Motueka Kindergarten

Education institution number:
65608
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
38
Telephone:
Address:

27 Talbot Street, Motueka

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Motueka Early Learning Centre - 25/06/2018

Here is the latest report for the Governing Organisation that this service is part of.

 

1 Evaluation of Motueka Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Motueka Early Learning Centre 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

Motueka Early Learning Centre is a community-based early learning service. Children from three months old to school age attend. This includes a growing number of children with Māori heritage. The centre offers flexible hours and days to meet the needs of children and their families.

Since the 2014 ERO review, there has been a number of changes. The Motu Weka Neighbourhood Childcare Centre shifted to a new purpose-built centre and is now known by parents as the Motueka Early Learning Centre. In 2017 the service regained its full Early Learning Service licence.

There have been significant changes in staff. In 2016 a new centre manager was appointed. Later a curriculum leader was appointed for the over-two programme. In 2018, the leadership team grew to include an assistant-head Teacher. This person is responsible for the infant and toddler area and programme.

The service has renewed a contract with Nelson Tasman Kindergarten (NTK). Key NTK personnel provide support in the areas of governance, management and curriculum.

The centre philosophy emphasises kindness, respect and reciprocal relationships as essential for building lifelong social skills. It says that teachers value play and fun as ways to foster learning and development. It also emphasises providing a welcoming whānau environment and valuing children’s and families’ contributions and achievements.

The centre has made some progress against the recommendations in ERO’s 2014 report. Some areas need further work.

The Review Findings

The centre is very welcoming and inclusive for children and their families. Leaders and teachers take time to build caring and supportive relationships with the children, their parents and wider whānau. They provide support for families whenever possible. When new children and families enrol at the centre, care is taken to build relationships and ensure a settled and happy transition. Similar care is taken as children move from the infant and toddler room to the older children’s area.

A strength in this centre is the high quality care and learning provided for infants and toddlers. Each child has a key teacher who intimately knows that child and communicates closely with their family. Infants and toddlers learn and play in a calm and unhurried setting, where they are supported by respectful, nurturing and responsive interactions. Care routines are flexible and consistent with parents' wishes and home patterns. Teachers intentionally promote early literacy learning, especially oral language and a love of books.

In the older children’s area, teachers are responsive to children’s interests and choices. Children eagerly join in a range of music, movement and imaginary play. They have easy access to a variety of resources and activities. Friendships between children are evident and they are settled in their play. In this area, teachers need to be more intentional about supporting and extending individual and group learning. Across the centre, leaders and teachers need to clarify what learning they see as most important. This needs to be clearly stated in the centre philosophy and kept to the fore in individual and group planning.

The quality of assessment, planning and evaluation of children’s learning is variable across the centre. Better practice was evident in the infant and toddler area. In better examples, teachers captured a significant learning moment and unpacked what learning was happening. They also carefully described the strategies teachers had used (or planned to use) to extend children’s learning. Better examples referred back to earlier goals, parents’ wishes and showed progress in children’s learning over time.

Children with additional needs are very well supported, included and valued. Leaders and teachers work closely with parents and external experts or agencies to find the best way to support the holistic learning and development of the child. Planning for these children is detailed.

There is an increasing focus on valuing Māori language and culture. This is evident in thoughtful resourcing and wall displays. Core Māori concepts such as manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are very evident in centre relationships. Tuakana-teina relationships between children are encouraged. However, teachers have variable levels of confidence and understanding about te ao and te reo Māori and culturally responsive teaching.

The centre manager reflects on the quality of provision for children and is improvement focused. From an unsettled period of change, she has built a positive and collaborative staff culture. She has re-established and/or developed new management and learning systems and practices, such as internal evaluation, appraisal and improved communication systems. Now, the focus needs to be on embedding and improving these systems and practices, and placing a greater focus on teaching and learning. The new leadership team is working constructively together.

Sound governance practices are in place. Trustees show a commitment to their governance role and to providing the best for Motu Weka children. The centre has benefited greatly from timely and constructive support from key NTK personnel. Leaders, with teacher input, have developed well-considered strategic goals and related plans. These need to be shared with all staff, kept to the fore, and regularly reported against. Leaders need to ensure that other practices and systems align with these goals and plans.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders and ERO agree that the key next steps are to:

  • strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation for individuals and groups
  • continue the centre’s focus on building all teachers’ confidence and knowledge of te reo and te ao Māori and culturally responsive teaching practice
  • continue to build teachers’ capability to deepen and extend children’s learning
  • continue to embed and refine recently established systems and practices, including manageable and effective internal-evaluation practices
  • ensure alignment of practices and systems to strategic and annual plans
  • regularly evaluate and report on progress towards implementing the annual plan.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Motueka Early Learning Centre 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 Motueka Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

25 June 2018

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

LocationMotueka
Ministry of Education profile number65608
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for40 children, including up to 12 aged under 2
Service roll61
Gender compositionGirls: 24 Boys: 37
Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Pacific

24

35

2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:3Better than minimum requirements
Over 21:8Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteMay 2018
Date of this report25 June 2018

Most recent ERO reports

 

Education ReviewMay 2014
Education ReviewMarch 2011
Education ReviewNovember 2007

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.

Motu Weka Neighbourhood Childcare Centre - 28/05/2014

1 Evaluation of Motu Weka Neighbourhood Childcare Centre

How well placed is Motu Weka Neighbourhood Childcare Centre 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

Motu Weka Neighbourhood Childcare Centre is a community-based service. It provides full-day education and care in a mixed-age setting for children aged three months to six years.

The centre is run by a large board of trustees who are mostly parents of the centre.

The centre is situated next door to the community service centre and local primary school. At the time of the review, the centre was operating under the 1998 ECE Regulations. Planning for a new purpose-built centre is in the process of gaining council consents prior to construction.

The manager and staff successfully promote the centre’s philosophy and parents’ aspirations through respecting play and fun, as meaningful ways to foster children’s learning and development. The manager and staff provide a welcoming and friendly environment for children and families.

The Review Findings

Teachers know children and their whānau well. They develop meaningful programmes that effectively link what they know about learners, their interests and parents’ aspirations for their children. Group times are fun and interesting. Children are free to choose if they want to be involved in group times. They are well supported to make good choices about their play. Teachers keep routines flexible to suit individual children.

Children are focused and engaged in play for long periods of time. Teachers involve themselves in play and at the same time successfully promote children’s independence and personal responsibility. They effectively model play and expectations for children to socially interact with others. Teachers encourage children’s participation in play. They are skilled at noticing and responding promptly and calmly to children’s interests and needs.

Teachers adapt programmes in response to all children’s needs and interests. Teachers provide a good balance between education and care. Children have good opportunities to follow their interests, make choices and extend their knowledge and skills. Literacy, numeracy and te reo Māori are a natural part of the programme.

Teachers use effective ways to recognise children’s progress and next steps in learning. They use this information to plan programmes and identify specific strategies they will use to improve children’s learning outcomes.

A good range of suitable resources encourages children to explore and provides them with appropriate levels of challenge, and problem-solving opportunities.

The centre manager provides strong leadership. She recognises the value of shared understandings of teacher practice and responsibilities. Team and individual staff members’ strengths are recognised and used effectively to improve outcomes for children.

Self review is well used to promote ongoing improvements in the centre and improve what happens for children.

Children are well supported by the strong communication systems teachers have with parents. The information from parents informs the daily programme, routines and care of children under two. The indoor and outdoor learning spaces are regularly changed in response to children’s development and emerging interests.

Teachers benefit from good quality feedback from the manager through appraisal. There is an emphasis on teachers being responsible for sharing evidence of their professional practice with appraisers. Induction of new staff is carefully managed to support children’s learning and wellbeing.

The centre manager and teachers are well supported by the board. Trustees have ensured that the manager and staff members have good access to professional learning. Professional development about the way children learn has had a positive impact on the way teachers plan the programme and on the ways they teach.

Key Next Steps

The board and manager need to continue to support teachers to extend children’s thinking in unplanned, teachable moments, including empowering children to confidently access and use information and communication technologies.

The centre has a well-developed process for strategic and annual planning. A next step is for the board and centre manager to make better links between these plans and self review, professional development and appraisal.

Centre leaders have prioritised growing leadership amongst teachers as a next step. ERO agrees this is an appropriate focus.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the management of Motu Weka Neighbourhood Childcare Centre 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:

  • administration

  • health, safety and welfare

  • personnel management

  • financial and property management.

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 Motu Weka Neighbourhood Childcare Centre will be in four years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

28 May 2014

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

Motueka

Ministry of Education profile number

65608

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 10 aged under two years of age

Service roll

57

Gender composition

Boys 33; Girls 24

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Tongan

13
43
1

Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2014

Date of this report

28 May 2014

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

March 2011

 

Education Review

November 2007

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.