Gate 4 Tristram St, Hamilton Central, Hamilton
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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Kidz @ Wintec are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Kidz @ Wintec is located at, and governed by, Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). The centre provides all-day education and care, primarily for children of students and staff at Wintec. There are two age-based learning areas. The teaching team consists of both trained and untrained teachers.
Children’s learning is supported by a responsive and adaptive curriculum. Teachers are reflective and actively promote the local curriculum. The service’s philosophy, underpinned by the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whariki, is evidenced in practice. Children’s independence is fostered through a play-based approach to learning. The environment is accessible to children and child agency is promoted. The environment is developmentally appropriate and well resourced. Children experience learning in a context where their identity as learners is affirmed.
Teachers provide equitable access to learning by effectively meeting the needs of children and their whānau. An intentional environment led by the choices of children ensures settled surroundings. Teachers respond and adapt to home routines to ensure continuity of care. Children’s transitions are individualised and well supported.
Well established professional knowledge building processes are evident and effective. Leaders ensure that ongoing improvement and high expectations are prioritised. Engagement with relevant professional learning is reflected in teaching and learning within the centre. Ongoing changes to practice, informed by internal evaluation, positively impact outcomes for learners.
Sound governance processes prioritise the wellbeing of children and their whānau. Leaders and teachers are supported to build caring, responsive relationships. Outcomes for children and their whānau are promoted by effective systems.
Quality learning for the children of parents and whānau working and studying on site is prioritised. Providing a service with the intention of equity of outcomes for families is central to decision making. Leaders and teachers are flexible and responsive and promote educational success for all.
Kidz @ Wintec will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Further refine the localised curriculum by:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidz @ Wintec 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
28 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Kidz @ Wintec |
| Profile Number | 34067 |
| Location | Hamilton |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
59 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
62 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 15, NZ European/Pākehā 16, Other European 5, Asian 5, African 4, Pacific 4, Other ethnic groups 13 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
28 June 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review September 2016 Education Review July 2013
|
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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.
Kidz @ Wintec is located at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) in Hamilton and provides all day education and care for children from three months to school age. It is licensed for 50 children, including 20 under two years of age. The centre caters for children of students enrolled at Wintec. Children attending come from many different nationalities and ethnicities, and including a wide geographical area. The centre runs two areas to cater for the age ranges and ability levels of children.
The centre operates under the umbrella of Wintec management. The Wintec Customer Support Services Manager (WCSSM) provides valued support for the manager and team leader of the centre with regard to leadership, personnel management, health and safety, and policies, procedures and guidelines.
The centre's philosophy aims for teachers to provide a child-centred, play-based education. Teachers plan to purposefully extend children's learning and development, and support them to become confident and capable learners.
Since the 2013 ERO review, staffing has remained consistent at the centre. A new team leader, appointed in mid 2015, is supported by other long-standing staff members. Teachers have engaged in extended professional learning and development to respond to the identified key next steps in the 2013 ERO report. The reviews of assessment, planning and staff appraisal have resulted in significant improvements in all areas. The centre has a positive ERO reporting history.
Kidz @ Wintec is very well placed to promote and sustain positive outcomes for children and their families. The principles ofTe Whariki, the early childhood curriculum, are successfully interwoven into the centre's philosophy and are clearly evident in the centre's high quality education practices.
The centre provides equitable outcomes for all children. Teachers are active advocates for children and their families, as many arrive and settle into new communities. Children's wellbeing and sense of belonging are effectively fostered through the positive, trusting and respectful relationships at all levels. They confidently interact with teachers, who are highly responsive to their interests, strengths, abilities and needs. Well-established partnerships with families are a strength of the centre. Leaders and teachers promote children's holistic development and contribute to positive outcomes for children.
Children have many opportunities to engage in a range of sustained play experiences, both by themselves and with others. Teachers use intentional teaching and learning strategies, within the context of child and teacher-initiated play. They encourage independent, shared discovery and decision making, with many opportunities for children to develop learning dispositions, skills and competencies. The environment caters for a variety of interests and encourages children to explore and investigate. Children are empowered to develop as confident, capable learners.
Teachers are skilled in promoting oral language development, particularly for children with English as a second language. They effectively incorporate literacy, mathematics and other curriculum areas into the programme, enabling children to engage in meaningful and interesting learning. Bicultural practices are well embedded and highly evident. This promotes and values Māori children's language, culture and identity and develops all children's appreciation for Māori as tangata whenua.
The wellbeing and learning of priority groups are actively promoted. A strength of the service is the cultural diversity of teachers. The expertise of these teachers is used to support communication with parents and children. All teachers research other languages and cultures to help their understanding of individual children and their families. Children benefit from culturally responsive interactions to support their learning.
Babies and toddlers enjoy personalised care and learning routines in a calm, unrushed and relaxed environment. They enjoy many opportunities to interact and build strong attachments with adults. Teachers know children well and, in collaboration with parents, are responsive to individual rhythms, cues and needs. They provide consistency and continuity for babies in order to establish a secure foundation for their care and education. Transitions into the older age-group area are managed sensitively and flexibly, ensuring children are confident in their new environment.
Older children transition to a large number of schools. Recent self review has affirmed teachers' focus on building children's social competencies, learning dispositions and self-care skills. This focus supports children's positive transition to school.
Assessment and evaluation processes are well established. The outcomes and results form the basis of programme planning. Observations identify children's strengths and interests, and enable teachers to plan relevant learning opportunities. The focus on dispositions extends individual children's learning. Effective evaluation practices enable teachers to reflect on positive outcomes for children and the effectiveness of teaching practices.
The experienced and knowledgeable centre manager has established a culture of relational trust. Leaders competently support teachers to build the quality of their teaching and children's learning. Staff regularly evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning. They access professional development within Wintec and the wider education community. Comprehensive appraisal processes are aligned to the Education Council requirements and Wintec expectations.
Centre leaders have identified the need to strengthen teachers' goals so they are more strongly aligned to improving outcomes for children, with measurable criteria for evaluation. There is also a need to improve the quality of teachers' evidence in relation to their goals and the practicing teacher criteria.
The planned review of the outdoor environment is likely to provide more opportunities for open-ended exploration and creativity, and promote increased equitable opportunities to cater for the ages and ability levels of all children. Highly effective, and well-developed self-review practices, including regular coaching and mentoring by leaders, are leading to continual improvement in centre practices and result in positive outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidz @ Wintec 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 Kidz @ Wintec will be in four years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
15 September 2016
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Location |
Hamilton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
34067 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
69 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 31 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Asian Other Pacific |
11 22 16 15 5 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
June 2016 |
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Date of this report |
15 September 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2010 |
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|
Education Review |
October 2007 |
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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.
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.