18 Longitude Place, Whitby, Porirua
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Adventure Kindergarten is situated adjacent to Adventure School in Whitby. Since the
June 2012 ERO review, hours of operation have changed and a full-day service now operates for children from two years to school age.
Adventure Kindergarten is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014. The transition to the new association is expected to be a three-year process.
The board and managers provide governance for the organisation. Senior teachers have delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.
Four teachers at Adventure Kindergarten are qualified and fully registered. The service currently employs one provisionally registered teacher and a part time, third year teacher in training. Significant staffing changes have occurred since the previous ERO review.
In 2012, the association developed a framework to guide the implementation of its curriculum, Te Manawa. This document outlines criteria for curriculum delivery including expectations for assessment and planning for children’s learning.
The previous ERO report for Adventure Kindergarten identified at centre level that assessment, planning, self review and transition-to-school processes needed further development. Areas where the Wellington Kindergarten Association needed to strengthen its support for teachers were also identified. Improvement continues to be needed in some of these areas that the association has plans to address. These feature as key next steps in this report. The alignment of individual kindergartens' annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been addressed.
This review was part of a cluster of 12 kindergarten reviews in He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens.
Children learn in an environment that supports meaningful and enjoyable exploration. They engage in free, uninterrupted play and investigation that encourages independence and extends learning. Children’s emerging interests in literacy and numeracy are fostered. Portfolios provide a useful record of each child’s participation and enjoyment in learning. Teachers view each family and its knowledge of their child as an important part of the kindergarten’s learning community.
Teachers work collaboratively to strengthen and improve consistency of teaching and learning practices. Daily ‘aromatawai' discussion meetings support these ongoing developments. Teachers are aware of the need to continue to develop assessment, planning and evaluation processes and documentation of children’s learning.
Teachers recently revisited the kindergarten's philosophy and have a clear focus on ensuring teaching practice and the environment are supportive and inclusive. They share values that encourage respectful behaviour and support children's developing social competencies. Staff observe and closely monitor children with additional needs. They work in partnership with parents and whānau to develop individual learning or positive guidance plans.
The environment reflects the dual heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand in a variety of ways. The outdoor area, with well-integrated natural materials, has been designed collaboratively. It shows a strong bicultural commitment, is aesthetically appealing and supports sustainable practices. Children engage with the living world in authentic and meaningful ways.
Children have opportunities to experience te reo me ngā tikanga Māori practices incidentally within the programme. Teachers continue to extend their knowledge and understandings in giving significance to Māori learners’ culture, language and identity. ERO's evaluation affirms this approach for ongoing development.
Transition to school focuses on children feeling well supported and confident in a new situation. Kindergarten teachers support families with information and discussion. They continue to build positive relationships with the local school.
The head teacher provides collaborative leadership and values the skills and knowledge of the teaching team. Teachers are very reflective and improvement focused. Sound use is beginning to be made of current best practice to support developing self-review processes.
The senior teacher provides termly written reports that outline agreed development priorities and progress in the quality of teaching and learning. The association has recently implemented new reports that should more deliberately focus on outcomes for children, teacher and leader performance. ERO's evaluation affirms this development.
The 2012 ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal processes. These continue to require strengthening. A recently revised appraisal model, yet to be implemented, includes: more focused goals that build teacher and leader capability; more regular and targeted feedback and feed forward about teaching practice; and clearer links with the Registered Teacher Criteria.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Adventure Kindergarten, to:
The senior management team of He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua should continue to further improve processes for growing and developing the practice of teachers, head teachers and senior teachers. This should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Adventure 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 Adventure Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
9 June 2015
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.
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Location |
Whitby, Porirua |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5537 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
70 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 38, Girls 32 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
March 2015 |
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Date of this report |
9 June 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2012 |
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Education Review |
April 2008 |
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Education Review |
August 2005 |
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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.
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.
Adventure Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
The attractive building and grounds are spacious and well maintained. Significant development has recently occurred to the outdoor environment with further plans in place for the inside. The interesting designs and features form a variety of spaces for creative expression, physical pursuits, transitions and quiet reflection. It is richly resourced to support children’s play and learning. An underlying focus on gardening fosters children’s connectedness to nature. This provides a context for authentic and meaningful experiences and promotes respect for the environment and living things. The parent community regularly contribute to the programme and kindergarten events.
Children benefit from the inclusive programme that is child focused, offers choice and is responsive to their interests. They are involved in genuine tasks and able to plan and follow through on their ideas. Early literacy and mathematical learning are well integrated and digital technologies increasingly utilised. Bicultural understandings are being developed through participation in weekly kapa haka and inclusion of te reo Māori and other cultural protocols. The teaching philosophy is clearly evident in practice and forms a sound foundation for the programme.
Children are cooperative and caring. They listen to each other and show empathy for their peers. They are developing their social competence and resilience in a variety of situations. Teachers are positive and calm. They are good language models and use accurate terminology and sophisticated vocabulary in meaningful conversations with children. They listen intently to children’s ideas and contributions and use questions effectively to sustain dialogue and promote thinking.
Well-established relationships exist with the staff at the adjacent primary school. A transition programme run by the school is in place for children to become familiar with this environment, its curriculum and routines.
The teaching team agrees that robust, planned self review as a tool for improvement requires strengthening. Some aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation are also areas for further development.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Adventure Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the centre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children at Adventure Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
The 2008 ERO review noted that the daily programme was soundly based on children’s interests within a rich core curriculum. Assessment, evaluation and self review practices and te reo me ngā tikanga Māori were areas identified as requiring strengthening.
Since 2008 there have been three different head teachers and several changes in the teaching and administrative staff. The current team has been working together since the end of 2011 with all positions becoming permanent in March 2012. They have developed their teaching philosophy and introduced new systems and processes to provide shared understandings, responsibilities and the foundations for working together. During 2011 the kindergarten raised significant funds to improve the outdoor environment.
The kindergarten operating hours have been reorganised to offer three different options for families. Older children enrol for either three full days a week or for five mornings. The younger ones attend two morning sessions each week.
Programme. Children benefit from their participation in an inclusive programme that is child focused, offers choice and is responsive to their interests. Early literacy and mathematical learning are well integrated. Information and communication technologies enable children to research to increase their knowledge and understandings and revisit experiences. Bicultural practices are increasingly being incorporated into the programme. Community engagement and support is high. The teaching philosophy is clearly evident in practice and forms a sound foundation for the programme.
An underlying focus on gardening and inclusion of natural materials fosters children’s connectedness to nature. This provides a context for authentic and meaningful experiences and fosters respect for the environment and living things.
The planned programme is documented and prominently displayed to record the development of strong group interests. This shows children involved in genuine tasks, planning and following through on their ideas and the increasing complexity of experiences and concepts. There are good links between learning at home, in the community and at kindergarten. Evaluations provide a good summary of the programme and learning for the group.
Assessment. Children demonstrate strong ownership of their individual portfolios. They regularly revisit and are able to articulate and discuss the entries with their peers and adults. These books have a focus on learning and skill development and increasingly celebrate progress in these. Teachers participate in daily team discussions about what they have noticed about children’s interests and learning and other relevant information shared from families. This strategy enables them to be very responsive in supporting and extending the learning and experience for the child.
Interactions. Children are cooperative and caring. They listen to each other and show empathy for their peers. They are developing their social competence and resilience in a variety of situations. Children use and respond to te reo Māori as they play, and during routine times.
Teachers are positive and calm. They are discerning about when to enter into children’s play and interactions appropriately. Teachers are good language models, using accurate terminology and sophisticated vocabulary in meaningful conversations with children. They listen intently to children’s ideas and contributions and use questions effectively to sustain dialogue and promote thinking.
Environment. The well-organised and maintained building and grounds are richly resourced to support children’s play and learning. They make full use of the whole environment and assist in taking responsibility for its care. Both the inside and outdoors are spacious with a good flow. They include interesting designs and features that form a variety of spaces for creative expression, physical pursuits, transitions and quiet reflection. There has been significant improvement made to the outdoors in recent times and a prioritised plan in place for further development of the indoors. The kindergarten community demonstrates high levels of ownership over and contribution to the kindergarten.
Self review. Spontaneous review is used effectively as an improvement tool. These are well documented, demonstrate teachers’ understanding of the process and include their reflections.
Assessment, planning and evaluation. Teachers have identified that the next step in their documentation of group learning is to include further details of their reflection and strategies. Including these is likely to better inform decision making, programme direction and effectiveness through evaluation.
As acknowledged by teachers, the good assessment practices identified above are not consistently implemented. Portfolio entries need stronger links to illustrate continuity of learning and more deliberate planning to show how teachers are supporting the identified next steps. Teachers are aware that the inclusion of family contributions and aspirations requires development. Children’s cultural background is not always acknowledged and celebrated in portfolios.
Transition to school. While professional relationships and procedures are well established with the adjacent primary school these are not as developed with staff at other local schools. There are limited resources for children to access to assist in preparing them for the new environment.
Self review. Teachers have identified, and ERO agrees, that robust planned self review is in the early stages of development. Teachers need to continue to develop their understanding about self review as an improvement tool in relation to evaluating quality and effectiveness.
The 2008 ERO review of the association identified several strengths, including the provision of professional development, sound operation plans, support for property development and the use of a range of communication strategies to keep teachers and communities informed. Areas for improvement included the quality and depth of the written feedback given to teachers by the senior teacher and strengthening the appraisal process.
Since 2008, the association has led consultation with the community to modify session times and improve the ratio of teachers to children from 1:15 to 1:10 and maintained its policy of employing qualified, registered teachers in regulated permanent positions.
The association provides expectations and guidance to the kindergarten through its strategic plan, policies and procedures and more recently, the professional development strategy Te Manawa: Criteria for Curriculum Implementation.
The association continues to provide high levels of guidance and support to teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
The association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where the association can strengthen its support for teachers. These include:
Before the review, the staff of Adventure 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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO and the kindergarten leaders agreed that the priorities for development and review are those outlined in the report.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)
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Type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children aged over 2 years |
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Roll number |
70 |
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Gender composition |
Females 41, Males 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 56, Māori 5, European 4, Cook Island Māori 2, Other ethnic groups 3 |
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Review team on site |
March 2012 |
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Date of this report |
21 June 2012 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education review April 2008 Education Review August 2005 Accountability Review July 1998 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Adventure Kindergarten.
Adventure Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
The attractive building and grounds are spacious and well maintained. Significant development has recently occurred to the outdoor environment with further plans in place for the inside. The interesting designs and features form a variety of spaces for creative expression, physical pursuits, transitions and quiet reflection. It is richly resourced to support children’s play and learning. An underlying focus on gardening fosters children’s connectedness to nature. This provides a context for authentic and meaningful experiences and promotes respect for the environment and living things. The parent community regularly contribute to the programme and kindergarten events.
Children benefit from the inclusive programme that is child focused, offers choice and is responsive to their interests. They are involved in genuine tasks and able to plan and follow through on their ideas. Early literacy and mathematical learning are well integrated and digital technologies increasingly utilised. Bicultural understandings are being developed through participation in weekly kapa haka and inclusion of te reo Māori and other cultural protocols. The teaching philosophy is clearly evident in practice and forms a sound foundation for the programme.
Children are cooperative and caring. They listen to each other and show empathy for their peers. They are developing their social competence and resilience in a variety of situations. Teachers are positive and calm. They are good language models and use accurate terminology and sophisticated vocabulary in meaningful conversations with children. They listen intently to children’s ideas and contributions and use questions effectively to sustain dialogue and promote thinking.
Well-established relationships exist with the staff at the adjacent primary school. A transition programme run by the school is in place for children to become familiar with this environment, its curriculum and routines.
The teaching team agrees that robust, planned self review as a tool for improvement requires strengthening. Some aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation are also areas for further development.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)