Concord Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5492
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
27
Telephone:
Address:

93 Mulford Street, Concord, Dunedin

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Concord Kindergarten - 25/02/2020

1 Evaluation of Concord Kindergarten

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Concord Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Concord Kindergarten provides early childhood education for children aged two years old to school age. It is licensed for 40 children and currently has a roll of 30. Sessions operate from 8.30am to 2.30pm.

Teachers aim to support children to develop their capabilities in building and managing positive relationships, oral language, active movement, creativity and discovery. They seek to achieve this through welcoming and reciprocal relationships in which, families' and whānau ideas and aspirations for their children are responded to.

The teaching team has made good progress in addressing the areas for development identified in the kindergarten's November 2015 ERO report. These included building teachers' understanding and implementation of self review, improving aspects of planning and assessment of individual children's learning, and evaluation of group planning.

Concord Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens governed by Dunedin Kindergartens (DK). Day-to-day operations are led by a head teacher, with the support of two experienced, qualified teachers and a teacher aide. A senior teacher from DK provides support for professional and operational practice.

This review was part of a cluster of 11 DK kindergartens reviewed at the end of 2019.

The Review Findings

Children learn in a calm, responsive and positive learning environment. Teachers know the children and their families well. They are attuned to children's needs and dispositions. Teachers manage the kindergarten learning programme, including routines, so that these are flexible and responsive to children's needs and interests.

Children are well supported to practise and develop the capabilities identified in the kindergarten's priorities for learning. These priorities effectively guide the planning and delivery of the curriculum. Children have many daily opportunities to experience these. They are well known, understood, visible and reflect children's needs. Teachers deliberately manage the environment and their interactions with children, to promote these learning outcomes. Useful links have been created between these learning priorities, teachers' appraisals, professional learning, and internal evaluation. Concepts valued by Māori, while evident in the programme, have not yet been made explicit to children and their families.

Children's health and wellbeing are fostered through intentional partnerships and teaching practices. Productive partnerships, such as teachers working closely with parents, the community, local schools and specialists promote positive outcomes for children. Teachers deliberately engage parents in discussions about their child's wellbeing and learning. Teachers use external experts to guide them and parents about strategies to best support the learning and wellbeing of children with additional needs. These purposeful collaborations ensure that there is shared understanding of approaches.

Teachers' processes for assessment and planning for children's learning effectively support the intended learning. Children's learning and the intentional teaching strategies to support this, are clearly identified. Learning stories show parents' knowledge of their children and aspirations for their learning. Children's progress over time can be seen, as well as planning for future learning.

Internal evaluation supports improvements in teaching and learning. Teachers ensure the process is aligned to the kindergarten's priorities for children's learning. Internal evaluation processes to support improvements could be extended through further collection and analysis of information to make them more meaningful. This should include the use of good practice indicators. Strategic planning alignment to key aspects of centre practice could be strengthened.

The board of DK has made good progress in addressing the governance recommendations from ERO's 2015-2016 reviews. DK's mission and strategic priorities are well known and reflected in each kindergarten's strategic and annual plans. It has a sound policy and procedure framework that provides guidance for kindergartens and sound systems to monitor health and safety. Leaders and teachers benefit from relevant professional development and leadership support. DK actively supports equity of outcomes for all children by funding additional teaching resources to support children with additional needs.

Key Next Steps

The kindergarten's strategic planning is predominantly focused on resourcing. This planning would be more useful if the focus was more directly on teaching and learning. Direct alignment with other key processes, such as teachers' appraisal and internal evaluation would strengthen the kindergarten's achievement of its strategic goals.

Many concepts valued by Māori underpin the curriculum in practice. These could be more explicitly represented within the documented curriculum.

Aspects of planned internal evaluation should be strengthened, better reflecting the DK guidelines.

The DK board has clearly identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps for DK to further improve outcomes for children are to ensure that:

  • reporting and monitoring at all levels are evaluative, to clearly show how desired outcomes for children have been improved in relation to DK's and kindergartens' priorities for learning and other strategic priorities

  • a robust and systematic quality assurance framework is implemented to inform and monitor ongoing improvements in each kindergarten.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Concord 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

25 February 2020

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

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

5492

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children aged 2 and above

Service roll

30

Gender composition

Male 17

Female 13

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

4
24
2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

N/A

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

December 2019

Date of this report

25 February 2020

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

November 2015

Education Review

September 2012

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed

  • Well placed

  • Requires further development

  • Not well placed

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.

Concord Kindergarten - 17/11/2015

 1 Evaluation of Concord Kindergarten

How well placed is Concord Kindergarten 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

Teachers have a strong focus on supporting children to be ‘fit for learning’ at Concord Kindergarten. The philosophy is well considered and carefully designed. It is clearly evident in practice. Within the philosophy there are stated priorities for children’s learning. These are:

  • relationships

  • focus on numeracy and literacy

  • active movement

  • creativity

  • discovery.

The kindergarten provides food, clothing and links with local support agencies to enable the above.

Since the 2012 ERO review a new head teacher has been appointed. She, along with the other teachers, form an experienced teaching team.

Teachers value and nurture parent and whānau involvement in the kindergarten community. Many children who attend follow parents’ and grandparents’ connections with the kindergarten. An active parent committee raises funds for new equipment. Teachers provide opportunities for parents to meet socially through their children’s learning.

Many aspects of the 2012 ERO review recommendations have been worked on. Some continue to be work in progress.

Concord Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens operating under the Dunedin Kindergarten Association (DK). The kindergarten provides a mixed-age programme for children aged from two to five years from 8:30am to 2:30pm each day. This review was part of a cluster of 24 kindergarten reviews in the DK.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from the genuine partnerships between teachers and parents and the strong focus teachers and parents have on learning. Parents and whānau are comfortable to stay and play alongside their children for sustained periods of time. They are encouraged to contribute to the daily programme and the long-term planning for their children.

Children play and learn in a safe and caring environment. Teachers deliberately work to develop trusting, caring relationships among children. Younger children are confident and are well supported within the programme. Children have developed close friendships. They play well together and alongside each other.

Teachers know the children and their families well and respond to children’s interests and needs.

Recently a useful system has been developed to gather parents’ ideas for their child’s learning. This includes ‘catch-up’ sheets and in-depth conversations with parents each term. Children’s profile books show the richness of their experiences throughout their time at kindergarten. Documenting how teachers will further develop children’s learning could be strengthened.

Well thought-out group plans show goals for children’s learning and possible strategies and activities to achieve these. The planning is closely linked to the philosophy. Teachers make learning fun for children and skilfully interweave oral language, creativity, literacy and numeracy with developing social and physical skills. ERO observed a particularly strong focus on numeracy in all aspects of the programme.

Teachers provide carefully considered activities to support oral language development. Children take part in many small-group sessions, including songs, stories, puppetry and drama. Children benefit from a wide variety of authentic learning experiences, such as building on site, excursions and visitors.

Māori dimensions are interwoven throughout the daily programme. Matariki celebrations are important to this kindergarten and members of the community are invited to share their knowledge and skills at this time. These celebrations help strengthen the kindergarten’s place in the community and expand teachers’ knowledge base.

Teachers are developing their understanding of self review. The association has provided them with a useful format to support self review. Positive changes have been made but this is an area for further development.

The vision of the DK is to provide excellence in early childhood education for all children. The DK is governed by a board and managed by a long-serving general manager. The kindergarten teachers told ERO they appreciated the support they receive from the association and the advice and guidance of the senior teachers.

The board, general manager and senior teachers:

  • provide appropriate opportunities for parents and staff to contribute their ideas about matters in the association

  • are responsive to the identified needs of children and families within the association, and provide funding and support to enable these to be met

  • have developed a useful framework to guide their work

  • take all reasonable steps to ensure safe environments for children, teachers and staff

  • maintain their professional learning and provide ongoing professional learning for teachers in the association.

Key Next Steps

Teachers’ understanding and implementation of self review has been identified by the senior teacher as an area for further development. ERO agrees with this.

Planning and assessing for individuals need to show in more detail how teachers are responding to parents’ aspirations. Records also need to consistently show continuity of learning, children’s progress over time and the supporting role of teachers.

Currently the end-of-term group plan reflections are mainly descriptive. These would be more useful if teachers focused on evaluating the quality of teaching and learning rather than describing what happened.

Next steps for the board, with the support of the general manger and senior teachers, are to:

  • continue to define what excellence in education looks like in the DK

  • further develop strategic planning to better show future goals and priorities and how these will be achieved in the association and in the kindergartens

  • ensure that the reports they receive show how well the association's vision and goals are met, are evaluative and inform future planning

  • continue to strengthen the appraisal process and be assured that appraisals are rigorous and consistent throughout the kindergartens.

With the appointment of a new senior teacher it is timely for the board and general manager to review the role of the senior teachers and strengthen systems to ensure consistent, high-quality practice across all kindergartens within the association.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

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

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

5492

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children over 2 years of age

Service roll

31

Gender composition

Boys: 20

Girls:  11

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Indian
Asian

  3
26
  1
  1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

N/A

 

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

October 2015

Date of this report

17 November 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2012

Education Review

May 2009

Education Review

May 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.