Tui Street, Pahiatua
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Holyoake Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Holyoake Kindergarten is located in Pahiatua. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8:45am until 2:45pm. Full-day places are available for children from two to six years old. At the time of this review, 29 children were enrolled and eight identify as Māori.
The kindergarten philosophy emphasises bringing people together through manaakitanga and whanaungatanga where children are viewed as confident learners within an environment that promotes literacy and numeracy.
The kindergarten is administered by the Ruahine Kindergarten Association (the association). The governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the organisation. The day-to-day running of the association is the role of the chief executive officer who is responsible to the board. An operations manager supports the service's compliance and policy development. Two senior teachers provide educational leadership across the teaching teams.
The May 2016 ERO report identified planning for learning, internal evaluation and further developing the bicultural curriculum to promote success for Māori as Māori, required further development. Significant progress has been made to address these areas.
The kindergarten is part of the Tararua Kāhui Ako.
This review was part of a cluster of twelve kindergartens and one early learning service reviews in the Ruahine Kindergarten Association.
The philosophy is well embedded within kindergarten practices. It reflects teacher, child, parent and community aspirations and their priorities for children's learning. Respectful, trusting and reciprocal relationships foster children's sense of belonging. These values are underpinned by Māori concepts that promote whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga.
Children are confident, curious and capable, able to make choices about their play and lead their own learning. They engage in a curriculum that promotes authentic and meaningful learning experiences.
A bicultural curriculum is highly evident. Tikanga practices are well understood by children. They benefit from teachers who use te reo Māori in meaningful conversations. Teachers recognise and value the diversity of culture and experiences that each child and their whānau bring to their learning. This recognition contributes to the effective promotion of culturally responsive practices and educational success for Māori children as Māori.
Assessment, planning and evaluation for children's learning has been strengthened. This practice more deliberately responds to the progression of learning for individual children. Children's strengths, interests and dispositions are reflected in their learning stories and used to inform planning. Intentional teaching builds on their skills and knowledge. Parents' aspirations are valued. Links are made between home and kindergarten and promote children's progress over time.
Teachers work collaboratively with external agencies and families to assist children to fully participate in an inclusive programme alongside their peers.
Relationships between teachers, parents and families are strong. Teachers engage parents in decisions about their child's education. The kindergarten has developed a strong partnership with the local school. Regular visits help children to become familiar with the school environment.
The head teacher has been well supported in her leadership role. Teamwork is collaborative. A shared vision sets clear direction for the kindergarten and reflects commitment to providing high quality early childhood education. Teachers engage in a range of professional learning opportunities that reflect the needs of the learning community.
Senior teachers work collaboratively to build teacher and leadership capability. There is a strong commitment to growing staff knowledge and skills through ongoing professional learning, research opportunities and the sharing of good practice.
A range of collaboratively undertaken reviews aligned to kindergarten and association priorities for ongoing improvement, emphasise children's learning. Regular internal evaluation leads to improvements for children's learning. Teachers' understanding and use of effective internal evaluation is developing. A focus of development is strengthening teachers' knowledge and understanding of internal evaluation to support them to know the impact of their actions on children's outcomes.
Association leaders have a well-considered approach to progressing strategic objectives. Robust systems and processes are in place for monitoring, reporting and evaluating the quality of operations. Information is used to inform decision making and to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
At kindergarten level, teachers need to continue to strengthen:
At governance level, the Ruahine Kindergarten Association have identified that their priorities are to continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Holyoake 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.
To improve compliance practice:
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
11 October 2019
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 | Pahiatua | |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 5305 | |
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | |
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | |
| Number licensed for | 30 children aged over 2 | |
| Service roll | 29 | |
| Gender composition | Female 16, Male 13 | |
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnic groups | 8 17 4 |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | |
| Reported ratios of staff to children | 1:10 | Meets minimum requirements |
| Review team on site | August 2019 | |
| Date of this report | 11 October 2019 | |
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | May 2016 |
| Education Review | November 2012 | |
| Education Review | May 2009 | |
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.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes 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.
Holyoake Kindergarten is one of 25 early childhood services administered by the Ruahine Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). It is licensed for 30 children aged over two years. Of the 39 children enrolled, 11 are Māori. Children come from a geographically wide rural area. All four teachers are qualified and fully registered.
The kindergarten philosophy emphasises the importance of enacting the principles of Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum, in supporting children’s learning. These include relationships,
empowerment, holistic development, family and community.
The November 2012 ERO report identified that teachers should continue to strengthen their approaches to assessment, internal evaluation and response to the culture and identity of Māori children. Professional support has been provided to assist with these aspects of practice. Progress in some of these areas is evident.
Day-to-day management of the association’s affairs is the responsibility of the general manager. A governing board sets the overall strategic direction. The senior teacher provides professional leadership for teaching and learning. An operations manager supports kindergartens’ compliance, policy development and leadership. A management restructure has been undertaken since the previous ERO reviews.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews of the Ruahine Kindergartens.
The kindergarten is well-resourced to support a range of learning experiences for children. The learning environment encourages children’s interest and investigation. For much of the day children have free choice about the level and timing of their participation in learning.
The outdoor area provides a range of opportunities for physical play. It has been carefully redeveloped to support an increased range of resources that promote bicultural learning. The garden, health and sustainability aspects of the programme provide children and their families with meaningful experiences linked to healthy living. Literacy, mathematics, science, the arts and creative play are appropriately integrated into the programme in everyday experiences.
Children show independence, cooperation and self-sufficiency. They are enthusiastic learners. Teachers value opportunities that empower children in their learning. Children have high levels of engagement in their learning for most of the session. ERO agrees with teachers' decision to review the lunch routine to enable children to engage in uninterrupted play.
Teachers engage positively with children to support their ideas and some emerging interests. They should consider ways to maximise the depth of their engagement with individual children through carefully constructed learning conversations.
The programme is responsive to individual children’s interests and needs. Each day teachers discuss and note ideas to support learning. Teachers are developing their approach to planning with the support of the senior teacher. Teachers should:
Portfolios record children's participation in the life of the centre and aspects of learning. A next step is for teachers to record how they are progressing a child's learning over time. Children often enjoy revisiting their portfolios.
Teachers seek and value parents' aspirations for their children’s learning. Children needing additional guidance have individual plans developed and strategies identified to support them as learners.
Teachers work well together to settle children and welcome families into the centre. The relaxed atmosphere supports children’s belonging and wellbeing. A flexible and inclusive approach supports children’s transitions into the kindergarten based on children’s and families’ needs. The approach to children’s transition to school is supported by positive relationships with new entrant teachers and regular discussion about early childhood and school learning.
Teachers are reflective and regularly meet to share ideas about children, activities and operational matters. The association is supporting teachers to use a more evaluative approach to review for improvement. The team is in the early stages of understanding and using this model. A planned review of the philosophy should include deciding on agreed values and developing a shared understanding of how they will be reflected in the programme for children.
The kindergarten's annual plan outlines priorities for the year linked to the association's strategic goals of having high quality staff, coordinated services, effective partnerships and operations. Progress is recorded and reflected upon in collaboration with the senior teacher and operations manager. Quality indicators linked to outcomes for children are a useful addition to the annual plan. These should be further defined to enable more effective monitoring of progress.
Progress has been made in developing a bicultural perspective in the programme. This is supported by an environmental focus, consideration of bicultural values, and teacher development goals and professional learning opportunities. A teacher at the kindergarten is supporting the team’s understanding of te ao Māori, through professional discussions and modelling te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Association leaders are strongly committed to implementing a bicultural curriculum and promoting success for Māori children as Māori. The revised Te Tiriti o Waitangi policy, 'Wise Practice' document and bicultural exemplars should support development of these practices.
The association provides effective governance and management support for this service. This includes:
The association agrees the continued development of the ‘Wise Practice' indicators should occur to support understanding about the quality and effectiveness of practice and operation at kindergarten through to board level.
ERO and association leaders agree with teachers that further support should be put in place to develop:
Before the review, the staff and management of Holyoake 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 Holyoake Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
24 May 2016
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 |
Pahiatua |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5305 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
39 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 20, Boys 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
11 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
April 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
24 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
April 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:
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.
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.