Springlands Kindergarten

1 Evaluation of Springlands Kindergarten

How well placed is Springlands Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Springlands Kindergarten requires the ongoing support of the Marlborough Kindergarten Association to address the next steps identified in this report.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Springlands Kindergarten is licensed for 43 children aged over two years. It provides all-day education and care four and half days a week. All permanently-appointed teachers are qualified and certificated early childhood teachers. The kindergarten is sited on Springlands School's grounds.

The kindergarten is administered and supported by the Marlborough Kindergarten Association. (MKA) The association is a not-for-profit, community-based provider. A general manager is responsible for the operation of the kindergartens. A senior teacher provides ongoing advice and guidance to the kindergartens. A kaiarahi Māori supports culturally responsive practice. Strategic direction and governance decisions are the responsibility of an elected board of trustees.

The kindergarten philosophy gives emphasis to individuality, thinking, togetherness and creativity.

Since ERO's 2014 report there have been some changes in staff. The kindergarten has begun using a new assessment, planning and evaluation format for individuals and groups of children, and has improved the quality of annual planning.

The association is involved in the Piritahi and Te Wheke Akoranga Kāhui Ako|Communities of Learning. Springlands Kindergarten is a member of the Piritahi Kāhui Ako| Community of Learning.

This review was part of a cluster of seven kindergarten reviews in the Marlborough Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten enjoys good support from parents and the local community. These positive relationships increase involvement in events and support resourcing. Children are provided with a range of opportunities to take part in learning experiences in and beyond the kindergarten. Developing positive relationships between home and the kindergarten supports connectedness and a sense of belonging for families and children.

Transition to school is actively supported by close connections with the local school. Transition processes are flexible and designed to work in the best interests of the child and their whānau. The association's senior teacher, and representatives from the kindergarten, are working with other kindergartens and local schools in the Piritahi Kahui Ako|Community of Learning to develop more comprehensive and consistent transition to school programmes.

Children experience an environment where they feel comfortable with routines and regular events. They are encouraged to learn with and alongside others. Teachers foster children's confidence and self-management skills. Children try new things and their contributions and successes are affirmed.

Teachers demonstrate thoughtful, nurturing interactions with children who have additional learning needs. They assist with building children's social awareness and help them to fully connect with learning programmes.

Teachers notice children’s interests and represent these in individual and group learning plans. Group plans identify useful teaching strategies to support children’s learning progress. Teachers are implementing newly-introduced planning and assessment formats. Parent aspirations for their children are regularly included in this planning.

Children have choices about involvement in small-group learning and individual play. Teachers invite children's participation and use a range of questioning approaches to engage children's interests. Foundation literacy and mathematics are incorporated into daily learning experiences. All three of New Zealand’s official languages are included at different times during the learning programme.

Since ERO’s 2014 reviews of kindergartens in the Association, a new general manager, senior teacher and office administrator have been appointed. The board is working towards a new strategic plan. Managers and leaders have proactively addressed ERO’s recommendation for the association identified in previous reports by strengthening the appraisal policy and processes. This is in the early stages of implementation.

The MKA is strongly committed to ensuring all children have equitable access to inclusive education. This is very evident in the association's philosophy that promotes facilitating learning opportunities through positive relationships, celebrating diversity and ensuring equitable access to education. The philosophy is reflected in decisions made by the board and leadership.

Kindergartens receive a high level of support from the Marlborough Kindergarten Association. With a number of new head teachers, attention has been placed on growing leadership and building a cohesive culture across the kindergartens. MKA’s involvement in the Kāhui Ako|Communities of learning is making a significant difference to developing teaching as inquiry, transition to school and culturally responsive practices. Teachers are well supported by the kaiarahi Māori to build culturally responsive practices.

The board and leadership work well together with clear roles and responsibilities. Leadership provides quality reports to the board so they are well informed. Board and leaders make good use of internal evaluation to consult with the parent community and staff, to reflect on their own practice and support decision-making.

The board and association have identified that strategic planning is a key next step. ERO and the association acknowledge that:

• plans need to be more focused on strategic goals

• significant board decisions need to be underpinned by action plans

• the association's values need to be more clearly articulated.

Leaders and ERO also agree that there is a need to:

• develop guidelines that outline association expectations for teaching and learning to better support consistency of practice and sustainability across the kindergartens

• fully implement planned observations into appraisal practices in all kindergartens.

Key Next Steps

ERO's evaluation has identified several key next steps that leaders and teachers need to address to ensure better outcomes for children's learning and wellbeing. There is a need to:

• ensure the kindergarten's philosophy reflects New Zealand’s bicultural heritage and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and aligns well with MKA's overarching philosophy

• ensure Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, informs the kindergartens' desired outcomes for children transitioning to school, and that the alignment between the two is clear

• strengthen the leadership of the kindergarten

• continue to refine and embed accountability systems to ensure all children receive quality, equitable and well-planned learning opportunities

• strengthen the quality of internal evaluation

• further build teachers' capacity to support children for whom English is not their first language.

Improve the quality of programme assessment, planning and evaluation. This includes:

• ensuring coherence between identified expectations for assessment, planning and evaluation, and individual children's records

• clearly identifying links between children's learning goals, what teachers will do to promote learning, identification of next steps and evaluation of outcomes

• further extending children’s learning and increasing the level of challenge provided

• improving connections in assessments of children's learning to show progress over time.

Kindergarten leaders and ERO agree there is a need to continue to develop bicultural practice across the kindergarten as defined by the kaiarahi Māori. Deepening leaders' and teachers' understanding of te ao Māori, and setting clear, monitored goals for improvement, is likely to positively impact on outcomes for Māori and all children, as well as influencing leaders' decision-making processes.

Recommendation

ERO requested Marlborough Kindergarten Association provide ERO with an action plan showing how it will continue to support Springlands Kindergarten and address the next steps identified in this report.

Marlborough Kindergarten Association has since provided ERO with a comprehensive action plan.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Springlands 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Springlands Kindergarten will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

4 September 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

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.