Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten

Education institution number:
55043
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
24
Telephone:
Address:

412-414 Nelson Street, Hastings Central, Hastings

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Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten

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 Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten are as follows:

Outcome Indicators
(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains
Learning Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten is one of two services governed by a charitable trust attached to Taikura Rudolf Steiner School. A head teacher is supported by a school executive assistant and the teaching team. The kindergarten provides education and care for children from three to six years of age.

3 Summary of findings

Children are received with reverence and responded to as capable and competent learners. They benefit from the well enacted philosophies of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and Rudolf Steiner. Parents and whānau actively contribute to an inclusive and responsive programme. Transitions into and beyond the service are sensitively managed. Children show a strong sense of whanaungatanga.

Children’s learning and development are well supported through caring relationships with teachers. They work alongside parents and whānau to develop and progress children’s priorities for learning. Thoughtfully prepared and well-resourced learning environments encourage children’s critical thinking and creativity in play-based contexts. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are woven through the teaching and learning. Teachers are yet to reflect all children’s culture, language and identity in documented assessment. Children are explorers, creators and builders of knowledge. Their learning is deepened in the context of the service’s values and culture.

Relational trust among leaders and teachers enables collaboration, capability building and sustained improvement. Participation in professional development opportunities supports teachers’ ongoing reflection to improve culturally responsive practice. Leaders demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of internal evaluation and use it to promote growth in the centre. Teachers are embedding collective capability to do and use internal evaluation for improvement.

Leaders and teachers are guided by effective systems and processes that maintain management of the kindergarten. Children’s taha hinengaro, taha tinana and taha wairua are upheld.

4 Improvement actions

Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • strengthen assessment practice to reflect and respond to all children’s culture and language and evaluate how this has contributed to children’s learning progress

  • monitor and evaluate the impact of improvement actions designed to achieve equitable learning outcomes for all children. 

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Taikura Rudolf Steiner 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

29 April 2022 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten

Profile Number

55043

Location

Hastings

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

40 children

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

26

Ethnic composition

Māori 7, NZ European/Pākehā 18, Other ethnic groups 1

Review team on site

February 2022

Date of this report

29 April 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, April 2019; Education Review, August 2016

Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten - 12/04/2019

1 Evaluation of Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten

How well placed is Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten is one of two kindergartens in Hawke's Bay, affiliated to Taikura Rudolf Steiner School, Hastings. The kindergarten has 40 children from the ages of three to six years. Of the 39 children currently enrolled, 12 identify as Māori.

Rudolf Steiner philosophy underpins the programme and learning environment.

Four qualified teachers implement the curriculum. They are all certificated in Steiner-based teaching. The senior teacher has operational oversight of the kindergarten, with the head teacher responsible for the day-to-day running of the service.

Since the ERO August 2016 report, the governance and management structure has been reviewed and is currently being implemented. A memorandum of understanding with the board of trustees has been developed to guide developments.

The Review Findings

Teachers are dedicated to Steiner Waldorf education theory. They thoughtfully implement a programme where Rudolf Steiner principles, te ao Māori and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are effectively woven through and highly visible in practice.

Children learn in a positive, caring environment. Teachers sustain a calm tone throughout the day. A sense of belonging for children, families and whānau is fostered through respectful and responsive relationships.

Children lead their own learning and engage in sustained self-initiated play. They confidently explore the environment, accessing a wide range of open-ended natural resources that foster their curiosity and imagination. Opportunities to be physically active and to develop social competencies and self-help skills are promoted. Children show independence, care and concern for one another. Tuakana teina is highly evident.

Teachers notice, recognise and respond to children’s strengths and emerging interests. Observations provide a valuable record of children's participation in a wide range of learning areas, social interactions and relationships. Teachers record children’s learning and use this information to create a holistic picture of what each child knows, understands and can do, over time. Individual photograph albums are a valuable record of learning that children share with their parents and whānau.

Leaders and teachers acknowledge that review of the documented curriculum is timely. The implementation of the Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Essentials for Aotearoa and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is providing an opportunity to evaluate current curriculum provision and document a shared understanding of curriculum practices. Clearly documenting the localised curriculum and valued outcomes for children's learning should provide the basis for ongoing evaluation.

There has been a strategic focus on strengthening teachers' understanding and use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Teachers have engaged in professional learning and development to strengthen their understanding. Many teachers are continuing to strengthen their practice through their own study.

Effective transition practice promotes the positive inclusion of children, parents and whānau. Appropriate information is gathered to reflect parent aspirations and inform individual goals. Transition to school is well considered. An extra support teacher, based at the school, works in partnership with kindergarten staff and parents to enable seamless transition.

Recent review has made clear roles and responsibilities for leaders, teachers and trustees. This ensures that kindergarten priorities and operational management appropriately support the ongoing development of the kindergarten. Specific strategies being implemented are lifting the profile and importance of early childhood education within the Taikura Rudolf Steiner learning community.

A shared understanding of internal evaluation processes and practices is developing and contributing to decision making for improvement. Strategic planning articulates the school and kindergarten mission and valued outcomes. Shared goals are focused on future development. Strengthening annual planning by developing more specific goals that reflect priorities of the kindergarten and clearly defined actions, should enable the service to better monitor progress and evaluate the impact on outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Trustees, leaders and ERO agree that the kindergarten's next steps are to:

  • review curriculum documentation to reflect current practice

  • strengthen annual planning by determining actions to progress Kindergarten priorities

  • continue to strengthen understanding and use of internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Taikura Rudolf Steiner 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.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

12 April 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

Location

Hastings

Ministry of Education profile number

55043

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children aged over 2

Service roll

39

Gender composition

Boys 22, Girls 17

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

12
25
2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2019

Date of this report

12 April 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

August 2016

Education Review

April 2013

Education Review

April 2010

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.