Karamuramu Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5188
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
22
Telephone:
Address:

22 Rewa Crescent, Murupara

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Karamuramu Kindergarten - 20/01/2020

1 Evaluation of Karamuramu Kindergarten

How well placed is Karamuramu Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Tauranga Regional Kindergarten Association systems and processes to guide all kindergarten operations need to be fully implemented. To improve outcomes for children priority should be given to:

  • rigorous, systemic oversight and monitoring to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.

Karamuramu Kindergarten requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

Background

Karamuramu Kindergarten is one of 22 kindergartens that operate under the umbrella organisation of Tauranga Regional Kindergarten Association (also known as Inspired Kindergartens). They are a not-for-profit, community-based organisation, governed by an elected board. The kindergarten, located in Murupara township south of Rotorua, is licensed to provide all-day education and care for 45 children, from two years to school age. Tamariki and whānau come from a wide geographical area. The current roll of 49, includes 37 children who identify as Māori. Most tamariki and whānau have links to Ngāti Manawa.

Senior teachers oversee and support the professional work of the kindergarten. This work is supplemented by: a resource teacher Māori who provides professional learning and support for staff; and an early Intervention resource teacher who provides support and professional learning for staff working with diverse learners. The kindergarten's mission and vision is 'to create an environment that empowers this community of learners to realise their potential as imaginative, creative, connected lifelong learners'.

Since the June 2016 ERO evaluation, there have been some changes in leadership and the teaching team. In 2018, a new senior teacher took over the responsibility for this kindergarten. All teachers are fully qualified. The kindergarten has responded to the key areas for development identified in the previous ERO report.

The Review Findings

Children display a strong sense of belonging and connection to the kindergarten. Kaiako view tamariki as competent and confident learners. They experience an environment that fosters their resilience, independence and an awareness of self and others. Kaiako actively promote the social and emotional competence of tamariki, modelling appropriate behaviours.

Relationships between kaiako and whānau are based on genuine attitudes of acceptance, respect, willingness to listen and to share in the learning. There is an individualised and relational approach to supporting children with additional needs and their whānau, including involvement with external agencies. Transitions into the kindergarten and beyond are well considered.

The curriculum is culturally responsive and promotes successful educational outcomes for all children. The pepeha of Ngāti Manawa has been used by kaiako to inform the development of a local curriculum. Kaupapa Māori concepts such as manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga are integral to curriculum decisions. Access to open-ended resources within the kindergarten and wider community provide opportunities for creativity, imagination and hands-on authentic learning.

Individual assessment portfolios clearly reflect the language, culture and identity of tamariki and provide a rich record of their engagement in learning. A next step is to strengthen planning for children aligned with the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki. This should support teachers to:

  • more intentionally plan resources and experiences that deepen and extend learning for children over time

  • evaluate how well-planned teaching strategies promote individual learning and value information shared by whānau.

The new leadership has effectively established a positive team culture and collaborative relationships. Clear alignment between key documentation is supporting the achievement of the kindergarten and association's strategic goals. Ongoing in-depth internal evaluation is responsive to identified priorities and leads to improved outcomes for tamariki. Leaders and teachers access professional learning and development to increase their individual and collective knowledge. Leadership has strengthened partnerships with whānau, encouraging their engagement in the learning of their tamariki. With a new team and parent rohe established, it is timely to review the kindergarten's philosophy to ensure it clearly reflects agreed priorities.

Systems, policies and procedures have been established by the umbrella organisation to meet regulations and guide daily operation. Improving oversight and monitoring of these systems and processes to ensure kindergarten's compliance with health and safety regulations needs immediate attention.

Key Next Steps

The organisation and leaders must give priority to:

  • ensuring rigorous systems and processes for oversight and management of compliance are in place so that there is consistent implementation of procedures to meet health and safety requirements.

Teachers need to continue to strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation with focus on:

  • making full use of learning outcomes from Te Whāriki to reflect increased complexity of learning over time.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Karamuramu 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.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas and immediately address these:

  • develop of an emergency policy and procedure that includes lockdowns

  • carry out emergency drills on an at-least three-monthly basis

  • record and evaluate emergency drills carried out

  • display and implement a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep

  • keep a record of each time a child attending the service sleeps, and checks the made by adults during that time

  • provide suitable sleep arrangements

  • implement regular analysis of accidents

  • consistently record parental acknowledgement of accidents

  • record written authority from parents for the administration of medicine

  • record all medicines given to children and evidence of parental acknowledgement.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS7, HS8, HS9, HS10, HS12, HS27, HS28]

In addition, the service must:

  • ensure the systematic collection and storage of records related to the transportation of children by van to meet regulations.

[Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, Regulation 58]43

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

developed an emergency policy and procedure that includes lockdowns

displayed and implemented a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep.

Development Plan Recommendation

ERO recommends the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develop a plan to address the key next steps and actions in this report.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

20 January 2020

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

Murupara

Ministry of Education profile number

5188

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

45 children aged over 2 years

Service roll

49

Gender composition

Male 26 Female 23

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

37

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

September 2019

Date of this report

20 January 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2016

Supplementary Review

December 2013

Education Review

December 2013

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed

  • Well placed

  • Requires further development

  • Not well placed

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.

 

Karamuramu Kindergarten - 24/06/2016

1 Evaluation of Karamuramu Kindergarten

How well placed is Karamuramu 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

Karamuramu Kindergarten is located in Murupara township, south of Rotorua. Most of the children and families have links to Ngāti Manawa. Karamuramu kindergarten provides education and care for children from two years to school age. Children come from Murupara and surrounding districts that include Rerewhakaaitu, Kaingaroa, Galatea and Minginui. At the time of this ERO review, 42 children were enrolled including 26 tamariki of Māori descent. The kindergarten operates a school day model from 8.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday.

The kindergarten's mission and vision is 'To create an environment that empowers this community of learners to realise their potential as imaginative, creative, connected lifelong learners'.

The kindergarten operates under the umbrella of Tauranga Regional Kindergarten Association (TRK), which is a non-profit early childhood service, governed by a board of parent elected community representatives. The senior teacher role provides support and guidance for the team and mentoring for the head teacher.

The association sets the strategic direction of its kindergartens with emphasis on nurturing reciprocal relationships with whānau and communities, organisational sustainability, meeting community needs, and honouring the Treaty of Waitangi. The TRK provides kindergarten staff with clear guidelines and expectations for practice. There are systematic processes and highly effective self-review practices to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, education and care.

The kindergarten has responded positively and made good progress in relation to the areas of development identified in ERO's 2013 report. These include:

  • strengthening teacher capacity, knowledge and understanding of local iwi history, legends, stories and tikanga Māori practices in the programme

  • developing a strategic and annual plan in consultation with whānau and community

  • strengthening processes for engaging with the whānau and community

  • developing processes and strategies for researching and implementing a nature-based approach to education, where children learn in the local forest and bush.

This review was part of a cluster of two kindergarten reviews in the Tauranga Regional Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children are happy and engaged in their learning. There are high levels of cooperative and harmonious play among children. They are highly focused and confidently choose areas of play and set their own challenges and plans. They are self-assured, explore, learn alongside one another and engage in tuakana/teina relationships. Children are capable and competent learners, and teachers support them to reach their potential.

Children experience a curriculum where the Māori language and culture are promoted, valued and celebrated and are strongly affirmed in their language, culture and identity. They benefit from the common place use of te reo and tikanga Māori as everyday language and practice. A strong Māori presence is evident in the programme, the environment, the teaching team and community. Whānau relationships and engagement are a strength of the kindergarten where parents are warmly welcomed and encouraged to spend time with their children and with each other.

Teachers work collaboratively with an appropriate range of support services to enhance accessibility to and participation in early childhood education for children and their families. Relationships with local schools include reciprocal visits and information sharing. These relationships contribute to positive transition to school for children and their families.

In keeping with the kindergarten's mission and vision teachers parents and community have created an extensive environment that supports children's risk taking, imagination, problem solving and respect for the world around them. The environment provides extensive opportunities for children to be physically active, set their own challenges and persevere over time to achieve success. They are engaged in sustainable practices such as, waste management, planting, growing, harvesting and using their produce. They demonstrate a high level of physical competence, care and ownership of their environment, along with the understanding that everything has a place and purpose.

Teachers acknowledge and understand the importance of children's play as valued learning. Within this teaching philosophy children are trusted as capable and competent learners who have freedom to be self-managing and in charge of their learning. Teachers are attuned to the different ways that children express and explore their ideas. Their responses are intentional and include co-construction with children in self-initiated play. These quality interactions contribute to high levels of engagement, complex play and sustained learning. Literacy, mathematics and sciences are meaningfully integrated through the children's play and exploration.

Teachers have developed robust processes for documenting children's assessment. The framework of 'do you see me, do you hear me, do you know me' identifies each child's learning, strengths and dispositions and informs next steps for groups and individual children.

The head teacher provides effective and well informed professional leadership. She has established collaborative relationships based on trust and mutual respect with staff, whānau and community. Useful systems and frameworks are established to guide kindergarten operations, and teacher practice. These developments are contributing to an organisational culture of high expectations for learning where children are first and foremost, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning.

Well-developed self review is consistently focused on improving outcomes for children. Teachers lead and implement long term, systematic and deliberate inquiries about their practice, systems and processes. These in-depth reviews promote quality reflections and involve children and whānau in gathering information and ideas. These reviews empower this community of learners to contribute to decisions about learning and teaching practice.

Key Next Steps

To further develop and embed the kindergarten's philosophy, mission and aims, the teaching team should continue to:

  • develop the relationship with the local iwi to understand Ngāti Manawatanga and its place in the Karamuramu Kindergarten curriculum

  • continue to develop teacher reflections, learning conversations and professional critique to grow teacher practice and build their collective capacity to enhance learning outcomes for children

  • strengthen the strategic plan through including clear goals that align to the kindergarten's vision and philosophy.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Karamuramu 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 Karamuramu Kindergarten will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

24 June 2016

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

Murupara, Rotorua

Ministry of Education profile number

5188

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

48

Gender composition

Girls 29 Boys 19

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

23

25

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 June 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Supplementary Review

December 2013

Education Review

January 2012

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.