22A Minnehaha Avenue, Titirangi, Auckland
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 Woodlands Park Community Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakawhanake Sustaining Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Woodlands Park Community Kindergarten is a not-for-profit, community-based kindergarten led collaboratively by a centre manager and parent elected committee. The centre manager oversees the daily operations of the service, alongside three qualified teachers. Most children who attend come from local families. The service is a member of the Kōtuitui Kāhui Ako.
The service’s curriculum successfully blends a mix of free play, more structured experiences, and routines that encourage children to explore, problem solve and persevere. Its philosophy, vision and beliefs are highly visible in teaching and children’s learning. Parents partner with teachers in centre organisation and children’s learning.
Children experience flexible, well-resourced and attractive environments, which enable them to explore, and make sense of, their world particularly in relation to the natural world. They show curiosity, persistence and independence. Problem solving skills enable children to test new ideas. Children are encouraged to be creative, to explore and challenge themselves. They are able to express their feelings through a range of opportunities and resources.
Teachers have a good understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They build professional knowledge that aids implementation of a thoughtfully designed, child-responsive, interest-based curriculum. Teachers:
extend children’s communication through stories, questioning and conversations in teacher-guided and child-initiated experiences
promote early literacy learning across experiences and in the environment
integrate te reo me ngā tikanga Māori through routines, resources, waiata and cultural celebrations.
Internal evaluation drives ongoing improvement. Relational trust underpins these processes. Evaluation is interwoven throughout curriculum development, informs planning and the environment, and examines and enhances teachers’ practice. Leaders and teachers review practices against those outlined in Tataiako -culturally responsive practices as part of planned reviews and evaluations.
Leaders ensure teacher access to professional learning that builds capability and encourages staffing stability. Involvement with the kāhui ako provides further opportunities to collaboratively develop effective teacher practice.
Inclusive partnerships, including with whānau, relationships with other services, agencies and the wider community, support and guide service-learning priorities.
Woodlands Park Community Kindergarten will include the following action in its Quality Improvement Planning:
To sustain and improve assessment for learning through ongoing development of effective assessment practices and tools for all children that relate to:
analysis of learning
identification of children’s next learning steps
teachers’ role in extending learning
responding to children’s, languages and cultures
supporting children’s transition to school.
Before the review, the staff and management of Woodlands Park Community 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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
9 May 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Woodlands Park Community Kindergarten |
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Profile Number |
20191 |
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Location |
Woodlands Park, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
30 aged over 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
|
Service roll |
48 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 6, NZ European/Pākehā 32, Asian 4, other European 4, other ethnic groups 2 |
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Review team on site |
February 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
9 May 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, August 2018; Education Review, March 2014 |
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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.
The Woodlands Park Community Kindergarten is a well established, non-profit service in a semi-rural environment, beside a bush reserve in Titirangi. It is operated by a management board of teachers and parents. The centre is licensed for 30 children over two years of age. The majority of families who attend live in the local community.
Children play in a light and spacious indoor environment. Landscaped outdoor spaces offer opportunities for exploration and play. The head teacher leads a team of qualified early childhood teachers.
The centre's philosophy recognises the importance of a play-based programme. It promotes an environment that builds strong foundations for ongoing learning and essential skills for life. Under the current licensing, two sessions a week are offered for two and three year olds, and three sessions a week for four year olds.
The 2014 ERO review recommended strengthening appraisal procedures and reviewing curriculum planning. Some progress has been made in these areas.
Children are capable, confident learners. They settle quickly and play cooperatively. The well resourced environment offers opportunities for physical and creative play. Children share conversations, initiate imaginative play, make choices and solve problems during periods of uninterrupted play. They show kindness and respect for others and are able to form friendships. Teachers foster independence and self-management skills and children's communication skills are well supported.
Experienced teachers nurture warm and respectful relationships that contribute to the sense of belonging and community in the centre. They engage children in conversations and listen to their ideas. The calm, unhurried pace enables children to sustain their interest in activities. Literacy, mathematics and science are integrated into the daily programme through everyday activities. Inclusive practices ensure children with special needs are well supported.
A local kuia provides support and expertise to help teachers integrate te reo and tikanga Māori. Teachers continue to build their capability to use te reo and waiata in the context of the programme.
Partnerships with families and community are highly valued. Parent helpers provide support during every session as well as assisting on the management board. Teachers have built good relationships with new entrant teachers in the local schools that children will attend. They share information about children's learning to support their smooth transition to school.
Teachers provide learning opportunities to build children's capability to be ready for school. Transitions into the centre and to school are tailored to suit the child. Teachers should consider ways to help children increase challenge and complexity in their play, to build on their interests and enhance independent problem solving. Recently established, more visible planning should enable parents and children to contribute ideas for relevant and context-based inquiry learning approaches.
Children revisit their learning experiences through individual portfolios that record their learning experiences. Parents and whānau can access and contribute to these records of their children's learning. The centre's online communication tool could usefully support parents' input to programme planning.
Internal evaluation is focused on centre operations and goals. Teachers would benefit from the use of an evaluation question to add depth to their evaluation practices and to help improve outcomes for children.
The board holds regular meetings, maintains the facility to a high standard and contributes to reviewing the centre philosophy and policies. Board members are committed to the ongoing success of the centre. Their strategic planning should include provision for whole-centre, external professional development to help teachers explore new approaches to programme planning.
ERO’s previous reports in 2011 and 2014 both highlighted the learning programme as an area for review and development. Planning and evaluating the learning programme remains a key area for improvement. Allocating a clearly defined curriculum leader role would support teachers to review, document and strengthen their planning and assessment practices.
Further next steps for the teaching team are to:
establish effective, well recorded assessment and programme planning
grow teachers' leadership capability
implement recently improved appraisal processes to ensure that Education Council requirements are met.
Before the review, the staff and management of Woodlands Park Community 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 Woodlands Park Community Kindergarten will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
7 August 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.
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Location |
Titirangi, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20191 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children over 2 years of age |
||
|
Service roll |
55 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 33 Boys 22 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
June 2018 |
||
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Date of this report |
7 August 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
January 2008 |
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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.