329 Bairds Road, Otara, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Flatbush Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Flatbush Kindergarten is a well-established kindergarten, licensed for 40 children over two years of age, and operating six-hour days. The majority of the children have Pacific or Māori heritage.
The kindergarten's philosophy emphasises children's connection to their whānau, and values their diversity.Teachers aim to promote children's holistic wellbeing. The teaching team includes a head teacher, two other registered teachers and two teaching assistants, supported by an administrator.
The 2015 ERO report noted teachers' meaningful relationships with children and families, and children's engagement in the programme. Areas for improvement included evaluating children's learning and progress, and including parents' cultural knowledge, values and contributions in their children's portfolios. Some progress has been made in these areas.
The kindergarten operates as part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA). The association provides a framework of policies and operational guidelines, support personnel and programmes of professional learning and development. The AKA is establishing new roles and responsibilities at management and governance levels. Recruitment of appropriate personnel to fill identified roles is underway.
This review was part of a cluster of nine reviews in the AKA.
Children are supported to settle well, and they demonstrate a good sense of belonging. They have access to a wide variety of thoughtfully-presented resources. Children play independently with and alongside each other. They readily find something to interest them in the purposefully arranged indoor and outdoor environments.
Teachers intentionally provide for children's holistic development. They have strong nurturing relationships with children. Teachers are inclusive, and make efforts to ensure all children have good access to learning opportunities. Children from diverse backgrounds, and with differing needs and abilities, experience positive outcomes.
Teachers encourage parents to stay and spend time with their children. They know children and families well, and have respectful and responsive relationships with them. Teachers recognise the value of continuing to strengthen relationships with whānau, and have established a whānau committee. Teachers continue to develop strategies to gather, record and respond to parents' aspirations for their children's learning at the kindergarten.
Teachers promote the use of te reo Māori with children, whānau and each other. They have focused on creating opportunities for children to participate in relevant experiences, and strengthening their culturally responsive practices. Teachers affirm children's cultural identity. Wall displays and books provide opportunities for children and parents to recall and revisit significant events.
Children have access to well-presented, individual assessment portfolios. Some records document children's learning well. Teachers plan to make entries more meaningful by identifying and showing their response to children's interests and dispositions. They engage in discussions about children's interests, and plan to provide experiences and activities related to these.
Teachers' internal evaluation practices are collaborative and follow a sound framework. Teachers have identified specific indicators to measure the impact of changes made as a result of evaluation. Their next step is to evaluate how well they have achieved positive outcomes for children and whānau.
Changes in staffing and leadership have been well managed. The head teacher has worked diligently to establish a positive and collaborative team culture. The teachers have recently reviewed their philosophy and established a shared vision. Teachers have an understanding of their goals in relation to the 2017 revised Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Teachers find the professional development offered by the AKA useful and informative. This support has helped them to develop a vision and to contribute to the priorities for the kindergarten.
Key next steps include continuing to:
develop teachers' practice and to help them implement the kindergarten's shared vision
build meaningful conversations with children to extend their language development, and thinking and problem solving skills
strengthen teachers' recording of children's learning in portfolios, planning and evaluation.
It would be useful for AKA to:
continue providing appropriate support for the head teacher in her leadership role
monitor that all part-time or relieving teachers are well informed about AKA policies and procedures
increase support to improve assessment practices, planning and evaluation
continue to support teachers to fully implement Te Whāriki 2017.
Before the review, the staff and management of Flatbush 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:
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.
The next ERO review of Flatbush Kindergarten will be in three years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
15 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 |
Otara, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5049 |
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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 |
31 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 16 Girls 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
November 2018 |
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Date of this report |
15 February 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
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Education Review |
May 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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Flatbush Kindergarten serves a multicultural community in Otara, Auckland. The children come from Māori and a diverse range of Pacific backgrounds. The Samoan culture is predominant. The kindergarten offers a Kindergarten Day Model of six hour days. The kindergarten is licensed to provide for up to 40 children, with the majority being from three to five years of age.
The kindergarten team is made up of four registered teachers, including the head teacher, one support staff member, and an administrator. Teachers have opportunities to share leadership roles. They have well-established relationships with families and the local community. The team acknowledges the historical background of the Ngai Tai rohe and are learning about Pacific communities.
The teaching team has sustained most of the positive features highlighted in ERO’s 2012 report and is reviewing the effectiveness of others. The report recommended that teachers develop strategies to support children’s understanding and use of the English language. ERO also recommended that teachers could extend the complexity of children’s play. Teachers have engaged in professional development to help them respond to these recommendations.
The kindergarten operates as part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides considered leadership, a management framework, support personnel and a programme of professional development for teachers.
After extensive review, consultation and development, the AKA has recently launched a new 10-year strategic direction. Its four strategic pillars or objectives relate to educational excellence, core organisational processes, community engagement and a future focus. These objectives are intended to guide the AKA and its’ kindergartens in their ongoing development. The AKA’s approach to rolling out a substantial change in its organisational structure has been carefully considered.
New AKA roles have been established to provide more targeted support for kindergarten operations, curriculum and development. Professional development is planned to support kindergarten head teachers in their leadership and management roles. A Quality Improvement Process (QIP) is being developed and will be implemented to monitor quality in kindergartens and contribute to self review and ongoing improvement.
This review is one of a cluster of ten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the centre and are often greeted in their home languages. Teachers develop meaningful relationships with new children and their families as they transition into the kindergarten. Parents are happy to stay to help their children settle and are eager to participate in kindergarten events and celebrations. Teachers are considering strategies to encourage parents to work more closely in partnership with them to benefit children’s learning.
Children are engaged and busy in the programme. Imaginative play is encouraged and provides opportunities for children to extend their social skills. Some older children observe the teachers’ affirming social interactions and are incorporating these skills effectively in their own conversations.
Children actively plan for their own learning. They work alongside teachers, identify topics that they want to learn more about, and use computer tools and resource books to gather in-depth information about their interest. They are also learning how to assess the progress they make in their learning. Teachers are reviewing the planning, assessment and evaluation processes used to support children’s learning. Portfolios provide good evidence of children’s individual progress over time.
The promotion of language development and thinking skills is evident. Many of the children are learning how to speak English. Teachers are beginning to use words and phrases from children’s’ home languages to help them understand English. They are also committed to learning more about children’s family backgrounds to help children to retain their languages, cultures and sense of identity.
The environment is attractively presented and well resourced. Teachers and children can easily select additional resources from orderly storage areas. Areas of play have been enriched to support numeracy, literacy and science learning. Wall displays are used to make planning more visible to families and children. Teachers’ growing commitment to bicultural practice is reflected in the kindergarten environment. The history of the mana whenua is featured along with the Tiriti O Waitangi, and Māori learning resources and other taonga.
Parents are beginning to give feedback to staff about their aspirations for their children, and to share their children’s learning experiences at home or in their community. Teachers plan to use this information to reinforce and extend children’s learning. They are also considering ways to further encourage family participation in supporting their children’s learning.
The kindergarten’s vision, philosophy and well-considered annual plans are clearly linked. Teachers are beginning to use quality indicators to help evaluate their teaching practices. Research, shared readings and professional learning are helping teachers to continue improving the quality of teaching and learning.
AKA systems for monitoring and promoting improvement in kindergarten operations are well established. A variety of useful systems and processes contribute to the teaching team’s increasingly robust self review. This self review is both responsive and planned, is supported by research into best practice, and reflects teachers’ focus on continual professional development. It often results in improvements. It is timely now for teachers to raise the level of critique of their teaching practice, and more specifically identify outcomes for children as part of their self review.
Key next steps include teachers continuing to:
These next steps should affirm children in their cultures and as capable and competent learners
Before the review, the staff and management of Flatbush 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:
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 Flatbush Kindergarten will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
29 May 2015
|
Location |
Otara, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5049 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children over 2 years of age |
||
|
Service roll |
50 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 29 Boys 21 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Samoan Cook Island Māori Tongan Niue |
11 20 8 8 3 |
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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 |
|||
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
29 May 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
May 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.