Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn

Education institution number:
5199
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
33
Telephone:
Address:

5 Rowi Street, Selwyn Heights, Rotorua

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Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn operates under the governance and management of the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust, a community not-for-profit organisation. The head teacher, who has responsibility for the day-to-day management of the kindergarten, leads a teaching team of three qualified teachers.

Summary of Review Findings

Children experience meaningful and positive interactions with teachers, enhancing their learning and nurturing reciprocal relationships. The curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Teachers support children’s developing social competence. The service’s curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Information and guidance is sought from external agencies to work effectively with children with additional learning and development needs.

An ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • increasing the visibility in assessment, planning and evaluation of; children’s progress and learning over time, how teachers respond to parents’ aspirations and response to all children’s language, culture and identity.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

26 May 2021 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Central Kids Kindergartens – Selwyn
Profile Number 5199
Location Selwyn Heights, Rotorua

Service type

Free Kindergarten

Number licensed for

45 children aged over 2 years.

Percentage of qualified teachers  

80%+

Service roll

43

Ethnic composition

Māori 19, NZ European/Pākehā 12, Cook Island Māori 4, Other Pacific 4, Other ethnic groups 4.

Review team on site

April 2021

Date of this report

26 May 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

  Education Review, June 2016; Education Review, February 2013.

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service
  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn - 28/06/2016

1 Evaluation of Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn

How well placed is Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn is situated in the north western suburbs of Rotorua and is governed and managed by the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust (CNIKT). The kindergarten is licensed to provide education and care for 45 children over the age of two years. Sessions are run between 8.30 and 2.30 on Monday to Friday. At the time of this ERO review 30 children were enrolled with 21 Māori who whakapapa to local hapū.

An experienced and knowledgeable head teacher and staff have managed and taught effectively in the kindergarten since the ERO review in 2013. There has been significant progress made since this review in addressing a key next step identified by ERO. This relates to children being given the opportunity to contribute more directly to their assessment portfolios. The kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO.

The centre philosophy is strongly play based. It is designed to give children a wide range of authentic learning opportunities that build on their strengths and interests, and make their own choices. Whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga are important values or kaupapa, and are actively practiced by the learning and teaching community.

This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust.

The Review Findings

Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn promotes high quality education and care. Continual improvement in centre practices are under-pinned by strong self-review practices.

Children feel welcome, included and have high levels of trusting relationships with teachers and one another. They demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and a willingness to share their ideas and interests. The natural, well-resourced and challenging environment is well prepared to provide a rich variety of experiences. Children play and explore in both indoor and outdoor areas using their imagination and creativity in pursuing their interests. Oral language, literacy, mathematics, science and nature are naturally integrated into the programme.

Children learn through play and are well supported to follow their interests, solve problems and take responsible risks alongside teachers who know them well. Teachers spend time with children supporting their engagement in self-initiated, sustained play. They notice, recognise and respond intentionally to extend learning opportunities for children. Open-ended questions are used to prompt children's thinking. Children are developing independence and being supported to make choices and take increasing responsibility for their own learning and well being.

All children and their families are welcomed into the kindergarten. Children are understood as unique learners and are accepted and celebrated for who they are. Teachers are culturally responsive and support the culture and identity of each child. Te reo and tikanga Māori practices are well integrated into the programme in authentic contexts. Tuakana-teina relationships are present where older children take responsibility to care for and support their younger peers. The concepts of whanaungatanga and manaakitanga feature strongly in the programmes. All parents spoken to by ERO were pleased with the way the individuality and identity of their children's culture are celebrated and fostered.

Teachers view children holistically and understand the importance of them learning in the context of family and community. Parent /whānau involvement in the life of the kindergarten is welcomed and encouraged by staff. Teachers have established open and trusting relationships with parents. They appreciate the opportunity to attend social and educational events, and enjoy sharing information in children's portfolios, in both hard copy and online. Parents enjoy sharing and celebrating their children's learning journey, contribute their own thoughts, and feedback to the kindergarten to encourage further learning.

Children benefit from highly effective transition processes to support them on entering the kindergarten and on entry to school. The main procedure on entry to kindergarten is the child selecting or being allocated a kaitiaki (teacher) who is the child's main support person and contact for parents as they move through the kindergarten. Transition to school procedures include visits, close liaison with two local schools, sharing of information and support for parents.

The knowledgeable and experienced head teacher provides strong collaborative leadership to the teaching team. She empowers teachers to use their strengths and interests to take on leadership roles in kindergarten programmes. The team shares a commitment to beliefs and values about children's learning and wellbeing. These values underpin their high quality teaching practice.

Teachers have been involved in effective professional development and learning that is enhancing their knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching young children. The Trust provides extensive support for the teaching team through professional development and the effective mentoring and guidance of the professional leader. All team members are reflective practitioners and are continually looking at ways of improving learning opportunities for children. Currently teachers are working on strengthening relationships with existing whānau, and supporting new whānau, by providing a forum for whānau to see planning for their child's learning and teaching.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and ERO agree that the key next step is to:

  • continue to strengthen parents' role as partners in their children's education.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Central Kids Kindergartens - Selwyn will be in four years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

28 June 2016

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

Location

Rotorua

Ministry of Education profile number

5199

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

45 children, aged over 2

Service roll

30

Gender composition

Girls 16 Boys 14

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Other Asian

21

7

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

April 2016

Date of this report

28 June 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

February 2013

Education Review

October 2009

Education Review

October 2006

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 and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

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.