrolled, including 16 who identify as Māori.
The kindergarten’s philosophy is underpinned by Te Whāriki and Te Whatu Pōkeka and is embodied in a whakairo 'Whakaaro nui'. This is a valued taonga of the kindergarten and represents commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi, and symbolises people and places from past, present and future, who are part of the kindergarten community.
The kindergarten operates under the governance and management of the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust, a community not-for-profit organisation. The overarching philosophy of the organisation is to provide kindergartens where children learn through play and are supported to reach their potential.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 kindergarten reviews in the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust.
The kindergarten has an inclusive curriculum that promotes positive learning outcomes for children. Literacy, mathematics and other curriculum areas are interwoven into daily learning. The environment provides many opportunities for children to be creative and use their imagination. The outside play area includes a range of equipment to provide varying levels of physical challenge. Children engage in sustained and complex learning and are supported to set their own challenges and confidently assess risk. Children with additional needs and their families are well supported. The curriculum is responsive to children’s interests, strengths and abilities.
There are strong, reciprocal relationships among children, parents and teachers. Parents and whānau feel welcome in the kindergarten and interactions are genuine and respectful. There are many opportunities for children to develop friendships. Tuakana-teina relationships support children’s learning and the development of leadership skills. Relationships foster children's sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Effective teaching interactions support children’s confidence and competence as life-long learners. Teachers are skilled at noticing children’s interests and responding to potential learning opportunities. They use a range of intentional teaching strategies that encourage children to problem solve and persevere. Children are viewed as capable and supported to develop their confidence through meaningful interactions and play.
Leadership has a strong commitment to the kindergarten philosophy. Teachers have time to reflect on their practice and contribute to centre-wide review. Internal evaluation processes need to be further developed to better understand how actions support improved outcomes for children. Leaders and teachers are committed to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and aspects of the programme reflect a bicultural approach. This could be strengthened further by increasing the confidence of teachers to use te reo Māori in their interactions.
Governance and management have comprehensive, well-established systems and practices to enable the organisation to monitor, evaluate and plan for improvement for its early learning centres. Clear guidelines and expectations for centre practice and curriculum are strongly fostered by the leadership team and trust. The vision and values support positive outcomes for children’s learning, wellbeing and that of their whānau.
Next steps for the kindergarten are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Central Kids Kindergartens - Rushton Road 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:
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.
In order to improve practice, Central Kids Kindergarten management needs to ensure observations of teacher practice are undertaken as part of the appraisal process.
The next ERO review of Central Kids Kindergartens - Rushton Road will be in three years.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
1 February 2019
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.
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Location |
Morrinsville, Waikato |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5623 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
45 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 24 Boys 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
16 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2018 |
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Date of this report |
1 February 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
August 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
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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:
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.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Central Kids Kindergartens - Rushton Road operates under the umbrella of Central North Island Kindergarten Trust (CNIKT). The kindergarten is located in Morrinsville, and is licensed to cater for 40 children from two years to school age. At the time of this ERO review, 74 children were attending, including 12 who are identified as Māori. The kindergarten is open from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm for five days a week.
There have been changes to the operation of the kindergarten since the 2012 ERO review. At the beginning of 2015 the kindergarten changed from a sessional to an all-day programme, and introduced flexible enrolment for children from two years of age. An additional teacher was appointed to the kindergarten to cater for the additional children now attending. These changes have been made to meet the needs of families.
The kindergarten has worked to address areas for development and review identified in the previous ERO report. With the support of the professional leader appointed by CNIKT, the head teacher and staff team have developed a collegial culture and significant improvements to their self-review practices. They are also taking a more reflective and shared approach to teaching. Teachers show a strong commitment to including a focus on te ao Māori, and this is now evident in the environment, programme, and community relationships.
The kindergarten is well supported by the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust. The trust’s strategic direction sets out the service’s vision, expected educational outcomes, and values. It also defines the strategies for delivering the principles and strands of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, and for respecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The trust works positively to provide equitable opportunities to families by extending its hours of opening.
Professional leaders monitor the kindergarten’s compliance with policies and procedures to ensure it meets regulation requirements and management expectations. They work alongside head teachers to support and their leadership and provide guidance, and to mentor teachers as part of the appraisal process. Kindergarten teachers have generous opportunities to attend professional development opportunities to grow their teaching and leadership skills.
The trust has undertaken a long-term review of teacher appraisal in consultation with teachers. This is enabling them to respond to the expectations of the Education Council and increase the depth of teachers’ reflections about their practice. The trust has also responded effectively to the Vulnerable Children’s Act, and is well-placed to complete required changes to policies and practices for the protection of children.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews within the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust.
Children are learning in a positive and inviting environment where they are welcomed and included. They have warm, caring and trusting relationships with teachers and adults. Children explore the environment actively, and are encouraged to challenge themselves and take safe risks. They are provided with a rich variety of learning opportunities that enable them to explore, discover and experiment. Tuakana-teina relationships are evident, and particularly older children support younger children to participate in play.
Teachers know children well and have a good understanding of their interests and preferences. They engage with children at their level, responding to their play and developing conversations that are responsive to children’s ideas and inquiries. Teachers support children’s creativity and developing knowledge. Literacy and numeracy are included naturally as part of everyday learning. Teachers support the progress of children with diverse needs, seeking external advice and assistance as appropriate.
The curriculum is based on the early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, and increasingly reflects Māori perspectives. The kindergarten takes an active role in the Piako Cultural Festival, involving children in learning to perform waiata in a community context. Aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori are evident in the kindergarten environment. This includes a whakaaro hui, which represents the kindergarten philosophy and is appreciated by parents and children. A playhouse in the form of a wharenui is used to introduce children to Māori tikanga and protocols. Teachers are becoming increasing confident in using te reo Māori in their conversations with children. The kindergarten promotes an inclusive environment that celebrates the cultures of children from a number of ethnicities.
Parents appreciate receiving information and support as their children prepare to transition to school. Children are able to recognise future classmates from a display of former kindergarten attendees.
Planning and assessment has been an area of development. The recent introduction of weekly meetings is enabling teachers to share children’s current learning and discuss possible teaching interactions. By linking observations and assessments, teachers will be increasingly able to make ongoing growth and development visible to children and their parents through their well-presented individual learning journals.
Teachers are using a range of strategies to enhance their partnership with parents. These include newsletters, parents’ ready access to children’s learning portfolios, and online portfolios that assist parents to respond to teachers’ entries about children’s learning. Parents are welcome to spend time in the kindergarten and contribute to the programme.
The team has well-developed processes for self review. They work hard to identify areas where they can improve outcomes for children and develop their professional skills to respond to changing needs and circumstances. This has assisted them to respond successfully to recent changes to the ages of children and their hours of attendance.
The head teacher is experienced, well informed and keeps up to date with best practice in early childhood education. She has taken a key role in developing a positive team culture where there is a shared sense of responsibility within the kindergarten. The head teacher also promotes positive relationships with whānau and the community. She is well supported by a professional leader who is well placed to provide advice, support and direction.
ERO and kindergarten leaders agree that the teachers should continue to sustain and develop the current initiatives in the areas of:
Before the review, the staff and management of Central Kids Kindergartens - Rushton Road 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:
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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Central Kids Kindergartens - Rushton Road will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
22 December 2015
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.
|
Location |
Morrinsville |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5623 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
74 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 36 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā South East Asian Indian Other European |
12 56 4 1 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
November 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 December 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2006 |
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:
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.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.