Marewa Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5279
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
42
Telephone:
Address:

Bedford Road, Marewa, Napier

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Marewa Kindergarten

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence. 

ERO’s judgements for Marewa Kindergarten are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 
Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

This is one of 16 kindergartens governed and managed by the Napier Kindergarten Association. 
The philosophy includes a connection with the home, the kindergarten and the wider community. A small number of the children are Māori. The kindergarten is part of the Enviroschools programme.

3 Summary of findings 

Strong, respectful relationships underpin children’s experiences and learning. Teachers work collaboratively to provide a responsive environment. They demonstrate care as being integral to the curriculum. Carefully planned transition into the service fosters younger learners’ sense of wellbeing. A calm environment supports these learners to fully participate alongside their peers. The service philosophy is highly evident in practice.

Child agency is fostered as teachers promote independent exploration of the environment. Inclusive teaching practice supports children with identified needs. Aspects of te ao Māori are interwoven meaningfully throughout the daily programme. Whakapapa of tamariki Māori are acknowledged and reflected. Teachers are beginning to learn about the diverse cultures represented within the service.

Assessment for learning is strengths based and reflects children’s learning over time. Techers actively seek parents’ goals and include these to meet the needs of their children. The learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are not yet fore-fronted in assessment or linked to the kindergarten philosophy and priorities for learning.

The association works collaboratively to promote children’s equity of access to an inclusive education. This supports delivery of a consistent curriculum across all kindergartens. Robust monitoring, review and evaluation at association level are not yet evident. Information on improvements in individual kindergartens is not used by those in governance and management roles to identify how association actions impact on equitable outcomes for children. Understanding and implementation of systems and processes that support maintenance of regulatory requirements are inconsistent.

4 Improvement actions

Marewa Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Identify learning outcomes for children in planning and assessment, and align these to the service priorities for learning and philosophy.  
  • Strengthen the reflection of all children’s cultures, languages and identity through the curriculum and documented planning and assessment.

The Napier Kindergarten Association will include the following in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Identify trends and patterns from information gathered about the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning in kindergartens to prioritise association-wide support, professional learning and development, and strategic direction. 
  • Build governors’ and managers’ understanding of how to use this information to identify and respond to inequitable outcomes for groups of children. 
  • Build coherent and robust systems and practice across the organisation to support ongoing knowledge of, and compliance with, regulatory standards.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Marewa Kindergarten completed an ERO 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:

  • suitable staffing (including qualification levels; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

6 Actions for Compliance  

During the review, the association provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances: 

  • Implementing suitable human resource management practices, including a documented system of regular appraisal (GMA7).
  • Having a written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers, and ensuring all children’s workers are safety checked every three years in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

Since the onsite visit, the service and the association have provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances: 

  • Having a written emergency plan that meets the requirements of the licensing criterion (HS7).
  • Having evidence that the review of the emergency plan on an annual basis is informed by kindergarten emergency drills (HS8).
  • Having a process for reviewing and evaluating the service’s operation that includes a schedule and timelines for planned review and evaluation of different areas of operation (GMA6).

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

 20 December 2023 

7 About the Early Childhood Service 

Early Childhood Service NameMarewa Kindergarten
Profile Number5279
Location Marewa, Napier
Service type Free Kindergarten
Number licensed for 46 children aged over two
Percentage of qualified teachers 100%
Service roll47
Review team on siteAugust 2023
Date of this report20 December 2023
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review, January 2020; Education Review, December 2015

Marewa Kindergarten - 21/01/2020

1 Evaluation of Marewa Kindergarten

How well placed is Marewa Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Marewa Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

Background

Marewa Kindergarten, located in Napier, provides education and care for up to 45 children aged over two years. The current roll of 56, includes 11 children who identify as Māori. Children and families reflect a diverse range of cultures. The kindergarten is a member of the Enviroschools programme.

The kindergarten philosophy emphasises providing a safe, unhurried, healthy and caring environment where there are equitable opportunities for all.

Marewa Kindergarten is one of 16 kindergartens operating under the governance and management of the Napier Kindergarten Association (the association). The governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the organisation. The day-to-day operation of the association is the role of the general manager. Two education managers provide teaching and learning support for teachers. The board employs a Pou Whakarewa Mātauranga (Professional Practice Advisor Māori) to work alongside all association personnel to continue to strengthen cultural responsiveness.

Since the December 2015 ERO evaluation there have been some changes to the teaching team with the appointment of two new teachers. Progress has been made towards strengthening te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Internal evaluation and assessment, planning and evaluation continue to be areas for the kindergarten to strengthen.

This review was part of a cluster of 16 kindergartens in the Napier Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children and their whānau experience a welcoming and inclusive environment. Teachers form responsive and reciprocal relationships with whānau. They understand each child in the context of their family and community. This provides a good foundation for learning and development. Responsive relationships support children’s sense of belonging.

Teachers support children's growing social competence through the values of empathy and care. They use effective positive guidance strategies. A calm and well-resourced learning environment promotes children’s oral language development, independence and sustained engagement in their learning.

Māori children experience an environment that affirms their language and culture. Teachers acknowledge whakapapa as integral to the development of a sense of self, belonging and connectedness. Connections between Māori ways of being and sustainable practices support children’s knowledge of Māori world views. Ethnic diversity is valued. Cultures are acknowledged, and children's language and traditions are affirmed within the programme.

Leaders and teachers liaise effectively with specialist services to provide individualised education programmes for children with additional needs. Transitions into the kindergarten and beyond are supported by effective partnerships between families, teachers, services and schools.

Group planning is informed by children's interests. Children's portfolios capture their interests and engagement in the programme. There is a need to develop individual planning for children aligned to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki. This should better support teachers to:

  • more intentionally provide resources and experiences that respond to individual learning needs
  • ensure assessment strongly reflects increasing complexity over time
  • evaluate how well planned teaching strategies promote individual learning and valued parent aspirations.

The head teacher promotes a collaborative team culture that maximises the strengths of the teaching team to support children’s learning. Professional development has supported teachers' understanding of internal evaluation. There remains a need to further strengthen this to make the process more evaluative. Education managers should continue to grow their knowledge and practice of internal evaluation to better support this process.

The governing board is future focused and has developed a clear strategic direction to meet the diverse needs of its communities. Board members value diversity of viewpoints and gather community and staff voice to inform decision making. Regular reporting by the education managers is useful in identifying how strategic teaching and learning goals are being addressed.

The board places importance on developing teachers' capabilities. Targeted and deliberate building of cultural responsiveness supports Māori children and their whānau to experience success. An association-wide appraisal process is in place to support teacher practice in promoting positive learning outcomes for children. Further strengthening of the appraisal process, including targeted observations, should assist teachers to determine how well they are progressing and actively encourage them to improve their effectiveness.

Key Next Steps

Teachers should:

  • review the philosophy in conjunction with the kindergarten's community, to determine priorities for children’s learning.
  • strengthen understanding and use of effective internal evaluation for improvement to know the impact of teacher practices on children’s learning
  • improve the quality and consistency of assessment, planning and evaluation processes.

Education managers should continue to promote sustained improvement and innovation through strengthening:

  • evaluation, inquiry and professional guidance
  • the appraisal process.

Recommendation

Education managers should strengthen their understanding and use of internal evaluation to systematically evaluate their practices and the impact of these on outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Marewa 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:

  • 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.

 

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • an annual plan to guide the service's operation. Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA8

To improve current practice, the early childhood service management should strengthen:

  • implementation of all emergency drills (to include lockdown and tsunami) with children on an at least a three-monthly basis
  • consistent recording of parental authorisation and acknowledgement for the administration of medicine as expected in Napier Kindergarten Association procedures.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

21 January 2020

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

LocationNapier
Ministry of Education profile number5279
Licence typeFree Kindergarten
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for45 children aged over 2
Service roll56
Gender compositionMale 31 Female 25
Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

European

Other ethnic groups

11

32

7

6

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenOver 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteSeptember 2019
Date of this report21 January 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

These are available at www.ero.govt.nz

Education ReviewDecember 2015
Education ReviewOctober 2012
Education ReviewMay 2009

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

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.

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.

 

Marewa Kindergarten - 22/12/2015

1 Evaluation of Marewa Kindergarten

How well placed is Marewa Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placedRequires further developmentWell placedVery well placed

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

Background

Marewa Kindergarten in Napier provides early childhood education and care for up to 43 children aged over two. Morning sessions cater for three-year-olds and older children attend six hour sessions. The current roll is 54 children, including 8 Māori children.

The kindergarten is part of the Napier Kindergarten Association, which oversees the operations of 16 kindergartens including two based in Wairoa. A board of trustees oversees governance for the association with support of the general manager. Two educational managers have a responsibility to build teacher capability. The very experienced head teacher provides professional leadership to a long serving teaching team. A recently appointed Pou Whakarewa Matauranga supports teachers to develop their knowledge and understanding of te ao Māori. He demonstrates a clear vision for Māori children and their whānau.

Positive relationships between the parent community and staff are evident. A focus on positive relationships and literacy remain central to the curriculum. Since the October 2012 ERO review some progress in teachers’ use of self review is evident. The recently expanded outdoor area provides children with greater opportunities for increased physical activity and play.

This review was part of a cluster of nine reviews in the Napier Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten philosophy expresses the importance of secure and warm relationships between children, families and staff. A calm and settled environment enables children to play individually and in groups. There is a focus on building independence and resilience in a well-organised and resourced kindergarten. Increased teacher inclusion of parent aspirations contributes to learning partnerships with families. Children engage in sustained play.

Children participate in a child-centred and led curriculum. Teachers empower children to make choices in play. Literacy is actively encouraged through a love of books and conversations that support oral language. Children enjoy each other’s company, self manage and are encouraged to have extended conversations. Younger children’s transition into the kindergarten is well managed.

Portfolios are an attractive photographic record of children’s participation in kindergarten activities and contain some informative learning stories. Individual planning for children requiring support is developing well. Recent professional development in assessment contributes to a greater awareness of the need to continue to improve teacher assessment, planning and evaluation to support improved outcomes for children.

Teachers plan to participate in professional development in te ao Māori. Association expertise and support are valued and sought to improve bicultural understandings and practices. Increased use of the kindergarten environment to reflect Māori children’s language, culture and identity is planned for.

Teachers assist families and children to prepare for their transition to school. Processes for working with an increased range of schools are in place.

A very experienced head teacher provides measured professional leadership to a long serving teaching team. She models high expectations for teachers to lead through following their interests and strengths. The team benefits from access to a suitable range of professional learning and research opportunities.

Teachers are becoming more confident in their use of self review to support ongoing developments. They are better able to see where they need to go to next to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Appraisal has further developed and there is an expectation for improvement in practices.

The association empowers teachers to use the team strengths to respond to their children and the parent community. Education managers should continue to lead the implementation of systems and processes that effectively build teacher capability. This includes self review, assessment, planning, evaluation, appraisal and leadership development.

Key Next Steps

The kindergarten teachers and education managers should continue with planned developments to improve:

  • bicultural practices and strategies to support success as Māori
  • assessment, planning and evaluation practices through the planned curriculum review
  • the scope of self-review practices and the evidence used to evaluate the impact on outcomes for children
  • the appraisal process including goal-setting, sources of evidence, ongoing feedback and next steps to better evaluate its impact on children’s outcomes.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Marewa 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:

  • 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 Marewa Kindergarten will be in three years.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

22 December 2015

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

LocationNapier  
Ministry of Education profile number5279  
Licence typeFree Kindergarten  
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008  
Number licensed for43 children aged over 2  
Service roll55  
Gender compositionBoys 31, Girls 24  
Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Pacific

Other ethnic groups

11

38

3

3

 

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%  
Reported ratios of staff to childrenOver 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteOctober 2015  
Date of this report22 December 2015  
Most recent ERO report(s)Education ReviewOctober 2012 
 Education ReviewMay 2009 
 Education ReviewMarch 2006 

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.