Tai Tamariki Kindergarten

Education institution number:
45313
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
30
Telephone:
Address:

Te Papa Museum Cable Street, Wellington Central, Wellington

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Tai Tamariki Kindergarten - 04/06/2015

1. Evaluation of Tai Tamariki Kindergarten

How well placed is Tai Tamariki Kindergarten 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

Tai Tamariki Kindergarten is situated on the ground floor of Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of Aotearoa New Zealand. The service operates from 8am until 6pm and caters for 30 children, including nine up to two years of age. Priority is given to the children of Te Papa staff, although others from the wider community also attend.

Tai Tamariki Kindergarten is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks that He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association) govern and manage. This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014. The transition to the new association is expected to be a three-year process.

Since 2010, the kindergarten has been involved in three research projects with Waikato University. All teachers at Tai Tamariki are qualified and registered. They have addressed the areas for review and development identified in the December 2011 ERO report. 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. They feature as key next steps in this report.

The board and managers provide governance for the association. Senior teachers have delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.

This review was part of a cluster of 12 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergartens.

The Review Findings

Teachers respond to children’s learning collectively. Individual assessment and centre-wide trends and interests guide planning. This is in the form of learning stories that focus on children’s dispositions, skill development and show the continuity and deepening complexity of learning. Parents frequently contribute stories from home. Teachers have identified that they should continue to strengthen their assessment planning and evaluation practices. Reinstating a past initiative of learning story peer review should lead to greater consistency.

Children are independent, self-motivated and confidently lead their learning. Tuakana teina relationships between children and ako are evident.

Children's individual creativity and learning is highly visible. Their work is valued and they see themselves as makers and contributors. Infants and toddlers confidently explore the whole environment. Teachers provide a range of developmentally appropriate resources for differing age groups. The atmosphere is relaxed and purposeful. Routines are child-centred. Strong links with the wider community of Te Papa, The City Art Gallery and the Civic Centre further inspire and spark children’s creativity and learning.

Teachers view children as competent. They know them well and are responsive to their particular needs. Intentional teaching strategies are used to extend children’s language. Teachers and children co-construct knowledge together. They work side-by-side to explore ideas and investigate theories.

Children’s sense of belonging and wellbeing is promoted during and after transitions into the centre and when moving on to school. Teachers provide schools with detailed information about each child’s dispositional learning. Links are made between early childhood and school programmes.

The integration of a bicultural perspective is strongly evident throughout the environment. Resources and displays enable children to develop a positive understanding of their heritage. Teachers strive to weave te reo me ngā tikanga Māori throughout the curriculum. Children frequently visit the Te Papa Tongarewa Marae. Museum staff and local iwi provide teachers with bicultural guidance. Māori principles and concepts are evident through the documentation of children’s learning. Children are gaining knowledge about local stories and history.

Teachers form a reflective and collaborative team. Professional learning and development is an important part of the kindergarten’s culture. A distributed leadership model is evident. The head teacher and assistant head teacher effectively support the team. Children’s families are consulted and involved in decision making.

The previous ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal processes. This continues to require development. A recently revised appraisal model, yet to be implemented, includes: more focused goals that build teacher and leader capability; more regular and targeted feedback and feed forward about teaching practice; and clearer links with the Registered Teacher Criteria.

Self review is leading to improved outcomes for children. Teachers agree that their approach requires strengthening and refining.

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. Teachers are beginning to implement this initiative, recognising its potential to promote positive outcomes for children.

The senior teacher provides 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.

Key Next Steps

The kindergarten and association have yet to fully address all areas for development identified in the previous ERO report. The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps. They will continue to:

  • develop understanding of self review
  • improve assessment and programme planning.

The senior management team of He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua should continue to further improve processes for growing and developing the practice of teachers, head teachers and the senior teacher. This should include:

  • improvements to the quality and monitoring of processes to support individual kindergartens and regular implementation of a robust appraisal system.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tai Tamariki 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 Tai Tamariki Kindergarten will be in three years.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

4 June 2015

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

Wellington

Ministry of Education profile number

45313

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 9 aged under 2

Service roll

39

Gender composition

Boys 20

Girls 19

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Other ethnic groups

5

18

16

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

1:5

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2015

Date of this report

4 June 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

December 2011

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.

Tai Tamariki Kindergarten - 13/12/2011

1. The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

Tai Tamariki 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.

Te Manawa, the association’s criteria for curriculum implementation, is a recent positive initiative. The document provides a clear framework for teachers to deliver a high quality, inclusive early childhood education programme.

Tai Tamariki Kindergarten has been operating since February 2010 and is located in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa). It caters primarily for children of Te Papa staff, and other families in the central city. As a full day service, it offers flexible start and finish times for children.

A welcoming, family-like and inclusive environment is provided for children and their whānau. Teachers know children well and demonstrate genuine interest in their well-being. Their interests are well supported as they engage in independent and collaborative activities. Children of all ages interact freely in shared spaces. Aesthetically pleasing and well-organised areas foster children’s investigation and exploration.

The location offers a range of rich learning opportunities. Children enjoy excursions to a variety of museum exhibits and learning spaces, as well as exploring and utilising the inner city environment. Fostering these links with the local community and environment strengthens children’s sense of belonging. Teachers work in partnership with the museum staff to ensure children’s experiences are valuable and rich. Further enrichment of interactions and extending and embedding planning processes should provide additional challenge and purposeful engagement of children in learning.

Teachers have identified that refining their shared understanding of quality provision for infants and toddlers and building effective self review, is likely to enhance practice and promote ongoing improvement.

Future Action

ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.

2. Review Priorities

The Focus of the Review

Before the review, the management of Tai Tamariki 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 atTai Tamariki Kindergarten.

All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:

  • the programme provided for children;
  • the learning environment; and
  • the interactions between children and adults.

In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:

  • association support

ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.

The Quality of Education

Background

Tai Tamariki Kindergarten was established in February 2010. As a full day service, it offers flexible start and finish times for children within its operating hours of 8am–6pm. The teaching team includes a number of provisionally and newly registered teachers who receive support from kindergarten staff and the association’s senior teacher.

Areas of strength

Programme Child initiated, play-based learning forms the basis of the daily programme. Flexible routines support children’s well-being, encouraging them to make choices and providing opportunities for sustained and uninterrupted play. Children’s interests are well developed by teachers as they engage in independent and collaborative activities.

Staff demonstrate a commitment and shared understanding of an integrated approach to te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Regular opportunities for children to learn about te ao Māori are evident.

Assessment, Planning and Evaluation Planning is responsive to children’s interests, draws on prior knowledge and broadens their experiences. A variety of ways for children to revisit and reflect on previous learning promotes interest and enriches learning.

Well-presented and informative portfolios celebrate children’s engagement with the programme and highlight developing relationships. Children demonstrate a sense of ownership of these records of learning.

Interactions A welcoming, family-like and inclusive environment is provided for children and their whānau. Children relate confidently and respectfully with peers and adults within the centre. A calm and settled tone is evident.

Teachers know children well and demonstrate genuine interest in their well-being. Staff identify the provision of key workers for children as a priority and are flexible in meeting this need. They involve children in conversations relevant to their world and make links to prior experiences. A wide range of strategies are used to inform and communicate with parents about the programme and centre operations. A review of parent participation is ongoing and has strengthened practices.

Environment Children confidently explore in the positive learning environment. Aesthetically pleasing and well-organised spaces foster children’s investigation and exploration. Quiet spaces allow children places of retreat throughout the day. A range of appropriate resources and natural materials is available for children to explore and use creatively. Children’s work is valued and visually displayed to enable them to revisit their experiences and to communicate learning to parents. Teachers use the extended local environment to support children’s developing physical skills.

Areas for development and review

Kindergarten staff and ERO’s external evaluation have identified the following aspects of practice that require strengthening. These include:

  • further developing a shared understanding of effective infant and toddler practices to enhance children’s learning and support their developing independence
  • more consistent use of rich conversations to add complexity and depth to children’s thinking
  • continuing to strengthen assessment information documented in portfolios by:
  • identifying the actual learning taking place for the individual
  • adding greater depth to the analysis of learning
  • drawing links between entries to provide a sense of continuity and progress
  • suggesting possible next steps for learning.

Further development of programme evaluation and planning should provide opportunities for teachers to reflect more deeply and inquire into their teaching. This should assist them to respond more deliberately with teaching strategies that challenge, extend and support children’s engagement in purposeful learning.

Staff have identified that they are at an early stage of developing their self review. ERO’s external evaluation agrees. Areas for strengthening should include the use of:

  • evaluative questions to frame review
  • comprehensive data gathering and analysis of relevant information aligned to identified indicators
  • specific recommendations for next steps and continuous improvement.

Association Support

Background

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.

Areas of strength

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
Areas for development and review

The association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where they can strengthen their 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 strategic priorities.

3. National Evaluation Topic

Overview

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.

Inclusion of children with moderate to severe special needs

As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:

  • transitions ensure the continuing wellbeing, learning, and development of children with moderate to severe special needs
  • children with moderate to severe special needs are supported to be confident and capable learners
  • the service is inclusive of children with moderate to severe special needs.

The kindergarten is well positioned to cater effectively for children with moderate to severe needs through the good relationships developed with families and the inclusive practices demonstrated by staff. Children and families are supported in a range of ways to ease transition to school, including being accompanied by a teacher in school visits. Senior management recognise the need to communicate their capacity to provide for children with special learning needs in their information for prospective parents.

4. Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff of Tai Tamariki 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:

  • administration;
  • health, safety and welfare;
  • personnel management; and
  • financial and property management.

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:

  • emotional safety (including behaviour management, prevention of bullying and abuse);
  • physical safety (including behaviour management, sleeping and supervision practices; accidents and medication; hygiene and routines; travel and excursion policies and procedures);
  • staff qualifications and organisation; and
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

5. Recommendations

ERO and the kindergarten leaders agreed that the priorities for development and review are those outlined in the report.

4.6.Future Action

ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.

 

Kathleen Atkins

National Manager Review Services

Central Region

 

About the Centre

Type

All Day Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 9 aged under 2

Roll number

45

Gender composition

Girls 28

Boys 17

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā 27,

Māori 6,

Asian 5,

Pacific 4,

Other ethnic groups 3

Review team on site

September, 2011

Date of this report

13 December 2011

Previous three ERO reports

 

First report

13 December 2011

To the Parents and Community of Tai Tamariki Kindergarten

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Tai Tamariki Kindergarten.

Tai Tamariki 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.

Te Manawa, the association’s criteria for curriculum implementation, is a recent positive initiative. The document provides a clear framework for teachers to deliver a high quality, inclusive early childhood education programme.

Tai Tamariki Kindergarten has been operating since February 2010 and is located in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa). It caters primarily for children of Te Papa staff, and other families in the central city. As a full day service, it offers flexible start and finish times for children.

A welcoming, family-like and inclusive environment is provided for children and their whānau. Teachers know children well and demonstrate genuine interest in their well-being. Their interests are well supported as they engage in independent and collaborative activities. Children of all ages interact freely in shared spaces. Aesthetically pleasing and well-organised areas foster children’s investigation and exploration.

The location offers a range of rich learning opportunities. Children enjoy excursions to a variety of museum exhibits and learning spaces, as well as exploring and utilising the inner city environment. Fostering these links with the local community and environment strengthens children’s sense of belonging. Teachers work in partnership with the museum staff to ensure children’s experiences are valuable and rich. Further enrichment of interactions and extending and embedding planning processes should provide additional challenge and purposeful engagement of children in learning.

Teachers have identified that refining their shared understanding of quality provision for infants and toddlers and building effective self review, is likely to enhance practice and promote ongoing improvement.

Future Action

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

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:

  • improve quality of education for children in early childhood centres; and
  • provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.

Review Focus

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.

National Evaluation Topics – This strand contributes to the development of education policies and their effective implementation. The information from this strand is aggregated by ERO for its national evaluation reports. Topics for investigation are changed regularly to provide up-to-date information.

Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

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.

Review Recommendations

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.