Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated

Education institution number:
50535
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
71
Telephone:
Address:

Whitcombe Road, Opunake

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Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated

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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakaū Embedding

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Context of the Service

Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated is a rural, non-profit, community-based early learning service. The service is led by a centre manager who is supported by leaders across two age group areas. The centre philosophy is informed through partnership with children, parents and whānau.

Summary of findings

Children’s learning is enhanced through a rich, responsive curriculum that is seen, heard and felt through interactions and active participation. Children remain engaged in uninterrupted periods of play, sustaining their learning. They are confident, competent and capable. Leaders and teachers are deliberate and skilful in working purposefully with learners to advance their thinking and ideas.

Children experience respectful and reciprocal relationships that effectively progresses their learning. Parents and whānau uphold learning-focused partnerships. They share aspirations for their children that informs assessment for learning practice. Individual learning journeys highlight children’s challenges and success. The centre philosophy, HEART, highlights ‘health, empathy, aroha, resilience and tikanga’ as core values in the care and education of children. The learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the service priorities, underpin, celebrate and enhance children’s learning progress over time.

Infants, toddlers and young children experience strong and secure attachments supported by intentional teaching and care approaches. Practices are inclusive of children with identified needs. The service’s intentional focus on equity continues to improve support for all children.

Māori children experience success as Māori. Te reo Māori is woven naturally through affirmations, instructions and kōrero. Kaiako, whānau, children and the wider community engage in sustainability and kaitiakitanga practices that nurture the environment and the land. Authentic learning experiences connect Māori children to the knowledges and understandings of whakapapa.

The service’s internal evaluation practice successfully creates change. Planned emphases by leaders and teachers results in positive learning outcomes for children. Relational trust supports collaborative evaluation and contributes to learners’ strengthened knowledge and understanding of the science curriculum. Children are curious explorers and investigators who set their own goals for ongoing learning.

Leaders have established effective systems and processes to support governance and management. The philosophy, strategic direction and annual plan alignment informs decision making and promotes focused learning outcomes for children.

Improvement actions

Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • ensure there is equity of visibility of all children’s language and culture in assessment and planning, including children of Pacific heritage
  • embed the findings of recent internal evaluation into using children’s own cultures to create curriculum experiences.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated 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.

Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

27 September 2021  

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated

Profile Number

50535

Location

Opunake, Taranaki region

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

 65 children, including up to 15 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

86

Ethnic composition

Māori 26, NZ European/Pākehā 49, Other ethnic groups 11

Review team on site

August 2021

Date of this report

27 September 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2018; Education Review, October 2014.

Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated - 23/05/2018

1 Evaluation of Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated

How well placed is Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated 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

Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated is a rural non-profit, community-based early learning service located in Opunake, South Taranaki. The centre operates from 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday. It is licensed for a maximum of 65 children including 15 children up to the age of two. At the time of this review there were 94 children enrolled and 37 identify as Māori.

A centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the service and for leading teaching and learning. She works closely with an assistant head teacher and the room leaders of Maunga (children over two years) and Moana (children up to two years).

The centre philosophy HEART has been revised in consultation with parents, whānau and teachers. It is underpinned by Te Whāriki (2017), theearly childhood curriculum. Centre priorities are to: be healthy in mind, spirit and body; be empathetic; show aroha/care for each other and build resilience; and implement tikanga through celebrating Māori culture.

The October 2014 ERO evaluation identified areas for improvement including, leadership, governance and strategic planning. There have been some positive gains in addressing these matters.

The Review Findings

Children communicate confidently with peers and adults, exploring independently alongside others and showing perseverance in learning. The environment is well resourced to provide challenge and active engagement for children.

Children explore through a well considered range of planned and spontaneous experiences linked to goals responsive to their preferences, interests and needs. Literacy, mathematics, science, te ao Māori and creative opportunities progress children's language, knowledge and understanding.

Provision for infants' and toddlers' is based on respectful interactions and responsive care. They are viewed as confident, capable learners and take opportunities to make their own decisions as they follow their interests and rhythms.

The planning approach is strengthened by tools developed by staff to guide teaching and learning. They continue to increase their depth of responsiveness to children's learning. Newly introduced processes should assist teachers to grow their practice in assessing and planning for children’s learning. Teachers should continue to embed these practices.

Increasing teachers' intentional teaching is a useful focus to growing consistency of high quality teaching interactions.

Learning journeys are useful records of children's friendships, interests and participation in the programme. These include children's achievements and link to parents' and whānau aspirations. Daily diary communication boards and an online platform inform and invite parent contribution.

Te ao Māori is woven well throughout the programme. Children contribute to learning te reo me ngā tikanga Māori through karakia, waiata and pepeha. A strong sense of belonging and place is promoted.

Teachers are building knowledge and understanding to ensure children with additional learning needs are supported. Whanaungatanga is highly valued by teachers, children, parents and whānau. An inclusive atmosphere promotes children's wellbeing and learning.

There is a well-considered transition approach into, through and on to school that is responsive to individual children and families’ needs. Children's movement through the centre is assisted by a key teacher.

The process for the issue and renewal of teachers' Practising Certificates has not achieved a satisfactory and consistent standard. Teachers' and leaders' capability is likely to be more usefully supported through the revised appraisal model. It should be further strengthened by including clearer and more focused goals on children’s outcomes, adding critical response, teaching as inquiry and an annual summary document. This should assist the professional leader to make decisions around endorsement of teachers' Practising Certificates. The service should also ensure there is a clear process to inform trustees of outcomes for practising certificate endorsements. A next step is to implement the revised appraisal process.

The centre manager has developed a range of systems that support trustees in their roles. Leaders and educators are improvement focused.

Internal evaluation is promoted by the centre leader and is appropriately aligned to the strategic plan. Developing shared expectations and the review framework should assist in supporting the staff to understand and undertake internal evaluation effectively.

The strategic plan 2015-2020 provides a clear direction for the centre. Trustees are exploring ways to review and evaluate their effectiveness. ERO's external evaluation confirms this direction.

Key Next Steps

Trustees, leaders and teachers should further:

  • develop understanding and use of internal evaluation to determine how well teaching, management and governance promotes positive learning outcomes for children
  • implement the revised appraisal process.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated 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 current practice, the early childhood service management should ensure that the process for issue and renewal of teachers' Practising Certificates achieves a reasonable and consistent standard.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Opunake Communities Kindergarten Incorporated will be in three years.

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

23 May 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

Location

Opunake

Ministry of Education profile number

50535

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

65 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

94

Gender composition

Girls 47, Boys 47

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Asian
Indian

37
49
5
3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

23 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

October 2014

Education Review

May 2011

Education Review

April 2008

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.