50 A Grove Street, Nelson
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Grove Street Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Grove Street Kindergarten in Nelson provides all-day education and care for up to 42 children, aged over two years to school age.
The kindergarten philosophy emphasizes the importance of children trying new things and to challenge, explore, take risks and make their own choices and connecting with nature. It also focuses on treating others and the environment with love, respect and believe learning should be fun. They value manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. It has reached Silver level in the Enviroschools programme to promote environmental sustainability.
The head teacher manages the day-today operation of the kindergarten and supports the teaching team. All teachers are fully qualified.
The kindergarten is governed and managed by the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association (the association). Since the previous 2016 ERO reviews, a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has been appointed. A team of senior education advisors (SEA) oversee and support the professional practice of the teaching team. The 2018 ERO evaluation identified a number of key next steps for the board. These included improving their planning to support the achievement of the board’s strategic objectives and ensuring that reporting is evaluative and focuses on outcomes for children. Progress is ongoing.
ERO's June 2016 report identified a key next step for this kindergarten was to consolidate assessment, planning and evaluation processes to consistently focus on learning, teaching and outcomes for children. Progress to achieve this is ongoing.
This review was one of four in the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association.
Children participate in a child-led play-based programme. There is a strong emphasis on environmental science which encourages exploration of their world around them. Environmental sustainability is an important feature of the kindergarten.
Leaders and teachers show a strong commitment to the kindergarten's philosophy which is highly evident in practice. Teachers work alongside children, supporting and developing their independence and social competencies. The outdoor space offers physical challenge that invites children to become involved in a wide variety of experiences.
Children with additional learning needs are well planned for and supported. Teachers work in partnership with parents, whānau and external agencies to minimise any potential barriers to children's full participation in the curriculum.
A well-considered approach for supporting children and whānau as they transition to school is evident.
Aspects of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are effectively promoted through the bicultural programme. The place-based curriculum celebrates places of value for Māori and the community. Excursions to these sites enrich children's learning.
Group planning is based on children’s emerging interests. It provides a shared focus and enhances the learning programme. A next step is for the teaching team is to work with the association to develop a useful framework that guide group learning. This should include clear articulation of the planning process to support children to meet desired outcomes.
Children’s profile books provide a useful record of their engagement, friendships and belonging. Key next steps for improving are for assessment documentation to:
acknowledge the breadth of the curriculum and celebrate children's progress over time
clearly reflect parent and whānau aspirations in their child’s planning
celebrate children’s cultures, languages and identities.
Leaders and teachers are improvement focused. A sound internal evaluation framework guides practice. Strengthening the depth of analysis and the evaluative reporting should support the teaching team to more clearly show the impact of their practices on children’s learning.
The board is well informed about outcomes from association-wide strategic reviews and the progress being made to achieve strategic goals.
The board and association are taking deliberate action to support Māori, Pacific and children with diverse learning needs. The association have developed strong relationships with community organisations to support children and their whānau.
Appraisal is supporting growth in teacher capability. The association should update the performance management policy and the appraisal procedure. In addition, the association should now introduce the Teaching Council appraisal summary annual report as part of the endorsement process.
The key next steps for teachers are to:
enhance aspects of assessment planning and evaluation
strengthen the analysis and evaluative reporting in internal evaluation processes.
To improve practice the association should:
review with urgency policies that are not current.
Before the review, the staff and management of Grove Street 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
20 November 2019
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 |
Nelson |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5399 |
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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 |
42 children aged over two years |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Male 28, Female 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā |
36 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
September 2019 |
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Date of this report |
20 November 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2016 |
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Education Review |
May 2013 |
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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:
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.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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 |
Grove Street Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Grove Street Kindergarten is one of 19 kindergartens governed and managed by Nelson Tasman Kindergartens. All kindergartens share a common vision and values. Children from two years old to school age can attend Grove Street Kindergarten for up to six hours a day during the four-term kindergarten year. School holiday programmes operate at three kindergartens. Children enrolled at other kindergartens can attend these programmes.
Since the 2013 ERO review, the kindergarten has made significant progress to meet the recommendations in the ERO report. Teachers have strengthened the bicultural learning programme. They affirm children's learning and progress over time in assessment documentation and effectively use self review to evaluate the impacts of practices and systems on children's learning.
This review was part of a cluster of four kindergarten reviews in Nelson Tasman Kindergartens.
Children have respectful, positive relationships with each other and their teachers. They are highly focused on their learning and work for long periods of time on their chosen projects. Children are well supported to further develop their knowledge, skills and interests through interesting conversations with their teachers. Music, literacy, numeracy and physical activity experiences are effectively integrated into the learning programme.
Teachers provide a calm, inclusive, welcoming environment for children and families. Grandparents from the local community regularly spend time in the learning programme reading to children. Their involvement is valued and encouraged.
Teachers listen carefully to children and extend their thinking and ideas. They very effectively foster the development of children's social and leadership skills.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are well integrated into the learning programme. Children have many opportunities to hear and speak te reo Māori. Teachers make effective use of association-led professional development to increase their knowledge of bicultural practices and concepts.
The inside and outdoor environments are very well resourced. Teachers present these areas using a range of natural resources and interesting equipment. Learning areas are intentionally provided in ways that promote children's cooperation, exploration and independence. Children's learning is further enriched with visits into the local community.
Transition into the kindergarten is flexible and based on each child's needs and wellbeing. Preparation for school is well planned and forms part of the learning programme. Older children have appropriately focused time to develop the knowledge, self-help skills and confidence to support their successful transition to school.
Teachers work very well together and make effective use of their individual strengths and interests. They share high expectations and are strongly focused on meeting the needs and aspirations of children and their families. Child-assessment practices are becoming well established. Teachers regularly identify the learning occurring for each child and track their progress over time.
Grove Street Kindergarten is a bronze-level Enviroschool. Families and the wider community have become increasingly involved in the kindergarten because of the Enviroschool approaches used.
Self review is well established and used effectively to improve the programme and learning outcomes for all children.
The managers, teachers and ERO agree, that a key next step for the kindergarten is to consolidate assessment, planning and evaluation processes to consistently focus on learning, teaching and outcomes for children.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens has a very strong commitment to te ao Māori (the Māori world) and ensuring their Senior Education Advisors (SEAs) and teachers are competent and confident in te reo and tikanga Māori. A kaiārahi Māori successfully works with each kindergarten to increase teachers’ knowledge and understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori to ensure Māori children succeed as Māori.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens provides significant support for diverse learners and their families. Teachers in kindergartens with diverse learners receive considerable extra training and funding to ensure the needs of these children are well met.
Self review is thorough, well understood and effectively used at association level and in most kindergartens.
The CEO and SEAs provide strong professional support to the board and teachers. They work collaboratively and effectively use their skills to support the kindergartens and early childhood education in the wider community.
The skills and knowledge of the CEO and the SEAs are regularly sought by other kindergarten associations and early childhood services. Nelson Tasman Kindergartens is innovative in its approaches and regularly seeks opportunities to be involved in the wider educational and local communities to promote high quality learning outcomes for all children.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens has a well understood vision and strategic and annual planning systems. There are close links between the association strategic plan, the kindergarten plans, self review, appraisal and professional development. The teachers and families are well supported by association managers and leaders to achieve the objectives of the association strategic plan and to provide high quality learning outcomes for all children.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens leaders have identified and ERO agrees that the next key steps for the organisation include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Grove Street 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 Grove Street Kindergarten will be in four years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
2 June 2016
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 |
Nelson |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5499 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
42 children, two years and over |
||
|
Service roll |
58 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 37; Girls 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian Other ethnicities |
3 44 3 8 |
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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 |
April 2016 |
||
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Date of this report |
2 June 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
May 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 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:
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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014
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.