Hillcrest Kindergarten

1 Evaluation of Hillcrest Kindergarten

How well placed is Hillcrest Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Hillcrest Kindergarten has operated in Kaikohe for 61 years and has strong links with the local community. Many of the children have parents and grandparents who also attended the kindergarten. The majority of children attending have Māori heritage.

The kindergarten is part of the Northland Kindergarten Association (NKA), which provides governance and management frameworks to support kindergarten operations. The kindergarten is licensed for 30 children over the age of two years and offers the choice of full or half-day attendance. Some children attend only a few days each week. All teachers are qualified and share the leadership of kindergarten operations.

ERO's 2013 report highlighted positive aspects of the programme that supported children's learning well. These included respectful relationships, high levels of child engagement in the programme and growing teacher understanding of bicultural practices. The report recommended that teachers could strengthen whānau contributions to assessment, implement their research findings in practice and continue to focus on fostering children's social competence.

This review is part of a cluster of eight kindergarten reviews in the Northland Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children receive high quality education and care. The kindergarten is an inclusive environment where teachers strive to ensure that all children, including those with diverse needs, have access to good quality early childhood education.

Teachers establish strong, responsive and reciprocal relationships with children and their whānau. Together with the welcoming and accepting tone in the kindergarten, these relationships help to strengthen children's sense of the value placed on their cultural identity.

Teachers have carefully crafted a philosophy statement that expresses their aspirations for their work with children. It recognises Ti Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, as guiding documents, and indicates respect for the uniqueness of children and their whānau. The philosophy also notes teachers' active engagement in research and reflective practice. All of these are evident in teachers' practice.

Bicultural practice has been a focus of teachers' internal review. The results of their investigations have led to the strong inclusion of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori, and the development of a kindergarten kawa. New rituals for welcoming children and whānau into the centre, and farewelling them when they leave for school, have been a successful development. Teachers' systematic and deliberate self review continues to place a strong focus on improving the quality of education and care.

Teachers play with the children, engaging them in conversation to support their ideas. They prompt children's thoughtful problem solving and encourage inclusive games and shared explorations. Most children are highly independent, and physically and cognitively competent. Teachers have ensured that the environment provides children with choices, physical challenge and opportunities for imaginative play. They have used equity funding effectively to equip children with wet weather gear that enables them to play outdoors in all weathers.

Literacy, mathematics and science are actively promoted in the programme. Children are eager to hear stories and to share books, and are creative with text and drawing. Mathematical concepts are included in their conversations with teachers and in a variety of play opportunities. In response to children's interests, the study of nature is incorporated into activities in addition to experiences that foster children's imagination and creativity. Children are highly engaged and busy playing in friendly groups.

Teachers' shared process for assessment is helping them to make sound decisions about planning for individual children. Children's portfolios are records of their personalities, interests and progress over time.

The Association's governance practices are effective. Its long-term direction continues to focus on continually improving learning outcomes for children. Positive strategies include:

very good support and guidance by Association personnel, especially in the development of culturally responsive practices and the integration of te ao Māori in ways that are meaningful for children

• new teacher appraisal systems, and professional learning that focus more closely on improving team skills, knowledge and practice and more distributed leadership practices

• regular head teacher meetings that provide opportunities for collegial discussion and support.

Key Next Steps

Managers and teachers agree that their next steps are to continue to:

• refine their planning cycle with the aim of more clearly illustrating a sense of ako in children's learning journeys with teachers

improving their recording of parents' information about, and aspirations for, their children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Hillcrest 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:

• 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.

To improve current practices, the Association should ensure that all kindergarten policy folders include updated policies and procedures that reflect all legal requirements.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Hillcrest Kindergarten will be in four years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

13 October 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.