34 Moorefield Road, Johnsonville, Wellington
View on mapHow well placed is Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
With ongoing targeted support from the association, Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten is a full day education and care centre situated close to Johnsonville shopping area and local schools. Children attending reflect a diverse range of cultures, including, Māori, Indian, Asian and Samoan. At the time of this review, Māori learners make up over half the roll.
The kindergarten is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014. The transition to the new association is expected to be a three-year process.
The board and managers provide governance for the organisation. Senior teachers have delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.
All teachers at Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten are qualified and registered. They are an established group, with many having been at the kindergarten for some time. In early 2015, a new senior head teacher was appointed. The recently revised centre philosophy emphasises the importance of a welcoming, inclusive environment, valuing parents as children’s first teachers, and recognising the strengths and interests of individual children.
The April 2012 ERO report for Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten identified at centre level that planned self review, and use of te reo Māori needed further development. Areas where the Wellington Kindergarten Association needed to strengthen its support for teachers were also identified. Improvement continues to be needed in some of these areas that the association has plans to address. These feature as key next steps in this report. The alignment of individual kindergartens' annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been addressed.
This review was part of a cluster of 16 kindergarten reviews in He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens.
In 2012, the association developed a framework to guide the implementation of its curriculum, Te Manawa. This document outlines criteria for curriculum delivery including expectations for assessment and planning for children’s learning.
Johnsonville Kindergarten’s curriculum needs further development to be more responsive to all learners. ERO agrees with leaders that revisiting Te Manawa should help support teachers to build consistency of high quality teaching and shared team understanding of current approaches to assessment, planning, and evaluation.
Children make decisions about their learning, and show a positive sense of belonging. Their independence and self-help skills are encouraged. ERO observed some examples of older children supporting younger children in their play.
Relationships are affirming and responsive. Teachers are responsive to children’s needs and interests. Parents are made to feel welcome. There is a range of ways families are informed of the kindergarten happenings. There are established links in the community, including with local schools.
Children with additional learning and teaching needs are well supported in the inclusive programme.
Teachers are at the early stages of inquiring into aspects of their practice. These review processes require further development. Next steps in self review and evaluation to guide decisions for improvement to teaching and learning are to:
The senior teacher provides termly written reports that outline agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. The association has recently implemented new reports that should more deliberately focus on outcomes for children, teacher and leader performance. ERO's evaluation affirms this development.
The previous ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal processes. This continues to require strengthening. A recently revised appraisal model, yet to be implemented, includes: more focused goals that build teacher and leader capability; more regular and targeted feedback and feed forward about teaching practice; and clearer links with the Registered Teacher Criteria.
Children have some opportunities to learn about Aotearoa New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage. Teachers and leaders acknowledge that they need to build their capability to be responsive to Māori children’s culture, language and identity. This development should include establishing relationships with mana whenua and making use of Ministry of Education resources such as, Ka Hikitia Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017 and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.
The senior teacher, senior head teacher, staff, and ERO agree on the following key next steps. They should:
ERO affirms the intent of leaders to develop an action plan to address the key areas for improvement identified in this report.
The senior management team of He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua should continue to further improve processes for growing and developing the practice of teachers, head teachers and senior teachers. This should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Johnsonville Full Day 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 Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
17 June 2015
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Location |
Johnsonville, Wellington |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5352 |
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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, aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
63 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 34, Boys 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indian South east Asian Asian Pacific |
7 14 19 9 9 5 |
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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 |
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Review team on site |
April 2015 |
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Date of this report |
17 June 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) These are available at www.ero.govt.nz |
Education Review |
April 2012 |
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Education Review |
June 2008 |
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Education Review |
June 2005 |
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.
Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensee of the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support and advice and guidance to the teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Relationships with families are regarded as pivotal to the success of the kindergarten and parents are clearly considered the first teachers of their children. Teachers and parents implement an effective approach to support families’ transition into and out of the kindergarten. Staff warmly welcome parents and encourage them to take an active interest in their child’s learning. Cultural backgrounds of families are acknowledged and highly respected.
The child-centred programme appropriately reflects the centre’s philosophy of fostering kindness and respectful relationships. The family-oriented kindergarten effectively responds to the aspirations of its community. Teachers are gentle and responsive to children’s needs and skilfully support their learning. Expectations for behaviour are clear, flexible routines are established and a calm tone is consistently maintained. Children are happy, confidently approach adults and show high levels of support for each other.
The spacious kindergarten has high quality indoor and outdoor environments. Much attention is paid to aesthetics with a strong focus on nature and natural materials. A peaceful yet purposeful atmosphere prevails. Biculturalism is strongly reflected in the environment and curriculum and there is a genuine commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. A strong sense of tuakana/teina is evident as children teach and support each other.
The large teaching team is ably led and staff are encouraged to focus on implementing high quality, reflective practice. Teachers complement each other with their range of skills and expertise and work collaboratively. Staff place considerable importance on their shared vision to nurture ‘the mana of the child and sustain their sense of wonder’. They have set appropriate goals for further review and development. These include enhancing the usefulness of self review and improving their confidence in using te reo Māori.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the centre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atJohnsonville Full Day Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:
Since the June 2008 ERO review, the kindergarten has restructured and introduced a distributed leadership model. The expanded teaching team has improved the teacher to child ratios. The established staff comprises a senior head teacher, assistant head teacher and seven teachers.
Environment upgrades consist of building renovations, including a sleep area, quiet rooms and private spaces for children to explore, and extensive outdoor garden enhancements.
Interactions Teachers are gentle and responsive to children’s needs. They use skilful strategies to support well-being and encourage independence. Relationships are mutually respectful and affectionate. Teachers maximise opportunities to encourage children’s learning. High levels of shared dialogue, appropriate questioning and one-to-one interactions extend children’s thinking, reasoning and problem solving. Expectations for behaviour are clear, flexible routines are established and a calm tone is consistently maintained. Children are happy, confidently approach adults and show high levels of support for each other.
Learning environmentThe spacious kindergarten has high quality indoor and outdoor environments to support children’s early learning. An extensive range of resources, including information and communication technologies, is freely accessed and explored. Much attention is paid to aesthetics, with a strong focus on nature and natural materials. A peaceful yet purposeful atmosphere prevails.
Programme The child-centred programme appropriately reflects the centre’s philosophy of fostering manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. The family-oriented kindergarten effectively responds to the aspirations and needs of its community. Features include following the rhythms of children, appreciation and exploration of Papa-tū-ā-nuku and promoting children’s holistic well-being and learning.
High quality oral and written literacy, mathematical and natural science experiences are interwoven throughout the programme and environment.
Portfolios are shared and celebrated and contain good narrations of children’s dispositions. They are regularly monitored to ensure there are multiple perspectives. Since the introduction of Te Manawa: the association’s Criteria for Curriculum Implementation, teachers are more effectively documenting children’s significant learning, ensuring there are explicit links between aspirations and what learning is occurring.
Biculturalism Teachers show a genuine commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. Tikanga is strongly reflected in the environment and curriculum. A special leaving ceremony with a korowai (cloak) is a highlight for children and reinforces the importance of their learning journey at the kindergarten. Children confidently give their mihi and say karakia before kai. A strong sense of tuakana/teina is evident as children teach and support each other.
MulticulturalismTeachers develop a strong rapport with families with non-English speaking backgrounds. Some staff are able to use their own home languages to encourage parents to fully participate in the life of the kindergarten. Families’ cultural backgrounds are acknowledged and highly respected. Prominent displays of various cultural identities support families to feel welcome.
Home partnerships Relationships with families are regarded as pivotal to the success of the kindergarten and parents are clearly regarded as the first teachers of their children. Teachers undertake home visits. Staff warmly welcome parents and encourage them to take an active interest in their child’s learning, including discussing and identifying children’s strengths and learning dispositions. Their aspirations for their child are actively sought and revisited. Those children requiring extra assistance are ably supported.
Transitions Children’s well-being in transition times is given high priority. Teachers and parents effectively support families’ transition into and out of the kindergarten. Transition to school is well managed and teachers value building close ties between the kindergarten and local schools. Assessment information is shared with new entrant teachers and clear links are made between Te Whāriki and The New Zealand Curriculum. Children are provided with activities that reflect the school classroom to assist in a smooth changeover to primary school.
Leadership and teamwork The senior head teacher and assistant head teacher successfully lead the large team in implementing high quality, reflective practice. Regular professional discussions focus on children’s interests and strengths and how best to support their learning through responsive programmes. Teachers take leadership roles, complement each other with their range of skills and expertise and work collaboratively. Considerable importance is placed on their shared vision to nurture ‘the mana of the child and sustain their sense of wonder’.
Self review While a suitable framework supports review and development, the process of self review requires strengthening. Using a targeted evaluative question and analysing evidence in more depth is likely to provide a more robust evaluation of the quality of programmes and practices, enhancing outcomes for children.
Te reo Māori Teachers have identified the need to increase their confidence in using te reo Māori as part of their everyday interactions with children. ERO’s evaluation affirms this and also suggests that this development step be extended to their written work.
The 2008 ERO review of the association identified several strengths, including the provision of professional development, sound operation plans, support for property development and the use of a range of communication strategies to keep teachers and communities informed. Areas for improvement included the quality and depth of the written feedback given to teachers by the senior teacher and strengthening the appraisal process.
Since 2008, the association has led consultation with the community to modify session times and improve the ratio of teachers to children from 1:15 to 1:10 and maintained its policy of employing qualified, registered teachers in regulated permanent positions.
The association provides expectations and guidance to the kindergarten through its strategic plan, policies and procedures and more recently, the professional development strategy Te Manawa: Criteria for Curriculum Implementation.
The association continues to provide high levels of guidance and support to teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
The association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where the association can strengthen its support for teachers. These include:
Before the review, the staff of Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten completed an ERO CentreManagement Assurance Statement andSelf-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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO and the kindergarten leaders agree that the priorities for development and review are those outlined in the report.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Acting National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)
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Type |
Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
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Number licensed for |
36 children aged over 2 years |
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Roll number |
53 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 31, Boys 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā 16, Māori 8, Asian 9, Indian 9, Pacific 6, Other ethnic groups 5 |
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Review team on site |
February 2012 |
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Date of this report |
5 April 2012 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review June 2008 Education Review 2005 Accountability Review 1998 June/August |
5 April 2012
To the Parents and Community of Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten.
Johnsonville Full Day Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensee of the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support and advice and guidance to the teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Relationships with families are regarded as pivotal to the success of the kindergarten and parents are clearly considered the first teachers of their children. Teachers and parents implement an effective approach to support families’ transition into and out of the kindergarten. Staff warmly welcome parents and encourage them to take an active interest in their child’s learning. Families’ cultural backgrounds are acknowledged and highly respected.
The child-centred programme appropriately reflects the centre’s philosophy of fostering kindness and respectful relationships. The family-oriented kindergarten effectively responds to the aspirations of its community. Teachers are gentle and responsive to children’s needs and skilfully support their learning. Expectations for behaviour are clear, flexible routines are established and a calm tone is consistently maintained. Children are happy, confidently approach adults and show high levels of support for each other.
The spacious kindergarten has high quality indoor and outdoor environments. Much attention is paid to aesthetics with a strong focus on nature and natural materials. A peaceful yet purposeful atmosphere prevails. Biculturalism is strongly reflected in the environment and curriculum and there is a genuine commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. A strong sense of tuakana/teina is evident as children teach and support each other.
The large teaching team is ably led and staff are encouraged to focus on implementing high quality, reflective practice. Teachers complement each other with their range of skills and expertise and work collaboratively. Staff place considerable importance on their shared vision to nurture ‘the mana of the child and sustain their sense of wonder’. They have set appropriate goals for further review and development. These include enhancing the usefulness of self review and improving their confidence in using te reo Māori.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Joyce Gebbie
Acting National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.
Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a centre, may be included in the review. ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.
National Evaluation Topics – This strand contributes to the development of education policies and their effective implementation. The information from this strand is aggregated by ERO for its national evaluation reports. Topics for investigation are changed regularly to provide up-to-date information.
Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.