Kidsfirst Kindergartens Riccarton

1 Evaluation of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Riccarton

How well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Riccarton to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Riccarton is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Riccarton is one of 68 early learning services governed and managed by Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association), trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.

The kindergarten is licensed to provide education and care for up to 30 children, from two years to school age. Families that attend the kindergarten are from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds. All teachers are qualified and certified early childhood education teachers.

Since the November 2012 ERO review there have been changes to staffing, including in the leadership of the kindergarten. In 2019, a new professional leader and head teacher were appointed. Leaders and teachers have increased their bicultural knowledge and understandings to promote Māori succeeding as Māori. The teaching team is continuing to strengthen internal evaluation, assessment and programme evaluation documentation.

All Kidsfirst Kindergartens share a common strategic purpose, vision and objectives. This kindergarten's vision is to:

• acknowledge parents and whānau as first teachers

• work in partnership to support the unique cultural diversity of the community

• strive to achieve parent and whānau aspirations for their children's learning and development

• aspire for all children to grow in their journey as confident, capable learners.

The curriculum priorities are based on the values of aroha, manaakitanga, ako, whanaungatanga and whakaute (love, care/nurture, reciprocity of learning, relationships, connectedness and respect).

The kindergarten is part of the Putaringamotu Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning that includes local schools and other early learning services.

This review was part of a cluster of four kindergartens reviews in the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Inc.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten vision is very evident in practice. Children, parents and whānau are at the heart of all decision making. Teachers provide a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. They work closely with families as partners in children's learning. Teachers foster trusting, respectful relationships to support a positive sense of belonging for all.

Children are supported to be settled and confident, and to play cooperatively with one another. They have many opportunities to be engaged in complex learning experiences for sustained periods of time.

Teachers work collaboratively and use consistent approaches with children that promote the social nature of learning and a positive sense of self. Emphasis is given to language acquisition, development and communication skills. The thoughtful presentation of learning experiences, and resources that support 'real' work, encourages children's natural curiosity, creativity and imaginative play. Leaders and teachers agree that the documentation of assessment, planning and evaluation processes and practices could be refined to more clearly show how teachers add value to children's learning.

Kaupapa Māori concepts such as manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and ako are central to bicultural curriculum decisions. Māori children and their whānau are respected and valued as Māori. All children have opportunities to learn about te ao Māori in ways that are meaningful to them and respectful of the Māori culture.

The language, culture and identity of each child and their family is acknowledged and valued. Teachers sensitively prepare the environment and respectfully display treasures from children's home cultures, including Māori, Pacific, Indian, Asian, Eastern European and European. Children with diverse learning needs, including English Language Learners, are well supported to be actively involved in the learning programme and to succeed.

The Kidsfirst Kindergartens' board provides an effective governance and management structure and is actively focused on promoting positive outcomes for children. The association provides a comprehensive policy and procedure framework that sets clear expectations and guides teachers’ practice. It has developed relevant appraisal and teacher inquiry processes that reflect the Teaching Council’s guidelines.

A team of association professional leaders provide regular and specific support, and curriculum guidance to teaching teams. They use their strengths in specific areas to help ensure consistency of association-wide processes and practices.

Each kindergarten’s annual plan aligns to the association’s strategic purpose, vision and objectives. Leaders and teachers recognise that internal evaluation processes could more clearly show how effectively changes impact on outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Kidsfirst Riccarton leaders and the teaching team have identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps are to:

• refine assessment, planning and evaluation processes to clearly show the ways teachers plan to add depth and complexity to children's learning and the outcomes for children

• strengthen evaluative thinking and reasoning to deepen internal evaluation processes and practices.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Riccarton 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

15 June 2020

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

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.

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.