Charlotte Lane, Brighwater, Nelson
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pinegrove Kindergarten is part of the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association (NTKA). The kindergarten provides for the education and care of up to 44 children, aged from two-to-five years. It is located in Brightwater, close to the local school. The association offers up to 30 free hours to support children's participation in early childhood education. It also provides a range of external expertise to help all children succeed in their learning. This includes te ao Māori expertise, teacher aides, speech-language therapist, whānau support and parent-education opportunities.
The head teacher and teaching team are responsible for daily operations and the teaching programme. All teachers are fully qualified. Two teacher aides provide support for the children and teachers, to help meet identified areas of need. An active parent group leads fundraising initiatives to support ongoing resourcing and improvements to the kindergarten.
The NTKA, including a chief executive officer and board, is responsible for the governance of the kindergarten. A team of senior education advisors (SEA) oversees and supports the professional practice of the teaching team.
There have been some changes to the teaching team, including two new appointments in 2018. Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations in ERO's 2013 report and the good practices identified in that report have been sustained.
Leaders and teachers have high expectations for all children to be successful learners. They aim for children at Pinegrove Kindergarten to 'develop positive attitudes towards becoming independent, capable, competent, life-long learners and communicators'. These aims are enabled through teachers providing a rich curriculum and real-life contexts for learning, based on well-embedded local priorities. For example a well-established environmental programme helps children to learn to care for themselves and the world around them.
Teachers plan and implement interesting and well-resourced environments and programmes to meet the needs and interests of individual and groups of children. They:
A strength in the kindergarten is the way teachers develop close, collaborative partnerships for learning with families and whānau. They regularly seek parents' wishes for their children's learning and work together with them to enable children to be successful. These close relationships enable Māori whānau to know that their culture and heritage are highly valued.
Children's learning benefits from effective systems and processes for assessment, planning and evaluation. Internal-evaluation processes are used well to make changes and improvements to programmes and practices that provide positive outcomes for children.
Leadership fosters a culture of collaboration and reflective practice. The team makes good use of professional development to grow its capability and develop shared understandings of effective practice.
Managers and leaders have proactively addressed ERO’s recommendations for the association identified in previous reports. There is strong alignment between the NTKA strategic priorities and each kindergarten’s priorities and plans.
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 managers are taking deliberate action to support Māori and Pacific children, and children with diverse learning needs. NTKA 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. Relevant professional-learning opportunities, improved teacher-appraisal processes and effective ongoing coaching and mentoring by the education advisors, are building leadership and teacher capability within the kindergartens.
A next step for association leaders and managers is to improve their planning to support the achievement of the board’s strategic objectives. This includes ensuring that reporting is evaluative and focuses on outcomes for children.
The key next steps for the board are to:
Leaders and teachers agree that the next steps are to make the priorities for children's learning at Pinegrove Kindergarten more evident in the philosophy and ensure that records of planning and assessment show how all children make progress towards these priorities.
The head teacher and teachers identified, and ERO agrees, that they could better document the evaluative discussions they have to show the shifts in teaching practice and the difference this makes to children's learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Pinegrove 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:
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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Pinegrove Kindergarten will be in four years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review & Improvement Services Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
12 November 2018
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.
| Location | Brightwater, Nelson | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 65025 | ||
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 44 children aged over 2 years | ||
| Service roll | 62 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys: 37 Girls: 25 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Other ethnicities | 8 50 4 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Over 2 | 1:10 | Meets minimum requirements |
| Review team on site | September 2018 | ||
| Date of this report | 12 November 2018 | ||
Most recent ERO reports
| Education Review | September 2013 | |
| Education Review | February 2010 | ||
| Education Review | October 2006 | ||
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:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whānaungatanga – 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.
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:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pinegrove Free Kindergarten is located in the rural community of Brightwater, Nelson. It offers five morning sessions per week, and afternoon sessions three days per week. Pinegrove Free Kindergarten is licensed for 44 children aged two years and over. Since the 2010 ERO review, a new head teacher has been appointed. A Family Liaison Group (FLG) supports the kindergarten through fundraising, assisting new families to transition into the kindergarten, and other organised ventures. The kindergarten is part of Enviroschools and has gained a silver award.
The kindergarten is governed by the Nelson Kindergarten Association (the association) and overseen by a team of Senior Education Advisors (SEAs).
This review was conducted as part of a cluster approach to reviews in eleven kindergartens/early childhood education services within the Nelson Kindergarten Association umbrella organisation.
Teachers are warm, welcoming and respectful. They have positive and responsive relationships with children. Parents and whānau are well informed and contribute to aspects of the programme. Sustainable environmental practices and a focus on the living world are highly valued and well integrated across the curriculum. Visitors to the kindergarten, and regular visits within the local community, support and extend learning for children. The philosophy is evident in practice.
Children’s interests are well supported by their peers and teachers. They are provided with a variety of opportunities to extend their learning through self directed play and exploration. Well-integrated literacy and numeracy experiences are evident. Children’s physical development is supported by teachers in the spacious outdoor environment. Opportunities for children to revisit their prior learning are provided and encouraged by teachers.
Teachers support children to engage in meaningful conversations. Children are provided with specific feedback from teachers that acknowledges their effort and success. Teachers encourage children to think, share and test ideas in their learning. They are considering how this could be more consistent throughout the programme.
Children’s profile books show their engagement and perseverance in learning. There is good continuity in entries that show children’s overall progress and development. Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Teachers liaise with external agencies where appropriate. There is a range of useful information and initiatives that support children and their families’ transitions to school.
The head teacher is a leader of the association’s Pacifika cluster. Relevant documentation to support understanding of ‘success for Pacific as Pacific’ and ‘success for Māori as Māori’ is being explored. Supporting teachers to further develop their understanding about these priority groups should enhance the programme.
Teachers are reflective practitioners who draw on current research to inform practice. They are supported by the association in their understanding of self review. Spontaneous review has been used to inform and design the programme. Teachers and the association are consultative, regularly requesting and receiving feedback from their parent community. The association has effectively led robust review and evaluation using a collaborative approach.
The recently updated appraisal process is collaborative and provides clear guidance and support to staff. Leaders are engaging in ongoing professional learning to support its successful implementation. ERO’s evaluation supports this direction and recommends that the appraisal approach includes a focus on the quality of feedback and feed forward to promote teacher development.
The association provides high levels of guidance and support to teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. This includes:
The Senior Education Advisor (SEA) regularly visits the kindergarten and provides professional support and leadership to the teaching team. Through SEA guidance and identified next steps, teachers are supported to enact the kindergarten’s direction.
ERO and centre leaders agree that the key next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pinegrove Free 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:
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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Pinegrove Free Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services Central Region (Acting)
9 September 2013
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.
|
Location |
Brightwater, Nelson |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
65025 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
44 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
63 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 33, Girls 30 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnic groups |
3 58 2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
||
|
Over 2 |
1 : 10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
9 September 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2006 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2004 |
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:
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.
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:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.