20 King Street, Petone, Lower Hutt
View on mapHow well placed is Petone Beach Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Petone Beach Kindergarten is situated in Petone, Wellington. It 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 new association was created in 2014 by the joining of the Rimutaka and the Wellington Kindergarten Associations. A three year transition process is in place.
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.
The March 2012 ERO report for Petone Beach Kindergarten identified that at centre level, assessment and self review needed further development. Issues with aspects of the environment have now been appropriately addressed. Areas where the Wellington Kindergarten Association needed to strengthen its support for teachers were also identified at the time. Improvement continues to be needed in some of these areas that the association has plans to address. These feature as key next steps in this report. The alignment of individual kindergartens' annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been appropriately addressed.
All teachers at Petone Beach Kindergarten are qualified and registered. Since the 2012 ERO report, a new teaching team has been established. The head teacher was appointed in March 2014.
This review was part of a cluster of 12 kindergarten reviews of the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergartens.
The kindergarten is well resourced and effectively organised for children. Wall displays successfully document the learning and planning happening for groups and individual children. The physical environment offers challenges and interests that invite children’s exploration. Early literacy, mathematics and science are integrated into daily learning.
Choices for children are highly evident. Teachers encourage their opinions and support their emerging leadership skills. Positive guidance is used effectively to promote social competence and independence in self care. Children’s diverse needs are well met. Strategies to support Pacific children are developing. Parents are warmly welcomed and their views are valued. A calm and purposeful tone prevails throughout the day.
The kindergarten is well led. The process of change management has been ably managed by the head teacher. Practices to support continuing improvement and evaluate progress are strengthening. The head teacher is working well with her team to develop shared understanding of effective teaching. Knowledge of self review to promote improvement continues to grow and has led to positive change.
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 head teacher and staff at Petone Beach Kindergarten are taking steps to strengthen this area of their programme. They recognise that greater consistency in recording and evaluating children’s learning will enhance their work in assessing individual children's progress. ERO's evaluation affirms this ongoing focus.
The 2012 ERO report identified that the association needed to improve appraisal processes to better support teaching and leadership capability. These processes continue to require strengthening. A recently revised appraisal model has the potential to better support teachers’ and leaders’ development. The head teacher at Petone Beach Kindergarten has been proactive in taking steps to strengthen the appraisal of teachers in the kindergarten. Deliberate, intentional support is beginning to contribute to enhanced teaching practice.
Children at Petone Beach Kindergarten have some opportunities to learn about Aotearoa New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage. Teachers and association leaders acknowledge they need to build their capability to be more responsive to Māori children’s culture, language and identities. This includes strengthening relationships with mana whenua and making greater use of Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013-2017 and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners. ERO affirms this direction.
The senior teachers provide termly written reports that outline agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. The association has recently implemented new reports that should more deliberately focus on outcomes for children, teacher and leader performance. ERO's evaluation affirms this development.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Petone Beach Kindergarten. They will continue to:
The senior management team of He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua should continue to further improve processes for developing the practice of teachers, head teachers and senior teachers, including:
Before the review, the staff and management of Petone Beach 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Petone Beach Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
8 June 2015
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Location |
Petone |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5391 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
35 children aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
59 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 34, Boys 25 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
9 41 4 5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2015 |
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Date of this report |
8 June 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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Education Review |
April 2008 |
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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:
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.
6 March 2012
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Petone Beach Kindergarten.
Petone Beach 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 licensee of the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Children benefit from a programme that is responsive to their strengths and interests and allows for good continuity with learning at home. The kindergarten provides a relaxed, happy and inclusive environment where children are engaged in activities of choice for sustained periods in small groups or individually. Dramatic role play and musical experiences feature throughout the day. There is also good provision for a range of physical challenges. Teachers regularly offer experiences that invite and encourage children to extend their knowledge and capabilities. Children confidently show initiative and take up leadership opportunities.
Teachers are calm and respond to children with warmth and affection. They promote positive social behaviour, problem solving and perseverance. The teaching team demonstrates a sustained commitment to integrating te reo me ngā tikanga Māori throughout the programme. Children are confident and capable in te reo Māori, waiata and kapa haka. They are learning to value and respect the dual heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
There has been continual upgrading of the environment and resources to support children’s learning. This has resulted in improved flow between the indoors and outside, increased sheltered areas and created a more spacious work and play space. Self review is used effectively to improve outcomes for children.
The teaching team agrees that areas for further development include the environment and aspects of assessment.
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.
Kathleen Atkins
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.
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.
Individual ERO school and early childhood service reports are public information and may be copied or sent electronically. However, the Education Review Office can guarantee only the authenticity of original documents which have been obtained in hard copy directly from either the local ERO office or ERO Corporate Office in Wellington. Please consult your telephone book, or see the ERO web page, http://www.ero.govt.nz, for ERO office addresses.
Petone Beach 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 licensee of the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Children benefit from a programme that is responsive to their strengths and interests and allows for good continuity with learning at home. The kindergarten provides a relaxed, happy and inclusive environment where children are engaged in activities of choice for sustained periods in small groups or individually. Dramatic role play and musical experiences feature throughout the day. There is also good provision for a range of physical challenges. Teachers regularly offer experiences that invite and encourage children to extend their knowledge and capabilities. Children confidently show initiative and take up leadership opportunities.
Teachers are calm and respond to children with warmth and affection. They promote positive social behaviour, problem solving and perseverance. The teaching team demonstrates a sustained commitment to integrating te reo me ngā tikanga Māori throughout the programme. Children are confident and capable in te reo Māori, waiata and kapa haka. They are learning to value and respect the dual heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
There has been continual upgrading of the environment and resources to support children’s learning. This has resulted in improved flow between the indoors and outside, increased sheltered areas and created a more spacious work and play space. Self review is used effectively to improve outcomes for children.
The teaching team agrees that areas for further development include the environment and aspects of assessment.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Petone Beach Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the kindergarten 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 kindergarten (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children at Petone Beach Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
The 2008 ERO review noted that children were developing as confident, competent learners and were engaged in purposeful play for sustained periods. Assessment, planning and evaluation had improved as a result of professional development and were positively impacting on the programme. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and group planning stories required further development. The report recommended staff undertake professional development to support their understanding and the implementation of self review.
In 2009 the kindergarten, in response to its community’s needs, diversified its operations. It now operates sessions closely aligned to school hours three days a week and for the mornings on the other two days. The number of teachers has also increased, resulting in improved teacher/child ratios.
In 2011 the kindergarten has been part of the association YMen initiative to enable children to experience the positive influence of a young male involved as part of the regular team.
Bicultural practice
The teaching team demonstrates a sustained commitment to integrating te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. This underpins the philosophy, programme and practices and is central to teachers’ beliefs. They take responsibility for continuing to increase their own knowledge and skills and for implementing these. Māori values and concepts are interwoven throughout the programme and in documentation. Children are confident and capable in te reo Māori, waiata and kapa haka. They are learning to value and respect the dual heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Programme
Teachers’ shared beliefs about how young children learn are clearly articulated and evident in practice. The teaching philosophy provides a sound base for the programme. The variety of equipment, resources and interesting materials provides a wide range of opportunities for physical, imaginative and exploratory play. Daily team discussions increase responsiveness to children’s strengths and interests. Teachers offer experiences that invite and encourage children to extend their knowledge and capabilities.
The planned programme evolves from what teachers notice children are interested in and successfully promotes values inherent in the philosophy. It is effectively aligned to Te Whāriki and makes clear links and provides continuity with learning at home. The ongoing development of the programme is well documented and displayed.
Portfolios effectively capture individual children’s interests and strengths. Entries are creatively written, well analysed and include relevant next learning steps. Teachers are implementing strategies to strengthen partnership with families.
Environment
Continual upgrading of the environment and resources supports children’s learning. Alterations to the building have resulted in improved flow between the indoors and outside, increased sheltered areas and created a more spacious work and play space.
Interactions
Children play in a relaxed, happy and inclusive environment. They work together for sustained periods and are able to negotiate the roles and direction of play. At times they are also highly focused in individual self-chosen activities. Children confidently take the opportunities for showing initiative and leadership.
Teachers are calm and respond to children with warmth and affection. They promote positive social behaviour, problem solving and perseverance. Teachers’ involvement supports the sustained flow of play according to children’s ideas.
Self review
The teaching team is developing a good understanding of planned self review. They follow a sound process that incorporates the identification of quality indicators, analysed data including contributions from families, and action plans. There is regular reflection on progress.
Assessment
The continuity of children’s individual learning is not always evident. Portfolio entries do not always show the implementation of identified next steps or make links between entries to show increasing complexity and progress over time.
Self review
Teachers acknowledge their next step in self review is to evaluate the impact on children’s learning of any changes. Gathering a wider range of data to inform decision making would support this.
Environment
Teachers should consider ways to enhance the learning environment through:
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 association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where the association can strengthen its support for teachers. These include:
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement.
As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:
The kindergarten environment is positive, welcoming and inclusive. Carefully considered transition processes are in place and are flexible to accommodate differing family needs. Teachers know children and their families well. Kindergarten documentation shows that children with special needs are included naturally and positively in the programme and environment.
The association’s mission is to provide quality, inclusive and accessible early childhood education. Being inclusive and partnership with parents, whānau and community are stated as core values and principles.
Before the review, the staff of Petone Beach Kindergarten completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement andSelf-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 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 and the kindergarten leaders agreed that the priorities for development and review are those outlined in the report.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Kathleen Atkins
National Manager Review Services
Central Region
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Type |
All Day Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
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Number licensed for |
35 children aged over 2 years |
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Roll number |
70 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 36, Girls 34 |
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Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 50, Māori 8, Asian 5, Pacific groups 3, European 2, Indian 2 |
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Review team on site |
November 2011 |
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Date of this report |
6 March 2012 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review April 2008 Education Review September 2005 Accountability Review May 1998 |