82 Atkin Avenue, Mission Bay, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Mission Bay Kindergarten is licensed to provide care and education for 40 children between two and five years of age. Children attend sessions that are similar to school hours.
The head teacher has been recently appointed and leads a new team of three qualified teachers, a teacher aide and an administrator.
The kindergarten's philosophy is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and respectful relationships as the key to children's learning success. Teachers are committed to delivering an inclusive programme. They uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and respect Māori as tangata whenua, and families as partners in the kindergarten's bicultural programme.
The 2014 ERO report noted that the kindergarten provided an environment where children's social skills were fostered, a bicultural programme was developing, and children's home languages were valued. Development priorities were focused on strategic planning, internal evaluation and the consistency of effective teaching practices. The new teaching team is committed to addressing these areas.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides a governance and management framework. Professional support personnel assist teachers with curriculum, management and property matters.
This review was part of a cluster of 11 reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children settle quickly and explore the well-resourced environment and the learning experiences provided by teachers. They communicate capably, negotiating with friends and solving problems together. They are respectful and kind to each other. Children enjoy positive, respectful relationships with teachers.
The new teaching team provides a well-organised environment to enable children to independently lead their learning. Teachers have designed catalogue books with pictures of resources in the kindergarten. These books enable children to request resources from storage rooms, in order to enrich their own play.
Teachers provide a broad curriculum that is based on the principles of Te Whāriki. They plan the programme to respond to children's interests and extend children's learning. Teachers are beginning to use children's ideas in programme planning.
Children's learning experiences are documented, and shared with parents online and in portfolios. With children's learning now more visibly linked to the curriculum, parents are learning how they can extend their children's interests.
Parents who spoke with ERO expressed a strong appreciation of the teaching team. They feel welcome, and find teachers approachable and willing to discuss their children's challenges, progress and wellbeing. Teachers respond to parents' suggestions and aspirations in their planning.
The AKA provides guidance and support to develop teachers' knowledge of tikanga and te reo Māori. The bicultural nature of Aotearoa New Zealand is reflected in the environment, and in the teachers' commitment to promoting te reo Māori through waiata, karakia and pepeha. Teachers seek community expertise to strengthen their partnership with local iwi. Whānau appreciate these bicultural approaches.
Kindergarten operations are guided by a comprehensive strategic plan and a shared vision, linked to the AKA’s strategic goals. A Quality Improvement Process (QIP) aligns with the AKA and kindergarten strategic plans. The QIP helps the AKA and teachers to monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement. The AKA continues to review its management and leadership structure. It has begun a process of internal evaluation to establish how effectively the four pillars of its strategic plan are resulting in more positive outcomes for children, their families, and the organisation.
Teachers have begun to review their systems so that they can embed shared understandings about good quality early childhood practices. They agree that, to enhance their good quality provision for children, they should:
strengthen partnerships with parents, and encourage their participation in programme planning
make children's languages and cultural identities more visible in the environment and programme
support children to extend the complexity of their thinking
grow teachers' leadership capacity through coaching and mentoring.
Before the review, the staff and management of Mission Bay 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.
The next ERO review of Mission Bay Kindergarten will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
14 September 2017
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.
|
Location |
Mission Bay, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5073 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children over two years of age |
||
|
Service roll |
54 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 28, Girls 26 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
14 September 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
||
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:
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 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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Mission Bay Kindergarten in central East Auckland provides early childhood education for up to 40 children from two years old to school age. The kindergarten has moved to a day model so children can attend sessions that match school hours. Parents can also opt for shorter sessions.
Mission Bay Kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA) and operates within the policies and management framework of this organisation. A professional services manager (PSM) visits regularly and provides professional advice and support for teachers.
Since the 2010 ERO review, the kindergarten has undergone a period of change. The day model has required that the teaching team be increased to four staff. There has also been an extensive addition to the indoor premises. Kindergarten leaders have managed the refurbishment processes and are now considering ways to enhance children’s learning environments.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children at Mission Bay Kindergarten display a sense of belonging. They develop friendships through cooperative and collaborative play. Social skills are well promoted in the kindergarten’s approach.
Children confidently engage in a variety of activities. Their ideas are respected and valued by teachers. This results in warm relationships where children are affirmed and supported. Children with additional learning needs are well known and relationships with external agencies are in place to provide support, as needed.
To develop children’s curiosity, some teachers use open-ended questions well. Children are articulate with each other and when in conversation with adults. Teachers could now further extend the complexity and length of conversations to challenge children’s thinking.
Routines are flexible with few interruptions to children’s play, enabling children to learn through sustained play. There is a balance in the daily programme between child-initiated learning and teacher-directed activities. A purposeful literacy focus within the daily programme is enabling children to develop foundation skills for reading and writing.
The kindergarten is well resourced and spacious. Teachers could explore ways to provide children with improved access to resources in storage to better promote independent and free flowing play.
There has been significant development in the kindergarten’s approach to bicultural learning. Children have opportunities to experience aspects of the dual heritage of Aotearoa. Teachers could now focus on promoting more te reo Māori in the programme.
Children’s assessment portfolios show that teachers have increased their focus on children’s learning and progress over time. Teachers could now link individual children’s interests more explicitly to the daily programme. They could also develop strategies for promoting greater use of children’s home languages in the programme.
The kindergarten is well organised and operations run smoothly. A new self-review process is assisting teachers to reflect on improving teaching practice. Staff have good access to professional development and benefit from a useful performance management system. Staff are now well positioned to review the kindergarten’s philosophy and to align teaching practices to this philosophy to better enact the centre vision and improve teamwork.
The Auckland Kindergarten Association continues to provide strong governance for kindergartens. The association continues to expand its strategies to build professional leadership across the organisation. It has diversified the delivery of professional learning and development to keep teachers up-to-date with current theory and initiatives. Teaching teams are well supported by the AKA to continue to strengthen quality outcomes for children.
ERO and teachers agree that key next steps for the kindergarten include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Mission Bay 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.
In order to improve practice teachers need to be more vigilant in identifying and remedying any hazards posed to children in the environment.
The next ERO review of Mission Bay Kindergarten will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
1 May 2014
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.
|
Location |
Mission Bay, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5073 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
56 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 29 Boys 27 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Indian Other European Other Asian |
2 40 3 3 7 1 |
|
|
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 |
February 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
1 May 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
May 2004 |
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:
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 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:
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.