Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood

Education institution number:
5432
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
28
Telephone:
Address:

24 Rochester Street, Linwood, Christchurch

View on map

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood - 10/05/2018

1 Evaluation of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood

How well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood is very well placed to provide positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood is one of 72 early learning services governed and managed by Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens. The kindergarten caters for the education and care of children aged two years to school age from the diverse and culturally rich community that it serves.

Since the previous ERO review in 2012, there have been some changes to the teaching team. However the leadership of the centre has remained consistent under the long-serving head teacher/kaiako. The current teaching team has worked together since 2015. An association education services manager (ESM) provides professional advice and guidance to support the effective operation of the service.

All teachers/kaiako are qualified and certified early childhood education teachers/kaiako, including the additional learning-support teacher/kaiako. The teaching team has been very responsive to the recommendations from the 2012 ERO report. This included further developing assessment, planning and internal evaluation practices.

This kindergarten has recently become part of the Tamai Kāhui Ako | CoL which is building on previous work with a Linwood learning cluster of schools and early learning services. The head teacher/kaiako played a leadership role within this cluster.

This review was part of a cluster of 11 kindergartens governed and managed by the Canterbury Westland Kidsfirst Kindergartens Association. 

The Review Findings

Teachers/kaiako actively foster respectful, reciprocal, supportive and inclusive relationships with the children and their families.  The kindergarten's strong shared vision and values are clearly evident in the positive ways teachers/kaiako work with children. Te ao Māori is given prominence in all aspects of the kindergarten. Māori values and concepts guide the kindergarten curriculum and teacher/kaiako practices. Teachers/kaiako place a strong focus on fostering a sense of whanaungatanga and ukaipotanga, warmly welcoming and supporting children, parents and whānau to develop a sense of belonging and connectedness to their kindergarten. 

The language, culture and identity of children and families is highly respected and celebrated. Teachers/kaiako value parent voice, views and contributions to their children’s learning, wellbeing and involvement at the kindergarten.

Teachers/kaiako have a strong commitment to providing a bicultural curriculum that is respectful of the Māori culture, meaningful for children and promotes success for Māori children as Māori. Teachers/kaiako have built purposeful links to the community and use Māori expertise to help guide practices. This includes the development of the cultural history and stories of the Linwood area and ways that these can enrich the curriculum offered to children.

There is a strong focus on building culturally responsive practices, knowledge and understandings that respect the Pacific cultures. Teachers/kaiako understand that language and culture are key to Pacific children’s identity and a positive, confident sense of self.  They are developing processes that value and respond to Pacific knowledge, culture and ways of learning.

Children with diverse needs, including English language learners, are well supported within an inclusive learning environment. Teachers/kaiako are responsive to the interests, strengths and capabilities of all children. They know the children well as individuals and provide sensitive and caring interactions to help them succeed with their learning.

Teachers' well written learning records and assessment practices acknowledge the social and cultural worlds of children and build on children's identity as a successful learner. Teachers/kaiako make very good use of assessment to inform their inquiries and curriculum priorities, including group planning and practices. Teachers/kaiako prioritise helping children to develop oral language and social skills to support friendships. Literacy experiences, creative activities and physical activity are well integrated in ways that invite children to participate in learning in the spacious and natural environment.

The head teacher/kaiako strongly advocates for the development and implementation of a Tiriti-based curriculum. The teaching team has established a culture in which children are first and foremost valued, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning. Collaborative ways of working are fostered with everyone involved in the service.

The teaching team make very good use of robust, collaborative inquiry practices and internal evaluation processes for improvement. These practices and processes are focused on building teacher/kaiako capability and positive outcomes for children and their families.  

The Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association has a well-developed and clearly understood vision. It is underpinned by targeted strategic and annual planning systems. There are close links between the kindergarten plans, internal evaluation, appraisal and professional development. The teachers/kaiako are well supported by association managers and leaders to achieve the priorities of the kindergarten and to promote high quality learning outcomes for all children.

The board that governs the organisation is highly skilled and committed. The association has a very strong commitment to providing high quality professional development to build on leadership capacity and teacher/kaiako capability. It has high expectations for teaching and learning and equitable outcomes for all children. This includes a strong focus on promoting understandings of and respect for te āo Māori (the Māori world) at all levels of the organisation. Association internal evaluation is being well used to inform decision making and support the strong focus on continuous improvement.

Key Next Steps

The education manager and teaching team have identified, and ERO’s evaluation has confirmed, that the key next step is for teachers/kaiako to embed and sustain culturally responsive practices for Pacific children and their families.  

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood 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 Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood will be in four years.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

10 May 2018 

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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

5432

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, over the age of two years

Service roll

28

Gender composition

Boys 15 : Girls 13

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Pacific
Other ethnicities

8
9
3
8

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

N/A

 

Over 2

1:10

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

10 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

July 2012

Education Review

October 2008

Accountability Review

April 2005

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.

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood - 30/05/2012

1 The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood is located in Christchurch. The kindergarten has recently changed its operating hours. The kindergarten currently operates Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm for up to 30 children. It is licensed to take up to 40 children over two years of age. All teachers are fully qualified and registered early childhood teachers.

It is one of 62 kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.

The association that governs this kindergarten is well organised and managed. It provides useful policies and procedures and a comprehensive framework for monitoring health and safety. The association incorporates a management layer in the form of education service managers and a manager of kindergarten operations who works in partnership with teachers providing ongoing educational leadership and professional development.

Positive features of this kindergarten include:

  • affirming relationships between teachers, children and families that promote a strong sense of belonging
  • the way teachers foster children’s social and emotional development, and encourage the development of children’s language
  • the effective interactions that teachers use to support and extend children’s thinking
  • well organised and resourced indoor and outdoor play areas.

The experienced teaching team work well together to support children’s learning during the programme.

The next steps for the teachers to further improve outcomes for children are to:

  • review the impact of the change to operating hours on the learning programme and teaching practices
  • further develop guidelines for programme planning and assessment expectations
  • strengthen self review of their practices, the programme and operations.

This review occurred at a time when the association and its kindergartens were still responding to issues associated with the Canterbury earthquakes relating to children, families, and personnel. The association has been proactive in addressing these challenges.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the kindergarten is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the kindergarten again in three years.

2 Review Priorities

The Focus of the Review

Before the review, the management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the association and kindergarten to contribute to the scope of the review.

The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team, the education service manager and teachers. This discussion focused on existing information held by the kindergarten (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children at Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood.

All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:

  • the programme provided for children;
  • the learning environment; and
  • the interactions between children and adults.

ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.

The Quality of Education

Background

Teachers aim to provide a welcoming environment that supports children’s play and promotes their physical and emotional development and an inclusive culture that celebrates the diverse backgrounds of children and whānau. Strong emphasis is placed on the involvement of family and community in the kindergarten programme.

Areas of strength

Positive relationships are a feature of the kindergarten. Teachers focus on promoting a strong sense of belonging for children and their families. Teachers, parents and whānau interact in supportive ways. Teachers show an understanding of children’s home lives and circumstances and use this information to have meaningful conversations with them.

Teachers:

  • use a range of strategies to support children to develop their social skills with each other and adults.
  • encourage children to develop their speaking skills and use language, including te reo Māori, for a variety of purposes
  • support and encourage children to take part in new and varied experiences, including trips into the local community.

Teachers interact with children in affirming ways, play effectively alongside children, and use questions that help children talk about their play and learning in greater depth. Children’s successes are noticed and praised. Teachers communicate well with each other and share information that helps them respond to children in more meaningful ways.

Children play in an environment that has interesting and attractive play areas and opportunities to explore. The outdoor area includes good use of natural plantings and materials and provides a wide range of activities. A good range of equipment and resources enable children to be challenged. The indoor areas are well organised and resourced to encourage and support children to follow their interests.

Teachers have useful systems for sharing information with children and their families about learning and participation in the programme. They regularly collate information and record it in children’s profiles. These profiles are readily accessible to children and their families. Teachers make good use of visual displays to share learning experiences with children and families.

Areas for development and review

The kindergarten has recently undergone a change of hours and sessions. As a result it is timely to review:

  • ways teachers regularly meet and review change
  • the purpose of children’s group times and the opportunities children have for leadership and decision making during these times
  • the structure of the daily programme to ensure that children have good opportunities for sustained play.

Teachers should now strengthen group planning practices. They have identified that they are in the early stages of developing manageable systems for documenting group planning.

While ERO identified a number of examples of good practice in children’s assessment, these practices were not consistently evident across all profile books. Teachers should now develop clear expectations and guidelines to utilise individual teacher strengths in assessment to ensure consistency across profile books. This could include identification of what learning has occurred and possible next steps for learning.

Teachers identify relevant areas for self review and gather appropriate amounts of information. The next steps to further strengthen self review are:

  • identifying trends, patterns and issues and reflecting on the reasons for these
  • the development of specific plans for change based on these findings
  • the evaluation of planned changes.

3 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the teachers of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood completed an ERO and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

  • administration;
  • health, safety and welfare;
  • personnel management; and
  • financial and property management.

During the review, ERO looked at the service’s documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:

  • emotional safety (including behaviour management, prevention of bullying and abuse);
  • physical safety (including behaviour management, sleeping and supervision practices; accidents and medication; hygiene and routines; travel and excursion policies and procedures);
  • staff qualifications and organisation; and
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

4 Future Action

ERO is confident that the kindergarten is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the kindergarten again in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services

Southern Region

About the Centre

Type

All Day Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998

Number licensed for

40 children over two years of age

Roll number

39

Gender composition

Girls 23

Boys 16

Ethnic composition

NZ European Pākehā 24

Māori 13

Cook Island 2

Review team on site

March 2012

Date of this report

30 May 2012

Previous three ERO reports

Education Review October 2008

Education Review April 2005

Accountability Review December 2000

To the Parents and Community of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood.

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Linwood is located in Christchurch. The kindergarten has recently changed its operating hours. The kindergarten currently operates Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm for up to 30 children. It is licensed to take up to 40 children over two years of age. All teachers are fully qualified and registered early childhood teachers.

It is one of 62 kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.

The association that governs this kindergarten is well organised and managed. It provides useful policies and procedures and a comprehensive framework for monitoring health and safety. The association incorporates a management layer in the form of education service managers and a manager of kindergarten operations who works in partnership with teachers providing ongoing educational leadership and professional development.

Positive features of this kindergarten include:

  • affirming relationships between teachers, children and families that promote a strong sense of belonging
  • the way teachers foster children’s social and emotional development, and encourage the development of children’s language
  • the effective interactions that teachers use to support and extend children’s thinking
  • well organised and resourced indoor and outdoor play areas.

The experienced teaching team work well together to support children’s learning during the programme.

The next steps for the teachers to further improve outcomes for children are to:

  • review the impact of the change to operating hours on the learning programme and teaching practices
  • further develop guidelines for programme planning and assessment expectations
  • strengthen self review of their practices, the programme and operations.

This review occurred at a time when the association and its kindergartens were still responding to issues associated with the Canterbury earthquakes relating to children, families, and personnel. The association has been proactive in addressing these challenges.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the kindergarten is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the kindergarten again in three years.

When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services

Southern Region

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:

  • improve quality of education for children in early childhood centres; and
  • provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.

Review Focus

ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.

  • Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.
  • Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a centre, may be included in the review. ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.
  • Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.

Review Recommendations

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.