Country Kids

Education institution number:
10172
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
50
Telephone:
Address:

302 Henderson Valley Road, Henderson, Auckland

View on map

Country Kids​

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Country Kids is a privately owned service, located in a semi-rural setting in Henderson Valley. A centre director and a centre manager lead a team of eight qualified teachers and five unqualified staff. At the time of the review, a quarter of the children enrolled were of Māori or Pacific heritages.

Summary of Review Findings

A philosophy statement guides the service’s operation and expresses its beliefs, values, and attitudes about the provisions of early childhood education and care. The service’s curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts.

The curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

Service leaders need to monitor that compliance with regulatory standards is maintained.

Key Next Step

A key next step is for children to experience science, mathematics and literacy learning through teachers extension of outdoor curriculum experiences. 

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • Ensuring outdoor surfaces are safe and suitable for their intended use (PF5).

  • Ensuring all outdoor play spaces are well drained (PF13).

  • Providing at least one toilet for the use of children which is designed to provide them with a sense of privacy (PF22).

  • Having a first aid kit that complies with the requirements of Appendix one (PF28).

  • Ensuring that equipment and materials are kept hygienic and maintained in good condition (HS1).

  • Securing all heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment to ensure they cannot fall or topple and cause serious injury of damage (HS6).

  • Checking the equipment, premises, and facilities every day of operation for hazards to children, and minimising, isolating, or eliminating any hazards present (HS12).

  • Ensuring that excursion records include parental approval of the adult: child ratio for both regular and special excursions (HS17).

  • Having a record of written authority from parents for the administration of category 1 medication (HS28).

  • Maintaining records of safety checks and their results, which include suitable police vetting and risk assessments of staff (GMA7A).

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following
non-compliance:

  • Having a complaints procedure which contains the contact details of the local Ministry of Education Office (GMA1).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

6 September 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Country Kids

Profile Number

10172

Location

Henderson, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children over the age of 2 years

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

60

Review team on site

June 2023

Date of this report

6 September 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, March 2019; Education Review, April 2015

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation

  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’

  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence

  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership

  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service

  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems

  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Country Kids - 29/03/2019

1 Evaluation of Country Kids

How well placed is Country Kids to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Country Kids is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Country Kids, previously licensed as Old McDonald's Country Kindy, provides education and care for up to 50 children from two years of age to school age. The centre is located in a semi-rural setting adjacent to a farm in Henderson Valley, Auckland. Māori children comprise 23 percent of the roll, which also includes a small group of children with Pacific heritage, and children from other diverse cultural backgrounds.

The centre director works with a head teacher and six other qualified teachers. The teaching team is culturally diverse and has remained stable for many years.

The service's philosophy is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It focuses on family, community and the environment, kaitiakitanga and tūrangawaewae. The director and teaching team are committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They have a strong focus on fostering cultural responsiveness, and on supporting individual children's unique identity and capability. Environmental sustainability is also a feature of the philosophy.

The 2015 ERO report identified good quality practices that have been sustained. It also identified a number of next steps to improve the quality of the programme, leadership and management practices. These aspects have been addressed well through teachers' internal evaluation and quality professional learning. Since 2015, there have been significant developments in the learning environment and the centre's management approaches.

The Review Findings

Children are articulate and confident, and engage in meaningful play. They show high levels of social competence, literacy and numeracy skills, and positive attitudes and dispositions for learning. Children have good opportunities to lead their play, explore, create and express themselves in an engaging environment. Mixed-age groups enable children to interact and play with one another and to establish tuakana/teina relationships. There is good provision to support children with additional learning needs.

Teachers are highly effective practitioners. Their collaboration, responsiveness and care for children, foster positive relationships with parents and children. Teachers have good knowledge about children's strengths, interests, and backgrounds. They use this information well to design a curriculum that is responsive to individual learners.

The learning programme reflects the strengths of the farm environment. It maximises the potential for children to explore, and to fully participate in, a variety of learning experiences that are purposeful and enjoyable. Literacy, mathematics, science and technology learning are skilfully incorporated into children's play. Good processes support children's transition to local schools, and teachers are proactive in strengthening these processes for children.

Previous ERO reports show that teachers' commitment to bicultural practices is an ongoing strength. Mātauranga Māori, tikanga, values and beliefs are meaningfully integrated in the programme. Whānau Māori make a significant contribution to the curriculum. Teachers plan to continue building their capability in te reo me onā tikanga Māori.

Teachers have established strong partnerships with whānau, and value their contributions and aspirations. They use information that parents share about their children to design learning programmes that promote a sense of belonging and celebrate children's cultures. There are good systems and processes for planning, assessment and evaluation. Teachers gather multiple perspectives, and collaborate to plan strategies for enhancing children's learning.

The centre's philosophy is enacted through strong leadership, high expectations and meaningful teaching practices. A clear vision is articulated through the centre's mission statement. Staff have shared understandings about the service's strategic direction. Explicit links are made to Te Whāriki, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Internal evaluation is systematic across all service operations. A relevant policy framework guides practices, and policies are regularly reviewed. Systems and processes for managing resources, finance, property and personnel are robust.

Teachers' professional knowledge, ongoing professional learning and internal evaluation help them to sustain high quality practices, and continually improve outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

The director and teachers have identified high level goals to enhance current practices that include:

  • deepening their understanding of mātauranga Māori, and continuing to build their capability in te reo and tikanga Māori

  • strengthening support for Pacific families' languages and cultural identities

  • exploring ways to deepen partnerships with whānau, and strengthening connections with local schools.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Country Kids 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

29 March 2019

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

Henderson, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

10172

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children aged over 2 years

Service roll

70

Gender composition

Girls 39 Boys 31

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Cook Island Māori
other ethnic groups

16
32
4
18

 

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2019

Date of this report

29 March 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

April 2015

Education Review

April 2012

Education Review

March 2009

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.

Country Kids - 09/04/2015

1 Evaluation of Old MacDonald's Country Kindy

How well placed is Old MacDonald's Country Kindy 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

Old MacDonald’s Country Kindy provides education and care for up to 50 children over two years old. The centre is located in a semi-rural setting in Henderson Valley, Auckland. Children and teachers come from a number of cultural backgrounds and children with special needs are included in all aspects of the programme.

Since taking ownership of the centre in 2014, the owner has begun reviewing policies and procedures. The new owner works collaboratively with the head teacher and the administrator to oversee the operational and administration aspects of the centre.

The kindergarten’s philosophy values child-focused learning through play in a rural setting. High priority is placed on providing an environment that supports this.

The curriculum is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The 2012 ERO report noted that the learning environment, partnership with families, teaching and learning and leadership and management were strengths. The report also identified programme planning, documenting assessment and self review as areas for development. Good progress has been made in these areas.

The Review Findings

Old MacDonald’s Country Kindy provides good quality education and care for children. Children are supported to be confident and competent learners who lead their own learning. They enjoy mixed-age play in indoor and outdoor spaces. They participate in imaginative play, build friendships and share ideas through their interactions with peers and with teachers.

Children and families/whānau are welcomed into the centre. Parents are welcome to stay for periods of time to support their children in the programme.

Children enjoy spaces to play both indoors and in the outdoor environment. Teachers could review the quality of play areas to increase the level of sustained and collaborative play. More discrete areas of play could invite children to play for longer and engage them in more challenging learning and problem solving.

Teachers work collaboratively to ensure children are supported in their play. They are positive with children. Teachers work as a cohesive team to provide a programme aimed at engaging all children including children who need extra support and care.

The curriculum shows clear links to the centre’s goals. Teachers document individual children’s interests and group learning. They use evaluations for further planning to cater for children’s interests. Teachers could now record children’s emerging interests and share these with parents. Although children and parents have access to their online portfolios, teachers should consider how children can access stories so they can revisit their learning.

Parents and whānau speak positively about the centre and the care their children receive from teachers. They enjoy connecting with teachers who encourage them to support their children to use self-help skills. Parents offer to support the centre by leading in areas of the programme such as the bicultural curriculum. Good support and information is provided for parents whose children transition to school through the centre’s Te Puawai transition to school programme.

The owner has recently begun to review policies, centre systems and procedures. She is continuing to build stronger partnerships with parents focusing on deliberate cultural connections. She has established good systems for the smooth running of the day to day operations. The owner could now consider seeking external expertise to establish clear leadership and management goals for the curriculum.

Key Next Steps

The centre manager and ERO agree that the key next steps to improve outcomes for children include:

  • improving the environment layout, including making better use of wall display areas, to better support children’s cognitive engagement and curiosity
  • continuing to develop programme planning and evaluation practices.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Old MacDonald's Country Kindy 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 Old MacDonald's Country Kindy will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

9 April 2015

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

Henderson, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

10172

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

74

Gender composition

Girls 39 Boys 35

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Latin American

Indian

Samoan

other Asian

17

49

3

2

1

1

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

January 2015

Date of this report

9 April 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

March 2012

 

Education Review

March 2009

 

Education Review

June 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.