KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
25327
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
40
Telephone:
Address:

27A Shorwell Street, Sandringham, Auckland

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KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre - 20/01/2016

Here is the latest report for the Governing Organisation that this service is part of.

 

1 Evaluation of KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre

How well placed is KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre 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

KINZ Sandringham provides full day education and care for up to 40 children over the age of two years. The centre has a high number of New Zealand European children and includes Māori, Pacific and Indian children. The centre operates from a spacious, purpose-built facility.

The centre operates under KiNZ, which is linked to the Auckland Kindergarten Association. KiNZ provides the framework, structures and professional support to guide centre policies and procedures. Active support from KiNZ personnel guides ongoing service improvement. Daily management is delegated to the centre manager. Teachers are experienced and qualified. Staff play a significant role in promoting positive learning outcomes for children.

The centre philosophy underpins all practices and developments. It emphasises children as active participants in learning through their play. The philosophy also reflects the importance of incorporating bicultural practices into the centre.

Centre managers responded positively to the 2012 ERO report and continue to make ongoing improvements. Positive features noted in the report continue to be evident in this review.

The Review Findings

The centre’s philosophy is very well reflected in practice. Positive, respectful relationships promote a nurturing, environment that supports children’s wellbeing and their sense of belonging in the centre.

The well-designed curriculum supports children as capable and confident learners. Children have many opportunities to investigate, and to be imaginative and creative. The curriculum supports them to develop early skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers recognise and respond to children’s cultures and backgrounds. They promote and celebrate bicultural practices and the centre’s diverse cultures.

Teachers provide a curriculum that is relevant for children and their families. It focuses on children’s interests, skills and dispositions and on parents’ aspirations for their children’s learning. Transition practices within the centre and to local schools are well developed.

The flexibility of learning programmes enables children to play and develop at their own pace and to initiate their own learning. Children engage in sustained collaborative play and show respect for one another while working in small groups. Teachers use their knowledge of children and their families to engage children in meaningful conversations. Their skilful questioning extends children’s thinking and helps them to develop their social and language skills.

Records about children’s learning are well documented in the recently introduced StoryPark and in children’s portfolios. Parents regularly receive information about their children’s experiences and learning. Teachers value parents sharing children’s interests with staff. This helps to create partnerships with parents and increase their contribution to their child’s learning.

The centre benefits from highly capable leadership and collaborative teamwork. Centre leaders and teachers participate in relevant professional development and learn about current best practice in early childhood education. They make appropriate use of current research to adapt their teaching practice. Continuing to promote the professional culture of teachers’ critical reflection and evaluation should sustain the delivery of high quality care and education for children.

KiNZ personnel capably guide the centre’s strategic direction. They promote high expectations, and support teachers to achieve them. The policy framework and management planning are sound. Centre self-review is rigorous, systematic, and well documented. It focuses on improvement and includes parents’ contributions and feedback.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders have appropriately identified that next development priorities include:

  • deepening children’s knowledge of themselves as learners
  • continuing to develop capable, confident leaders and teachers.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre 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 KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre will be in four years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

20 January 2016

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

LocationSandringham, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number25327
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2
Service roll63
Gender compositionBoys 35 Girls 28
Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Indian

Japanese

Samoan

Bangladeshi

European

Israeli/Jewish

Russian

Thai

Tongan

3

44

3

3

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenOver 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteDecember 2015
Date of this report20 January 2016
Most recent ERO report(s)Education ReviewOctober 2012
 Education ReviewOctober 2009
   

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.

 

KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre - 29/10/2012

1. Evaluation of the Service

How well placed is the service to promote positive outcomes for children?

KiNZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre is very well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.

Context

The centre is located in Sandringham and caters for up to 40 children over two years of age. It has been open for five years in a purpose-built facility next to a primary school. Children come from the local area and from a diverse range of ethnicities. Families appreciate that the teaching staff reflect the multicultural mix of the community and use their strengths well to support children and families.

The centre is part of the Kindergarten NZ Limited (KiNZ) Early Learning Centres, which is a subsidiary of the Auckland Kindergarten Association. A sound governance and management base of professional policies, procedures and operating systems is in place. Active support from KiNZ personnel informs and supports ongoing service improvement. A useful performance management process and opportunities for professional learning and development through KiNZ are valued by staff.

Centre managers have continued to improve programmes and systems since the centre’s first ERO review in 2009. Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, underpins the programme. Teachers promote the importance of play in children's learning. Children choose play activities and the flow of the day is built around their preferences. Teachers work well together to provide programmes and learning opportunities that value and respect children’s individual strengths and preferences. 

Centre managers are capable and knowledgeable, and have developed a cohesive team of professional teachers who are committed to implementing the centre’s philosophy. This philosophy focuses on encouraging children to develop their self-esteem, self-identity and problem solving skills through a play-based programme. It is evident in the attractive, inviting environment and in the programme provided for children.

Managers lead by example. They model respectful teaching practices and are actively involved with children. Managers recognise and make good use of teachers’ strengths and skills for the benefit of children. All teachers participate in professional development that includes a recent focus on positive guidance for children. Teachers use their professional learning well to help children develop skills for positive social interactions.

Bicultural practices are valued and incorporated within the curriculum. Te reo and tikanga Māori are evident throughout the programme and the environment. All teachers are developing confidence in promoting te reo Māori and in using it incidentally during the day.

Teachers know children well and use their interests to guide programme development. They seek information from parents that will help them provide relevant learning opportunities that build on children’s interests. Teachers view children as capable and competent. They encourage and support children to be independent and solve problems for themselves.

Children enjoy opportunities to sustain their play over time and benefit from the close and attentive support of teachers. They have very good opportunities to develop their early literacy knowledge.

Teachers focus on children’s emerging interests during daily group times. They could now extend this focus by helping children to develop specific questions in relation to their area of interest. Teachers could then provide support for children to help them find answers to their questions throughout the daily programme. Planning to build the specific interests of individuals into the programme could help children develop more complex and sustained play.

Children’s individual portfolios help parents to learn about their child’s time and progress at the centre. Teachers’ observations are used to assess children’s developing dispositions and learning. Wall displays help families to learn about, and understand the value of, the programme, and teachers welcome parent feedback and comments about the programme.

Teachers relate well to families. They support new children and their families well, often communicating in their home language. Children experience and celebrate a variety of significant cultural events. Teachers and families collaborate to make these events authentic.

Self review provides worthwhile improvement opportunities for teachers. Review findings include teachers’ ideas and suggestions for improved future practice. Building on this understanding of self review, teachers could now consider how they could respond more effectively to boys’ learning preferences.

ERO and centre managers agree that further review and development work should include consideration of how:

  • children’s emerging interests can be extended and sustained throughout the programme
  • teachers and managers could respond more effectively to boys’ learning preferences.

2. Legal Requirements

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of KINZ Sandringham Early Learning Centre 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.

3. Next Review

When is ERO likely to review the early childhood service again?

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Violet Tu'uga Stevenson

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region (Acting)

29 October 2012

Information about the Early Childhood Service 

Location

Sandringham, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25327

Licence type

All Day Education and Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, over 2 years of age

Service roll

67

Gender composition

Girls 41

Boys 26

Ethnic composition

N Z European/Pākehā 35

Māori 1

Indian 11

Chinese 5

Samoan 3

Cook Island Māori 1

Middle Eastern 1

Tongan 1

Other Asian 4

Other European 3

Other 2

Review team on site

August 2012

Date of this report

29 October 2012

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review October 2009

General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

About ERO Reviews

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

Review focus

ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:

  • 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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service 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 the service.

Disclaimer

Individual ERO school and early childhood service reports are public information and may be copied or sent electronically. However, the Education Review Office can guarantee only the authenticity of original documents which have been obtained in hard copy directly from either the local ERO office or ERO National Office in Wellington.