12 Arun Street, Oamaru
View on mapAkarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Edna McCulloch Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakawhanake Sustaining Whakaū Embedding |
Edna McCulloch Kindergarten is one of five kindergartens in the Oamaru Kindergarten Association (OKA). Children who attend are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, almost a quarter of whom are Māori, and there is a small number of Pacific children. A general manager and senior teacher support the head teacher and teaching team. The kindergarten has made good progress in relation to assessment, planning and evaluation practices, as identified in the 2018 ERO report.
Children are affirmed as individuals. They have many opportunities to learn within a rich, culturally responsive curriculum. Teachers work very effectively with children and whānau to support their wellbeing and transition to school. They identify and remove barriers to support children’s full participation in the curriculum. The kindergarten’s learning priorities of:
whanaungatanga - relationships and sense of family connection
manaakitanga - care and respect
maia - brave, capable, and confident
are strongly reflected in the curriculum and through teacher interactions.
Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are well integrated into the daily curriculum. Learning experiences support children to learn about the dual heritages of Aotearoa New Zealand and contribute to Māori children knowing that their cultural heritage is valued.
Learning priorities are well embedded within the curriculum and align to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. These priorities inform assessment, planning and evaluation. Assessment records show children’s learning is intentionally extended over time. While teachers engage in regular conversations with whānau about their children’s learning, they are yet to make whānau aspirations evident in learning documentation.
A deliberate approach is in place to build leadership capability within and across Oamaru Kindergartens. This has enabled the board, managers and teaching teams to effectively implement the association’s strategic vision and goals. Each teaching team benefits from ongoing mentoring and guidance provided by the association.
Internal evaluation processes are embedding. Improvements and outcomes from evaluations are regularly reported to the board. While quality indicators are evident, they are not yet used purposefully to guide the evaluation process, and to inform data analysis and actions taken. Deepening the teaching teams’ use of effective internal evaluation is now required.
The board and leaders are future focused and provide a range of initiatives that enable families and communities to participate in the kindergarten. Useful systems and processes guide the operation and management of the kindergarten. Effective processes are in place to monitor that licensing requirements are being met.
Edna McCulloch Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
More deliberately use the information gathered from whānau about their aspirations for their child’s learning to inform planning and assessment.
Make better use of indicators of best practice through all stages of internal evaluation. Ensure reporting is evaluative and consistently focused on outcomes for children and shifts in practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Edna McCulloch Kindergarten completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Heavy equipment that could fall and cause serious injury or damage (HS6).
The procedure people should follow should they wish to complain about non-compliances with the Regulations or licensing criteria should include details of the local Ministry of Education office (GMA1).
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
15 June 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Edna McCulloch Kindergarten |
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Profile Number |
5485 |
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Location |
Oamaru |
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Service type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Number licensed for |
40 children aged over 2 years |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
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Service roll |
51 |
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Review team on site |
March, 2023 |
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Date of this report |
15 June 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, January 2015 |
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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.
Edna McCulloch Kindergarten is located in Oamaru. It is one of five kindergartens in the Oamaru Kindergarten Association (OKA). In response to growing demand in the community, the kindergarten has extended its license number and now caters for up to 40 children. The children and whānau come from a range of diverse ethnicities, particularly Tongan and Māori.
Since the 2015 review, there has been a change in head teacher and some of the teaching team. The head teacher is funded by the OKA to work alongside the Ministry of Education as an early intervention teacher across other kindergartens. She provides support to children and families with additional learning needs. Two teachers shared the role of acting head teacher during this time.
An external Education Services Manager (ESM) supports professional practice in the team. The OKA oversees the governance and management of the kindergarten. Since the 2015 ERO report, the head teacher and teachers have made good progress on the areas identified for further development.
This review was part of a cluster of five reviews in the OKA.
Teachers intentionally focus on building respectful and reciprocal relationships with children and their whānau. They authentically integrate aspects of children's language, culture and identity into the programme, environment and teaching practice, especially for those with Māori and Tongan heritage. This supports children and whānau to develop a sense of belonging to the kindergarten. These factors are promoting positive outcomes for all children.
Teachers have clearly identified curriculum priorities in collaboration with whānau. These are promoted and valued in the programme, and include:
respect
relationships
self-belief
diversity.
Children benefit from a broad range of curriculum opportunities to extend their play and learning. With the head teacher's expertise and the support of external agencies, children with additional needs are well catered for. Teachers usefully share assessment information with local schools to promote a positive transition to school for children. This supports the school to know children’s strengths and what strategies have been most effective in supporting their learning.
Leaders and teachers regularly make good use of internal evaluation to improve practices and systems. Teachers make effective use of professional learning to critically reflect on and improve practices. They are committed to building culturally responsive practice.
Teachers have a useful system to plan for individual children. Children’s language, identity and culture are highly valued. Teachers clearly identify the learning they are trying to support. They respond to children’s interests and goals through planned experiences and strategies. Teachers are supporting children to increase their sense of agency, through better knowing about their own learning and contributing to their learning goal. Teachers are increasingly seeking and responding to parents' aspirations for their children's learning.
Teachers are embedding a new system for group assessment, planning and evaluation. They need to ensure that the intended learning outcomes and the strategies teachers use to achieve these are clearly stated, and later evaluated.
The OKA effectively supports the kindergarten. It provides a useful strategic and operational framework for the kindergarten's management. There is strong alignment from the OKA strategic priorities to the kindergarten's priorities and plans. The OKA is committed to equity for all children, providing targeted resources to enable participation and inclusion of all children and their whānau. The OKA board is well informed about how well each kindergarten is progressing and contributing to the strategic direction.
The OKA strongly supports ongoing improvement across its kindergartens. It has effective evaluation and assurance practices that inform change and development. The OKA also supports its kindergartens to have constructive partnerships with other agencies and providers. Teacher capability across the OKA is being strengthened through an improved appraisal system.
The key next steps are for leaders and teachers to:
continue to refine processes for assessment, planning and evaluation for groups of children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Edna McCulloch 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:
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.
The next ERO review of Edna McCulloch Kindergarten will be in four years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
15 June 2018
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 |
Oamaru |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5485 |
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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 years |
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Service roll |
57 |
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Gender composition |
Girls: 32 Boys: 25 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10 |
|
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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 |
May 2018 |
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Date of this report |
15 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
January 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2010 |
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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.