29 Kenney Crescent, Fairfield, Hamilton
View on mapERO’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.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Fairfield Kindergarten operates under the umbrella of the Waikato Kindergarten Association. In December 2018, ERO found the kindergarten to be requiring further development in matters relating to Health and Safety. Since the last review a new head teacher has been appointed and there have been some changes to the teaching team.
Children are supported to be confident and competent learners. Their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Teachers providing education and care engage in meaningful and positive interactions and nurture reciprocal relationships. An ongoing process of internal evaluation helps the service maintain and improve the quality of education and care.
The curriculum has been recently reviewed and is consistent with Te Whāriki. A wide range of experiences and opportunities enhances children’s learning and development. Suitable human resource practices are implemented.
A system is in place to ensure that equipment, premises and facilities are checked daily for hazards.
Since the on-site visit the service has provided ERO evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
documentation of the current Fire Evacuation Scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service. (HS4)
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
11 September 2020
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Fairfield Kindergarten |
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Profile Number |
5140 |
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Location |
Hamilton |
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Service type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 0 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
58 |
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Gender composition |
Female 29 Male 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 22 |
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Review team on site |
August 2020 |
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Date of this report |
11 September 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, December 2018 |
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.
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Requires further development
Waikato Kindergarten Association systems and processes to guide all kindergarten operations need to be fully implemented and monitored. To improve outcomes for children priority should be given to:
ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements
implementing robust internal evaluation
strengthening leader and teacher capability.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fairfield Kindergarten located in Hamilton, is licensed for 45 children. The kindergarten offers both full and part-day education and care to children from two years to school age. At the time of this ERO review 42 children were enrolled, including 27 who identify as Māori and six from Pacific nations.
The kindergarten is one of 29 kindergartens that operate under the Waikato Kindergarten Association (WKA), which is a charitable trust. The strategic direction of the association is guided by the overarching statement, ‘Our children are strong in heart, head and hand’. The WKA has a commitment to providing quality, inclusive services that effectively meet the diverse educational needs of all children attending. Advice, guidance and support is provided to the organisation by a kaumātua from Tainui.
All kindergartens in the WKA are involved in a ‘Cool 4 School’ transition programme and sustainable education, environment and health programmes such as Enviroschools and Sport Waikato 'Under 5 Energise'. The kindergartens’ education, operational and administrative responsibilities are supported by experienced association personnel.
The kindergarten’s philosophy is currently under review. Teachers aim to create a collaborative culture where the contributions of parents and whānau and valued. They are committed to honouring the Treaty of Waitangi, creating authentic links to te ao Māori and providing a programme that respects tikanga and Māori world views.
A new head teacher was appointed in 2017 and most of the teaching team have been at the kindergarten for over three years.
This review was part of a cluster of three reviews in the Waikato Kindergarten Association.
Relationships between teachers, children and their whānau are warm and affirming. A key teacher approach supports positive transitions into the kindergarten particularly for younger children. Use of positive guidance strategies effectively builds children’s social competence and co-operation. There is a need to develop individual plans for children with challenging behaviours to support their overall wellbeing and engagement.
A new approach to planning is now focused on individual children. Children with additional learning needs also have individual plans developed with parents, teachers and external agencies. Strengthening assessment and planning is required to ensure that it is linked to children's interests, learning outcomes and shows progress and increasing complexity of learning over time.
Aspects of the kindergarten curriculum support play and learning. A spacious outdoor environment encourages challenge and risk taking. It supports children's exploration in the natural world, particularly through gardening. Regular excursions into the local and wider community and visitors to the kindergarten enrich children's learning. Te reo Māori is naturally integrated and a whānau atmosphere encourages older children to take care of younger ones. Leaders and teachers now need to deepen their understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and strengthen its implementation at all levels.
The head teacher is new to her role and is well connected to the local community. A strategic approach to strengthening transitions to school has been established. The needs of whānau are well considered in decision making and resourcing. A range of strategies are used to gather whānau voice to inform the development of a shared philosophy.
The education service manager (ESM) works closely with the head teacher and provide well-informed professional leadership to support kindergarten operation. The WKA has recently reviewed its teacher appraisal process. Ensuring this new process is fully implemented is a priority for ESMs.
The WKA provides comprehensive systems, policies and procedures to guide kindergarten practice. Teachers have access to ongoing and targeted professional development to promote improved practice and contribute to positive outcomes for children.
The key next step for leaders and teachers is to:
implement systems and processes to ensure a safe learning environment
establish robust internal evaluation to inform planning and continuous improvement
further support and professional learning and development in Te Whāriki to:
strengthen implementation of the appraisal system. This will include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Fairfield 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
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
secure heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment that could topple and cause harm
carry out relevant emergency drills with children on an at least a three-monthly basis
strengthen documentation and practices around children's sleep
implement a documented risk management system that records the on-going daily checking of equipment, premises and facilities for hazards to children. Ensure hazards to the safety of children are eliminated, isolated or minimised.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS6, HS8, HS9, HS12]
ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Fairfield Kindergarten will be within two years.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
21 December 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 |
Hamilton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5140 |
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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 |
45 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 27 Girls 20 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
28 |
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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 |
21 December 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
April 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2007 |
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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.