7 Lawrence Avenue, Te Aroha
View on mapAkarangi | 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Te Aroha Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Te Aroha Kindergarten is a not-for-profit service managed by Te Aroha Kindergarten Association. Governance is provided by a community board. The kindergarten caters for children in a daily six-hour session. A fifth of children enrolled are identified as Māori, and a small number as Indian or of Pacific heritage.
Children are well engaged in a curriculum that promotes communication and social skills. Emergent literacy, creativity, sensory and physical exploration is facilitated through the well-resourced learning environment. Teachers support uninterrupted play where children lead their own learning.
Relationships between parents, kaiako and the wider community positively support regular sharing of information and insights about children’s progress. Planning and assessment processes reflect aspects of children’s learning and development. Children with additional learning needs are well supported through links with external agencies. Caring interactions and ongoing conversations between children, kaiako and parents enhance partnerships. Transition to school is well supported through weekly school visits. Children’s emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging are enhanced.
Aspects of children’s cultural identities are incorporated into the curriculum. Children:
hear some te reo Māori
access a range of cultural resourcing
enjoy excursions to the local bush.
Valued cultural celebrations within the learning community are integrated. Some assessments link to home and family contexts. Leaders and kaiako have identified that building cultural knowledge is an area for growth.
The association is strengthening organisational conditions, with children’s learning and wellbeing as primary considerations in decision making. Equitable access to learning is promoted through low kaiako to child ratios. Kaiako capability is built through external relationships, mentoring, professional learning, and growth. Relational trust supports kaiako, leaders, and the governing board to collaborate. Internal evaluation systems are utilised for improvement. These conditions contribute to the provision of quality teaching that enhances children’s mana and identity as successful learners.
Te Aroha Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Further develop planning and assessment practices in partnership with parents, to strengthen responsiveness to individual children’s changing interests and dispositions.
Build kaiako cultural knowledge to enable intentional responsiveness to all children’s cultural identities.
Implement a system for monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of strategic goals at governance and service level to sustain improvement over time.
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Aroha Kindergarten completed an ERO 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; safety checking; Kaiako registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
ERO identified the following area of non-compliance:
evaluating emergency drills undertaken, to inform the annual review of the service’s emergency plan.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Furniture and items intended for children to sleep on, that will be used by more than one child over time, are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (PF30).
Reviewing the written emergency plan on at least an annual basis (HS7).
Ensuring the written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers before employment or engagement meets the safety checking requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
7 June 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Te Aroha Kindergarten |
|
Profile Number |
5161 |
|
Location |
Te Aroha |
|
Service type |
Free Kindergarten |
|
Number licensed for |
50 children aged over 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified kaiako |
100% |
|
Service roll |
58 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
7 June 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, January 2018 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Te Aroha Kindergarten, situated in the town of Te Aroha, provides education and care from 8.30am to 2.30pm for children from two years to school age. Since the last ERO review in 2014 there has been a restructure of the operating hours. There are now five full-time, qualified teachers including an internally appointed head teacher. The kindergarten is licensed for 50 children. At the time of this ERO review the roll of 64 included 11 children identified of Māori descent.
The kindergarten's philosophy has been recently reviewed. It is based on the concept of arohanui, promoting love and kindness in an uninterrupted, free play, strengths and interest-based programme. Teachers embrace the uniqueness of the individual child and aim to build strong relationships with children and whānau.
Te Aroha Kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO. Since the last ERO review teachers have strengthened their approach to implementing a bicultural curriculum and informing parents on how children learn through play.
The kindergarten is governed by Te Aroha Kindergarten Association (TAKA) Board of Trustees. It is one of three TAKA early childhood services within the wider Te Aroha community. The association provides systems and frameworks for daily operations. An experienced manager is responsible for the three centres and a senior teacher from within the association has been appointed to provide educational leadership.
Children enjoy highly responsive, warm relationships. There are many opportunities for parents to engage as partners in their children's learning. Transitions into and out of the kindergarten are well supported. Children’s talk is encouraged, accepted and respected. Teachers work alongside external agencies to implement appropriate intervention programmes to support children with additional learning needs. Leaders and teachers ensure their practices reflect the rights of all to a high quality, inclusive early childhood education. Children develop a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing in a calm and settled environment.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are highly visible within the kindergarten. Children actively participate in waiata, kapa haka and learn about local areas of significance. A karakia has been written for the kindergarten's use. Teachers have sought external professional development and are committed to their ongoing learning to support culturally responsive practice. Children's language, culture and identity is celebrated and affirmed.
Children enjoy participating in a highly engaging and responsive curriculum. The full intent of Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, is fully embedded in the programme. Particular strengths of the curriculum include:
the natural integration of literacy and mathematics
science, gardening, safe physical challenges and sensory play
strong links with local community including bush walks, literacy walks and visits to the local schools.
Strong assessment processes capture children's learning in individual portfolios and an online format. Whānau voice is reflected in narrative learning stories and summaries of whānau meetings, providing a holistic and meaningful record of progress. Children's individual strengths, interests and dispositions are assessed and planned for. Teachers have recently developed a culturally responsive assessment tool which will enable them to more consistently document continuity of learning. This now needs time to be embedded.
Knowledgeable and skilled teachers provide highly engaging and positive learning experiences for all children. Teachers value the importance of learning through play. Leaders and teachers have recently developed 'Indicators for Quality' to provide a framework for teaching expectations. They demonstrate collaborative partnerships, work well together and are open to new learning and sharing ideas. Leaders and teachers continue to promote positive outcomes for children.
The spacious environment is thoughtfully considered to provide many opportunities for children to take risks, explore and experience challenges. Rich wall displays make learning outcomes highly visible for parents. Children are well supported by teachers to become confident and competent learners.
Leadership, including the association's manager and senior teacher, are highly collaborative and inclusive. Emergent leadership among teachers is well supported. Through the performance management system and meaningful learning opportunities, teachers feel well supported to grow their professional practice.
Rigorous internal evaluation processes result in continuous improvement. Ongoing and systematic review across all levels of the kindergarten's operation contributes to positive learning outcomes for children. Leaders are committed to providing equity and excellence for all children.
The board of trustees provides highly-effective governance for the kindergarten. Trustees have engaged in ongoing training and have developed strong systems and processes that guide centre operations, including generous provision for leaders and teachers' professional development. The strategic plan could be strengthened by aligning it to teachers' inquiries and internal evaluation. The Te Aroha Kindergarten Association is providing a high quality, sustainable early childhood service within the community.
Further consideration should be given to the aligning the teacher inquiries, appraisals and kindergarten annual plan to the TAKA strategic plan.
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Aroha 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:
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.
The next ERO review of Te Aroha Kindergarten will be in four years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
10 January 2018
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.
|
Location |
Waikato |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5161 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
64 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 35 Girls 29 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
11 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
November 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
10 January 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
October 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2007 |
||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Te Aroha Kindergarten provides sessional education and care for children from the rural town of Te Aroha and surrounding areas. Afternoon sessions cater for over two-year-olds, and the morning session for a maximum of 50 older children. At the time of this ERO review, the roll of 84 included 22 children of Māori descent.
Te Aroha Kindergarten is one of two early childhood services governed by a charitable trust, Te Aroha Kindergarten Association (TAKA). The trust’s vision is to empower children 'with the skills to achieve their full potential'. The association’s strategic direction reflects its commitment to providing well-resourced environments and qualified teachers who provide education around children’s interests.
In 2014 the association contracted a new experienced senior teacher to further strengthen professional leadership and teaching practice at both of the association's kindergartens. She regularly observes the kindergarten programme and supports teachers to identify areas for improvement through ongoing reflection and self review. The kindergarten also benefits from TAKA policy guidelines, generous funding of professional development, and well-developed financial, personnel and property management systems.
The teaching team has responded positively to the recommendations of the 2011 ERO report. These included strengthening planning, assessment and evaluation practices and incorporating bicultural perspectives in the programme. The teaching team has also strengthened partnerships with parents about children’s learning. It has recently requested external support to increase the use of te reo Māori, and to develop partnerships with Māori whānau and the local Māori community.
The experienced teaching team consists of the head teacher who was appointed in 2012, and six other fully registered teachers. The kindergarten’s philosophy is to work in partnership with whānau to provide a play-based curriculum that develops skills and dispositions for children’s future learning. The philosophy also places a strong emphasis on children learning to care for themselves, others and the environment.
Children are well-supported to become capable, competent and independent learners. They learn to be kind and caring, with well-developed communication and negotiation skills. Children play well with and alongside each other, and often engage in sustained independent play. They learn through their play in a spacious, well-resourced and thoughtfully presented learning environment.
Interactions between teachers and children are trusting, respectful and caring. Teachers are highly responsive to children’s emerging interests, ideas, care needs, and support positive interactions between children. They skilfully foster development of social and language skills, and support children to think for themselves and work creatively and collaboratively to solve problems.
The teaching team provides a high-quality learning programme, which is predominantly play-based. Teachers skilfully incorporate literacy and mathematical learning throughout the programme, and are particularly adept at extending mathematical skills and interests. They make effective use of celebrations and performing arts, such as waiata and kapa haka, to integrate aspects of Māori and other languages and cultures in the programme. Teachers also work collaboratively with specialist agencies and families to provide high-quality support for children with diverse needs.
Teachers have established respectful and trusting relationships with whānau and tamariki. As a result, parents, extended family members and children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the kindergarten. Whānau appreciate the kindergarten’s friendly, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The recent introduction of a whānau room reflects the teaching team’s commitment to encouraging greater whānau participation and involvement in their children’s education.
Parents are kept well informed about their children’s learning through informal discussions and individual assessment portfolios. The teaching team has significantly increased the sharing of information between parents and teachers with the introduction of digital portfolios and parent-teacher meetings. Teachers often work with parents to plan for individual children’s learning.
The head teacher understands the importance of continuing to provide leadership opportunities for individual teachers that build on their strengths and passions. She has recently started to work with the senior teacher to extend her knowledge and understanding of effective, professional leadership. Under the direction of the head teacher, children have benefited from an increased emphasis on learning, and daily planning to support their emerging strengths and interests.
ERO and centre managers agree on the need to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Aroha 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.
The next ERO review of Te Aroha Kindergarten will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
30 September 2014
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.
|
Location |
Te Aroha |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5161 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children aged over 2 years old |
||
|
Service roll |
84 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 47 Boys 37 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian Other |
22 55 5 2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
August 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
30 September 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
September 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2004 |
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.