Hanan Free Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5473
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
39
Telephone:
Address:

22 B College Road, Timaru

View on map

Hanan Free Kindergarten

 

1 ERO’s Judgements

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 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 Hanan Free Kindergarten are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Hanan Free Kindergarten is one of 13 kindergartens governed by South Canterbury Kindergarten Association. Children who attend are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including a small number of tamariki Māori and children of Samoan heritage. The kindergarten has made some progress since the 2018 ERO report.

3 Summary of findings

Children benefit from culturally responsive teaching practices, and a rich curriculum. Strong relationships with whānau and aiga support teaching and learning. Frequent opportunities to see and hear multiple languages, including te reo Māori, Samoan and other languages builds Māori, Samoan and other children’s sense of cultural connectedness.

Children, including those with additional learning needs, are well supported to develop a positive learner identity through well-designed and implemented teaching programmes. Kindergarten learning priorities based on te ao Māori concepts and values guide curriculum planning and are evident within documentation and practice. Teachers skillfully foster children’s agency, independence and social and emotional skills through predictable routines and rituals. They work effectively alongside external agencies to identify children’s capabilities and needs for support.

Children’s learning in relation to the curriculum priorities and participation in a wide range of experiences across the breadth of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is well reflected through assessment documentation. This practice could be broadened to include culturally responsive approaches to assessment. In addition, more consistent use of Te Whāriki learning outcomes is needed to better show children’s learning and progress overtime.

Leaders and those responsible for governance have established and implemented sound systems, processes and practices to drive improvement within the association. This includes relevant opportunities for professional learning and engagement in professional growth and reflection. Senior teachers support improved practice by regularly visiting and mentoring kindergarten staff.

Improved guidelines for internal evaluation are in place. However, at association level and within individual kindergartens, evaluation practices require further embedding to be fully effective. This includes developing collective capability to effectively monitor and evaluate improvement actions to better determine whether these improvements are having the desired impact.

Leaders and teachers work alongside parents, the community, and mana whenua to implement the association’s strategic vision and goals. This is enabling them to develop practices committed to implementing practices related to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

4 Improvement actions

Hanan Free Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Make better use of the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki in assessment documentation to inform evaluation of children’s learning and progress overtime.

  • Further grow teachers’ cultural competence through aligning assessment, planning and evaluation practice, with established cultural frameworks such as Te Whatu Pōkeka, Tātaiako and Tapasā.

  • Those responsible for governance and management to continue to build their own and teachers' capability in the use of evaluation to scrutinise all aspects of operation and more clearly show the impact of planned actions on outcomes for identified individuals and groups of learners.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Hanan Free 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.

6 Actions for Compliance

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

  • Maintaining a detailed record of safety checking, including risk assessment required to be complete after all relevant information is obtained (GMA7A).

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

13 November 2023

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Hanan Free Kindergarten

Profile Number

5473

Location

Timaru

Service type

Free Kindergarten

Number licensed for

42 children over the age of 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

39

Review team on site

May 2023

Date of this report

13 November 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, October 2014

Hanan Free Kindergarten - 28/06/2018

1 Evaluation of Hanan Free Kindergarten

How well placed is Hanan Free Kindergarten 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

Hanan Free Kindergarten is one of 12 kindergartens governed and managed by the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association (SCK) in Timaru. It provides education and care for up to 42 children from two to five years old within a culturally diverse community.

The head teacher and three teachers are responsible for daily operations and the teaching programme. A teacher aide provides additional support for all children and teachers. Professional practice is supported by a senior teacher. All teachers are qualified and registered teachers.

Since the previous ERO report in 2014, there have been significant changes to the leadership and teaching team. After a time of change, a relieving head teacher was employed in mid-2017 to provide continuity for children and families. A new head teacher was appointed in 2018.

The teaching team has made progress with the areas for development identified in the 2014 report. This includes, strengthening internal evaluation systems and more recently, developing assessment, planning and evaluation practices for individuals and groups of children.

This review was part of a cluster of seven reviews in the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten's moemoeā/vision is made up of three values. These are manaakitanga, whānaungatanga and interdependence. The values guide the curriculum and teaching practices. They are evident in the positive and meaningful relationships that teachers have with children, parents and whānau. Teachers provide a positive, welcoming and familiar environment that supports a sense of belonging and promotes the engagement of all children.

Teachers engage in respectful, relationships with parents and whānau. They support the holistic needs of children and their families. Teachers use parent voice and whānau aspirations to enhance children's learning and wellbeing.

Teachers know the children well and support them meaningfully in their learning. They respond to the interests, strengths and capabilities of children authentically. Teachers provide children with opportunities to follow their interests and explore the environment and resources at their own pace.

Children with additional needs are well supported. Teachers work closely with children, parents, whānau and external experts to help children achieve and succeed. Cultural diversity is respected and valued in the kindergarten. A strong focus on whānaungatanga in the programme supports the language, culture and identity of all children. The head teacher and teachers are committed to implementing a bicultural curriculum that is authentic and meaningful for all children.

Teachers are developing respectful and considered culturally responsive practices. This includes knowledge, understanding and respect for Pacific languages and cultures. For example, a child's cultural background was recently celebrated by deliberately including the child's home language and culture in their learning plan.

The head teacher and teachers have built strong links with the community to enhance children's learning and to support their transitions into local schools. Collaborative ways of working are fostered with everyone in the service. This approach has helped to increase the social and emotional competence of all children.

The head-teacher and teachers are using internal evaluation processes to improve assessment and planning practices. A well stepped out action plan is supporting teachers to improve their practices and learning outcomes for children. The teaching team have reflected and challenged their practices through emergent reviews and role-modelling from the head teacher. This has helped teachers to discuss more deeply their understandings of Māori concepts in relation to their moemoeā/vision.

The SCK philosophy, vision, goals and systems are effectively promoting positive outcomes for children. The board, managers and leaders have proactively addressed the recommendations for the association in the October 2014 report.

There is strong alignment between the SCK strategic priorities and the kindergarten's priorities and plans. The board is well informed about how well each kindergarten is progressing and contributing to the strategic direction of the SCK. However, the board could know more about how well the kindergartens are improving outcomes for children and how well children are achieving in relation to the association’s valued outcomes (purpose).

The board is focused on improving outcomes for all children, including taking deliberate action to support Māori and Pacific children and children with diverse learning needs in the kindergartens. SCK leaders have developed strong networked relationships with community organisations to support children and their whānau. The next step for the board is to consider their culturally responsive practice as governors and to consult with whānau Māori to inform the future direction of SCK.

There are effective systems and processes to ensure that regulatory requirements are met within each kindergarten. Relevant professional learning, improved appraisal processes and effective ongoing coaching and mentoring by the senior teachers are building teacher capability.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for teachers, with the support of the senior teacher are to:

  • strengthen internal evaluation, curriculum assessment, planning and evaluation systems, bicultural practices and build on the positive changes to date
  • further unpack curriculum priorities to clearly identify valued learning outcomes that can inform assessment and planning for children
  • discuss the potential of reporting to SCK the progress children are making against the valued outcomes (priorities).

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Hanan Free 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:

  • 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 Hanan Free Kindergarten will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

28 June 2018

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

Timaru

Ministry of Education profile number

5473

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

42 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

48

Gender composition

Boys: 25

Girls: 23

Ethnic composition

Māori:

Pākehā:

Pacific:

Other:

10

31

4

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

May 2018

Date of this report

28 June 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review:

October 2014

Education Review:

June 2011

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.

Hanan Free Kindergarten - 14/10/2014

1 Evaluation of Hanan Free Kindergarten

How well placed is Hanan Free Kindergarten 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

Hanan Free Kindergarten is located in Timaru and is part of the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association. The kindergarten provides education and care for up to 42 children aged from two years to school age. Older children can attend five morning sessions a week, and younger children three afternoons. The kindergarten serves a culturally and socially diverse community.

Hanan Free Kindergarten is part of the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative study through the University of Otago. The study is investigating children’s storytelling and literacy learning. The project began in early 2014 and will run for three years.

Since the 2011 ERO report teachers have made positive progress in developing aspects of self review, planning and assessment, and partnerships with Māori whānau.

Hanan Free Kindergarten is part of a group of kindergartens and schools who meet to support children’s successful transition to school. This review was part of a cluster of eleven kindergarten reviews in the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from caring relationships with their teachers. Teachers know the children well and help them develop strong friendships with each other. Children are settled and confident as they play and learn together.

A feature of this kindergarten is the clearly stated philosophy. The philosophy describes for parents, children and teachers what learning is important in this kindergarten. It has a focus on helping children understand how they go about learning and solving problems.

Teachers are purposeful in the way they support children’s learning. For example, the teachers:

  • use language that helps children be aware of the strategies they are using

  • encourage children to accept challenges and risks

  • use specific teaching to help children learn new things

  • assist children to be teachers for others

  • communicate their high expectations for children’s learning and behaviour.

Children and teachers together celebrate their successes.

Children play and learn in well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments that are inviting and inspiring. Children are encouraged to make their own decisions and can access resources independently. They have frequent opportunities to use technology. Literacy learning is woven throughout the programme.

As part of the review ERO investigated how well the programme supported children to develop early mathematics concepts. Children enjoy learning about mathematics throughout the day. Teachers have a deep understanding of mathematics learning and use specific mathematics language to help children understand mathematics concepts.

Children have a strong sense of belonging in the kindergarten. Teachers value the cultures of all families and celebrate these in the kindergarten. They are advocates for children and their families in seeking additional support from other agencies.

Māori perspectives are supported within the kindergarten through:

  • promotion of the concept of manaakitanga (caring and hospitality) amongst children

  • seeing children as both teachers and learners (ako)

  • teachers regularly using te reo Māori

  • children learning waiata and the kindergarten mihi.

The head teacher leads a team who work effectively together. Leadership is shared amongst the team. They are dedicated to ongoing improvement and professional learning.

Governance

The South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association is governed by a board and managed by a newly appointed general manager. The board:

  • has a strong commitment to teaching and learning

  • seeks parents’ views about important matters in the association

  • has made changes to the roll size and opening hours of the kindergartens to be more responsive to community needs and maintain the financial viability of the association

  • is very responsive to important government initiatives such as ensuring educational success for all children.

Next steps for the board are to:

  • know more about its roles and responsibilities as the governing body

  • develop strategic planning

  • ensure that reports review how well the association’s goals are met, are more evaluative and are better used for future planning

  • refine appraisal systems to ensure that staff and teachers more formally receive critical feedback about their work.

The senior teachers provide useful ongoing professional development and maintain a strong focus on teaching and learning to the kindergartens within the association. They have shared with the teachers at Hanan Free Kindergarten the expectations they have for teaching and learning and how well they think the team is meeting those expectations.

Key Next Steps

Teachers have identified and ERO agrees that key next steps are to:

  • strengthen self review by including evaluative questions and indicators
  • further develop group and individual planning and analysis of learning to make learning more visible.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Hanan Free 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:

  • 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 Hanan Free Kindergarten will be in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

14 October 2014

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

Timaru

Ministry of Education profile number

5473

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

42 children from 2 to 5 years of age

Service roll

57

Gender composition

Girls: 35 Boys: 22

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Tongan

Samoan

Other

12

39

2

1

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

Not Applicable

 
 

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

July 2014

Date of this report

14 October 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

June 2011

 

Education Review

November 2008

 

Education Review

August 2005

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.