12 Courtney Street, Motueka
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Laura Ingram Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Laura Ingram Kindergarten is situated in Motueka. It provides all-day education and care for up to 44 children aged over two years. At the time of this ERO review, 16 of the children enrolled identify as Māori and five as being of Pacific heritage.
The kindergarten philosophy emphasises community, respect and learning, 'hapori, whakaute, akorangi'.
The day-to-day operation of the service is led by the head teacher who supports the teaching team. Since the May 2013 ERO evaluation, the outdoor learning space has been developed.
Laura Ingram Kindergarten is governed and managed by the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association (the association). Since the May 2013 ERO reviews, a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has been appointed. The CEO and a board of trustees are responsible for the governance of the kindergarten. A team of senior education advisors (SEA) oversees and supports professional practice.
ERO's previous report identified key next steps for this kindergarten. These included: developing health and safety practices and procedures, strengthening the assessment and planning cycle, developing teaching strategies that support the age of the learner, building teachers' confidence to use te reo Māori and their evaluation capability. Good progress has been made in addressing these areas.
The ERO reviews undertaken in 2018 identified a number of key next steps for the board. These included improving their planning to support the achievement of the board’s strategic objectives, and ensuring that reporting is evaluative and focuses on outcomes for children. These remain priority areas for development.
This review was one of five in the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association.
Teachers work alongside children using a range of strategies to engage them in their play and learning. Children’s independence is actively promoted. They experience warm and respectful relationships.
Teachers intentionally support children to develop self-regulation in the play-based programme. The holistic wellbeing of children and whānau is strongly promoted and advocated for. This is a strength of the kindergarten.
The kindergarten’s philosophy has recently been reviewed by leaders and teachers. A next step is to consult with parents, whānau Māori and their Pacific Community to determine what educational success looks for them in this context. Once the philosophy is established, indicators of good practice should be developed to support shared understanding.
Bicultural practices are developing in the kindergarten. Teachers are committed to furthering their knowledge of culturally responsive practices for Māori children and their whānau. Resources and the learning environment promote aspects of kaupapa Māori. This focus should be enhanced by:
celebrating places of significant value to Māori through the curriculum
encouraging greater use of te reo Māori by teachers.
Group planning provides a shared focus for the teaching team. A next step is to more clearly evaluate against the planned learning outcomes for the group to inform possible next steps and to measure the impact of group planning on children's learning.
Teachers work collaboratively with parents and whānau to establish learning goals for their child. This provides a basis for individual planning. Teachers should take a more intentional approach in planning for children’s individual learning and assessment documentation. This could assist them to highlight children’s progress overtime.
A recent parent survey has provided useful feedback for leaders and teachers. The kindergarten has been responsive to aspects of this feedback and this has helped to inform ongoing improvements. A next step is to develop an appropriate communication strategy to share the findings from the parent survey and intended outcomes.
Leaders and teachers are improvement focused. They are developing their knowledge of internal evaluation for improvement. Teachers should undertake deeper analysis of the evidence gathered to more clearly identify which aspects of practice impact on children’s learning.
The board is well informed about outcomes from association-wide strategic reviews and the progress being made to achieve strategic goals.
The board and association are taking deliberate action to support Māori and Pacific children and children with diverse learning needs. The association has developed strong relationships with community organisations to support children and their whānau.
Appraisal is supporting growth in teacher capability. The association should update the performance management policy and the appraisal procedure. In addition, the association should now introduce the Teaching Council appraisal summary annual report as part of the endorsement process.
The key next steps for teachers are to:
consult with parents, whānau Māori and their Pacific community to determine what educational success looks like for them and their children, developing indicators of good practice for the philosophy
enhance aspects of planning for learning as well as the bicultural curriculum
develop a communication strategy to share the findings from the parent survey and intended outcomes with parents and whānau
strengthen the analysis of internal evaluation findings so teachers can better measure the impact of their practices on outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Laura Ingram 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.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
18 April 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 |
Motueka |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5401 |
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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 |
44 children aged over two years |
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Service roll |
42 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 24, Girls 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
16 |
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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 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2019 |
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Date of this report |
18 April 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2013 |
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Education Review |
February 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.
Laura Ingram Kindergarten is developing its capacity to promote positive outcomes for children. Progress is well supported by good governance from the association and guidance from the Senior Education Adviser.
Laura Ingram Kindergarten attracts children and families from a large catchment area. The kindergarten is licensed for 44 children aged two years and over. Recently, teachers have begun enrolling children who have just turned two years of age, which has implications for the curriculum provided for children. The teaching team is new. A family liaison group supports the teachers, assists with fundraising and facilitates a range of social occasions for parents. The head teacher works closely with external agencies to provide families with a wider support network in the community.
The kindergarten is governed by the Nelson Kindergarten Association (the association) and overseen by a team of Senior Education Advisors (SEAs). The kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO.
This review was conducted as part of a cluster approach to reviews of eight early childhood services within the Nelson Kindergarten Association.
Teachers are warm, responsive, welcoming and respectful to both children and parents. Children have many opportunities to engage in sustained play. Their sense of belonging is promoted. Children have access to a range of information and communication technologies. Staff liaise with external agencies to provide ongoing assistance to improve outcomes for children and families. The kindergarten's vision is evident in teachers' practice.
The programme is underpinned by the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. Teachers appropriately plan for groups and individuals. The specific planning for individual children is often a reflection of what the child has been doing and how their interests may be extended
Portfolios are interesting and well presented. They highlight children’s engagement and developing relationships, the growth of their physical skills and learning progress. Teachers focus on capturing in learning stories the voices of parents and children.
Routines are consistently implemented, giving children a sense of security. Transition to school is supported through positive relationships with local schools. There is a range of useful information available to parents.
Teachers encourage and invite parents to take an active role in their child’s learning. Friendly and informative interactions between parents and children occur frequently during the day. Leaders and teachers understand the value and importance of positive relationships with parents and whānau.
The association has recently updated its appraisal procedures to provide clear guidance for staff. Leaders are engaging in ongoing professional learning to support its successful implementation.
Teachers are supported in their understanding of self review, by the association. There is strong alignment between the guiding documents of the association and kindergarten and the resulting review. Spontaneous and regular review has been well used to improve outcomes for children. The teachers and association are highly consultative, regularly requesting feedback from their parent community. The association has effectively led robust self review and evaluation using a collaborative approach.
The association provides high levels of guidance and support for teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
The SEA regularly visits the kindergarten and provides strong support and leadership to the teaching team. Through SEA guidance and identified next steps teachers are supported to enact the association’s vision of providing “consistently exceptional early childhood education”.
Equity funding is used effectively to achieve positive outcomes for children.
ERO and kindergarten leaders agree that the key next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Laura Ingram 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.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)
21 May 2013
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Location |
Motueka, Nelson |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5401 |
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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 |
44Number children over the age of two yearsnumber |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Gender composition |
Male 20, Female 27 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Māori Pacific Other ethnic groups |
37 7 2 1 |
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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 |
March 2013 |
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Date of this report |
21 May 2013 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
March 2010 November 2006 February 2004 |
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:
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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service 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 the service.