580 Te Atatu Road, Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Te Atatu Village Kindergarten is a well established early childhood service that offers a six-hour daily session for its culturally diverse local community.
The kindergarten's philosophy highlights the importance of positive relationships. It acknowledges Te Tiriti o Waitangi and recognises Māori language and culture as taonga to be celebrated within the learning programme.
The head teacher is an experienced educator. She continues to provide leadership for the teaching team of three qualified teachers, a teacher aide and a teaching assistant. Most teachers are new to the kindergarten since the 2014 ERO review.
The 2014 ERO report identified many positive aspects including calm and respectful teaching practices and good integration of te reo Māori throughout the programme. Key next steps identified in the 2014 report included refining self-review processes and further developing programme planning.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides a governance and management framework and support personnel, in a range of different roles.
This review was part of a cluster of nine kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children experience a strong sense of community in their kindergarten. Teachers know children and whānau well. They are responsive to children's care and learning needs, and are warm and positive in their interactions. These features, alongside whānau involvement in the kindergarten, mean that children are comfortable, happy and secure in their learning environment.
Teachers and whānau promote te reo Māori and tikanga meaningfully in daily practices and in the environment. Kaumātua and kuia have a valued role in the kindergarten. Alongside the strongly bicultural curriculum, teachers ensure that the various cultures of all children are reflected in the kindergarten. As a result, children value their bicultural heritage of Aotearoa and are confident in their own cultural identity.
Children's interests and parent input form the basis of teachers' programme planning. Often these interests lead to whole-centre experiences that teachers extend through connections with community facilities and resources. Children's confidence is enhanced by the support that teachers provide for them to take healthy risks in their play and be physically challenged. Portfolios highlight how teachers link children's learning to parents' aspirations and input.
Teachers work well together as a teaching team. They recognise and work to each other's strengths and curriculum interests. The head teacher is experienced and has high expectations for herself and the teaching team to promote positive outcomes for children and whānau. Her collaborative approach provides good opportunities for shared leadership within the teaching team. A very good model of internal evaluation led by one of the teachers provides a useful approach for ongoing change and improvement.
Kindergarten operations are guided by a comprehensive strategic plan and a shared vision, linked to the AKA’s strategic goals. A quality improvement process (QIP) also aligns with AKA and kindergarten strategic plans. It enables the AKA and teachers to monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement. The AKA continues to review its management and leadership structure. It has begun a process of internal evaluation to establish how effectively the four pillars of its strategic plan are resulting in more positive outcomes for children, their families, and the organisation.
Key next steps for the kindergarten include teachers continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Atatu Village 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 Atatu Village Kindergarten will be in three years.
Steffan Brough
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
2 June 2017
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.
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Location |
Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10114 |
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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 |
40 children, over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
57 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 35 Boys 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā South East Asian Cook Islands Māori Samoan Tongan Niue other |
11 18 5 3 3 3 2 12 |
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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 2017 |
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Date of this report |
2 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
February 2014 |
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Education Review |
May 2010 |
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Education Review |
April 2007 |
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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 Atatu Village Kindergarten is a well-established service that provides education and care for children over two years old. The kindergarten currently provides eight half-day sessions each week but in the second term of 2014 will change to the kindergarten day model (KDM). This will enable children to attend sessions that match school hours. The centre is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA) and operates within the policies and management framework of this organisation. A professional services manager (PSM) visits regularly and provides management and curriculum support for teachers. A strong parent support group also works hard for the kindergarten.
There have been several changes in the teaching team. Currently one teacher is in a relieving position and two others job share and further changes are likely in 2014. During 2013 teachers have focused on team building, establishing respectful relationships with and between children and improving the quality of assessment portfolios. Teachers have also worked positively with their multicultural community, inviting contributions from parents and whānau to programme activities and review processes. The teachers, who are all registered, work as a collaborative team and celebrate the languages and cultures of their diverse community.
In 2010 ERO identified several positive aspects of the service. Teachers were supporting children's early literacy well and acknowledging individual cultures. Children were becoming confident, independent learners who participated well in the programme. At that time teachers identified the need to enhance the quality of self review and the programme, and strengthen their strategies for behaviour management. They have responded positively to these challenges, using professional learning opportunities and self-review processes to initiate changes and build on good practices.
This review was part of a cluster of eight kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children are self-motivated learners who lead their own play. They confidently select resources and choose to work independently or in small collaborative groups. They are creative, physically able and supported by teachers to take learning risks. Many persist at activities for long periods, testing theories and problem solving as challenges arise. Children competently contribute to conversations about their learning and respond positively when teachers provoke their thinking. They enact the kindergarten’s culture of care and respect, often showing tuakana/teina support for each other. In this environment children engage enthusiastically with early literacy, science and technology challenges and are becoming familiar with New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.
Teachers are calm and respectful. They know children well and skilfully use open questions to prompt them to explore new ideas and extend their interests. Teachers’ interactions with children foster resilience and encourage the development of language and social skills. They have high expectations that children will be self-managing and take leadership responsibilities in the kindergarten. Teachers acknowledge children are now ready to more formally plan and set goals for some aspects of their learning. Teachers effectively integrate te reo Māori throughout the programme and use first languages to greet all children. They have developed an attractive environment that reflects the artefacts, patterns and customs of the diverse community.
Teachers are developing useful strategies for managing the programme. They have a new action plan to focus the programme on children's emerging interests and identify their teaching strategies to extend learning. They have made planning highly visible to families and have successfully improved the focus on children's individual learning in their assessment portfolios. Teachers are establishing effective practices to support children's transition to three local schools and work with external agencies to provide appropriate support for children with special needs.
Families are encouraged to be active partners in the kindergarten. Several parents and whānau lead or participate in cultural events such as Matariki or Diwali and teach children important traditions such as pōwhiri and food preparation. Teachers invite families to contribute to reviews and share aspirations for their child’s learning. Parents value teachers’ respect for their cultures and the strong sense of belonging they provide for children.
The kindergarten is well managed. Despite being a new team, teachers collaborate well and are beginning to share leadership responsibilities in the kindergarten. The head teacher uses the Association systems effectively to manage centre operations and guide a regular self-review cycle. While still developing their self-review practices, teachers used recent reviews well to identify goals for improvement and strengthen their focus on outcomes for children. Teachers actively use their annual plan and teaching philosophy to guide their practices and contribute to the Association’s strategic goals. Feedback and discussion with their PSM prompts ongoing improvement and encourages teachers’ critically reflective practice.
The Auckland Kindergarten Association continues to provide strong governance for kindergartens. The recent establishment of nine focus groups provides a forum for head teachers to extend their leadership skills and contribute to the ongoing development of the Association. Strengthening self review in kindergartens remains a focus for PSMs, with workshops planned to involve whole teaching teams. AKA leaders agree to explore the current appraisal process to make links between teacher reflections and positive outcomes for children more transparent.
The teachers, the PSM and ERO agree that key next steps for teachers in 2014 should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Atatu Village 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.
Due to several movements in the teaching team (including the head teacher’s secondment out of the kindergarten for some time) none of the teachers have current, completed appraisals. The PSM will follow up on appraisals early in 2014.
The next ERO review of Te Atatu Village Kindergarten will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
28 February 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 Atatu Peninsula, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10114 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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|
Service roll |
90 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 49 Boys 41 |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indian Samoan Niue Tongan Cook Island Māori other |
21 46 3 3 2 2 1 12 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:15 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
November 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
28 February 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 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:
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.
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.