Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)

Education institution number:
5476
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
36
Telephone:
Address:

253 Selwyn Street, Timaru

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Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)

1 ERO’s Judgements 

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.  

ERO’s judgements for ​Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)​ are as follows: 

Outcome Indicators 

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) 

Whakaū Embedding​ 

Ngā Akatoro Domains 

 
Learning Conditions 
Organisational Conditions 

Whakaū Embedding​ 

Whakaū Embedding​ 

2 Context of the Service 

Ranui Free Kindergarten is one for 13 kindergartens governed by South Canterbury Kindergarten Association. Children who attend are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including a small number of tamariki Māori and children of Pacific heritages. The kindergarten has made good progress towards the key next steps identified in the 2019 ERO report, including strengthening systems for planning for individual children.  

3 Summary of findings 

Children learn within an inclusive curriculum. They learn and participate in a wide range of curriculum experiences. Teachers work collaboratively to develop and maintain respectful relationships with children and their whānau. They work in partnership to support children’s developing social and emotional skills. Children with additional learning needs and their whānau are very well supported to achieve their learning goals. There is a strong sense of whānau and community within this kindergarten.  

Infants and toddlers benefit from a responsive curriculum. They experience caring small group and one-to-one interactions with their teachers. Teachers are responsive to their individual cues and rhythms. Infants’ and toddlers’ curiosity and mana are enhanced by these approaches to learning.  

The curriculum is reflective of the dual cultural heritages of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Children have regular opportunities to hear te reo Māori. This could be further strengthened by making te reo Māori more visible in learning documentation.  

Children’s learning is evident in assessment documentation and aligned with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Documentation shows children’s developing capabilities, interests and strengths, reflective of the curriculum priorities. Assessment documentation does not yet consistently show children’s progress in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki

Leaders and those with governance roles have established and implement sound systems, processes and practices to bring about improvement within the association. This includes relevant opportunities for professional learning and engagement in professional growth and reflection. Senior teachers support improved practice by regularly visiting and mentoring kindergarten staff.  

Improved guidelines for internal evaluation are in place. However, governance, leadership and within individual kindergartens, internal evaluation for improvement requires further embedding to be fully effective. This includes developing the collective capability to effectively monitor and evaluate the improvement actions to better determine whether they are having the desired impact.  

The board, managers and teaching teams effectively implement the association’s strategic vision, values and goals. Collaboration with mana whenua is enabling them to develop practices that show deepening commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Decision making and allocation of resources are focused on enabling children and whānau full participation within the kindergarten.  

4 Improvement actions 

​​Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)​ will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning: 

  • Further refine assessment, planning and evaluation to better show children’s learning and progress over time in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki. 
  • Continue to strengthen the integration of a bicultural curriculum to reflect the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua, including making the use of te reo Māori more visible in assessment documentation. 
  • Those with roles in governance and management to continue to build their own and teachers’ capability to use evaluation to scrutinise all aspects of operation and more clearly show the impact of planned actions on outcomes for identified individuals and groups of learners.  

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements 

Before the review, the staff and management of ​Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)​ completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios) 
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices. 

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. 

6 Action for Compliance  

​During the review, the service provided​ ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:  

  • Having a detailed record of safety checking, including risk assessment required to be completed after all relevant information is obtained (GMA7A).  


Patricia Davey 
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE) 

​11 December 2023​   

7 About the Early Childhood Service  

Early Childhood Service NameRanui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)
Profile Number5476
LocationTimaru
Service type  ​Free Kindergarten​
Number licensed for  37 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 
Percentage of qualified teachers  ​100%​
Service roll 45 
Review team on site July 2023  
Date of this report ​11 December 2023​
Most recent ERO report(s) Education Review​, ​May 2019​; ​Education Review​, ​October 2014​

Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) - 14/05/2019

1 Evaluation of Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)

How well placed is Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) provides early childhood education for children from two years of age. The kindergarten is licensed for up to 40 children. Most children attend from 8.30am to 2.30pm.

The day-to-day operation of the kindergarten is managed by a head teacher, supported by three qualified early childhood teachers and a support person. The teachers and head teacher began their roles during the last year. The kindergarten is beside the local school. It is a member of the North Timaru Kāhui Ako |Community of Learning.

The kindergarten's vision is that 'every child is a treasure to be nurtured, grow and flourish'. Its philosophy is built around the words: People (trusting, caring and supportive relationships, valuing each culture), Places (a sense of turangawaewae - belonging, care for the environment, and links with the local community,) and Things (children being responsible for their choices, actions and things).

Ongoing changes in staff have impacted on the kindergarten's progress against the next steps in the 2014 ERO report. Some recommendations remained as areas to further improve. However, good progress is now evident.

Ranui Free Kindergarten is one of 12 kindergartens administered by South Canterbury Kindergartens (SCK). A general manager oversees the association, under the governance of a board. Senior teachers provide ongoing professional advice and guidance to each kindergarten on teaching and learning. 

The Review Findings

There are welcoming, respectful and supportive relationships with children and whānau. The new teaching team is building trusting and caring relationships. Manaakitanga is very evident.

The children are settled, well engaged and show a good sense of belonging. They confidently access kindergarten resources and interact with their teachers. Children know the centre routines and expectations. They are encouraged and supported to take responsibility, make wise choices and relate well with others.

Children are very well supported in their learning and wellbeing. Teachers intentionally extend children's oral language, thinking and foster their curiosity. For children with additional learning needs and children who are transitioning into kindergarten or on to school, teachers work closely with parents to find ways to best support their child.

Te reo and te ao Māori are increasingly valued in the kindergarten. Important Māori concepts of tuakana-teina, manaakitanga, ako and whanaungatanga are evident in relationships and the programme. Māori tikanga practices are respected. This is an area to further strengthen.

Children benefit from engaging and well-planned group programmes. These reflect the kindergarten's curriculum priorities and children's interests. Group plans include clear learning outcomes and specific strategies to achieve these. In the day-to-day programme, there is a good balance between child-initiated learning and teacher provocation.

The teaching team is collaborative and committed to providing the best for children and their families. Teachers are evaluative in their thinking and continue to adapt and refine how they provide for the children. They have developed useful action plans to drive improvements.

Through a period of change, this kindergarten was very well supported by the SCK. In response to parents' wishes, the SCK has applied to extend the kindergarten licence to include children from birth.

The SCK board is well informed about how well each kindergarten is progressing and contributing to the strategic direction of the SCK. It is strongly focused on improving outcomes for all children, including taking deliberate action to support Māori and Pacific children and children with diverse learning needs in the kindergartens. SCK leaders have developed strong networked relationships with community organisations to support children and their whānau.

There are effective systems and processes to ensure that regulatory requirements are met within each kindergarten. Relevant professional learning, improved appraisal processes and effective ongoing coaching and mentoring by the senior teachers are building teacher capability.

Key Next Steps

ERO has identified, and the teaching team agree, that the key next steps are to:

  • continue to embed and refine recent changes and improved practices
  • strengthen planning, assessment and evaluation for individual children (making the learning partnership with whānau, the role teachers play in supporting children's learning, children's cultures and their progress more visible in learning records)
  • continue to strengthen the integration of te reo and te ao Māori into the daily programme.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) 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.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

14 May 2019

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

LocationTimaru
Ministry of Education profile number5476
Licence typeFree Kindergarten
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for40 children aged over 2 years
Service roll23
Gender composition

Boys 13

Girls 10

Ethnic compositionMāori 
NZ European/Pākehā
Pacific 
Other ethnicities

13

2
Percentage of qualified teachers80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenOver 21:8Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteMarch 2019
Date of this report14 May 2019

Most recent ERO reports

 

Education ReviewOctober 2014
Education ReviewJune 2011
Education ReviewNovember 2007

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.

Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) - 07/10/2014

1 Evaluation of Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru)

How well placed is Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Ranui Free Kindergarten is in Timaru beside a local school. The kindergarten is licensed for 45 children including five children up to the age of two. Since July 2014, only children over two years of age attend. A number of children need additional support in the programme.

The kindergarten serves a diverse community. The kindergarten takes part in some local initiatives for the wellbeing of children and families, such as the WAVE programme (Wellbeing and Vitality in Education).

The kindergarten has had recent upgrades to the indoor areas.

There have been many staff changes within the teaching team. The teachers continue to work on the areas for development and review identified in the 2011 ERO report.

This review was part of a cluster of 11 kindergarten reviews in the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association (SCFKA).

The Review Findings

Children at the kindergarten develop strong friendships and are pleased to see each other when they arrive in the morning. They share laughter and the enjoyment of being together. Teachers deliberately teach children strategies to care for each other and how to play well together. They help children to develop skills to resolve conflict positively.

ERO observed children quickly settling to play. Teachers sensitively support those children who need extra help to settle into the day. They have clear expectations for children and guide them in a calm and unhurried way. Children confidently approach their teachers and are eager to share their news.

Teachers know children’s interests. They respond by bringing these into the programme and have useful conversations to help children express their ideas, and learn new things. Teachers use an electronic tablet as a stimulus for conversations to extend children’s thinking. They plan a range of interesting experiences to help children develop ways to solve problems.

Parents are welcomed to the kindergarten and feel comfortable to stay and talk to the teachers. The parent committee is growing in strength and responsibility. The teachers promote the wellbeing of families through providing a programme about healthy eating within the kindergarten and at home. This involves children regularly baking and growing their own food at the kindergarten. Families can also access healthy food and recipes to use at home.

Children play in large indoor and outdoor areas with many interesting spaces for them to explore.

Teachers plan a range of experiences that:

  • involve learning in small groups

  • focus on literacy and verbal communication

  • include Māori legends, te reo Māori, waiata and tikanga Māori

  • foster children’s listening and expression through music and movement

  • help children transition to local schools.

As part of the review, ERO investigated how well the programme supported children to develop early mathematics concepts. The programme supports children’s mathematics learning through everyday experiences.

Key Next Steps

The leaders and team need to continue to find ways to work together to ensure shared understandings and consistency of practice.

Leaders and teachers should clarify the purpose of the vision and philosophy statements and describe what these mean in practice for the kindergarten.

They must also refine the systems to support purposeful planning, assessment and evaluation. These practices should include:

  • a clear analysis of children’s learning

  • incorporating parents’ wishes for their children’s learning

  • evaluating group planning against the intended learning outcomes.

They need to consistently implement and embed these systems and develop a shared understanding of robust self review and use this to monitor the effectiveness of the programme and their practices.Teachers should develop a planned approach to partnerships with Māori whānau and better include Māori perspectives in the kindergarten.

Governance

The SCFKA is governed by a board and managed by a newly appointed general manager. The board:

  • has a strong commitment to teaching and learning

  • seeks parents views about important matters in the association

  • has made changes to the roll size and opening hours of the kindergartens to be more responsive to community needs and maintain the financial viability of the association

  • is very responsive to important government initiatives such as ensuring educational success for all children.

Next steps for the board are to:

  • know more about their roles and responsibilities as governors

  • develop strategic planning

  • ensure that reporting is more evaluative to show how the goals of the association are being met and used to inform future planning

  • refine appraisal systems to ensure that staff and teachers more formally receive critical feedback about their work.

The senior teachers provide useful ongoing professional development and a strong focus on teaching and learning to the kindergartens within the association. They have shared with the teachers at Ranui Free Kindergarten the expectations they have for teaching and learning and how well they think the team is meeting those expectations.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Ranui Free Kindergarten (Timaru) will be in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

7 October 2014

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

Location

Timaru

Ministry of Education profile number

5476

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 5 aged under 2

Service roll

56

Gender composition

Boys: 34 Girls: 22

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Tongan

Other

9

41

3

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2014

Date of this report

7 October 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2011

 

Education Review

November 2007

 

Education Review

November 2004

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 and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

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.