Whenuakite Country Kids

1 Evaluation of Whenuakite Country Kids

How well placed is Whenuakite Country Kids to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Whenuakite Country Kids is a rural, all-day education and care service near Whitianga catering for children up to school age. The centre is community based and is licensed for 35 children, including 8 children up to two years of age. Currently 58 children are attending, of whom 6 are identified as Māori. Many of the children attend on a part-time basis. They are learning in two age-group classrooms, one for babies and toddlers and one for children from 2 years 4 months to school age.

There was a change in leadership in 2014, and a new chairperson was elected to the governing committee at the start of 2015. The community trust is responsible for the overall governance of the centre, including the employment of staff and the maintenance and development of property.

In late 2014 the long-serving centre manager and teacher resigned and was replaced this year by a centre supervisor and a head teacher. Together with the administrative officer, these personnel are responsible for professional leadership and day-to-day operation of the centre. Many teachers work part time, on designated days of the week. This requires management to place considerable emphasis on communication and on developing a cohesive team.

The centre has a positive reporting history with ERO over an extended time. Since the previous ERO review, it has strengthened its strategic plan and developed more rigorous selection and appraisal processes that comply with current legal requirements.

The Review Findings

Children are playing and learning in a calm and settled environment. They have many opportunities to follow and extend their interests using a wide range of equipment and resources. Children enjoy regular visits into the local and wider community and benefit from the visits of community specialists. There are frequent opportunities for children to interact with their siblings and friends across the age groups.

A special feature of the centre is the spacious and well-presented indoor and outdoor play spaces. The outdoor areas enable children to experience safe physical challenge and have opportunities to interact with the natural world. These experiences include the growing and harvesting of seasonal vegetables and fruit, which children use for cooking, and for sharing with the community.

Children up to the age of two years enjoy inclusive, loving relationships with their teachers. Their learning and care needs are well provided for with access to age-appropriate resources and the commitment of teachers to support parent preferences and aspirations. ERO observed children involved in sustained, purposeful play individually or in small groups of their own choosing.

A daily 30 minute session for four year olds provides many experiences that extend children’s understanding of the natural world. This programme is designed to support children’s transition to school.

Teachers have responsive and reciprocal relationships with children and their whānau. They actively participate in meaningful conversations and play alongside children. Teachers skilfully extend children’s learning and promote oral language learning, and the development of early mathematics concepts. Children’s creativity and learning experiences are celebrated in attractively presented wall displays. A daily diary featuring photographs of children’s participation in the programme supports a useful partnership between the centre and whānau.

Māori children’s sense of language, culture and identity are supported by saying regular karakia before meals, and singing of familiar waiata. Teachers are developing confidence to incorporate te reo Māori into conversations with children. They should now liaise with whānau to identify local histories, traditions and places of significance for Māori so they can be included in the programme.

Individual portfolios represent each child’s participation in the programme. They are easily accessible and are greatly valued by whānau children and teachers.

The knowledgeable and experienced centre supervisor, head teacher and administrator work well together to lead and manage the centre. They have had a successful focus on re-establishing a positive team culture among the teaching staff, and the centre’s relationships with whānau and the wider community. The management group has led a recent review of the centre philosophy and the development of an agreed vision. This process has involved extensive consultation with whānau and teachers.

The parent committee is focused on centre improvement. The committee chairperson brings a wide range of skills and knowledge to her role, and is providing effective leadership. The committee members have undertaken useful training to support them in their governance role.

Centre management and the governing committee are strongly committed to ongoing centre development and to maintaining this important asset for the Whenuakite community.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre management agree that the key next steps are to access external support to:

• refine the roles of the management team and clearly define their responsibilities. including the reporting to the governing committee and the provision of professional guidance
• strengthen teachers’ understanding of effective assessment, planning and evaluation processes
• review current approaches to literacy learning to ensure that these reflect current research and agreed best practice.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Whenuakite Country Kids 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 Whenuakite Country Kids will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

17 February 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

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.