225 Riddell Road, Glendowie, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Glendowie Kindergarten is a well-established service located close to Glendowie Primary. It is licensed for up to 40 children over the age of two years and offers four hour sessions.
Teachers reflect the diverse community, are long serving and well experienced. All teachers are qualified and registered. The head teacher oversees daily programmes and kindergarten operations. Four support staff assist teachers with programmes and administration.
The kindergarten's philosophy is based on whanaungatanga, fostering trusting relationships with children and their whānau, and valuing the learning community. It is guided by the newly revised Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The partnership principle of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a key aspect of the philosophy.
The positive features identified in the 2015 ERO report have been maintained. They included children's strong sense of belonging, and programmes that enhanced children's interests and knowledge about environmentally sustainable practices. Teachers have addressed ERO's recommendations regarding deepening their understanding of bicultural practices.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA). The AKA has a range of specialist personnel who assist teachers with curriculum, management and property matters. There continues to be a period of change for staff as they adapt to changes in AKA’s operational practices, leadership and management.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children and their whānau are welcomed into the kindergarten. They have a strong sense of belonging and are able to build a trusting relationship with teachers and other adults in the kindergarten.
Children are confident and socially competent. They show care for the environment and have an awareness of things around them. Children have fun and are actively engaged in their play and activities teachers provide. They know they are valued contributors in the learning programme and teachers proudly display children's work.
Teachers know children well and are interested in what they have to say. They support children well in their oral language development, in a print rich environment. Teachers show a willingness to learn other languages. Children's diverse cultures are valued and shared in the inclusive programme.
Children have developed an awareness of te ao Māori. Māori worldviews, stories and resources are explicitly evident in the environment. Teachers deliberately plan and weave together the Maori worldviews and enviro-school programme. Kaupapa Māori concepts such as manaakitanga, wairuatanga, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga are integral to curriculum decisions and plans.
Teachers work well together and sensitively support children in their play and learning. There is a purposeful focus on extending children's play. They use children's curiosity and inquiry to inform the programme and provide high quality support and resources.
Teachers have established strong partnerships with parents. Teachers are responsive to parents' aspirations and have used internal evaluation to help strengthen these partnerships. Parents have opportunities to contribute to decisions about their children's learning and development.
The AKA has useful processes for supporting teachers' ongoing professional development and supporting teachers' interests. AKA has specific processes for ensuring that children with additional needs receive appropriate learning support. They have good systems in place to support children and whānau with health and wellbeing needs.
Kindergarten operations are guided by a comprehensive kindergarten plan and a shared vision that are linked to AKA strategic goals. A Quality Improvement Process (QIP) also aligns with AKA and kindergarten strategic plans. The AKA continues to review its management and leadership structure and to improve consistency and coherence across internal evaluation, quality assurance and improvement systems, and strategic planning.
A useful next step that teachers have identified is to explore further ways of encouraging children to plan their own learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Glendowie 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 Glendowie Kindergarten will be in four years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
21 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 |
Glendowie, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10210 |
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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 over the age of 2 years |
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Service roll |
54 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 31 Boys 23 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
21 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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Education Review |
October 2011 |
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Education Review |
October 2008 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Glendowie Kindergarten is located next to Glendowie Primary School, Auckland, and provides education and care for up to 40 children over two years of age. The centre offers the Kindergarten Day Model (KDM) where children attend sessions that match school hours, but also allows some children to attend for mornings only. The Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA) as the umbrella organisation provides effective management and governance. A professional services manager (PSM) provides management and curriculum support for teachers.
The kindergarten philosophy places a high value on environmental sustainability, on relationships with the kindergarten’s community and on developing children’s social competence. Its curriculum is underpinned by the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Since becoming a KDM model in January 2013, one part time teacher has been employed. Teachers are supported by a part-time administrator and teacher aides. A parent committee strongly supports the team with fundraising and social events.
The kindergarten’s 2011 ERO report noted that positive relationships, confident children and provision of an inclusive environment were strengths of the centre. The report also noted the need for continuing development in the quality of programme planning, assessment and evaluation procedures, and in the use of Ka Hikitia, the Ministry of Education Māori Strategy. Very good progress has been made in these areas
This review was part of a cluster of 10 kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children are competent, confident and sociable learners. Children and their families demonstrate a strong sense of belonging to the centre. They are warmly welcomed, settle quickly and choose from the wide variety of activities offered. They are highly engaged in their activities and have many opportunities to explore the inviting environment.
Teachers collaboratively plan a programme that enhances children’s interests and extends their knowledge and understanding of environmentally sustainable practices. The curriculum is based on promoting respectful, responsive relationships. Teachers are increasing bicultural practices during children’s play and these practices are also evident in the centre’s enviroschools programme. Walks to local parks are a feature of the kindergarten. There are many opportunities for children to participate in rich literacy, mathematics and science experiences.
Teachers are implementing a variety of strategies to deepen children’s thinking and exploration of the world around them. They are increasing children’s knowledge and understanding of their current interests through a ‘wonder wall’, where teachers record questions children are wondering about as topics for further inquiry.
Teachers know children and their families very well. Teachers highly value partnerships with parents and see these as the foundation to children’s life-long learning. They have established positive relationships with the local school and this enhances children’s experiences as they transition to school. There are good relationships with outside agencies to support children with diverse learning needs. Teachers continue to build relationships with the local iwi and marae.
The teaching team is collaborative and reflective. They have developed a useful strategic plan that is underpinned by the AKA strategic goals and focused on outcomes for children. Parents have opportunities to contribute to the centre direction and have given very positive feedback on its goals. Parents speak highly of the teaching team and the positive impact that they have on children’s learning.
The kindergarten community is culturally diverse. Teachers cater for children with a wide variety of abilities and ethnicities. Teachers and children celebrate a variety of cultural festivities. The centre provides well for children with diverse needs.
Self review is well established and informs centre planning. Teachers have identified that they would like to continue to develop the usefulness of their self review by evaluating the impact their teaching practices have on outcomes for children.
The Auckland Kindergarten Association continues to promote positive strategies which include professional learning and development that strengthens teachers’ skills, knowledge and practice. Distributed leadership and sharing of expertise among kindergarten teaching teams are also promoted, and the sharing of knowledge and expertise within the association is encouraged. Association leaders are currently reviewing the appraisal process and continue to explore appropriate ways to support teachers to deliver high quality outcomes for children.
The teachers, the PSM and ERO agree that key next steps for the kindergarten could include teachers:
Before the review, the staff and management of Glendowie 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:
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 Glendowie Kindergarten will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
11 March 2015
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.
|
Location |
Glendowie, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10210 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
56 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 32 Girls 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Japanese other |
3 42 4 7 |
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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 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2014 |
||
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Date of this report |
11 March 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
December 2005 |
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.