Marfell Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5222
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
33
Telephone:
Address:

2A Cook Street, Marfell, New Plymouth

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Marfell Kindergarten - 22/06/2020

1 Evaluation of Marfell Kindergarten

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

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

Background

Marfell Kindergarten provides early childhood education and care for up to 36 children aged over two years. The current roll is 40, including 26 Māori children.

The philosophy embraces, 'Tamariki, Whanaungatanga, Ako and Tangata Whenuatanga.' Parents and children share their learning journeys. Tamariki are active explorers who make choices in leading their learning.

Marfell Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens operating under the governance and management of Kindergarten Taranaki (the association). The association’s vision is ‘enriching learning’. The governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the organisation. Oversight of the association is the role of the current acting chief executive. The acting chief executive is supported by a team of managers and leaders. There have been a number of changes in leadership and management personnel in the past three years.

All teachers at Marfell Kindergarten are fully qualified.

Association key next steps identified in the previous ERO evaluation continue to require prioritising. Strengthening the appraisal process, partnerships for learning, assessment, planning, review and evaluation practices were key next steps for the kindergarten. There has been noticeable progress in most of these areas.

This review was part of a cluster of seven kindergartens in Kindergarten Taranaki.

The Review Findings

Children confidently communicate their preferences and interests and engage in sustained learning experiences. Their valued contributions inform the kindergarten's curriculum, where learning is viewed as fun. Teachers draw from an array of strategies that are responsive to individuals. The environment is well resourced and offers a wide range of meaningful experiences.

Ngā tamariki sense of belonging, their relationships and social competencies are nurtured as individuals and within groups. Responsive, respectful relationships are enacted. The principle of ako is promoted; adults and children are viewed as both learners and teachers.

Māori learners are supported to achieve as Māori. Te ao Māori concepts guide the kindergarten curriculum. These are maintained through positive, proactive engagement with Māori expertise, teachers' commitment and professional support from the association. Teachers are responsive to all children's cultures, languages and identities.

Partnerships to support the diverse needs of children are well implemented.

A planning, assessment and evaluation framework is being implemented alongside the association's processes to inform teaching and learning. Assessment affirms children's identity as confident learners. Incorporating greater levels of whānau input and aspirations in assessment, planning and evaluation processes should further strengthen positive learning outcomes for children.

The association has identified a priority to strengthen educationally powerful partnerships with whānau. A range of information and reporting is shared with whānau and surveys are undertaken to gather whānau views. Evaluating the effectiveness of current communication and consultation strategies should contribute to the association progressing this priority.

Teacher appraisal and professional development are growing practice and are effectively promoting positive outcomes for children. The board has sustained a deliberate focus on strengthening the capacity and capability of Kindergarten Taranaki to support educational success for Māori learners. At Marfell Kindergarten, teachers' inquiries and professional learning continues to strengthen their knowledge, understanding and implementation of strategies to improve learning outcomes for children.

Teachers are well supported to build their understanding and use of evaluation for teaching improvement. Targeted support, to enhance understanding of aspects of evaluation, should continue to drive improvements for children’s learning. Teachers are implementing the association's evaluation framework well to determine and improve the effectiveness of programmes and learning outcomes for children.

Systems for recording and monitoring health and safety requirements were implemented in 2018. Further rigour and monitoring are required to ensure oversight of ongoing compliance accountability is maintained. Priority should also be given to the consistent implementation of a policy review schedule.

Board members show a good understanding of their governance roles and responsibilities. Strategic direction and annual planning guide the organisation. Reporting to the board by association leaders has recently been strengthened. Evaluating progress and outcomes of the strategic plan and further refining reporting to the board should continue to enhance decision making.

Key Next Steps

Kindergarten Taranaki should:

  • consistently implement a policy review schedule and strengthen effective monitoring of accountability systems and processes

  • enhance reporting to the board to include assurance of accountability, the quality of teaching and learning and outcomes for children’s learning

  • systematise and strengthen processes used to evaluate progress of the strategic plan.

Recommendation

Priority should be given to sustaining a systematic process that assures governance and management of ongoing compliance accountability. Future ERO evaluations will monitor Kindergarten Taranaki progress towards this priority.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Marfell 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.

To improve practice, Kindergarten Taranaki should;

  • finalise the development of lockdown procedures to further guide kindergarten practice statements

  • strengthen the review of accident, illnesses and incident records and implementation of practices as required

  • consistently undertake a risk assessment for all regular excursions undertaken by children and teachers.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS7, HS17, HS27].

Darcy Te Hau

Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

22 June 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

Location

New Plymouth

Ministry of Education profile number

5222

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

36 children aged over 2 years

Service roll

40

Gender composition

Males 21, Females 19

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

26
8
6

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

March 2020

Date of this report

22 June 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

January 2017

Education Review

August 2013

Education Review

June 2010

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.

Marfell Kindergarten - 19/01/2017

1 Evaluation of Marfell Kindergarten

How well placed is Marfell Kindergarten 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

Marfell Kindergarten provides education and care for children from two to five years of age. The kindergarten is open five days a week, for six hours and is licenced for up to 34 children. Within these hours sessional care and education is also provided. Of the 40 children on the roll, 26 identify as Māori.

The kindergarten has recently been rebuilt and now encompasses a whānau room and dedicated space for a playgroup.

The newly established teaching team is fully qualified and the programme is further assisted by support staff. There have been a number of staff changes since the August 2013 ERO report.

The kindergarten is one of 24 governed by the newly established Kindergarten Taranaki (the association), formerly North and South Taranaki Kindergarten Associations. A chief executive was appointed to lead the association in 2014. Three professional leaders are employed by the association to provide professional support and guidance to teachers.

The previous ERO report identified areas requiring further development. These included, reviewing the philosophy and embedding self review and good progress has been made. In addition, the 2013 and May 2015 ERO reviews identified key next steps for the association. Progress in addressing these is ongoing.

This review was part of a cluster of eight in the Kindergarten Taranaki Association.

The Review Findings

Children participate in sustained play. They learn in a programme that reflects their interests, strengths and abilities. A strong sense of belonging and focus on wellbeing is promoted.

Respectful practice is evident. Teachers maximise the opportunities that arise to effectively support children developing social competence. Tuakana teina relationships actively promote children to support and guide their peers.

Te reo and aspects of tikanga Māori are integrated through the programme. Teachers work with parents and whānau to promote the best outcomes for all learners. These strong foundations and association guidance should support the ongoing focus on promoting educational success for Māori.

A recently established assessment process promotes learning centred partnerships with parents. Children's individual learning goals are established with parents and the outcome of these are monitored by teachers. Ongoing development of this process should include:

  • setting goals that use the child's interest as the vehicle for learning

  • highlighting children's culture, language and identity through these goals.

Children with additional learning needs are identified, well supported and their progress is monitored. Where appropriate teachers liaise with external agencies.

A useful appraisal process is in place that has a developmental focus. Strengthening this process through establishing goals that are clear, specific and measurable and providing a robust critique of practice are key next steps. The association has recently revised the appraisal procedure, this now includes the use of formal observations of teacher practice. Once fully established this should assist leaders to strengthen the process. Professional leaders should then undertake regular monitoring of practice and evaluate how well appraisal is being implemented in each kindergarten.

Ongoing improvement is required for evidence-based review and evaluation. Next steps include further developing teachers' understanding of the cycle of review and evaluation and strengthening their capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching practices.

The kindergarten strategic plan provides an overall direction for the service. The annual plan identifies when and how this will be enacted. A distributed leadership model is used to achieve the overall kindergarten vision.

The board works collaboratively with its community to establish vision, values and strategic priorities. Establishing clearer measures of success should enable the board to measure progress and evaluate how well practices support the realisation of goals and vision.

The board's ongoing commitment to biculturalism is evident through planned initiatives to support teachers to promote te ao Māori in the curriculum and to develop culturally responsive practices. Senior association leaders are focused on developing initiatives to better determine the impact of curriculum delivery and teaching and learning in each kindergarten.

The association should establish clear expectations of the purpose and use of assessment, planning and evaluation in kindergartens. Professional leaders, in partnership with teaching teams, should then monitor the effective implementation of:

  • assessment, planning and evaluation

  • review and internal evaluation.

In addition, the association should establish a system for the ongoing monitoring of compliance with legislative requirements, including practices related to health and safety.

Key Next Steps

ERO and kindergarten teachers agree that the key next steps are to:

  • further develop assessment, planning and evaluation practices

  • strengthen goal setting and quality of feedback in appraisal

  • continue to build teachers' understanding of the review cycle and knowledge of evaluation.

The association should:

  • strengthen the processes used to evaluate the progress of the strategic plan

  • provide effective guidance and monitoring of association expectations related to assessment practice, review and internal evaluation and health and safety practices.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Marfell 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.

To improve practice:

  • leaders should ensure the kindergarten practice aligns with the association requirements, particularly, related to health and safety practices.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Marfell Kindergarten will be in three years.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

19 January 2017

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

New Plymouth

Ministry of Education profile number

5222

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

34 children, aged over2

Service roll

40

Gender composition

Boys 21, Girls 19

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Indian

Other ethnic groups

26

10

2

2

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 2016

Date of this report

19 January 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

August 2013

Education Review

June 2010

Education Review

December 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.