Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street

Education institution number:
5167
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
37
Telephone:
Address:

42 Clyde Street, Tokoroa

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Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street - 10/10/2016

1 Evaluation of Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street

How well placed is Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street operates under the umbrella of the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust (CNIKT). The kindergarten is licensed for 30 children from two years to school age. A high percentage of children enrolled are from Māori and Cook Island Māori families. The kindergarten is open from 8.45 am to 2.45 pm, five days a week.

The 2013 ERO report found that the kindergarten placed a strong emphasis on building positive relationships within a family-like atmosphere. Children were settled, confident and secure in the kindergarten environment. This report also found that there was a need to improve assessment, planning and evaluation practices along with appraisal and self review. Since the previous ERO review the teaching team has remained the same. The kindergarten has engaged in professional development to improve positive guidance strategies and the integration of early mathematics learning. Teachers have also undertaken individual learning inquiries in areas of personal professional interest. The kindergarten's philosophy is currently being reviewed.

The kindergarten is well supported by the CNIKT's vision, expected educational outcomes, and values. The Trust defines strategies for delivering the principles and strands of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, and for respecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It works positively to provide equitable opportunities for families. The Trust employs professional leaders to monitor compliance with regulatory requirements and recognised best early childhood education practice at each kindergarten. It is expected that professional leaders will work alongside head teachers to support their leadership roles, provide guidance, and mentor teachers as part of the appraisal process. Kindergarten teachers have generous provision to attend professional development opportunities to grow their teaching and leadership skills.

The Trust has undertaken a long-term review of teacher appraisal in consultation with teachers. This is enabling them to respond to the expectations of the Education Council and increase the depth of teachers’ reflections about their practice. The Trust has also responded effectively to the Vulnerable Children’s Act, and is well placed to complete required changes to policies and practices for the protection of children.

This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust.

The Review Findings

Children and families at Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street continue to benefit from high quality, warm, and respectful relationships with kindergarten staff. Teachers know children and families well, and are in tune with their interests allowing them to direct their own play for sustained periods of time. Children from a variety of cultural backgrounds and with diverse needs are readily included in the programme. Positive guidance strategies are well established. There has been a recent emphasis on increasing the use of te reo Māori along with other communication strategies such as sign language. Teaching staff represent the family heritages of Māori and Cook Island Māori children at the kindergarten and naturally extend their home languages. Teachers continue to maintain a calm, settled, atmosphere where children feel confident about selecting and managing their own play experiences and routines.

The attractive and spacious learning environment is well designed to promote exploration, physical challenge, construction and dramatic play. Wall displays reflect multi-cultural and multi-lingual family backgrounds along with children’s work. The entrance area is particularly welcoming to families from different cultural heritages. Landscaping includes native plantings, Māori perspectives and food gardens.

A positive culture of child-led, co-operative, uninterrupted play is well established. Teachers have had recent upskilling in Raukawa history and traditions to increase possibilities for incorporating local Māori customs and stories within the programme. The introduction of a digital platform for sharing learning stories and other information with parents assists families to contribute comments about children's personal interests and learning.

The head teacher is a strong advocate for children and families from the local community and places continual emphasis on maintaining a welcoming atmosphere at the kindergarten. She provides affirming feedback to teachers about their practices and performance. The teaching team works together well to ensure the programme reflects their professional priorities. Self review is beginning to include consultation with parents.

There is a need to strengthen the Trust's professional support for this service. ERO requested an action plan to show how the Trust, as the governing authority, will support the service in addressing the identified key next steps. ERO will request progress updates against this plan.

Key Next Steps

ERO identifies the need for the Trust to provide guidance and ongoing monitoring and mentoring in the following areas:

  • developing, documenting and implementing clear, shared expectations for assessment, planning and evaluation including the use of child and parent perspectives

  • providing for the learning needs of all children, while continuing to implement strategies for including children with diverse needs within the daily programme according to stated goals in their individual education plans

  • extending opportunities for children to engage in complex learning through play, including the continual integration of literacy, mathematics and science within the programme

  • further implementation of the appraisal process to include more robust and constructive feedback about teaching practices and inquiry processes in relation to Education Council requirements

  • clear documentation of evidence to support appraisal and registration endorsement processes

  • aligning professional development and self review to strategic focuses, including the development areas identified in this report

  • ensuring that self-review procedures result in improved and sustained positive outcomes for children.

Since ERO was on site, an appropriate action plan has been developed and implementation has started. This plan is aligned to the next steps in this ERO report.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street 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 Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

10 October 2016

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Tokoroa

Ministry of Education profile number

5167

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, aged over 2

Service roll

35

Gender composition

Boys 19 Girls 16

Ethnic composition

Māori

Cook Island Māori

Pākehā

Tongan

19

8

6

2

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

August 2016

Date of this report

10 October 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

July 2013

Education Review

October 2010

Supplementary Review

October 2007

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.

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.

Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street - 05/07/2013

1 Evaluation of Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street

How well placed is Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Central Kids Kindergartens – Clyde Street is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street, located in Tokoroa, provides education and care for children from two years to school age in a school-day programme. The kindergarten is licensed for 30 children, and at the time of this review had a roll of 45. There are 18 children identified as Māori who whakapapa to a range of different iwi. In addition, there is a significant number of children from Pacific backgrounds including seven of Cook Island descent. The ethnicity of the current teaching staff reflects the multi-cultural nature of the kindergarten and the community. The kindergarten operates under the umbrella of the Central North Island Kindergarten Trust, (known as Central Kids). Its philosophy places strong priority on building positive relationships among people, and recognising significant places and taonga in the local community.

Since the 2010 ERO review there has been one change in the teaching staff. Central Kids have funded significant improvements to the indoor and outdoor environments, including landscaping of the playground, refurbishing the kitchen and foyer, and creating a new staff work area. Teachers have engaged in a wide range of professional learning and development opportunities that support the kindergarten’s focus on building children’s social competencies.

The kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO.

This review was part of a cluster of 13 reviews in the Central Kids umbrella organisation.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from participating in a programme that is responsive to their emerging interests. Teachers’ recent professional development is supporting them to empower children to be independent, solve their own problems, and develop persistence and resilience. ERO observed:

  • caring relationships among teachers and children
  • teachers involving themselves in play alongside children
  • teachers commenting and conversing with children about their everyday lives
  • children who were settled, confident and secure in the kindergarten environment.

Teachers have reviewed the way the learning environment supports and sustains children’s play. They ensure children have access to a wide range of attractively presented resources and equipment. Children’s achievements are celebrated through wall displays that acknowledge their early literacy skills. The indoor areas are welcoming and inviting for parents and children, and reflect the kindergarten’s philosophy of building strong relationships with whānau. Teachers place priority on establishing a home-like environment for children and their families.

Programme priorities include the natural integration of literacy and mathematics in children’s play, environmental sustainability, and supporting children’s cultural identity. Teachers share children’s involvement in the programme in a range of ways including stories and photographs displayed on walls, and in individual portfolios. Resources and activities include the use of te reo and Pacific languages, stories and objects that reflect the cultures of the Pacific, and pepeha from whānau to share their whakapapa.

The head teacher knows the local community well and is knowledgeable about Māori and Pacific cultures. She models effective teaching practice and is responsive to the needs of teachers, children and their families. The head teacher has accessed a wide range of external expertise to support teachers and the ongoing development of the kindergarten. She provides many opportunities for teachers and parents to develop their leadership skills and share their expertise with children, and leads a wide range of self-review processes to bring about improvement.

The trust is supportive of the kindergarten. The professional leader from Central Kids has a long-standing association with the kindergarten and provides the head teacher and teachers with support and guidance. Comprehensive policy guidelines assist staff to meet regulatory requirements and the Central Kids’ standards and expectations.

As part of this review, ERO evaluated the effectiveness of the kindergarten’s responsibilities for the employment and management of staff. Central Kids have developed and implemented highly effective processes to manage and appoint staff.

Key Next Steps

At the time of this ERO review, the head teacher was in the early stages of reviewing assessment, planning and evaluation practices. ERO and the kindergarten leaders agree that the next step is to develop useful and manageable processes to notice, recognise and respond to children’s’ learning. This development should be prioritised in the annual plan, and the new assessment processes linked to teacher professional development, appraisal and self review.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street 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 Central Kids Kindergartens - Clyde Street will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region

5 July 2013

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

Tokoroa

Ministry of Education profile number

5167

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

45

Gender composition

Girls 24

Boys 21

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Cook Island Māori

Samoan

Indian

18

18

7

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

May 2013

Date of this report

5 July 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

October 2010

 

Supplementary Review

October 2007

 

Education Review

August 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 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.