Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins

Education institution number:
5443
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
52
Telephone:
Address:

8 Butler Street, Opawa, Christchurch

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Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins - 04/05/2018

1 Evaluation of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins

How well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins 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 young children, from two years old to school age, within an increasingly diverse community.

Since the previous ERO review there have been changes in the leadership of the kindergarten and in the teaching team. All teachers/kaiako are qualified and certified early childhood education teachers. The association education manager (EM) provides professional advice and guidance to support the effective operation of the service.

The kindergarten is at the early stages of involvement with the Te Mana Raupō Kāhui Ako |CoL that will build on the work of the previous local cluster of schools and early learning services.

Leaders and teachers/kaiako have been very responsive to the recommendations from the 2012 ERO report. This included further developing planning, assessment and evaluation practices.

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

The Review Findings

Kaiako foster positive and supportive relationships with families. They show care and respect for one another and build strong connections with children, parents and whānau. The language, culture and identity of families are valued and celebrated. Kaiako are committed to nurturing the development of culturally responsive practices that provide an inclusive learning environment and a strong sense of belonging for all families.

Kaiako provide a rich bicultural curriculum that is responsive to community priorities and centred on positive outcomes for children. The Māori values and concepts of whanaungatanga, ako, manaakitanga, tuakana teina, whakapapa and taha tinana are given prominence in the kindergarten vision and in curriculum practices. All children have opportunities to learn about the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa in ways that are meaningful to them and respectful of the Māori culture. Maori children are well supported to succeed as Maori.

Collaborative ways of working are fostered with everyone involved in the service. Children and families are warmly welcomed. Kaiako work in close partnership with families to promote children’s learning and wellbeing. Through this collaborative approach the diverse strengths, interests and capabilities of toddlers and young children, including those with additional needs, are well supported to help them to experience success.

Children have long periods of uninterrupted time to explore and develop their ideas within a spacious and natural learning environment. Meaningful learning experiences include many opportunities for children to:

  • learn about sustainable practices and care of the natural world

  • be actively involved in physical play that challenges them to take safe risks

  • express themselves through a range of different sensory and creative activities

  • work with and alongside others and develop friendships

  • develop understandings of literacy and mathematics through play.

Strong links to the community enhance the localised learning programme for children both within and beyond the kindergarten.

The new leadership promotes collaborative and reflective practices that are focused on continuous improvement to teaching practices and positive learning outcomes for children and families.

Comprehensive internal evaluative practices are well led and promote robust inquiry that informs curriculum priorities and culturally responsive practices. For example, in 2017 there was a deliberate inquiry into Pacific cultures and languages and how these could be integrated into children's learning to support children from Pacific cultures.

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's 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 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 ao 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 service manager and teaching team have identified, and ERO’s evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps are to continue to:

  • strengthen the capacity of all staff to lead complex reviews

  • continue to increase the use of te reo Māori and the development of greater connections with tangata whenua and local iwi

  • embed and sustain the very culturally responsive practice for Pacific children and families evident in 2017.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

4 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

5443

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

53

Gender composition

Girls 28; Boys 25

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnicities

13
36
4

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

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2018

Date of this report

4 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 Opawa St Martins - 18/02/2014

1 Evaluation of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins

How well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins 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

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Opawa St Martins is located in an area of Christchurch that was significantly affected by the Canterbury earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Children and their families have received sensitive and practical support from the teachers and the association.

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

Since the November 2007 ERO review, there has been a number of changes to leadership and to the teaching team. This has affected the kindergarten’s ability to act on the recommendations of the previous report. However, the new teaching team has made considerable improvements to planning, assessment and self review. Developments in 2013 are focused on increasing parent and child views on children’s learning.

Teachers maintain close links with the local community to enhance learning experiences for children.

The association reports that as a result of this initiative, children’s attendance at kindergarten has increased, particularly in areas where there are high numbers of priority learners.

The Review Findings

Positive and inclusive relationships between teachers and children contribute strongly to children’s confidence and sense of wellbeing.

Teachers have a good knowledge of the children’s interests, strengths and capabilities. Parents are well informed about these through attractive learning records and wall displays.

Well-considered changes to the programme have given children more time to follow their own interests, and purposefully engage with teachers. Teachers involve themselves actively in children’s play. They use this time to help children explain their ideas and think more deeply about their learning.

This kindergarten’s vision of supporting children to develop a love of learning is clearly evident in the programme and practices. Teachers strongly promote children’s independence and problem-solving skills. Children are consistently guided to successfully manage their relationships with others. These practices help children develop the attitudes and skills necessary to move on to school with confidence.

The environment is well planned to give children many opportunities to make decisions about when, where and with whom to play. A rich and varied selection of resources and equipment is freely available for children to use in their imaginative and physical play. The programme gives suitable emphasis to learning about the natural world and developing children’s awareness and use of sustainable practices. Literacy and numeracy are included in meaningful ways throughout the programme.

The head teacher makes good use of the individual skills of teachers to foster a team approach to leadership. The teaching team works well together to develop shared understandings about the best ways to bring about positive outcomes for children’s learning.

Leaders and teachers are focused on making ongoing improvements to the quality of learning experiences provided for children. They have undertaken some worthwhile reviews of the programme, environment and teaching practices.

The association provides effective governance and management for all of its kindergartens. The long-term vision and goals for all kindergartens are determined by the governing board. Each individual kindergarten establishes its own plan incorporating the board's goals. The association responded appropriately to the circumstances of Canterbury and Westland communities by removing all fees.

Each kindergarten is supported by education support managers (ESMs) who make regular visits and provides well-targeted professional development. In particular, teachers are well supported in developing their understanding of te ao Māori and making this more evident in documentation and practices. This remains an area for further development in this kindergarten.

The association has high expectations for teaching and learning. The use of recently developed indicators of good practice is helping to identify and spread effective practice. Appraisal is used effectively to recognise areas of strength and where further developments may be necessary.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and teachers have identified, and ERO agrees, that recent developments in planning, assessment and evaluation need to be further developed.

The quality and usefulness of self review could be further strengthened by more clearly showing the process and providing evidence from a range of sources to back up the findings.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

18 February 2014

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

5443

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children over two years of age

Service roll

54

Gender composition

Girls 22, Boys 32

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Asian

Other ethnicities

6

42

3

3

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

October 2013

Date of this report

18 February 2014

Most recent ERO reports 

Education Review

November 2007

 

Education Review

June 2004

 

Accountability Review

January 1999

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.