24 Hampshire Street, Porirua East, Porirua
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.
Moira Gallagher Kindergarten is located in Porirua, near Wellington, and is licensed for 40 children aged from two to five years. The service offers six hour sessions each weekday. Of the 55 children enrolled, 23 are Māori and 17 identify as Pacific.
Teachers work collaboratively with community agencies to support children's participation in the kindergarten programme. Since the May 2012 ERO report redevelopment of the outdoors and increased use of digital technologies enhances the learning environment for children and families.
Moira Gallagher Kindergarten is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014.
The board and managers provide governance for the organisation. Senior teachers have delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.
In 2012, the association developed a framework to guide the implementation of its curriculum, Te Manawa. This document outlines criteria for curriculum delivery including expectations for assessment and planning for children’s learning.
The previous ERO report for Moira Gallagher Kindergarten identified that teachers should, through planned review, continue to investigate ways to involve parents in the programme and assessment for learning. Areas where the association could strengthen its support for teachers were also identified, and positive progress has occurred. The alignment of individual kindergartens’ annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been appropriately addressed.
All five teachers at the kindergarten are qualified. Three staff hold full registration and two are provisionally registered. The teaching team is supported by the head teacher who has been in her role for several years.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
The kindergarten philosophy supports children to be respectful, resilient, confident, competent learners. Teachers value building positive relationships with children and whānau within the diverse cultures of the centre's community.
Children’s active exploration is stimulated and supported. Children take increased responsibility for their own learning. Routines are flexible and adults follow the child’s lead, with a varied, holistic curriculum. Teachers are nurturing and successfully support the development of children’s social skills and independence.
Emerging interest in literacy and numeracy are encouraged. An on-line programme increasingly records teachers' and parents’ communication about children’s learning, progress and achievements. Teachers view each family and its knowledge of their child as an important part of the kindergarten’s learning community.
Staff effectively support children with additional language and development needs. These learners participate in all aspects of the programme alongside their peers. Teachers identify and work hard to remove barriers to a child's full acceptance, participation and learning.
Teachers' actions and responses thoughtfully encourage the participation, attendance and engagement of Māori and Pacific children and their families. A clear vision that seeks to realise the potential of children and their whānau, sets the direction for the kindergarten. Aroha, maia, tangata, ahurea, whanaungatanga and tikanga Māori continue to be successfully embedded within teaching and learning.
Teachers use deliberate strategies to support the success of Pacific children and engage with their families. The curriculum clearly reflects parents’ aspirations for their children. Inclusive, culturally responsive practices encourage whānau and aiga to bring their cultural identity into the curriculum.
A well-considered approach to supporting transition into and out of the kindergarten meets individual children’s needs. Teachers have developed a close partnership with the adjacent school. They continue to establish and build links with other schools.
The supportive head teacher collaboratively leads her team. The teaching team is well supported by the senior teacher to use internal evaluation that maintain a focus on providing a safe and appropriate learning environment. Continued improvement and change in the kindergarten enhances outcomes for children.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. She completes an annual internal evaluation that supports strengthening of these termly reports. There is a deliberate focus on outcomes for children and teacher/leader performance.
The previous ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal process. Managers undertook an internal review of the appraisal system. The revised model is being implemented across the kindergartens. The process includes focused goals that build teacher and leader capability and clearer links with the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next step for Moira Gallagher Kindergarten:
continuing to develop shared understandings of internal evaluation to embed assessment, planning and evaluation practices to guide future teaching and learning.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice and strengthening of responsiveness to Māori children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Moira Gallagher 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.
The next ERO review of Moira Gallagher Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
9 June 2016
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 |
Porirua |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5361 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
55 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 29, Girls 26 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Cook Island Tokelauan Tongan Other ethnic groups |
23 10 12 3 3 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 |
March 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
9 June 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2005 |
||
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 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.
Moira Gallagher Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, and advice and guidance to the teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
A special feature of the kindergarten is teachers’ commitment to fostering relationships and partnerships. They recognise and richly celebrate the different cultural perspectives that make up their local community. Children and families are welcomed in their home languages.
Teachers value and encourage parents’ contribution to their child’s early education. This partnership contributes to a communal sense of belonging and well-being. Teachers express a desire to continue to encourage whānau involvement in the programme and ERO agrees with this next step.
Children are appropriately engaged in programmes based on their strengths and interests. Teachers skilfully extend thinking and learning through suitable questioning strategies. Children express themselves confidently, are able to investigate the learning environment and experiment. They enjoy each other’s company and are adept at sustaining cooperative play. Children are competent and capable learners who make decisions in collaboration with peers.
Teachers strongly prioritise the development of oral language and comprehension. Children’s emerging literacy and mathematical skills are effectively incorporated into the programme.
Planned self review led to an examination of teachers’ bicultural practice. As a result they consciously weave te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into all aspects of the programme.
Children play and learn in a relaxed, safe and healthy environment.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Moira Gallagher Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the centre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atMoira Gallagher Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
As a result of the kindergarten’s growing Pacific roll teachers have examined the principles of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, through a Pacific lens as well as implementing the curriculum in its original form. They have worked to provide an environment that reflects the children and families’ cultures. Assessment practices also respond to children’s cultural backgrounds. To meet community requirements for more responsive provision of early childhood education and care, teachers and the association diversified kindergarten times of operation.
Programme Children enthusiastically and joyfully work alongside adults, who listen perceptively and use individuals’ ideas and interests as starting points for learning. Staff provide experiences and activities that invite and encourage children to extend their capabilities
Teachers strongly prioritise the development of oral language and comprehension. Children’s emerging literacy and mathematical skills are effectively incorporated into the programme. Images of print and number are well represented throughout the environment. Individuals are becoming familiar with the purposes of print as a form of communication and idea sharing. Teachers reinforce developing concepts of number, shape, space, size and colour during interactions and small group activities. Children’s early literacy and numeracy development is fostered.
Children competently participate in a range of artistic and expressive play, effectively extending their imagination and creativity. They are encouraged to role-play, design and create. Children are developing confidence in their abilities and skills.
Planned self review led to an examination of teachers’ bicultural practice. As a result they consciously weave te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into all aspects of the programme, frequently introducing new vocabulary, relevant to a range of learning situations. Children participate enthusiastically in waiata and karakia. All children contribute to the cultural diversity of the kindergarten.
Children, who have English as a second language, receive sensitive support from teachers. It is notable that some children still learning English are confident about contributing and talking to adults and their peers. Staff respect and celebrate children’s families and cultural backgrounds. They incorporate the languages, materials and practices of the different cultures attending kindergarten. Children and their families experience a strong sense of belonging.
Teachers effectively use narrative assessment to capture and describe children’s interests and strengths. Stories identify the important characteristics and attributes of each child. They are beginning to reflect a whānau perspective and anticipate possibilities for ongoing learning pathways.
Interactions Children and teachers share warm, positive and genuinely supportive relationships. Staff are respectful of each child’s emotional needs and provide responsive nurture. Teachers’ complementary skills, diverse cultural backgrounds, knowledge and expertise are shared collaboratively to support children and families.
Adults skilfully use questioning techniques to extend children’s thinking. Individuals demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in the company of their teachers and with each other. Through cooperative play, children are encouraged to learn a range of social skills, such as sharing and turn taking. Teachers frequently affirm children’s appropriate actions. Social development is well supported.
Learning environment Kindergarten surroundings are attractive, well presented, resourced and welcoming. Teachers skilfully prepare displays to make children's learning and culture visible. They arrange the different areas of play to entice children’s participation. Children learn in a setting that is child-centred.
Routines are suitably relaxed and allow children to develop independence and self-management skills. Teachers inform children about what is happening. Hygiene and safety practices encourage children to develop responsibility for their personal well-being.
Parent participation Teachers, through planned self review have identified that they should continue to investigate ways to involve parents in the programme and assessment of learning. ERO agrees with this next step for development.
The 2008 ERO review of the association identified several strengths, including the provision of professional development, sound operation plans, support for property development and the use of a range of communication strategies to keep teachers and communities informed. Areas for improvement included the quality and depth of the written feedback given to teachers by the senior teacher and strengthening the appraisal process.
Since 2008, the association has led consultation with the community to modify session times and improve the ratio of teachers to children from 1:15 to 1:10 and maintained its policy of employing qualified, registered teachers in regulated permanent positions.
The association provides expectations and guidance to the kindergarten through its strategic plan, policies and procedures and more recently, the professional development strategy Te Manawa: Criteria for Curriculum Implementation.
The association continues to provide high levels of guidance and support to teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
the strategic plan setting expectations for participation, parent/whānau involvement and quality teaching practices
clearly defined indicators of quality teaching and learning practice through Te Manawa
a wide range of professional development opportunities
ongoing support in property development, human resource management, finance and resourcing.
The association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where the association can strengthen its support for teachers. These include:
further developing and supporting leadership, including a review of the appraisal process
reviewing senior teacher documentation to show how teachers have improved their practice, as a result of feedback
reviewing how kindergartens’ annual plans for teaching and learning could more explicitly show how teachers respond to the association’s strategic priorities.
Before the review, the staff of Moira Gallagher Kindergarten completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement andSelfAudit 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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Acting National Manager Review Services
Central Region
|
Type |
Free Kindergarten |
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, aged over 2 |
|
Roll number |
62 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 35, Girls 27 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Pacific 30, Māori 24, NZ European/Pākehā 2, Other ethnic groups 6 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2012 |
|
Date of this report |
14 May 2012 |
|
Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review May 2008 Education Review September 2005 Accountability Review August 1998 |
14 May 2012
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Moira Gallagher Kindergarten.
Moira Gallagher Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, and advice and guidance to the teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
A special feature of the kindergarten is teachers’ commitment to fostering relationships and partnerships. They recognise and richly celebrate the different cultural perspectives that make up their local community. Children and families are welcomed in their home languages.
Teachers value and encourage parents’ contribution to their child’s early education. This partnership contributes to a communal sense of belonging and well-being. Teachers express a desire to continue to encourage whānau involvement in the programme and ERO agrees with this next step.
Children are appropriately engaged in programmes based on their strengths and interests. Teachers skilfully extend thinking and learning through suitable questioning strategies. Children express themselves confidently, are able to investigate the learning environment and experiment. They enjoy each other’s company and are adept at sustaining cooperative play. Children are competent and capable learners who make decisions in collaboration with peers.
Teachers strongly prioritise the development of oral language and comprehension. Children’s emerging literacy and mathematical skills are effectively incorporated into the programme.
Planned self review led to an examination of teachers’ bicultural practice. As a result they consciously weave te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into all aspects of the programme.
Children play and learn in a relaxed, safe and healthy environment.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Joyce Gebbie
Acting National Manager Review Services
Central Region
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.
Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a centre, may be included in the review. ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.
Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre 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 this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.