Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay

Education institution number:
5452
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
30
Telephone:
Address:

60 Rowley Avenue, Hoon Hay, Christchurch

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Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay - 21/11/2012

Here is the latest report for the Governing Organisation that this service is part of.

 

1 Evaluation of the Service

How well placed is the service to promote positive outcomes for children?

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.

Context

Kidsfirst Kindergartens administers 62 kindergartens and one early learning centre in Canterbury and the West Coast. An education services manager (ESM) works with each kindergarten giving feedback and professional support. This kindergarten serves a very diverse and multicultural community. The teachers recognise children’s home cultures and use a range of ways to integrate these into the programme and the life of the kindergarten. The hours of the kindergarten are 8.45am to 1.15pm Monday to Friday. All teachers employed by Kidsfirst Kindergartens are fully qualified and registered early childhood teachers.

This review was conducted as part of a cluster approach to reviews in eight kindergartens and one early childhood education services within the Kidsfirst Kindergartens umbrella organisation.

Areas of strength

Children learn in an environment that successfully fosters their sense of belonging and well-being. Teachers are respectful, responsive and supportive in their interactions with children and their families. Children support one another and play well together.

Teachers acknowledge, respect and celebrate the different cultural backgrounds of children, including those who are Māori and Pacific. Many parents of these children share aspects of their culture to enrich the kindergarten programme for all children.

Teachers are inclusive of and responsive to children with special needs. They work well with their families and the support services involved with these children.

Children actively participate in a rich and varied range of learning experiences. These experiences give a particular emphasis to:

  • promoting children’s oral language
  • learning about, maintaining and caring for the environment
  • helping children to use ICT as part of their everyday activities
  • supporting children’s transition to school.

Teachers successfully identify and build on children’s interests. They make effective use of the kindergarten’s environment and wider community to provide meaningful experiences for children. Children happily get involved in activities of their choice for sustained periods of time.

Teachers have high expectations of children and what they can achieve. They use a wide range of teaching practices to help children express their ideas, listen to others ideas, extend their thinking and to involve children in decision making.

The head teacher provides supportive leadership. She makes good use of strengths and interests of teachers and parents to enrich learning opportunities for children.

The kindergarten has developed some useful self-review processes. Recent reviews are leading to improvements in several aspects of the kindergartens programme and practices.

The ESM provides effective support and leadership for the kindergarten. She accurately identifies strengths and needs. She challenges and supports teachers to make appropriate ongoing improvements for learning and teaching.

Kidsfirst Kindergartens has a well-developed policy and practice framework to support the daily and long-term operation of the kindergarten. The association is kept well informed on the work within the kindergarten. Kidsfirst Kindergartens’ managers have recently developed a new process for reviewing and reporting kindergarten information. This process is likely to help them to further target their support to improve learning outcomes for children.

Areas for development and review

The ESM and the head teacher have identified, and ERO agrees that the next steps for the kindergarten include:

  • refining aspects of self review
  • setting more challenging professional development goals for teachers as part of appraisal practices
  • continuing to build on initiatives to improve assessment, planning and programme evaluation practices to enhance children’s learning.

2 Legal Requirements

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay 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:

  • administration
  • health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial and property management.

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.

3 Next Review

When is ERO likely to review the early childhood service again?

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Graham Randell National Manager Review Services Southern Region

21 November 2012

Information about the Early Childhood Service

LocationHoon Hay, Christchurch 
Ministry of Education profile number5452 
Licence typeKindergarten 
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 
Number licensed for30 children over two years of age number 
Service roll26 
Gender compositionGirls 18; Boys 8 
Ethnic composition

Samoan

Māori

Other Pacific

New Zealand European/Pākehā

Asian

Other ethnicities

8

7

4

3

2

2

Review team on siteAugust 2012 
Date of this report21 November 2012 
Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Accountability Review

July 2009

December 2005

December 2000

General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

About ERO Reviews

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

Review focus

ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:

  • 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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service 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 the service.

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay - 09/07/2009

1 About the Centre

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

5452

Type

Kindergarten

Number licensed for

30 children, aged over two years

 

Roll number

22

Gender composition

Girls14; Boys 8

Ethnic composition

New Zealand European/Pākehā 8

Māori 6

Other 8

Review team on site

May 2009

Date of this report

9 July 2009

Previous ERO reports

Education Review                  June 2005
Accountability Review           December 2000
Assurance Audit                     December 1996
Review Report                        July 1991

2 The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

Kidsfirst Kindergarten Hoon Hay is one of 62 kindergartens and one early childhood centre administered by the Kidsfirst Kindergartens – Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association. The kindergarten operates within the constitution of the association. The chief executive of the association is the licensee for all centres. The kindergarten has changed its hours of operation. It now opens from to 8.45am to 1.15pm five days a week. It is licenced for 30 children over the age of two years.

A new teaching team and a new education services manager, has been in place since January 2009. The education services manager provides support and guidance through visits, telephone contact and professional development The teachers work well together to provide a positive and supportive environment for children..

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the kindergarten. Teachers value the diverse cultures of the families that make up their learning community. They greet families in their home language whenever possible. Parents are comfortable to spend time at the kindergarten and make a significant contribution to the environment and the programme.

Teachers have made good progress in addressing the recommendations identified during the 2005 ERO review. They notice children’s interests, recognise learning opportunities and respond to teachable moments through effective questioning. Children are supported in using information and communication technologies (ICT), in the child-centred programme. Some children document and explore their interests through the use of computers and the internet.

Other positive features of the kindergarten include:

  • positive and friendly relationships amongst the children and the adults;

  • settled children who enjoy being part of a group, and take pleasure from the company of others;

  • smooth transitions and routines that are predictable and adaptable to the individual and group interests of the children;

  • children involved in rich literacy and language experiences, including opportunities for music and storytelling, and

  • a well organised natural learning environment where children test and extend their developing physical and thinking skills.

Teachers provide a rich bicultural programme. They naturally integrate the use of te reo Māori (the Māori language) and tikanga (Māori) into an environment that reflects the value placed on children’s cultural taonga (treasures). Teachers value positive and reciprocal relationships with their families. They consult with families to provide a culturally sensitive environment. Parents and whānau have many opportunities to communicate with teachers, and discuss their aspirations for their child’s learning. Representatives from the Māori community provided a whakatauki that reflects the values that the teachers would like to share with children and families. This is Ko Te Ao e maha pumanawa - The many beating hearts of the world.

Teachers have identified, and ERO agree, that the next step to further improve learning outcomes for children is to strengthen their shared understanding and implementation of self review.

Teachers at the kindergarten demonstrate a high level of health and safety awareness.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interests of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again as part of the regular review cycle.

3 Review Priorities

The Focus of the Review

Before the review, the management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay 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 atKidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay.

All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:

  • the programme provided for children;

  • the learning environment; and

  • the interactions between children and adults.

ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.

The Quality of Education

Background

The kindergarten vision states that they will provide a warm and welcoming environment for children, whānau and teachers thus allowing them to develop a sense of community and belonging. The diversity of their multicultural community will be recognised and valued. The children will be provided with a rich, challenging yet safe curriculum where their learning will be nurtured and extended by skilful teachers thus helping them to become competent learners who can confidently follow their pathways through life.

Areas of good performance
  • Confident independent children. Children benefit from a nurturing and caring learning environment. Teachers support and encourage children to be independent. ERO observed children who were confident in exploring their environment and choosing their own activities. They are open to new experiences and challenges. They settle quickly into activities that are of interest to them and often remain involved for long periods of time. Children are aware about what they do well, and what they can do with assistance. Children share ideas with peers and organise their own imaginary role play. Some children are confident leaders. For example, they organise cooperative games for peers. Children care about and help one another. They enjoy being part of a group and take pleasure from the company of others.

  • Respectful routines. Children participate in predictable routines that support their learning. Teachers encourage children’s independence and involvement in routines. Children are focused during mat times. The activities are purposeful and of interest to children. Teachers provide a rolling morning kai that offers choice to children, and little disruption to the flow of the programme. Teachers sit at the kai table and eat with children. They model manners and promote kai routines as a relaxed social time. Children have opportunities to be involved in conversations that make meaningful links to home life and reinforce healthy food messages. Children enjoy smooth transitions to and from routines that are focused on their wellbeing.

  • Teaching strategies. Teachers use a range of sensitive and skilled approaches to engage children in their learning. They provide consistently high expectations for children’s learning and behaviour. Teachers know the children well and offer a planned and professional approach to children’s emerging interests and abilities. Teachers make good use of open questions to engage children in conversations. They extend thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills. They use specific praise and are positive and encouraging of children’s efforts. Children’s work is valued and respectfully displayed at the kindergarten. Teachers provide opportunities for children to revisit and celebrate their work. Teachers are positive and respond to children with warmth and affection. Children actively participate in a child centred programme where they can laugh and have fun with their teachers.

  • Language and literacy. Children make purposeful links between the written and spoken word. Teachers greet children and their families in their home language. Children sign in when they arrive at the kindergarten. Some children can read their names, while others can recognise their name alongside their photograph. Some children are involved in writing their own stories alongside teachers and to use the computer for word games. Children are exposed to many forms of literacy and writing. Some word lists are written in many languages. The library shelves are full with picture books. Many of these books contain cultural stories that children can readily relate to. Teachers are talented story tellers. They use facial expressions and various voice tones to bring the characters alive for children. Children enjoy listening to and reading stories.

  • Use of Information Communication Technology. Children are encouraged to use ICT to document and explore their interests in learning. They have easy access to a range of ICT resources including two computers, one laptop, a printer, a fax, a laminator and three digital cameras. The teachers have separate cameras and laptops to support teaching and learning. Some children are developing confidence with a range of functions as they use the digital cameras and the computers. Teachers work alongside children as they access the internet to broaden their inquires, for example, bug and moth interests. Teachers encourage children’s efforts and scaffold their ICT skills. Some children work with teachers who document their ideas on the laptop. The use of ICT with children introduces a range of opportunities to extend thinking and reasoning skills and make meaningful links in learning.

  • Partnership with parents. Teachers and parents exchange information to encourage children’s wellbeing and learning at the kindergarten. Teachers are friendly and supportive of children and their parents and whānau/families. Parents told ERO they enjoy being at the kindergarten. They felt welcome and like contribute to the programme. They enjoyed helping to make a shared quilt and like the way the outdoor environment looks after parents helped to make new garden areas. The parent library is accessible to parents and well stocked. Parents provide learning resources for children, for example, taonga (treasures) from Tonga, Samoa and Afghanistan. They support teachers in presenting a bicultural and multicultural environment. Teachers consult with families to determine culturally sensitive approaches to the programme and resources. They have developed an environment that is positive, caring and welcoming. Children and their families develop a sense of belonging as a result of the respectful and warm relationships.

  • Inside learning environment. Children are actively involved in a well organised, calm and purposeful learning environment. Children have easy access to a wide range of learning resources including natural materials that inspire their curiosity. Teachers make good use of wall space to display the children’s current interests and make learning visible to parents and whānau. The diverse cultures of the kindergarten learning community are reflected in the bicultural and multicultural artefacts and treasures within the kindergarten. Children and their families are comfortable within an environment that promotes their sense of belonging.

  • Outdoor learning environment. Children have many opportunities to be physically active in a natural environment. Teachers manipulate movable equipment to provide different levels of challenge for children. The spacious outdoor environment has a range of surfaces and innovative areas that invite children’s exploration. Parents and children have been involved in creating gardens and pathways that reflect their own ideas, for example, paving tiles decorated by children, and pleasant areas for parents and whānau to gather. Mature trees provide natural shade. Children enjoy opportunities to run, ride scooters, swing and be creative at activities such as the new carpentry area. Opportunities for children’s learning are well supported in a programme that flows from the inside area to the outside environment. Children test and extend their developing physical and thinking skills in a well-resourced environment.

  • Assessment. Teachers notice, recognise and respond to children’s interests in learning. They carefully analyse the learning to determine appropriate teaching strategies to extend children’s knowledge and skills. The child’s voice is valued in assessment and is documented within learning stories. Some children write their own stories that link to their learning interests. Teachers and children use specific questions to gain the parent input and link the learning between home and the centre. Teachers plan to further enhance the learning for children by involving children more in determining the direction of their own next steps in learning.

Area for improvement
  • Strengthen self review. Teachers have identified, and ERO agree that they should strengthen self review processes. The head teacher makes good use of the Ministry of Education guidelines, and the association templates, to guide the processes of self review. The teachers are reflective practitioners. As a new teaching team they recognise that they are yet to establish a shared understanding and implementation of self review. Children are likely to benefit from self review that monitors and evaluates the impact processes and teaching practice has on improved outcomes for children. [Recommendation 6.1]

4 Area of National Interest

Overview

ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long-term and systemic educational improvement.

Māori Children

As part of this review, ERO evaluated the extent to which this service carries out a process to identify and respond to the aspirations and expectations of the parents and whānau of Māori children and focuses on the potential of Māori children to develop as competent and capable learners.

Areas of good performance
  • Teachers’ practice. Teachers have positive relationships with the children and their parents and whānau. They have high expectations of themselves and of the children. They are active listeners and respond positively to children's interests and ideas. They use te reo Māori (the Māori language) appropriately throughout the session. They help children to become familiar with the reo (language) by always translating phrases into English. Children are aware of some Māori tikanga (culture), for example, karakia before kai, not sitting on tables, and older children helping younger children with their learning (tuakana-teina relationships). Teachers sit and eat with the children during kai time. The mat time includes many aspects of te Ao Māori (the Māori world). Children learn and sing waiata (songs) use rākau (sticks) to learn counting. They do action songs, dance, and role play and say poems written in te reo Māori, for example, Purerehua – butterfly. These practices are helping Māori children to realise their potential.

  • Contribution. Teachers have ongoing informal discussions with parents and whānau of Māori children. Parents are invited to contribute to the programme. Teachers seek their advice about te reo and tikanga Māori. Parents have given the kindergarten a whakatauki that reflects their practices, the positive relationships that exist, and the respect parents feel the teachers have for them and their whānau. The whakatauki says 'Ko te ao o maha pūmanawa’ (the many beating hearts of the world). Another parent named the quilt, 'Te aroha o te whānau (the love of the family). Each child and parent contributed to its making. Some parents made an art panel while others did something that depicted their culture, for example, a tapa cloth pattern. Parents have helped to develop the outside environment.

  • Consultation. Teachers have informally asked parents about their programme and practices. They want to know if what they do supports Māori children to succeed in the kindergarten. Whānau responses have affirmed all the things teachers are doing for whānau and Māori children. Parents said that teachers were respectful of culture, nature and the environment. They were also respectful of children, parents, each other and of the community. These respectful attitudes have developed a positive environment. Parents felt that their culture was valued by teachers.

5 Management Assurance on Compliance Areas

Overview

Before the review, the licensee and staff of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay completed an ERO CentreManagement Assurance Statement andSelf-Audit Checklist. In these documents they have attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

  • administration;

  • health, safety and welfare;

  • personnel management; and

  • financial and property management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:

  • emotional safety (including behaviour management, prevention of bullying and abuse);

  • physical safety (including behaviour management, sleeping and supervision practices; accidents and medication; hygiene and routines; travel and excursion policies and procedures);

  • staff qualifications and organisation; and

  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

Teachers at the kindergarten demonstrate a high level of health and safety awareness.

During the course of the review, ERO identified one area of non-compliance.

During the on-site stage of the review, ERO noted the current changing facilities did not comply with Schedule 2(4) Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1988, to provide suitable facilities for washing sick or soiled children. ERO is also aware the Ministry of Education permitted the change in the licence with knowledge of the centre’s facilities at the time of change.

The licensee is aware of the regulations and is planning to provide appropriate facilities. She has applied for resource consent for several centres and will advise ERO and the Ministry of Education when the work is completed.

The licensee must ensure that:

5.1the centre has suitable facilities for washing sick or soiled children.

[Schedule 2(4) Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998]

6 Recommendation

In order to improve learning outcomes for children, ERO and the education service manager and the teachers agreed to:

  • strengthen self review through developing a shared team understanding.

7 Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interests of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again as part of the regular review cycle.

Dr Graham Stoop

Chief Review Officer

9 July 2009

To the Parents and Community of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hoon Hay.

Kidsfirst Kindergarten Hoon Hay is one of 62 kindergartens and one early childhood centre administered by the Kidsfirst Kindergartens – Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association. The kindergarten operates within the constitution of the association. The chief executive of the association is the licensee for all centres. The kindergarten has changed its hours of operation. It now opens from to 8.45am to 1.15pm five days a week. It is licenced for 30 children over the age of two years.

A new teaching team and a new education services manager, has been in place since January 2009. The education services manager provides support and guidance through visits, telephone contact and professional development The teachers work well together to provide a positive and supportive environment for children..

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the kindergarten. Teachers value the diverse cultures of the families that make up their learning community. They greet families in their home language whenever possible. Parents are comfortable to spend time at the kindergarten and make a significant contribution to the environment and the programme.

Teachers have made good progress in addressing the recommendations identified during the 2005 ERO review. They notice children’s interests, recognise learning opportunities and respond to teachable moments through effective questioning. Children are supported in using information and communication technologies (ICT), in the child-centred programme. Some children document and explore their interests through the use of computers and the internet.

Other positive features of the kindergarten include:

  • positive and friendly relationships amongst the children and the adults;

  • settled children who enjoy being part of a group, and take pleasure from the company of others;

  • smooth transitions and routines that are predictable and adaptable to the individual and group interests of the children;

  • children involved in rich literacy and language experiences, including opportunities for music and storytelling, and

  • a well organised natural learning environment where children test and extend their developing physical and thinking skills.

Teachers provide a rich bicultural programme. They naturally integrate the use of te reo Māori (the Māori language) and tikanga (Māori) into an environment that reflects the value placed on children’s cultural taonga (treasures). Teachers value positive and reciprocal relationships with their families. They consult with families to provide a culturally sensitive environment. Parents and whānau have many opportunities to communicate with teachers, and discuss their aspirations for their child’s learning. Representatives from the Māori community provided a whakatauki that reflects the values that the teachers would like to share with children and families. This is Ko Te Ao e maha pumanawa - The many beating hearts of the world.

Teachers have identified, and ERO agree, that the next step to further improve learning outcomes for children is to strengthen their shared understanding and implementation of self review.

Teachers at the kindergarten demonstrate a high level of health and safety awareness.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interests of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again as part of the regular review cycle.

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 licensee 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

Dr Graham Stoop

Chief Review Officer

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:

  • improve quality of education for children in early childhood centres; and

  • provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.

Review Focus

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.

  • Areas of National Interest – information about how Government policies are working in early childhood centres.

  • Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

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.

Review Recommendations

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.