71 Taniwha Street, Glen Innes, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Glen Innes Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Glen Innes Kindergarten is licensed for 30 children over the age of two years. It operates as a Kindergarten Day Model, which enables children to attend sessions similar to school hours.
The kindergarten's philosophy focuses on building relationships with children and their whānau. The teaching team is committed to supporting all children to become independent, resilient and confident learners. Staff maintain a strong focus on responding to and meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse multicultural community, which is experiencing considerable change as the result of a major housing redevelopment project. At the time of this review a new head teacher and a new teacher have recently been recruited.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides leadership, a framework of policies and operational guidelines, support personnel and programmes of professional learning and development. Strategic planning supports the kindergartens’ development and future focus. A new AKA structure has been established and new personnel appointed. Many of these roles had recently been established.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children and their whānau are warmly welcomed into the very well-resourced, calm and spacious learning environments. They are settled and comfortable in the kindergarten. Teachers' caring interactions promote children's wellbeing and foster their sense of belonging. They know children and their whānau well.
Children enjoy good access to a wide range of equipment in both the indoor and outdoor learning spaces, and have many opportunities to make choices about their play. They have fun and play well alongside each other. Extended periods of uninterrupted play enable children to sustain their interest in activities and learning. Children have many opportunities to follow their own interests, and to play independently and collaboratively.
Teachers and teacher aides use te reo Māori and phrases from children's home languages naturally during the day. Teachers could now make families' cultures more visible within the environment.
Teachers are very responsive to children's needs. Professional learning programmes focusing on enriching children's oral language and social competencies have impacted positively on teachers' practice. Teachers and teacher aides all use and model social competencies and appropriate oral language.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported by teachers and teacher aides to ensure all children experience the play-based curriculum. Teachers make good use of external agencies to support these children and their families.
Teachers work collaboratively to plan programmes and assess learning. Children's learning is documented in group and individual learning stories in portfolios. Teachers are now beginning to use this information to plan more explicitly for extending the learning of individual children and show this progress over time.
Children's transitions into the kindergarten and on to school are based on individual needs and are very well planned and managed. Children and their whānau benefit from relationships that teachers have developed with two local primary schools.
There are many opportunities for parents to participate in the kindergarten programme. A parent/whānau group supports learning programmes and helps parents to access local support agencies within the area.
Teachers have completed an evaluation of children's social competencies, which is now well embedded in teaching practice. They continue to work with AKA personnel to enhance their understanding and skills in evaluation. They use the AKA's systematic evaluation framework to guide 'teaching as inquiry' projects that have enhanced their practice.
AKA leaders are supporting the new head teacher's transition well. The AKA continues to provide support for kindergartens to strengthen bicultural practices. In many instances this has made a significant difference to confidence and capability. Specialist support impacts positively on teachers’ confidence and inclusion of children with additional learning needs. Specific programmes that help teachers to support children’s developing social competencies can now be extended across all kindergartens. The strategic direction being established by new AKA leaders is providing a positive framework for kindergartens’ annual planning.
Teachers and AKA leaders agree that children would benefit by teachers continuing to:
use key next learning steps from children's portfolios to more explicitly plan for individual children
enhance ways that children's languages, cultures and identities are evidenced in the environment and programmes
use the AKA framework for internal evaluation to determine how effectively the service is providing for the strengths, interests and needs of all children and how their learning is progressing.
It would be useful for AKA to continue supporting the head teacher in her role as a leader and to:
clarify new roles and engaging teaching teams in the implementation of the new structure across the AKA
increase the rigour of monitoring and quality assurance, and strengthen internal evaluation at all levels of the AKA
identify and implement strategies for achieving greater consistency of the practices that are strengths in some kindergartens, across the AKA.
Before the review, the staff and management of Glen Innes 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
2 October 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 |
Glen Innes, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5051 |
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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 |
30 children aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
23 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 12 Boys 11 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2019 |
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Date of this report |
2 October 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2012 |
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Education Review |
January 2010 |
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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:
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.
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.
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.
Glen Innes Kindergarten, in Auckland, is licensed to provide care and education for 40 children over the age of two years. A newly established team of four qualified teachers provides education and care for local children from diverse cultural backgrounds. It operates as a Kindergarten Day Model, which enables children to attend sessions similar to school hours. Teachers’ relationships with local primary schools support children’s transitions to school.
The local community continues to undergo significant change due to a housing redevelopment project. The kindergarten’s philosophy is strongly focused on building relationships with the children, and whānau of this community. As families continue to move into and out of the area, maintaining enrolments and regular attendance for children has been challenging.
The 2012 ERO report noted the inclusive environment, partnerships with families and the good quality programme being offered by skilled teachers. ERO identified areas for improvement, including self review, evaluation and assessment, the team’s knowledge of tikanga and te reo Maori, and multicultural inclusiveness. There has been some progress in these areas.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association, which provides leadership, a management framework, support personnel and a programme of professional development for teachers. In 2015, after extensive review and consultation, the association launched a new 10 year strategic plan. The association’s approach to rolling out a substantial change in its organisational structure has been carefully considered.
New association roles have been established to provide more targeted support for kindergartens and professional development for head teachers in their leadership roles. A Quality Improvement Process (QIP) is being implemented to monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement in kindergartens.
This review was part of a cluster of five kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children have a sense of ownership of the kindergarten environment. They confidently choose from a wide range of experiences and become engaged in their play. Children have fun and develop friendships with others. They have opportunities for sustained periods of imaginative play, and moving from one area of play to another, indoors and outdoors. Teachers use a range of successful strategies to support children to develop social skills.
The indoor environment is light and airy and there is an unhurried tone. Displays of learning stories allow children to revisit their learning. The newly developed outdoor area is attractively presented, incorporating physical challenges and quieter, spacious areas to support a variety of play projects.
Teachers provide a programme that is strongly play based. They are responsive to children’s interests and they interact with children in supportive and affirming ways. Literacy, mathematics, science and the arts are integrated in the programme in relevant and enjoyable ways.
Te reo Māori is seen and heard throughout the environment and valued by the teaching team. The cultures and languages of Pacific children and their whānau are also well represented in the environment. The team is focused on continuing to promote success for Māori and Pacific children through extending their relationships with local iwi and whānau.
Teachers are developing good records of children’s individual learning. They are beginning to show the continuity and complexity of learning in children’s portfolios. Teachers display useful explanations for parents about children’s learning dispositions. The teaching team could use these explanations to familiarise children with the language that describes how they are learning.
Teachers invite whānau to contribute to the programme through children’s individual portfolios. Kindergarten events are well supported and relationships with parents and whānau continue to develop. Inclusive practices ensure positive learning outcomes for all children. An ongoing challenge for teachers is to maintain relationships with a community that is constantly changing.
The teachers’ philosophy statement continues to evolve. The team is becoming more collaborative and developing shared understandings about quality teaching practice. A stronger focus on children’s learning will help teachers to strengthen programme planning and assessment processes. Self review is in the early stages of development.
The association provides timely, in-depth support for the head teacher and the team. Its strategic plan provides a stepping stone for the kindergarten to build on to meet the needs of its local community.
The association has a strong commitment to biculturalism and embracing diversity. Resources and personnel have been targeted to ensure that the specific needs of children and their families are met.
The teaching team agrees that in order to enhance outcomes for children they could:
Before the review, the staff and management of Glen Innes 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 Glen Innes Kindergarten will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
29 January 2016
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 |
Glen Innes, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5051 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
35 |
||
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Gender composition |
Girls 18 Boys 17 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Cook Island Māori Tongan Burmese Samoan |
4 10 7 7 4 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 |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
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Review team on site |
November 2015 |
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Date of this report |
29 January 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
January 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
December 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:
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.
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.