326 A Don Buck Road, Massey, Auckland
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.
Massey Kindergarten is licensed to provide care and education for 40 children aged over two years. Children enrolled attend full day sessions similar to school hours and reflect the cultural diversity of the Massey community. Māori children make up 23 percent of the roll and 15 percent are from other diverse cultural backgrounds.
The head teacher leads a team of three other qualified teachers, two of whom have been recently appointed. A teacher aide and a support teacher, who is in training, complete the teaching staff.
The kindergarten's philosophy is underpinned by respectful relationships, which are seen as key to children's learning success. Teachers are committed to working with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and deliver a programme that is inclusive for all families. They work to uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and respect family and whānau as partners in the programme.
The 2014 ERO report acknowledged a high performing team providing a wide curriculum that allowed children to grow as capable and confident learners. Self review was well established and there was good commitment to ongoing bicultural development. Areas agreed for ongoing development were the transition to school process, strategies to support children's verbal communication, and the acknowledgement of all cultures represented in the kindergarten. There has been a very positive response to these areas for development.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides a governance and management framework. Professional support personnel assist teachers with curriculum, management and property matters.
This review was part of a cluster of 11 reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children quickly settle to explore the well resourced environment and experiences provided by teachers. They are encouraged to make their own decisions and develop independence. Some children are able to sustain their play for long periods.
Children's developing social competence is nurtured by teachers who value and model respect and kindness towards others. Warm, reciprocal relationships are evident between teachers and children.
Teachers skilfully promote and support the development of children's oral language skills. They are responsive to the needs of individual children, recognising that their learning and development is at different stages. Children's home languages and cultures are respected and celebrated.
The bicultural nature of Aotearoa New Zealand is evident in the environment and in teachers' use of te reo Māori when working with children and whānau. Teachers appropriately continue to review the effectiveness of their bicultural programme through ongoing internal evaluation projects.
Parents who spoke with ERO expressed appreciation for the teaching team. They felt very welcome in the kindergarten environment, often choosing to stay for extended periods after their children had settled. They enjoyed the regular communication from teachers including updates to children's learning through Storypark, an online programme.
Children's portfolios of learning contain a mix of group and individual learning stories. A good explanation is included for parents about Te Whāriki. By linking children's learning and programme planning more visibly to the curriculum, this information could have more value for parents. Programme planning is based on teachers' observations of children's interests.
Where possible, learning stories are linked to parents' aspirations for their children's learning. Teachers value whānau expertise and contributions. They are invited to contribute to the programme, to children's portfolios, and through Storypark.
Kindergarten operations are guided by a comprehensive strategic plan and a shared vision which are linked to the AKA’s strategic goals. A Quality Improvement Process (QIP) also aligns with AKA and kindergarten strategic plans. It enables the AKA and teachers to monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement. The AKA continues to review its management and leadership structure. It has begun a process of internal evaluation to establish how effectively the four pillars of its strategic plan are resulting in more positive outcomes for children, their families, and the organisation.
The teaching team agrees that, to enhance their current good quality provision for children, they should:
continue to refine programme planning and the documentation of children's learning to show continuity and developing complexity over time
strengthen evaluation of the programme through a focus on children's learning and the effectiveness of teaching practice
through the kindergarten's business plan, focus on developing measurable strategic goals that are clearly measurable, and align teacher appraisal to these goals.
Before the review, the staff and management of Massey 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 Massey Kindergarten will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
20 September 2017
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 |
Massey, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5069 |
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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 |
40 children over two years of age |
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Service roll |
53 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 31, Girls 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Kiribati Indian other |
12 33 4 2 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2017 |
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Date of this report |
20 September 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2013 |
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Education Review |
April 2010 |
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Education Review |
November 2006 |
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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.
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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.
Massey Kindergarten in West Auckland operates as a kindergarten day model (KDM) where children can attend for either morning sessions or all day. The kindergarten is licensed for 30 children over 2 years of age. The roll reflects the cultural diversity of the Massey community.
The teaching team of qualified staff has been together for three years and know the community well. The kindergarten’s philosophy and vision statement reflect teachers’ commitment to high quality support for children and families.
The kindergarten operates as part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA). The association provides policy, procedural and operating guidelines. It also provides teachers with regular, topical professional development and on-going support from professional managers.
The kindergarten has a history of positive ERO reports. Changes since the 2010 ERO review include the upgrading of, and extensions to, kindergarten facilities.
This review was part of a cluster of ten kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children enjoy a rich, broad curriculum with Te Whāriki, New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum framework, as the foundation. Teachers provide inviting play areas and are thoughtful about programme provision and resources to cater for all children. Children make independent choices and confidently engage in cooperative play. Their decisions and interests guide a programme that provides many opportunities for children to grow as capable and confident learners.
Teachers skilfully engage with children as they play and demonstrate a genuine respect for their thoughts and ideas. Displays and records are accessible to parents and children, and clearly show how learning develops over time. Opportunities to learn early literacy and mathematics skills are included in many ways across the programme. Children and teachers include some te reo Māori naturally as they talk together.
Teachers continue to deepen their understanding of what success as Māori looks like for Māori children in an early childhood context. They value input from Māori whānau in this endeavour. Kindergarten documentation is increasingly reflecting this commitment to acknowledging tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Teachers actively seek the input of whānau and respond to parents’ aspirations for their children’s learning. Parents are an important part of the centre’s becoming involved in the Enviroschools project and its emphasis on environmental sustainability.
Teachers use self review and reflective practice to promote ongoing improvement to the quality of teaching and learning. They enquire into their own practice to promote ongoing improvement to outcomes for children and families. Their systematic and purposeful self review is responsive to external review and to internal priorities and strategic goals. Professional learning and development is targeted to support the achievement of centre goals.
Teachers work together in open, collaborative ways and are a high performing team. They share the leadership of initiatives and utilise their strengths to realise the kindergarten’s vision. Performance appraisal also contributes to improvement and is completed in a professional, responsible manner.
ERO and teachers agree that teachers should continue to explore additional ways to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Massey 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Massey Kindergarten will be in four years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Northern Region (Acting)
14 August 2013
|
Location |
Massey, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5069 |
||
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 34 Girls 13 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific Asian Arabic Niue American Cook Island Māori |
16 13 7 5 2 2 1 1 |
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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 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
||
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Date of this report |
14 August 2013 |
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|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2006 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2003 |
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.
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.