Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe

Education institution number:
46470
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
36
Telephone:
Address:

33 Tawanui Road, Kaikohe

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Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakaū Embedding

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe is a Māori bilingual service, partnered with Fern Education Limited. The tumuaki and centre manager work closely together. They lead a new teaching team of five qualified teachers and support staff. The service has a high percentage of tamariki Māori attending.

3 Summary of findings

Tamariki are welcomed and know they have a special place in the centre. Kaiako have thoughtfully set up an environment that encourages them to engage in a wide range of activities, learn self-help skills and increase their independence. Tamariki are nurtured, well cared for, and as a result are confident and familiar with their centre routines.

Tamariki of Māori heritage are affirmed in their identity. They learn te reo Māori through karakia, pepeha, waiata, kapa haka, myths, and legends. Tamariki of Pacific heritage also have opportunities to celebrate their culture, language, and identity. Special events and activities support children’s growing awareness of other cultures.

Kaiako know their tamariki well. They are inclusive and accepting, show aroha and care and engage in positive relationships. Kaiako provide a responsive curriculum to support the learning of all tamariki. Those with additional learning needs are well included in all aspects of the programme. Younger tamariki experience unhurried and calm caregiving practices.

Service leaders have established good relationships with local iwi, community networks and external agencies to provide support for tamariki and their whānau. Parents and whānau who spoke with ERO talked about the trusting relationships they have with kaiako. This positions kaiako well to initiate learning-focused partnerships.

Leaders provide access to ongoing professional learning to promote kaiako growth and capability. Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Te Whatu Pōkeka, Kaupapa Māori Assessment for Learning, have been prioritised to guide kaiako knowledge and skills to improve outcomes for tamariki.

The tumuaki and centre manager work very well together. They have a shared understanding of internal evaluation to support and strengthen the centre’s collective capacity. The service has good systems and processes to guide decisions on what is happening for children and their learning.

4 Improvement actions

Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Kaiako to document how they extend and challenge tamariki through more complex play.
  • Service leaders and kaiako to strengthen learning-focused partnerships with whānau.
  • Service leaders and kaiako to evaluate the effectiveness of their professional learning and consider the impact this has on outcomes for tamariki.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe 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.

Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

9 November 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe

Profile Number

46470

Location

Kaikohe, Northland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

60 children, including up to 15 children aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable)

80-99%

Service roll

46

Ethnic composition

Māori 42, NZ European/Pākehā 2, other ethnic groups 2

Review team on site

July 2021

Date of this report

9 November 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2017

Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe - 26/06/2017

1 Evaluation of Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe

How well placed is Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe 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

Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe is a privately owned bilingual centre, which opened in 2014. It is located in Kaikohe and is licensed to provide for up to 60 tamariki, including 15 under two years of age. The centre was established in a partnership between Ferns Education Trust and the Ministry of Education to increase Māori and Pacific participation in early childhood education.

Education and care are guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Integrating te reo Māori as a living and relevant language and honouring the heritage of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, are central to the core values of the centre. Manaaki, aroha, tautoko and awhi underpin the centre's philosophy, "Our pou represent the history, wisdom, and kete of knowledge of our tupuna and is embraced and nurtured for our tamariki, mokopuna and whānau".

The experienced owner is well supported by a dedicated teaching team and a recently restructured management team. Seven teachers are fully registered and three are provisionally registered. This is the centre's first ERO report.

The Review Findings

Tamariki, whānau members and staff demonstrate a strong sense of connectedness and whanaungatanga in the centre. An integral part of the programme is the inclusion of local cultural experiences and expertise from iwi, hapū and whānau in the community. Whānau who spoke to ERO appreciate the many aspects of the centre’s support available to them.

Tamariki are confident and teachers consider them as capable learners. They are encouraged to follow their interests and lead their own learning. Tamariki are focused and engaged, and sustain uninterrupted play for long periods. Tuakana/teina relationships are promoted well. There is good support for children to transition between the centre and kura.

Tamariki up to the age of two benefit from caring kaiako who promote a calm and peaceful environment. Education and care routines are appropriately individualised. Younger tamariki have easy access to a separate outside area for their own exploration and play.

Kaiako work alongside tamariki, use te reo Māori in learning interactions with children, and model dimensions of tikanga, such as, pōwhiri, waiata and karakia. The positive impact of an increasing knowledge of tikanga Māori is evident in the depth of bicultural practices in the centre. Kaiako are continuing to explore ways of promoting Pacific languages and concepts in the centre.

Kaiako encourage creativity, exploration and problem solving in both inside and outside learning areas. Leaders and teachers agree it is timely to explore further ways to support children’s learning through increased use of open-ended questions and extended conversations.

Leaders identify that kaiako could continue to support more complex play and use teaching strategies to extend learning for tamariki. This approach would enhance the programme and enrich children’s assessment. Individual portfolios reflect each child's learning journey and celebrate developing dispositions for learning.

There is a culture of continuous improvement that is supported by research and professional development and regular self review. Kaiako are highly self motivated. They work collaboratively, share strengths and have a strong commitment to providing a high quality educational service. Their open learning approach encourages cooperative and supportive relationships that guide the development of their teaching practices. A new comprehensive performance management system has supported kaiako professional growth and centre management leadership development.

The manager models enthusiasm, leadership and openness. Governance and management practices are effective. The management team is committed to ongoing professional development for staff. The centre’s strategic plan guides the centre developments. It clearly reflects the centre's philosophical priorities and goals for achieving good quality care and educational outcomes for all tamariki.

Key Next Steps

The owner and managers agree that next steps include:

  • documenting evaluative thinking, and refining performance appraisal to show how changes to teaching practice impact positively on learning outcomes for tamariki

  • continuing to explore how teaching practices can promote more complex play and critical thinking. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe 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 Nga Puawai o Kaikohekohe will be in three years.

Violet Tu'uga Stevenson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

26 June 2017

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 

Location

Kaikohe, Northland

Ministry of Education profile number

46470

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

60 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

58

Gender composition

Boys 29 Girls 29

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Cook Islands Māori
Fijian

51
5
1
1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

May 2017

Date of this report

26 June 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

No previous ERO reports

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.