107 Grampian Street, Tokoroa
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Central Kids Kindergartens - Arohanui is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Central Kids Kindergartens - Arohanui is located in the South Waikato township of Tokoroa. It is licensed for 40 children over the age of two years. The roll of 50, includes 29 Māori children.
Through the philosophy kaiako aim to provide a warm, homely environment where children experience love, care, trust and respect. They endeavour to recognise diverse cultures and welcome whānau as partners in their children’s learning. The philosophy also highlights the importance of transformative interactions, consistency, continuity, empowerment, challenge, imagination, curiosity and creativity.
The 2015 ERO report identified next steps about support for Māori learners to achieve success as Māori, opportunities for children to engage with te reo, tikanga and te ao Māori and bicultural assessment. Early in 2018 a new teacher was appointed and the kaiarataki (support manager) changed.
The kindergarten operates under the governance and management of the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust, a community not-for-profit organisation. The overarching philosophy of the organisations is to provide kindergartens where children learn through play and are supported to reach their potential.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 kindergarten reviews in the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust.
Responsive and respectful relationships are formed with each family. The key teacher strategy effectively supports reciprocal sharing of information and children’s secure attachment, wellbeing and sense of belonging. Inclusive practices ensure appropriate responses for children and families with additional needs. Where necessary teachers are able to access special funding to ensure equitable opportunities for children to fully participate and learn.
The curriculum is well designed to promote positive learning outcomes for all children. Teachers and parents recognise and value the importance of children learning through play. The curriculum reflects holistic learning and development opportunities for the age range represented. Children confidently engage in rich learning opportunities in the kindergarten and wider community.
Children benefit from responsive and reciprocal teaching practices that foster their resilience. Teachers trust children as capable decision makers and learners. They are attuned to the many ways that children express and explore their own working theories. Teachers are skilled partners in children's’ play and exploration. Literacy, mathematics and science are naturally integrated to reflect children’s interests and readiness to explore these concepts. The environment is highly functional and readily adapted to include children's’ ideas and self-chosen goals and challenges. Children demonstrate the ability to persevere, and take pride in their own and others' achievements.
Assessment for learning is well developed. Individual records show children’s interests, challenges and continuity of learning over time. Teachers have given strong consideration to valuing the language, culture and identity of each child. Māori perspectives are evident in assessment for Māori children. Parent and child voice is integral to decisions about planning and learning. Children are developing their identity as capable learners.
Internal evaluation is purposeful, ongoing and contributes to continuous improvement. Teachers have made good use of the refreshed early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. This is used effectively to identify indicators of good practice and learning outcomes for children. Internal evaluation is assisting teachers to assess the effectiveness of key aspects of the curriculum.
Leadership strongly promotes the kindergarten philosophy. There is a shared understanding of the kindergarten’s approach to learning and teaching among staff and the parent community. This understanding has been achieved by parent participation in conversations and professional learning about the curriculum with teachers. Children benefit from productive learning partnerships between their parents and teachers, supporting consistent engagement in self- directed learning.
Governance and management have comprehensive, well-established systems and practices to enable the organisation to monitor, evaluate and plan for improvement for its early learning centres. Clear guidelines and expectations for centre practice and curriculum are strongly fostered by the leadership team and trust. The vision and values support positive outcomes for children’s learning, wellbeing and that of their whānau.
Teachers are developing partnerships with whānau and iwi Māori. They agree there is a need to develop a more strategic approach to each teacher lifting the focus of te ao Māori in the curriculum and their own teaching interactions.
Before the review, the staff and management of Central Kids Kindergartens - Arohanui 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:
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.
In order to improve practice Central Kids Kindergartens management needs to ensure observations of teacher practice are undertaken as part of the appraisal process.
The next ERO review of Central Kids Kindergartens - Arohanui will be in three years.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
15 February 2019
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 |
Tokoroa, South Waikato |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5164 |
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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 |
50 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 26 Boys 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
29 |
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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 |
November 2018 |
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Date of this report |
15 February 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
July 2012 |
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Education Review |
July 2009 |
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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:
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Central Kids Kindergartens - Arohanui is located in Tokoroa, adjacent to Cargill Open Plan School. It provides education and care for 44 children from two years to school age, including 23 children of Māori descent. The kindergarten operates 6 hour sessions, Monday to Friday from 8.45a.m to 2.45p.m.
Central North Island Kindergarten Trust continues to provide effective strategic direction for the kindergarten in accordance with its vision, expected educational outcomes, and values. The trust also specifies strategies for respecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi and delivering the principles and strands of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. The trust’s professional leaders monitor individual kindergarten compliance with policies, procedures, trust expectations and regulatory requirements. Teachers have generous professional development opportunities to grow their teaching and leadership skills.
The teaching team has made significant progress in addressing the areas for development identified in the July 2012 ERO report. These areas include professional leadership, annual planning, and strengthening reflection and self review to improve the quality of teaching, planning and assessment practices. The report also identified the need to strengthen partnerships with parents and whānau. Since Term 3 2013, the team has received ongoing professional support to implement ERO’s recommendations and support Māori learners to achieve success as Māori.
The teaching team consists of four qualified ECE teachers. Three have worked at this kindergarten for many years, and were joined by the newest member in February 2015. At times, the kindergarten uses equity funding to employ a teacher aide to give teachers more time to establish relationships with whānau or to work with children who require additional support.
The teaching team’s philosophy is to:
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews within the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust.
Children play well with and alongside others, and often engage in sustained, cooperative and imaginative play. Friendships are very evident, and older children often look after their younger peers. Children express themselves creatively through music and art, and enjoy using poi, performing action songs and learning about Māori atua (guardians). They demonstrate a love of books and counting. Children particularly enjoy setting themselves physical challenges and caring for animals.
Teachers’ interactions with children are positive and affirming. They skilfully foster children’s independence and development of self-help, social, language and physical skills. Teachers frequently read to children and integrate learning about literacy, mathematics and science concepts in meaningful ways.
Whole team professional development has expanded teachers’ knowledge and understanding of best practice in early childhood education. This significantly improved the quality of learning programme through an increased emphasis on children:
Teachers provide a spacious, attractively presented and well-resourced learning environment that incorporates aspects te ao Māori. They are also aware of the need to focus more on acknowledging the languages, cultures and identities of other children.
Strong partnerships between staff, parents, whānau and the local community are underpinned by trusting, respectful and inclusive relationships. Strategies for building relationships with new families and settling new children are very effective. Teachers are very welcoming and responsive to the diverse needs and aspirations of families and whānau. They keep parents well informed about their children’s learning and progress, through digital and written portfolios, and informal discussions. They also explain changes in their teaching practice. Teachers could also make better use of displays to children’s emerging learning and interests more visible, encourage children to revisit their learning, and enhance literacy learning.
Since 2013, teachers have significantly improved the quality of planning and assessment practices. Examples of high quality practices include learning stories that affirm:
Teachers fortnightly share what they and families know about individual children and develop plans to extend their learning. These plans often focus on continuing to provide resources. A useful next step for teachers would be to identify strategies to foster children’s in-depth exploration of learning and interests in a variety of curriculum areas.
The head teacher has developed a more open, collaborative and consultative style of leadership. This is contributing to a positive team culture, where team members’ strengths, interests and passions are valued and extended for the benefit of the kindergarten community.
Professional leaders employed by the trust provide strong and professional support for the head teacher and teaching team. This includes ongoing high quality coaching, mentoring and professional development opportunities. The professional leaders and head teacher have placed a strong emphasis on building leadership capacity. This has assisted the development of:
The professional leader and teaching team have identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps for the team are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Central Kids Kindergartens - Arohanui 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 Central Kids Kindergartens - Arohanui will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
12 January 2016
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 |
Tokoroa |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5164 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
48 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 24 Girls 24 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other European Cook Island Indian Other |
23 18 3 2 1 1 |
|
|
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 |
November 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
12 January 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
July 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 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 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.