160 Arawhata Road, Paraparaumu
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Akarangi | 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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence. Information about Akarangi | Quality Evaluations can be found here.
ERO’s judgements for Grafton Private Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Grafton Private Kindergarten is an early childhood education and care service for children aged two years and over. The owner manages day-to-day operation. Two team leaders have responsibility for teaching and learning. Most teaching staff are long-standing employees. The philosophy highlights the importance of respect, partnership with whānau and appreciation of nature.
The responsive curriculum promotes children’s mana and identity as learners. Positive relationships foster wellbeing. Teachers use a range of effective strategies to encourage children’s participation, problem-solving, and perseverance in learning experiences. The interesting and well-resourced environment invites exploration. An inclusive approach removes barriers to the participation of those requiring additional support. Children are confident and motivated learners. Their play is peaceful and sustained.
Teachers continue to work on developing cultural competence. Significant commitment to study has supported understanding of tikanga Māori. Families’ cultures are celebrated within the learning environment. Pacific resources have been gathered. Links with mana whenua have yet to be established but continue to be sought, to further inform the team’s approach.
An increasingly authentic approach to curriculum design and assessment practice is developing. Children’s ideas and interests form the basis of the enacted programme. Their learning progress is noted in service documentation. Teachers have worked purposefully to identify learning priorities and a localised curriculum. While these priorities are reflected in the programme, they have yet to be sufficiently visible in learning records. Parent partnership in assessment is not yet well established and remains a focus for development. Work to integrate the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and a bicultural perspective, into assessment is at an early stage. Developing a shared understanding and consistency of practice are priorities.
Strong leadership and a well-developed approach to managing operation are evident. Conditions that lead to ongoing improvement are being established. The owner ensures staff have access to appropriate professional learning opportunities to build collective capability. However, there is work to do to embed new learning and build shared understanding linked to priority areas. While a suitable framework to support internal evaluation has been adopted, this is not yet well understood, nor used strategically, to support decision making and measurement of progress toward long-term goals.
Grafton Private Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Grafton Private 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.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education & Care Services 2008, HS17.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
31 January 2022
| Early Childhood Service Name | Grafton Private Kindergarten |
| Profile Number | 60192 |
| Location | Paraparaumu |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
32 children aged two years and over |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
|
Service roll |
57 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 7, NZ European/Pākehā 42, Other ethnicities 8 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
31 January 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018; Education Review, March 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.
Grafton Private Kindergarten is located in Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast. The service has been operating for 25 years. Children and families come from a wide geographical area.
The education and care service is privately owned, operated and managed by the owner. Two team leaders have responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the centre. The service is licensed for up to 32 children aged over two years. Of the 49 children enrolled, 12 are Māori.
The centre philosophy prioritises a learning environment that acknowledges children’s uniqueness, supporting their curiosity and creativity, in partnership with whānau and families. Te ao Māori is central to the service's philosophy and practice. It emphasises whanaungatanga, ako ako, aumangea and manaakitanga.
Areas identified for development in the March 2015 ERO report included: strengthening the quality of assessment, planning, evaluation practices and self review; and further developing te reo Māori and te ao Māori across the curriculum. These have been addressed and good progress is evident.
The recently reviewed philosophy provides a clear vision to guide centre practices and a strong foundation for teaching and learning. The valued learning outcomes are clearly evident in practice.
Children are viewed as competent, confident and curious learners. They are given space and time to develop and test their ideas while accessing a range of open-ended resources. Teachers’ responsive practice and programmes for learning foster children’s opportunities for creative, expressive and imaginative exploration. Social competence and respect for peers are effectively promoted.
The environment effectively promotes children's developing appreciation and care for the natural world and the importance of sustainable practices. Thoughtfully designed spaces encourage children to make choices about their learning. Teachers are attuned to children’s cues and respond meaningfully to support their wellbeing and participation. Science, mathematics and literacy are well promoted and integrated throughout the programme.
The quality of assessment, planning and evaluation has been strengthened. An effective model of assessment is providing teachers with useful information about:
children’s strengths, dispositions and interests
responsive, specific strategies for teacher practice that guide programme planning
learning successes and progress
the effectiveness of the curriculum in promoting children's learning.
A programme planning wall provides valuable information for parents in relation to their child’s learning. A planned review of curriculum is scheduled for 2018, to ensure alignment between the philosophy and Te Whāriki (2017), the early childhood curriculum.
There are deliberate strategies to build meaningful partnerships with families. This includes a considered approach to gathering their input to inform strategic direction and curriculum priorities. Deepening learning partnerships with parents is an ongoing focus.
Teachers work respectfully and sensitively with children who have diverse needs to assist them to fully participate in the programme. They liaise closely with parents and external agencies to support their ongoing progress.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are valued and visible throughout the guiding documents and the curriculum. Elements of te ao Māori are integrated respectfully and meaningfully in centre planning, teaching interactions and the environment. External support is accessed to enhance and extend teachers' knowledge and support Māori children and their families. The centre is considering how to increase the visibility of Pacific and other cultures in their curriculum and documents.
Leaders and the manager have developed relationships with local schools. Transition to school is supported by a specific programme. A next step is to evaluate this programme to ensure alignment with the revised philosophy and best practice evidence.
Teachers engage in purposeful internal evaluation. A systematic and useful process for review is aligned to the centre's guiding documents and priorities. Clear indicators of success and multiple sources of evidence, inform decision-making and guide improvement.
A new appraisal procedure was introduced in June 2017. It is likely to be effective in promoting the team leaders' and teachers' development and improvement. It includes the use of formal observations of teacher practice and staff input to inform development. Once fully established this should assist leaders to strengthen the process. Consideration should be given to strengthening the appraisal of the centre manager.
Teachers work as a team to build their capabilities and promote improvement. Leaders appropriately focus on building the quality of teaching and learning through review and internal evaluation, strategic planning, regular professional learning opportunities and appraisal. There is a shared vision for learner success and ongoing improvement.
Leaders and the manager agree that the key next steps are to:
deepen understanding to extend ways the centre responds to Pacific learners
evaluate the formal transition to school programme for four year olds
implement regular formal observations of teacher practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Grafton Private 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 Grafton Private Kindergarten will be in four years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
27 February 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 |
Paraparaumu |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60192 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
32 children aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 28, Girls 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
12 |
|
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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 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
December 2017 |
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Date of this report |
27 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
December 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.