65 Halberg Crescent, Hamilton Central, Hamilton
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Insoll Kindergarten, located in Enderley Hamilton, is licensed for 40 children. The kindergarten offers both full and part-day education and care for children from two years old to school age. Children come from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds and for many English is an additional language. At the time of this ERO review, 40 children were enrolled, including 13 who identify as Māori and seven 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 for 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 states that it provides a vibrant, welcoming and inclusive environment. Tikanga Māori and the celebration of diversity are integral to the programme. Teachers, parents and whānau work in partnership to develop children’s self-esteem, knowledge and skills to become independent life-long learners.
Since the previous ERO review in 2014, the kindergarten has been relicensed to reflect the increase in operational hours. The teaching team remains stable. The kindergarten has responded well to the key area for development identified in the previous report.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews in the Waikato Kindergarten Association.
Warm and caring relationships between children and teachers provide a strong foundation for learning. Teachers skilfully develop children's social competence through high expectations and a focus on the development of empathy. They genuinely listen to and respond to children in ways that facilitate their play and learning. Teachers use effective learning conversations to support oral language development, particularly for children for whom English is not their first language. Secure and trusting relationships encourage children to manage risk taking.
The curriculum effectively promotes positive outcomes for children. They are encouraged to lead their own learning. The large natural outdoor area provides children with many opportunities to learn about sustainable practices and how to care for the living world. Māori children’s sense of belonging is enhanced through the use of te reo and tikanga Māori, waiata and karakia. The teaching of local iwi history would further enhance children's sense of belonging and identity. Children with additional needs are well supported by teachers who are proactive in seeking support from relevant external agencies. Samoan children's language, culture and identity is acknowledged and celebrated in assessment practices and the kindergarten's resources. Transitions into and out of the kindergarten are managed well. Literacy, mathematics, science, music and creative expression are well integrated into the programme. There is an appropriate balance between child-led play and group experiences to broaden learning and challenge thinking. All children benefit from an inclusive and rich curriculum.
Teachers effectively respond to parent aspirations. Partnerships with parents and whānau are based on mutual respect. Teachers use this knowledge to plan for children’s diverse strengths, needs and interests. A range of effective strategies supports parent and whānau engagement in the life of the centre. These include individual portfolios both online and in hard copy, visual 'learning leaves' that share images of children engaged in play, and teacher summaries.
Leaders effectively promote and enact the kindergarten's philosophy and they strongly advocate for children and their families. Together they have nurtured a harmonious and collaborative team culture, where the strengths of the individual teachers are well utilised. A useful framework for internal evaluation has been developed and is aligned to the kindergarten’s priorities.
Education services managers (ESMs) work closely with the head teacher and provide well-informed professional leadership to support kindergarten operations. 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. Effective governance by the WKA is contributing to high-quality, inclusive and equitable services for children.
The key next step for leaders and teachers is to further develop their understanding about the expectations of the revised Te Whāriki particularly in relation to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Insoll 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 Insoll Kindergarten will be in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
6 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.
| Location | Enderley, Hamilton | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 5147 | ||
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 40 children, aged over 2 | ||
| Service roll | 40 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 22 Boys 18 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Samoan Other | 13 9 6 12 | |
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 | October 2018 | ||
| Date of this report | 6 December 2018 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | June 2014 | |
| Education Review | March 2011 | ||
| Education Review | November 2007 | ||
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.
Insoll Kindergarten is located in Hamilton and provides both all-day and sessional education and care for children from two years to school age. The kindergarten is licensed for up to 40 children over the age of two years at any one time. At the time of this ERO review, 47children were enrolled, of whom 25 are identified as Māori.
The kindergarten operates under the umbrella of the Waikato Kindergarten Association (WKA), which is a charitable trust, and does not operate for profit. The strategic direction of the association is guided by the overarching statement, ‘Every child reaching their full potential’. The WKA has a commitment to providing quality, inclusive services that effectively meet the diverse educational needs of all children attending. All kindergartens provide an Enviro-School focus as a key curriculum feature to encourage children to better understand caring for the environment.
The Educational Service Manager (ESM) monitors and reports to the association on the kindergarten’s quality of education. A kaumātua from Tainui provides advice, guidance and support about Māori language, culture and identity. The kindergarten’s administrative responsibilities are well supported by association resource personnel.
The kindergarten benefits from the WKA's clear guidelines and expectations for practice and the availability of good self-review processes for monitoring and evaluating the quality of education and care it provides for children.
The kindergarten head teacher and teachers have shared values for learning. They provide a vibrant, welcoming and inclusive environment. Tikanga Māori and the celebration of diversity are integral to the programme. Teachers, parents and whānau work in partnership to develop children’s self esteem, knowledge and skills to become independent life-long learners.
The kindergarten has a positive ERO reporting history. Since the previous ERO review, teachers have successfully addressed the recommended areas for review and development about strengthening bicultural practices and assessment and planning.
This review was part of a cluster of 12 kindergarten reviews in the Waikato Kindergarten Association.
Insoll Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Respectful and trusting relationships underpin all aspects of kindergarten life. Children, parents and their whānau demonstrate a strong sense of belonging to the kindergarten community. The principles of the early childhood curriculum about empowerment, family and community, holistic development and relationships are strongly evident in practice.
Children enjoy an inclusive curriculum that supports them to experience success in an environment where their culture, language and identity are affirmed and valued, particularly for Māori. Te reo Māori and tikanga are naturally integrated into the programme. A standout feature of the kindergarten is the stimulating environment that motivates children to initiate their own learning and actively explore and investigate. Children can readily access high-quality resources and equipment to extend their imagination and be creative. The curriculum provides children with valuable and highly effective experiences in:
Children’s communication and social development is fostered by the many opportunities to work collaboratively with their friends and support each other in their learning. Children are developing as confident and capable communicators and learners.
Children benefit from high-quality teaching interactions. Teachers notice children’s interests and are skilled at extending children’s thinking and extend their learning through their interactions. Teachers value parents’ contribution to their child’s learning and work in partnership with parents and whānau to promote positive outcomes for each child. Parents enhance the programme by sharing their skills and expertise with children and teachers. A recent initiative in assessment and planning is providing opportunities for teachers, parents and whānau to share and document children’s learning and progress, which strongly supports children’s holistic development.
The head teacher continues to provide strong professional leadership with the guidance and support of the ESM. The long-standing, experienced teaching team are strong advocates for children and their whānau.
Teachers are currently involved in research about literacy teaching and learning. ERO and teachers agree this research over time will further develop and strengthen self-review practices and positive learning outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Insoll 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.
The next ERO review of Insoll Kindergarten will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
13 August 2014
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 |
Hamilton |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5147 |
||
|
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 |
47 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 28 Boys 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Other |
25 12 7 3 |
|
|
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 |
June 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 August 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2007 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2004 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 2000 |
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.