16 Ruru Street, Burnham
View on mapHow well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
| Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Kidsfirst Kindergartens is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kidsfirst Kindergarten Burnham is one of 62 kindergartens governed and managed by Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens. All kindergartens share a common vision and values.
Children from two years old to school age can attend this kindergarten for up to six hours a day during the four kindergarten terms.
Since the 2011 ERO review, the teachers have made good use of association support to improve child assessment and planning. The long-serving head teacher and teaching team have recently reviewed their vision to better reflect their community priorities and the learning outcomes they want for their children.
Kidsfirst Burnham has a unique setting within the Burnham military camp. The number of families choosing to live on camp has reduced as they take up residency in neighbouring townships.
This review was part of a cluster of 18 kindergarten reviews.
The teaching team actively fosters positive relationships and respect for the environment.
Children have many opportunities to learn about the dual heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. The language, culture and identity of children and their parents and whānau is valued and respected.
Teachers provide children with a wide range of physical challenges and opportunities to take risks. The extensive, natural outdoor area is a unique feature of the kindergarten. The individual strengths of teachers help to engage children and extend their interests.
Children share ideas and play well together for long periods of time. Teachers respond well to children’s interests by extending their thinking and reasoning skills. Literacy, mathematics and science are well integrated into the curriculum.
A range of technologies support teaching and learning. This includes the natural integration of iPads and electronic portfolios that enable parents to be more involved in their children’s learning.
The contributions of parents and the community to the programme are highly valued. Excursions into the local area, including the military camp, provide rich learning experiences for the children.
The teaching team has worked together for some time and has developed a collaborative leadership approach. Teachers work closely with families and outside agencies to effectively support children with additional learning needs.
All kindergartens in this cluster have spacious indoor and outdoor areas and are well resourced to meet the interests and learning needs of their children. In most of these kindergartens, environments and resources:
Kidsfirst Kindergartens provides significant support for priority learners and their families. Teachers in kindergartens with priority learners receive considerable extra training and funding to ensure the needs of these learners are well met.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens has a strong commitment to te ao Māori (the Māori world view) and ensuring that their Education Service Managers (ESMs) and teachers are competent and confident in te reo and tikanga Māori. In this cluster of kindergartens, a bicultural curriculum is in place and bicultural practices are highly evident. The contribution from parents of Māori children is highly valued and Māori children are well supported to achieve success as Māori.
The association has a well-understood vision, and highly effective strategic and annual planning systems, policies and procedures. It has strong leadership and collaboration across all levels of the organisation.
There is a thorough and well-understood process of self review at all levels of Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
The skills and knowledge of the CEO, board and senior leaders are regularly sought by other kindergarten associations and early childhood services nationally and internationally.
The highly experienced and skilled trustees bring a good range of expertise to support their decision making. They have a wide knowledge and understanding of Kidsfirst and are very focused on achieving their goals. Their priorities are strongly linked to providing high-quality learning and care for all children.
The strategic leadership team members have a good breadth and depth of knowledge across their various areas of expertise. They value each other’s contributions and use their wide range of knowledge and skills to ensure effective operation of the service.
The ESMs show a high level of commitment to Kidsfirst and the implementation of the Kidsfirst vision, policies and expectations. They successfully challenge and use each other's strengths to meet the goals of Kidsfirst for high-quality learning and teaching in each kindergarten.
Kidsfirst has a well-developed evaluation process that is effectively used to identify the strengths, progress and areas for further development in each of its kindergartens. This allows the ESMs to successfully monitor how well each kindergarten is providing high-quality outcomes for children.
High-quality professional development is closely aligned to leaders and teachers achieving the Kidsfirst vision and goals. In this cluster, this is most evident in the well-developed, understood and useful self-review processes, child assessment and planning practices and effective use of a range of technologies.
The Kidsfirst Kindergartens’ managers have identified, and ERO agrees that the key next steps are:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham 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.
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer-Southern Southern Region
26 March 2015
| Location | Burnham | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 5465 | ||
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 40 children, two years and over | ||
| Service roll | 38 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 21; Girls 17 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Fijian English Irish | 3 32 1 1 1 | |
| 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 | November 2014 | ||
| Date of this report | 26 March 2015 | ||
| Most recent ERO reports These are available at www.ero.govt.nz | Education Review | June 2011 | |
| Education Review | December 2007 | ||
| Education Review | November 2004 |
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.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham is located in the Burnham Military Camp. Children who attend the kindergarten come from a variety of locations including Burnham camp, Rolleston and outlying rural areas. Since the 2007 ERO review the kindergarten has changed its operating hours and staffing. All teachers are fully qualified and registered.
The kindergarten currently operates morning and all day sessions for up to 30 children over the age of two. It is licensed to provide care and education for up to 40 children.
It is one of sixty three kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
Positive features of this kindergarten include:
The teachers work well together and make good use of their strengths and interests to enhance and improve the programme. Reflective practices, along with ongoing professional development and support, including that given by an association education manager, are continuing to improve the quality of care and education for children.
The next step for the teachers is to refine and further develop programme planning, assessment and self review practices to increase their quality and usefulness.
The association that governs this kindergarten is well organised and managed. It provides useful policies and procedures and a comprehensive framework for monitoring health and safety. The association incorporates management support in the form of education service managers and a manager of kindergarten operations who work in partnership with teachers providing ongoing leadership and professional development.
This review occurred at a time when the association and its kindergartens were responding to issues associated with the Canterbury earthquakes relating to children, family, personnel and property. The association has been proactive in addressing these challenges.
ERO is confident that the kindergarten is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the kindergarten to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the kindergarten (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children at Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
The kindergarten vision is for teachers to encourage children to develop an enthusiasm and passion for learning and exploration through providing a range of learning experiences. They aim to encourage parent and whānau involvement and contribution to children’s’ learning and the kindergarten programme.
Learning Programme
Teachers provide children with a varied and interesting range of learning experiences. Particular features of the programme include:
Relationships
Teachers relate to children in ways that foster their emotional well-being and sense of belonging. Features of these relationships include:
Positive relationships exist between teachers and parents. Reviewers observed parents choosing to stay and be actively involved in the programme. They also make helpful contributions to programme planning. Parents and teachers both initiate useful discussions about family circumstances and children’s interests and development. Teachers are supportive and respond effectively to unique family circumstances, such as the deployment overseas of parents from the military.
Promoting children’s learning
Teachers use effective approaches to support and extend children’s learning. They:
Learning environment
The kindergarten physical environment successfully promotes children’s learning and development. A feature of this kindergarten is its extensive outdoor environment. This includes a wide range of equipment and spaces that are effectively used to extend children’s physical development, interest in nature and environmental education.
The kindergarten has an interesting and varied range of resources. Children’s ready access to these resources helps them to engage in a wide range of exploratory play for sustained periods.
Programme planning, assessment and self review
While teachers have developed some effective programme planning, assessment and self review processes, strengthening some aspects of these will enhance their quality and usefulness. For instance:
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long-term and systemic educational improvement.
As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:
There are currently nine Māori children attending this kindergarten whose parents/whānau have identified them as Māori.
Teachers are committed to providing a bicultural perspective in the kindergarten.
The emphasis teachers have placed on:
The association has recently developed ‘Kidsfirst Whānau’. This strategy promotes a whānau based approach for involving and engaging parents in kindergarten life and their child’s learning.
The teachers have identified that their next step is to extend the range of strategies they use to help clarify parents’ aspirations and involve them in the programme and assessment.
Before the review, the staff of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham completed an ERO Centre Management 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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region
|
Type |
All day, Kindergarten |
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, aged over two years |
|
Roll number |
53 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 28; Boys 25 |
|
Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 42; Māori 9; Other ethnicities 2 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2011 |
|
Date of this report |
30 June 2011 |
|
Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review December 2007 Education Review November 2004 Accountability Review June 2000 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Burnham is located in the Burnham Military Camp. Children who attend the kindergarten come from a variety of locations including Burnham camp, Rolleston and outlying rural areas. Since the 2007 ERO review the kindergarten has changed its operating hours and staffing. All teachers are fully qualified and registered.
The kindergarten currently operates morning and all day sessions for up to 30 children over the age of two. It is licensed to provide care and education for up to 40 children.
It is one of sixty three kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
Positive features of this kindergarten include:
The teachers work well together and make good use of their strengths and interests to enhance and improve the programme. Reflective practices, along with ongoing professional development and support, including that given by an association education manager, are continuing to improve the quality of care and education for children.
The next step for the teachers is to refine and further develop programme planning, assessment and self review practices to increase their quality and usefulness.
The association that governs this kindergarten is well organised and managed. It provides useful policies and procedures and a comprehensive framework for monitoring health and safety. The association incorporates management support in the form of education service managers and a manager of kindergarten operations who work in partnership with teachers providing ongoing leadership and professional development.
This review occurred at a time when the association and its kindergartens were responding to issues associated with the Canterbury earthquakes relating to children, family, personnel and property. The association has been proactive in addressing these challenges.
ERO is confident that the kindergarten is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region