Tiaho Primary School 93 Clyde Rd, Wairoa
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Matangirau Kindergarten is in the grounds of Tiaho School in Wairoa. It opens from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 12:45 pm on Friday. The service caters for up to 20 children aged from two to school age. Seventeen children identify as Māori.
The centre philosophy is underpinned by whakawhanaungatanga.
This kindergarten was opened in 2017. This is its first ERO report. A head teacher oversees the day-to-day operation of the centre. The teaching team of two have been together for almost two terms.
Matangirau Kindergarten is one of 11 kindergartens governed and managed by the Gisborne Kindergarten Association (the association). Two senior teachers provide professional support and guidance to individual kindergartens. A pouawhina has been appointed on a fixed-term contract to guide kindergartens' implementation of tikanga and kaupapa Māori practices.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the Gisborne Kindergarten Association.
Children and their whānau are warmly welcomed. Parents know they have a place at the kindergarten. They stay and socialise with one another and join in the programme. A sense of friendship and community is apparent.
Children confidently engage in sustained play. They freely explore activities, resources and the environment. Opportunities for new learning are offered through the programme. Children are confident, settled and know each other well. Teachers actively promote language development. Older children have opportunities to take on leadership roles. Tuakana teina relationships are evident.
Teachers continue to refine the newly developed philosophy. Developing indicators of what teacher practice and valued outcomes for children look like, should further strengthen this.
Respectful relationships between teachers, children and whānau contribute to children's sense of belonging and wellbeing. Teachers actively seek ways to strengthen these to move towards learning partnerships. Children's transitions into the kindergarten are carefully considered.
Bicultural practice is integral to the curriculum and fosters children's understanding of te ao Māori. Teachers are continuing to strengthen their cultural competence in supporting Māori children to experience success as Māori, and exploring ways to connect with place-based learning.
Teachers work together collaboratively and share responsibility for curriculum delivery. A recent review of the programme has resulted in positive changes to the environment and teaching practice in response to younger children's needs. Consideration of what good practice looks like for two year olds should further strengthen the programme.
Assessment, planning and evaluation is currently under development. Plans for individual children are becoming established in consultation with whānau. This should contribute to a clearer picture of children's learning progressions over time.
Children's portfolios capture their participation and engagement in the programme. Teachers should consider further strengthening assessment, planning and evaluation to show:
planning and intentional teaching for individuals
how learning is progressed over time
connections to culture, language and identity
responsiveness to parent aspirations and perspectives.
Teachers' understanding of internal evaluation is in the early stages. The association has identified that developing a shared understanding and use of internal evaluation is a priority.
Teachers are well supported to develop their practice. There is a strong commitment to developing staff knowledge and skills through ongoing professional learning and the sharing of good practice. Senior teachers regularly identify actions and provoke thinking in relation to children's learning. The newly developed appraisal system, when fully implemented, should strengthen teacher inquiries into their own practice.
Association leaders have a well-considered approach to progressing strategic objectives. Connections to the community are strong and maintaining these continues to be a focus. Leaders are committed to Treaty-based partnerships and acknowledging Māori as tangata whenua.
ERO recognises that teachers are in a period of change in establishing a new kindergarten, team, children and whānau. Further support from the association is required to address the key areas identified for further development.
ERO and kindergarten leaders agree that the priorities are to:
develop indicators and demonstrate best practice in relation to the philosophy
strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation of children's learning to inform and enhance the programme.
The association should:
fully implement the new appraisal system
continue to develop shared understanding and use of internal evaluation across all levels.
Before the review, the staff and management of Matangirau 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.
In order to improve current practice the service provider should ensure that the outdoor activity space is well drained, suitably surfaced and any tripping hazards are mitigated.
[Licensing Criteria Centre Based Services 2008 PF13]
The next ERO review of Matangirau Kindergarten will be in three years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
1 May 2018
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.
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Location |
Wairoa |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46517 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
20 children aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
19 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 10, Girls 9 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
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Review team on site |
March 2018 |
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Date of this report |
1 May 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
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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:
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.