Golden Bay Kindergarten

1 Evaluation of Golden Bay Kindergarten

How well placed is Golden Bay Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Golden Bay Kindergarten is part of the Nelson Tasman Kindergarten Association (NTKA). It is located close to Takaka Primary School. The kindergarten provides longer-day and half-day sessions for up to 43 children. Around 40 children attend in the mornings and about 30 children stay for the afternoons.

The teaching team consists of a head teacher and four qualified early childhood teachers. They are supported by two teachers who are studying for early childhood qualifications and a part-time administrator. Some of the staff are long serving. The kindergarten is part of the Enviroschools programme and has achieved the Pa Harakeke Healthy Heart Award. Teachers have developed a guiding vision for children's learning at Golden Bay Kindergarten. They aim for children to be 'inspired, guided and empowered within the environment'.

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, a speech-language therapist, whānau support and parent education opportunities.

A teacher aide provides support for the children and teachers to help meet identified areas of need. An active group of parents leads fundraising initiatives to support ongoing resourcing, special outings 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) oversee and support the professional practice of the teaching team.

Teachers have made good progress with the recommendations from ERO's 2013 report. This includes enriching bicultural practices, and gathering and responding to parents' wishes for their children's learning. Assessment, planning and evaluation practices continue to be areas to strengthen.

This review was part of a cluster of seven kindergarten reviews in the NTKA.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten's vision is evident in teachers' provision of rich and interesting programmes and the genuine learning partnerships they have with children and their whānau. These practices contribute to the positive outcomes for children at the kindergarten.

The recent redevelopment of the centre philosophy has led to shared teacher understandings, and enables a consistent approach in teaching practices. Teachers relate positively to children. Together with parents and children, teachers develop goals for children's learning. Children are very well supported to develop a sense of belonging and confidence when they start the kindergarten and later as they move to school.

A strength of the kindergarten is the deeply embedded bicultural curriculum and long-established links that the kindergarten has with local iwi and the community. Children develop a strong sense of turangawaewae and identity as a child living in Aotearoa New Zealand. This contributes to children and their whānau having a strong sense of belonging in the kindergarten. Māori children experience a curriculum where their language, culture and identity are highly valued.

Children choose from a wide range of interesting experiences and resources that stimulate complex and imaginative play. The programme is responsive to their strengths and interests. This includes opportunities to learn:

• about caring for and learning to love the environment

• to be healthy and take care of their bodies

• early literacy and numeracy concepts

• skills of friendship and cooperation.

Teachers make good use of additional funding to enable all children to fully participate in the programme. Teachers seek external advice and support, and participate in relevant professional learning to provide for children who need additional support in their learning. They work closely with whānau, and these ensure children are well supported in their learning at the kindergarten.

There is a culture of shared leadership in the kindergarten. Teachers make good use of the appraisal process and reflective practice to promote positive outcomes for children. Teachers use internal evaluation well to make positive changes to programmes and practices.

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.

Key Next Steps

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:

• explore ways to know more about how well children are achieving in relation to the association’s valued outcomes (vision and philosophy)
• evaluate the extent of improved outcomes for all children and use these findings to inform decision making and the future direction of the association.

Key next steps for the kindergarten, with the support of the SEA, are to further develop and strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation practices. This includes:

• making the valued learning outcomes for all children more prominent in the planning and documentation of the programme

• evaluating over time how well all children are progressing in relation to the valued outcomes and how well the valued outcomes are met through the localised curriculum

• continuing to use Te Whāriki (2017) the early childhood curriculum, to inform teacher practice.

The kindergarten's annual plan needs to have a stronger focus on outcomes for children, the goals, measures and evaluation of progress towards these goals.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Golden Bay 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 Golden Bay Kindergarten will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

6 September 2018

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

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.