730 New North Road, Mount Albert, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Kids Forever Christian Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kids Forever Christian Preschool provides early childhood education and care for up to 39 children from two years of age.
The preschool operates as part of the Mount Albert Baptist Community Trust Board. The service is governed by a committee which includes church representatives and the centre manager. The centre manager has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the centre. She leads a team of four qualified teachers.
The centre's Christian based philosophy states that the multicultural preschool aims to provide excellent care and education, where children are included and valued in a nurturing environment where "God's love" is demonstrated.
The 2015 ERO report noted the passion and commitment teachers bring to their role in supporting children's learning. Teachers create an inviting environment that attracts children and provides prompts for exploration. These aspects have been maintained. Since that review, teachers have continued to enhance their teaching by building culturally responsive practices, and further refining internal evaluation processes.
Children confidently make choices and follow their interests. Teachers offer a wide variety of activities and experiences in well-resourced indoor and outdoor areas. Children move freely between learning spaces and have many opportunities to develop their imaginative play and creativity. They establish respectful friendships with teachers and their peers. Interactions between teachers and children are positive and contribute to children's learning.
Children contribute to the group learning programme. They discuss the learning focus with teachers. Teachers ensure that children's ideas are heard. Teachers offer experiences for children's exploration and foster their learning through play.
Children are focused and eager to participate in the programme. Teachers promote children's knowledge, learning and interests. They engage children in meaningful conversations. Teachers are sensitive and responsive to children’s individual development.
The centre’s Christian-based philosophy is strongly evident in the programme. Children practise the Christian values that are integrated into the daily programme. Bible stories have a special daily emphasis. Parents value the strong aroha that fosters a sense of belonging in the centre. Parents acknowledge how the Christian values are reflected in their children's social development.
Parents express a very high level of satisfaction with the care provided for their children. They appreciate the personalised support. Parents value the opportunities to discuss their child’s learning reported in individualised portfolios and during informal parent-teacher meetings.
Teachers promote bicultural practice well. The integration of Māori language is strongly evident in the programme. Children have opportunities to hear and speak te reo Māori. The bicultural heritage of Aotearoa is celebrated throughout the preschool environment.
Children's home languages and cultures are recognised and honoured. Teachers are responsive to the rich diversity of cultures, including children of Pacific heritage, in the preschool. Parents are encouraged to share their cultural practices and languages.
Teachers work collaboratively as a team to provide learning programmes. They regularly document children's learning goals and group child-led play. Managers support teachers well with professional development opportunities. This support has helped teachers to contribute to the priorities for the preschool and ongoing improvement.
The key next steps include:
strengthening assessment, planning, and evaluation processes to make learning and teaching more visible for individual children and groups of children, with an emphasis on planning for learning dispositions
further developing teacher appraisal processes and practices to meet the Teaching Council requirements and to build teacher capability
strengthening internal evaluation by including the use of evaluative questions and analysing effectiveness in terms of outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kids Forever Christian Preschool 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
6 September 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.
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Location |
Mt Albert, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20368 |
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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 |
39 children aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 26 Girls 23 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
June 2019 |
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Date of this report |
6 September 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
August 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
June 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:
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:
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.
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.
Kids Forever Christian Preschool in Mt Albert provides education and care each week day for 39 children from two to five years of age. Mount Albert Baptist Community Trust Board provides governance for the centre and delegates the day-to-day management to the centre manager who leads a team of four qualified teachers. The centre has recently changed from sessional provision to providing full-day care and education.
Children attending the centre come from families from the surrounding suburbs. A small number of children have Māori, Pacific and other cultural backgrounds.
A comprehensive philosophy statement includes the intention of the management group and teachers, to provide a nurturing environment in which “God’s love” is demonstrated. Teachers aim to provide excellent care and education where children are included and valued.
The 2011 ERO review report noted good standards of centre organisation and programme implementation. Children were being supported to develop as confident and competent learners and communicators. The report included some recommendations for improvements to the programme. Teachers are in the process of making these changes.
Teachers bring passion and commitment to their role in supporting children’s learning. Their enthusiastic and cheerful greetings ensure that children feel a sense of inclusion and belonging. Parents speak very highly of the role that teachers play in their children’s education.
Children settle quickly to self-chosen play. Teachers create an inviting environment that attracts children and provides prompts for exploration. They work closely with children, engaging them in conversation and supporting their ideas. Children talk eagerly with teachers and other children. The positive transition processes for children are working effectively. Teachers support children’s transition to school well.
Children understand the routines well and most participate actively in mat time experiences. Teachers include a Christian focus and children pray together before food. It would be practical for teachers to review the timing and length of mat times to increase opportunities for children to engage in self-selected, sustained activities that build and support their learning.
Teachers support children of Māori heritage to gain understanding and pride in their identity. They include te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in the programme to support all children’s understanding of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage. Children learn about the important celebrations of Māori culture during the year.
Teachers’ good knowledge of children and their families is evident in children’s portfolios, which record children’s progress over time. Parents are regularly invited to contribute to portfolios and take this opportunity willingly. This provides additional information for teachers about children’s interests and strengths. Teachers are then able to plan effectively to support children’s development through their interests, skills and dispositions as capable learners.
The manager’s leadership is skilled, collaborative and competent. Teachers’ teamwork is evident in their work with children and indicates a shared understanding of their philosophy. Their encouragement for children to actively lead their own learning is a positive development in the programme.
Strong relationships with children, families and the wider community are a priority for the centre. Parents contribute in a variety of ways, including through a parent committee. This committee raises funds for the centre and has an active decision-making role in supporting the programme.
The Trust Board governs the centre efficiently with a strong focus on positive, forward thinking. Board members are in the process of developing a new vision statement to link to well developed strategic and annual planning, which guide the operation of the centre. The strategic priorities are identified in collaboration with parents. Board policies and procedures have been recently reviewed and updated.
Managers agree that key next steps are for teachers to continue:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kids Forever Christian Preschool 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 Kids Forever Christian Preschool will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
16 November 2015
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 |
Mt Albert, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20368 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
39 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
69 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 42 Boys 27 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Samoan Tongan Indian other |
3 50 5 4 3 2 2 |
|
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
August 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
16 November 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 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:
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.