Victory Square Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5564
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
49
Telephone:
Address:

166 St Vincent Street, Nelson

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Victory Square Kindergarten - 01/11/2019

1 Evaluation of Victory Square Kindergarten

How well placed is Victory Square Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Victory Square Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Victory Square Kindergarten provides all-day education and care for up to 49 children, aged over two years. The kindergarten serves a culturally diverse community. Many of the families have come to New Zealand as refugees.

The kindergarten philosophy identifies values of tolerance, curiosity, respect, exploration, resilience, partnership, equity and inclusive practice. It expresses a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based practices. The kindergarten is a member of the Enviro-Schools programme.

The association employs qualified early childhood teachers, teacher aides and an administrator in each kindergarten. Victory Square Kindergarten also has a whānau support worker. Since ERO's June 2016 review the outdoor playground has been upgraded.

Victory Square Kindergarten is governed and managed by the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association (the association). Since the previous 2016 ERO review, 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 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 2016 report identified key next steps for this kindergarten in programme planning, assessment and self review. These processes and teacher practices continue to be developed.

This review was one of four in the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children are well supported to engage with their peers in respectful ways. Collaborative play is evident, and children's social competence is well promoted. The child-led programme encourages curiosity and exploration in a well-resourced environment. Teachers work alongside children maximising opportunities to extend their play and learning.

Teachers are welcoming, responsive and respectful in their interactions with children and whānau. Children's home cultures are valued, and the environment reflects this. The spacious outdoor area encourages children to be active and explore their developing physical capabilities. Teachers support these experiences by being active role models engaging in the play themselves to purposefully extend children's learning.

There are many opportunities for children to participate in well-considered science learning opportunities within the curriculum. These are reflected through the planned learning programme and children's assessment information.

Children with additional needs are well supported. Teachers effectively identify and minimise barriers to children’s full participation in the curriculum and learning. This approach is well supported by the association. External agencies are accessed where appropriate to support individual children.

Bicultural practice is valued and evident in the programme. Kaupapa Māori-based values such as rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga underpin the curriculum. Teachers use te reo and waiata Māori in purposeful group time activities. A next step is to further integrate te reo Māori throughout all aspects of the programme.

Leaders and teachers have identified that strengthening the curriculum to reflect places of value for Māori and the community is an area for further development.

Children’s sense of belonging is nurtured through the well-considered transition-to-school process. Their wellbeing and belonging are suitably fostered through the reciprocal relationships evident between kindergarten, leaders and support services.

Group planning is reflective of children’s interests. Learning outcomes are identified and teaching strategies are considered. Leaders recognise that further work is required to evaluate the impact of the planned programme on children’s learning.

Children's profile books highlight their developing friendships, emerging interests and at times support continuity of learning. Multiple teacher perspectives are valued in children's assessment and teachers have a depth of knowledge about each learner. Leaders have identified that integrating and reflecting parents and whānau aspirations as part of this process is a next step. In addition, planning should show how teachers will add depth and complexity to children's learning and better reflect progress through assessment.

A sound internal evaluation framework guides practice. Teachers regularly engage in reflection and review and are improvement-focused. Strengthening the depth of analysis and providing more evaluative reporting should support the teaching team to more clearly measure the impact of their practices on children’s learning.

Leaders and teachers show a strong commitment to the philosophy of the kindergarten.

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 introduce the Teaching Council appraisal summary annual report as part of the endorsement process.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for teachers are to:

  • continue to build teachers' capacity to integrate the use of te reo Māori in the curriculum
  • enhance the curriculum by reflecting places of value for Māori and the community
  • further develop assessment practices
  • strengthen the internal evaluation process.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Victory Square 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.

To improve practice the association should:

  • review with urgency policies that are not current.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini

Southern Region

1 November 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

Nelson

Ministry of Education profile number

5564

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

49 children

Service roll

53

Gender composition

Males 30, Females 23

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Burmese
Nepalese
Other ethnic groups

5
18
17
5
8

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2019

Date of this report

1 November 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2016

Education Review

September 2013

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.

Victory Square Kindergarten - 02/06/2016

1 Evaluation of Victory Square Kindergarten

How well placed is Victory Square Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Victory Square Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.

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

Background

Victory Square Kindergarten is one of 19 kindergartens governed and managed by Nelson Tasman Kindergartens. All kindergartens share a common vision and values.

Children can attend Victory Square Kindergarten from two-years-old to school age for up to six hours a day during the four kindergarten terms. School holiday programmes operate at three kindergartens. Children enrolled at other kindergartens can also enrol in the school holiday programmes.

The association employs qualified early childhood teachers, teacher aides and an administrator in each kindergarten. Victory Square Kindergarten also has a whānau support worker.

Children attending this kindergarten come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Many of the families have come to New Zealand as refugees.

Since the 2013 ERO review, the kindergarten has had a number of changes of staff. The teachers have made some progress to meet the recommendations in the report. However, child assessment, programme planning and self view remain key next steps in this ERO report.

This review was part of a cluster of four kindergarten reviews in the Nelson Tasman Kindergartens.

The Review Findings

Children's home cultures are respected and valued. Teachers effectively work with parents to find out about their culture and the best ways to include the home culture in the programme. Wall displays and resources are representative of the children's cultures and the indepth knowledge the teachers have of them. Children willingly share their home culture and language and provide leadership to the teachers and other children.

Relationships are positive, caring and inclusive among children, their teachers and with other children. Children respect the opinions of others. They actively seek to include others in their play. Older children include younger children and support them in the kindergarten environment.

Transitions into the kindergarten and on to school are well managed to support children and their families. The kindergarten and the local primary school teachers work closely together. They have a good understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and its links to the New Zealand Curriculum. The school teachers value the ways that children learn at kindergarten and build on these within the school setting to ensure successful and smooth transitions for children and their families.

Teachers skilfully adapt the programme to meet the interests, needs and life experiences of the children. The environment is well presented to give children a wide choice of activities, and the time and space to develop their ideas, solve their own problems and work cooperatively. Two-year-old children are well supported by teachers and older children to be successful and competent learners.

Children have many opportunities to learn about nature, sustainability and enviroschool approaches. They take an active role in maintaining the environment, recycling, being involved in challenging physical activity and knowing about and growing vegetables and fruit.

Teachers are committed and well supported by the association to continue to increase their knowledge, confidence and use of te reo and tikanga Māori. Māori legends are regularly included in the programme and often relate to caring for the environment. Children willingly share their knowledge of Māori culture and confidently join in waiata and karakia.

Teachers work well as a team and share their interests and skills to benefit other team members and the children.

Key Next Steps

The leaders, teachers and ERO agree that the next key steps to improve teaching and learning include leaders and teachers establishing and implementing:

  • clear expectations, systems and processes for self review, child assessment, programme planning and evaluation
  • effective ways to ensure teachers meet the expectations for high quality self review, child assessment, programme planning and evaluation.

Nelson Tasman Kindergartens

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.

Key Next Steps

Nelson Tasman Kindergartens leaders have identified and ERO agrees that the next key steps for the organisation include:

  • embedding a number of recent Nelson Tasman Kindergartens initiatives. These include board operations, particularly the inclusion of Māori perspectives and concepts, staff appraisal and involvement in Communities of Learning
  • strengthening consistency of child assessment, programme planning and evaluation across the kindergartens
  • continuing to investigate the role of parent committees within the association structure
  • strengthening the induction programme for head teachers and teachers.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Victory Square 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Victory Square Kindergarten will be in three years. 

Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

2 June 2016 

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

Nelson

Ministry of Education profile number

5564

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

49 children, two years and over

Service roll

54

Gender composition

Girls 28; Boys 26

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Samoan
Niuean
South East Asian
Other ethnicities

  7
13
  2
  2
17
13

Percentage of qualified teachers
0-49%       50-79%       80%+
Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

April 2016

Date of this report

2 June 2016

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

September 2013

Education Review

February 2010

Education Review

October 2006

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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014

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.