Corner Ngarua & SH26, Waitoa
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 Country Kids Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakawhanake Sustaining Whakaū Embedding |
Country Kids Kindergarten is a not-for-profit service managed by the Te Aroha Kindergarten Association. Governance is provided by a community board. The kindergarten caters for children in a daily six-hour session. Of the children enrolled, a small number are identified as Māori or of Pacific heritage.
Children experience an empowering learning environment that significantly supports their learning and development. Valued learning outcomes are promoted through play. Intentional teaching practices enhance children’s opportunities to create, problem solve, imagine, be curious and learn about the world. Oral language and social competencies are extended within a child-led curriculum.
Kaiako collaborate with whānau members and the wider community to design a highly responsive curriculum for all children. Parents actively share and lead significant celebrations and contribute home languages. This guides practice and expands learning for all. Te ao Māori is intentionally integrated into daily experiences. Assessments are increasingly acknowledging children’s home cultures. Transition to schools are aided through reciprocal connections with local schools. Children with additional learning needs are very well supported through partnerships with parents and external agencies.
The association is strengthening the 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 has been well utilised for improvement, most recently to build teachers’ cultural capability to support tamariki Māori and Pacific learners. These conditions contribute to the provision of quality teaching that enhances children’s mana and identity as successful learners.
Country Kids Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Strengthen the reflection of children’s home cultures in documentation by consistently weaving them throughout assessment.
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 Country Kids 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.
During 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).
Equipment, premises, and facilities being checked on every day of operation for hazards to children that include, but is not limited to, all aspects listed in the licensing criterion (HS12).
A copy of the Ministry of Health: Reducing food-related choking for babies and young children at early learning services being provided to all parents at the time of enrolment (HS22).
A 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 |
Country Kids Kindergarten |
|
Profile Number |
30335 |
|
Location |
Waitoa |
|
Service type |
Free Kindergarten |
|
Number licensed for |
40 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, June 2020 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Country Kids Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Country Kids Kindergarten is an all-day education and care service catering for children over the age of two. The centre is located in Waitoa and is one of three under the Te Aroha Kindergarten Association. It is licensed for 40 children and has a current roll of 63, including four who identify as Māori.
The association provides systems and frameworks for daily operations. An experienced manager is responsible for the three centres and a senior teacher, employed by the association, provides support and guidance for the head teacher and staff.
Since the 2016 ERO evaluation the centre philosophy has been reviewed, and a new head teacher has been appointed.
The centre philosophy promotes nurturing, trusting and inclusive relationships. It documents the intent for children to learn through free play involving risks and challenges to develop their resilience and self-confidence. All interactions will be authentic, respectful and evident in regular communication. Children are encouraged to make choices, be curious and have fun.
Teacher interactions are highly effective in promoting positive learning outcomes for children. They skilfully notice, recognise and respond to children's learning. Oral language is well supported through open ended questions that support children's desire to inquire and be curious. Respectful relationships contribute to a positive learning environment for children and adults.
Children lead their own learning through a curriculum that is inclusive of all learners. The environment allows children to use a wide range of equipment and engage in uninterrupted play and maintain interest over time. Literacy, mathematics and science are effectively and authentically woven through play and learning. Children experience choices in their play and are confident to make their own decisions.
Children with additional needs are well supported through specific strategies designed alongside external agencies. Teachers respect children's preferences as they choose to play alongside their peers, with adults and independently. Meaningful and well considered transitions to school contribute to children's sense of belonging. Children are seen as confident learners and explorers.
The centre philosophy has been collaboratively reviewed and responsive governance and leadership promotes positive outcomes for all children. An experienced management board is providing effective governance. They are focused on supporting teacher's wellbeing and professional development. Internal evaluation is well planned and implemented centre wide in order to guide ongoing improvement. Comprehensive and transparent communication processes are implemented throughout the centre.
There are many opportunities for parents to be well informed about the education and care of their children and take part in numerous centre events and activities.
ERO and centre management agree that the next steps are to:
increase the visibility and use of te reo and tikanga Māori to better support the development of the local curriculum
continue to investigate effective ways to connect and deepen assessment, planning and evaluation to show individual progress and continuity of learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Country Kids 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.
Darcy Te Hau
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
17 June 2020
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 |
Waitoa |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30335 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children over 2 years of age |
||
|
Service roll |
63 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Female 35 Male 28 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
|
|
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 |
March 2020 |
||
|
Date of this report |
17 June 2020 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
December 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2013 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2010 |
||
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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.
Country Kids Kindergarten is an all-day service located in the grounds of the recently closed Waitoa School. It is open from 8.45am to 3.15pm from Monday to Friday to meet the needs of farming families in the surrounding rural areas. The centre is licensed to cater for up to 40 children over two years of age. Currently, 63 children are enrolled. Five children are Māori and 1 is Samoan.
The kindergarten operates under the umbrella of Te Aroha Kindergarten Association. The head teacher is supported by the association manager and a senior teacher employed by the association to provide guidance about early childhood education practice. The centre is staffed by five qualified, registered teachers. The association is working on a project to extend the early childhood education service available on the former Waitoa school site.
The centre has a positive reporting history with ERO. The 2013 ERO review identified agreed next steps that include:
engaging parents' contribution to their children's assessment and learning
integrating te reo Māori in incidental conversations
developing an appraisal process focused on positive outcomes for children.
The kindergarten has increased its communication with parents and is able to make collaborative decisions that improve children's learning opportunities. Teachers use the outcomes of their appraisal to develop a shared goal and identify professional development to support the provision of high quality early childhood education. The association has still to make changes to the policy and specific procedures to meet the requirements of the Education Council New Zealand.
The kindergarten's philosophy reflects the whakataukī, Whanga ka tupu, ka puawai: that which is nurtured, blossoms and grows. It is focused on relationships with people, places and things, and in treasuring the natural world. Children are given opportunities to develop a range of skills and understandings that contribute to their self esteem, and develop their ability to make positive choices and engage in tuakana-teina relationships.
Children are confident learners who are highly engaged in active play and exploration. The indoor and outdoor environments are thoughtfully organised to allow them to choose from an extensive variety of stimulating activities. Care routines are carefully implemented to allow children to engage in extended periods of uninterrupted play, individually or in small groups. Children are developing as resilient, self-managing learners who are encouraged to take risks and problem solve in a safe, supportive setting.
Relationships among children and adults are nurturing, and respectful. Teachers recognise and affirm children's considerate and constructive behaviour. They use consistent and unobtrusive positive guidance to build children's social competence and ability to solve conflicts. Children display a positive sense of self and have a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging.
The kindergarten curriculum is inquiry-based and child-centred. Children play cooperatively, developing imaginative scenarios that grow from creative and artistic use of equipment, resources and art materials. Their involvement in outdoor play includes opportunities for physical challenge and possibilities to discover ideas about the natural world. The well-designed, responsive curriculum supports all children's development and learning, and provides them with experience of success.
The experienced teaching team make skilled use of intentional teaching strategies to support and extend children's learning. They recognise the importance of children growing their oral language and communication skills and integrate oral language, literacy and numeracy naturally in the programme. They read stories and ask open questions to deepen children's thinking and provide equipment to introduce mathematical concepts and numeracy skills. Teachers use te reo Māori, waiata and Māori legends to acknowledge the bicultural nature of New Zealand culture. Interactions with teachers are enabling children to develop in practical contexts, meaningful knowledge and abilities that provide a sound basis for ongoing learning.
The kindergarten supports children and their families as they start school. Teachers build relationships and gather information from schools located in a range of districts surrounding Waitoa. Parents are supported to familiarise themselves with schools where their children can be enrolled. Children develop a sense of social connection with friends who have graduated to schools they expect to attend.
The head teacher has built a collaborative team that is committed to implementing the kindergarten philosophy. She provides strong professional leadership with an emphasis on reflective practice. Teachers are encouraged to research current best practice in early childhood education and engage in purposeful self review to evaluate and improve the quality of the kindergarten curriculum. The head teacher seeks to develop productive partnerships with other education providers, specialist agencies, parents and the wider community. Her forward looking and inclusive approach helps the kindergarten to sustain its welcoming and confident climate.
The kindergarten has well-developed assessment, planning and evaluation processes. Teachers regularly focus on small groups of children, sharing information from individual portfolios and preparing a summary of each child's interests and development that includes the child's own voice. Teachers and parents use this information to agree on a shared goal for the child's ongoing development. Teachers recognise children who may benefit from additional support, and in consultation with parents, make reference to specialist external agencies. Parents appreciate the use of digital technology to share information about their child's participation and learning. This rich information recognises children's engagement, progress and development and the effectiveness of the curriculum.
Teachers have benefitted from their involvement in relevant professional development and learning. Their key focuses have been on Māori practices and the implementation of Reggio Emilia philosophy. Through formal and informal study of te reo and tikanga Māori practices, teachers have developed their awareness of the history of the local area. Teachers respond effectively to the needs and expectations of the families and children they serve. The kindergarten has established a culture where children and parents actively participate in the life of the centre, displaying a strong sense of trust and belonging.
Leaders and teachers should consider reviewing outdoor learning areas to evaluate the extent to which:
literacy and numeracy are promoted in outdoor contexts
children can freely access outdoor equipment.
It would be timely to undertake this review considering the intention to move the kindergarten to adjacent areas of the property.
Before the review, the staff and management of Country Kids 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 Country Kids Kindergarten will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
1 December 2016
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 |
Waitoa |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30335 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
63 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 34 Boys 29 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other European Other Samoan South East Asian |
5 52 2 2 1 1 |
|
|
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 |
October 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
1 December 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
August 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2010 |
||
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.