285 Stokes Valley Road, Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt
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.
Koraunui Kindergarten is located in Stokes Valley. It is licensed to provide all day education and care for up to 40 children, aged over two years. At the time of this ERO review, 25 of the children enrolled identify as Māori and eight as of Pacific heritage.
The centre philosophy focuses on providing opportunities for children to learn best in an environment that promotes their culture, identity, creativity and curiosity and fosters their independence.
All teachers are fully qualified. Day-to-day operation of the centre is the responsibility of the head teacher, who supports the teaching team. Since the June 2015 ERO evaluation, the outdoor learning space has been developed to further support and extend children's learning.
Koraunui Kindergarten is one of 19 services in the Lower Hutt region, governed and managed by Hutt City Kindergarten Association (the association). Since the previous ERO evaluation, a new senior leadership team has been appointed. This includes a general manager and two senior teachers, guided by a team leader. The governance board has also undergone significant changes.
The previous ERO report identified key areas requiring further development. These included: developing good practice indicators on the teaching philosophy; increasing the range of literacies in the programme; shared understanding of assessment; and building teachers’ evaluative capacity. Good progress has been made in addressing these areas.
Areas requiring development were also identified for the association. These included: strategic planning; cultural responsiveness to Māori and Pacific families; evaluation; and the appraisal process. Good progress has been made in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of eight kindergartens in the Hutt City Kindergarten Association.
Children participate and lead their learning in a play-based programme. The natural environment encourages them to explore, interact, experiment and have fun. They experience warm and respectful relationships. Independence and self-management are fostered throughout the kindergarten. Teachers work alongside children supporting their play and learning. Older children work confidently and collaboratively with younger peers. Tuakana teina relationships are actively encouraged.
The centre philosophy was developed in collaboration by the teaching team. Parent and whānau aspirations were also used to help them to determine key valued learning outcomes for children. Leaders should consider ways to work collaboratively with their parents, whānau Māori and their Pacific community to gain a better understanding of what educational success looks like for them.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported in their learning and wellbeing. Teachers work in partnership with the families, whānau, and outside agencies when appropriate, to plan and monitor their progress.
Group planning focuses on children’s emerging interests. Teachers develop appropriate learning experiences and intentional teaching strategies focused on dispositional learning. Parents, whānau and teachers co-construct meaningful learning goals to support their child’s individual needs. These form the basis for individualised planning. Senior teachers have identified areas requiring further improvement including developing specific learning outcomes for children, and assessment documentation to show greater progression in their learning. ERO's external evaluation affirms this direction.
Te ao Māori is well promoted in the kindergarten. Children celebrate and share their pepeha with their peers and in their learning stories. Teachers use aspects of kaupapa Māori to enrich the naturebased programme. A key next step is to encourage teachers to use te reo Māori in everyday practice in the kindergarten. In addition, leaders should consider ways they can weave a place-based curriculum that promotes and celebrates te ao Māori unique to Stokes Valley.
Clear internal evaluation expectations are provided for staff. Senior teachers work collaboratively with the teaching team to build their evaluative understanding. Teachers are beginning to deepen their knowledge and understanding of how they can evaluate the impact of their practices on children’s learning. Leaders acknowledge that a continued focus on outcomes for children is a key next step in this process.
Teachers demonstrate a strong commitment to the vision, values and philosophy of the kindergarten. Collaborative ways of working are fostered. Teachers are encouraged to lead aspects of the programme.
A comprehensive, well-considered appraisal process is in place. Teachers challenge themselves to continually improve their practice through strategic goal-setting and professional learning. Plans are in place to further strengthen this system by developing an inquiry-based approach to teacher appraisal.
The governance board includes a wide range of community representation and useful skills. The board and senior leadership team work well together, with a shared commitment to meeting its goals and objectives for the benefit of children, whānau and community. Resource allocation clearly aligns with this focus. The board and senior leadership actively seek equitable and inclusive ways to eliminate barriers to children’s learning and wellbeing.
ERO, the governance board and senior leaders agree that the association's next steps are to:
monitor, evaluate and report on the extent to which children and their families’ outcomes are improved though systems, processes and initiatives. This should include consideration of impact on specific priority groups
consider ways to increase opportunities for whānau to actively contribute to the association’s operation and strategic direction.
The association's senior teaching team is reflective and highly improvement focused. Robust, linked systems and processes have been skilfully developed to guide and grow teacher capability and positively impact children’s learning. Leaders successfully foster a collective sense of responsibility for the vision, values and mission of the association.
ERO and kindergarten teachers agree that their priority next steps are to:
work collaboratively with parents, whānau and families to review the philosophy
enhance aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation
develop a place-based curriculum as well as encouraging greater use of te reo Māori
continue to build internal evaluation knowledge and understanding.
The association agrees they should increase the focus on:
measuring outcomes for children and their families
developing whānau and community partnership practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Koraunui 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 Koraunui Kindergarten will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review & Improvement Services Central
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
5 September 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 |
Lower Hutt |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5330 |
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|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
40 children over two years of age |
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|
Service roll |
49 |
|
|
Gender composition |
26 Boys, 23 Girls |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
25 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
August 2018 |
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|
Date of this report |
5 September 2018 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
|
Education Review |
September 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
|
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Koraunui kindergarten is located in Stokes Valley and provides education and care for children aged from two to five years. Six-hour daily sessions are offered four days a week and one morning session is offered on a Friday. The kindergarten is licensed for up to 40 children.
The teaching team is fully qualified and the programme is further assisted by support staff. The kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO.
The September 2012 ERO report identified areas requiring further development these included: assessment; planning and evaluation; the bicultural curriculum; self review including of mat time routine; and adding complexity to childrens’ learning. Teachers have engaged in professional learning and development and appropriate changes have been made to teaching practice.
The kindergarten is governed by the Hutt City Kindergarten Association (the association). Two professional practice managers (PPMs) are employed by the association to provide professional support and guidance to teachers. Since the previous review there have been several changes to the General Manager.
This review was part of a cluster of ten kindergarten reviews in the Hutt City Kindergarten Association.
Children engage in sustained play and learning in a child-led programme. Those with additional learning needs are well supported and monitored and where appropriate teachers liaise with external agencies. Teachers work alongside children to support and extend their learning. Relationships are warm and responsive.
The kindergarten’s philosophy has recently been reviewed in consultation with the community. This provides a shared direction for the teaching programme. Developing clear indicators of good practice should further support the effective implementation.
Literacy and numeracy are promoted in the curriculum. Teachers should give greater consideration to the wider range of literacies and how these can be integrated into the play-based philosophy. Teachers have developed a number of strategies to support childrens’ transition to school. A next step is for teachers to formalise a shared understanding of successful transition processes and to reflect these in the teaching practice and kindergarten’s procedures.
Teachers have engaged in professional learning and development, with a focus on building their bicultural practice. This has strengthened their use of te reo Māori me ngā tikanga. Consultation has occurred with Māori whānau. This feedback has resulted in greater emphasis on each child’s culture, language and identity. Teachers have indentified they should regularly consult with the whānau to better respond to their aspirations. ERO's evaluation affirms this planned development.
Promoting success for Pacific children is developing. Teachers have drawn on the strengths of the kindergarten’s community to support their developing understanding of how to better reflect and celebrate Pacific cultures in the curriculum.
Teachers have identified that assessment, planning and evaluation is an area for development. With support from the association, teachers should reflect on the purpose of assessment to inform their teaching practice. Planning is child centred and responds to childrens’ emerging interests. Clearly stating the learning goal and the teaching strategies should better inform the ongoing assessment and evaluation of the programme.
Self review is in the early stage of development. Teachers should use the self-review framework provided by the association. In addition, they should build their capacity to evaluate their practice. The head teacher has a clear vision for the kindergarten that provides direction for staff. A consultative approach has been used to guide the kindergarten programmes and initiatives.
The association is part way through the implementation of a new approach to appraisal. Once fully established this should assist leaders to provide a robust, supportive and developmental process. Leaders should then undertake regular monitoring of how well appraisal is being implemented in each kindergarten.
The board receives a range of useful information. A key next step is for leaders to provide more evaluative reporting to assist in decision making and ongoing resourcing. The strategic plan provides a vision and shared direction to guide development. Establishing clearer measures of success should strengthen evaluation of progress towards goals. In addition, strategies that promote cultural responsiveness to Māori and Pacific families should be highlighted in strategic documents.
The PPMs provide half-yearly written reports. These provide information about how the kindergarten is meeting legislative requirements, and at times, make recommendations. These reports should be strengthened by providing critical feedback on the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of the curriculum in improving outcomes for children.
The association provides guidance and support to teachers for continuous improvement of teaching and learning. This includes:
sound support for provisionally registered teachers.
At the time of this review, the association was involved in a process of a formal review to determine the future direction of Hutt Kindergartens. ERO identified that, within the current operating model, the capacity of senior staff to provide targeted support that promotes ongoing improvement to teaching and learning is limited.
ERO indentified priorities for improvement should include:
The association should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Koraunui 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.
The next ERO review of Koraunui Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
15 June 2015
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.
|
Location |
Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5330 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children over two years of age |
||
|
Service roll |
67 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 37, Boys 30 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Asian Other ethnic groups |
23 27 10 5 2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
April 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
15 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2006 |
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.