Halswell Domain Halswell Road, Halswell, Christchurch
View on mapHow well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Halswell to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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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 Kindergartens Halswell is one of 62 kindergartens governed and managed by Kidsfirst Canterbury Westland Kindergartens Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens. All Kidsfirst Kindergartens share a common vision and values.
Children from two years old to school age can come to this kindergarten for up to six hours a day during the four kindergarten terms.
Since the 2011 ERO review, teachers have strengthened the way they plan and assess children’s learning. They have also increased the range and use of different technologies to enrich children’s learning.
This review was part of a cluster of 18 kindergartens.
Children play and learn in a caring, calm and settled environment. They have a wide range of rich and varied learning experiences that make good use of the high-quality resources available.
Children are capable and confident. They play well together in small groups and take part confidently in activities. They are encouraged to take risks and solve problems individually or with others, and with the involvement of teachers where appropriate. Technology is used as a powerful tool for investigating and recording children’s interests and activities. Children are encouraged to explore mathematical concepts and have meaningful opportunities to solve problems that involve mathematics.
The kindergarten is very inclusive of children from diverse backgrounds and those with special and different needs. Teachers are sensitive to the needs and moods of children and how these may change from day to day.
A strong commitment to biculturalism is evident in the environment and teacher practice. Te reo and tikanga Māori are used in authentic ways as a part of normal everyday practice. When planning the programme, Māori values and world views are considered along with children’s interests and the teachings of Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum. Māori children and their whānau have many opportunities to see, hear and experience aspects of their culture.
Parents are kept well informed about the programme and their children’s progress. They have many opportunities to comment on their children’s learning and on other aspects of the kindergarten.
The teachers work well together. The head teacher enables the skills and interests of each teacher to be used and developed for the benefit of the children. There is a strong focus on continuous improvement with each teacher playing a role in this. The team is well aware of its progress and the directions it wants to move towards. One aspect of this is greater involvement and communication with other centres and schools in the local area.
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:
encourage children’s critical thought, wonderment and inquiry
provide challenges, stimulation and social support for children, families and the wider communities
promote opportunities for children to learn about sustainable practices.
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:
to further align the existing appraisal process for ESMs, head teachers and teachers to recent developments in Kidsfirst Kindergartens' quality improvement programme ensuring it is consistently achieving its vision to provide high-quality learning and teaching for all children
to continue to review kindergarten practices and premises to make sure that they meet the changing needs of their communities.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Halswell 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 Kidsfirst Kindergartens Halswell will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer-Southern
Southern Region
26 March 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.
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Location |
Halswell, Christchurch |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5545 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, aged two years and over |
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Service roll |
58 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 28 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnicities |
1 54 3 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2014 |
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Date of this report |
26 March 2015 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
June 2011 |
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Education Review |
November 2007 |
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Education Review |
December 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:
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.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Halswell is located in the Halswell suburb of Christchurch. This kindergarten operates all day to provide care and education for 40 children over the age of two. All teachers are fully qualified and registered.
It is one of 63 kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
Positive features of this kindergarten are:
The next steps are to:
The association is well organised and managed. It provides useful policies and procedures, 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 service 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 Halswell 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 Halswell.
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 provides a warm, welcoming and calm learning environment. Children are safe and given time and space to develop their interests and become competent learners. The environment reflects the kindergarten’s commitment to biculturalism.
Children benefit from high quality relationships. Teachers know the children and their families well, and warmly welcome them to the centre. Children show a strong sense of belonging, and settle well into the programme. ERO observed positive and inclusive interactions between children and teachers. Regular communication between children, teachers and families supports children’s learning and well-being.
Children willingly participate in a well planned and flexible learning programme. They confidently make choices from a wide variety of activities that are planned to promote independence and progress with their learning. Children are familiar with efficient routines and enjoy taking an active part in them. Children work and play together and demonstrate independence. Teachers actively encourage children to take risks and to problem solve. They model a range of strategies for supporting and managing children’s learning and behaviour. ERO observed teachers supporting children in their play and learning activities.
Teachers work collaboratively to ensure appropriate learning outcomes for children. They reflect regularly and in depth on children’s progress. They use relevant knowledge of children’s interests and family input to develop the programme plans. Teachers make planning visible for families.
Teachers provide very effective supervision for both groups and individuals. During this time, they frequently share information about children, and how they can support each other to extend children’s learning and provide a range of experiences related to children’s interests.
The teaching team is well lead and inclusive. Teachers are supported and encouraged to contribute ideas and suggestions for centre developments.
The outdoor environment provides a variety of opportunities for children to challenge themselves and each other. Children have contributed ideas for the layout and resources, increasing a sense of ownership and belonging.
The indoor environment is well resourced. Children can easily access activities and equipment. Since the 2007 ERO review, teachers have reviewed the indoor environment to improve children’s access to a variety of print. Teachers now need to consider how to further display work that shows children’s individual creativity.
Children’s assessments are well written and attractively presented. However, ERO observed variation in the analysis of learning and the planning for individual next steps for learning. Teachers should now consider ways to improve the consistency of recording and analysing children’s learning.
Teachers have identified and ERO agrees that they now need to further develop the use of technology in the programme. This should enhance children’s understanding and skill in using a wider range of technologies.
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:
This kindergarten has four Māori children enrolled whose whānau have identified as Māori.
The teaching team has a high commitment to bicultural development. They provide welcoming environment for whānau, and use the association’s recent development of ‘Kidsfirst Whānau’ - a whānau-based approach for involving and engaging parents in kindergarten life and their child’s learning. As a result, Māori children experience an environment that respects their culture and provides a sense of belonging.
Before the review, the staff of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Halswell completed an ERO 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 kindergarten 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
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Type |
All Day, Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children |
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Roll number |
59 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 27; Boys 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 51; Māori 4; Samoan 1; Other 3 |
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Review team on site |
May 2011 |
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Date of this report |
30 June 2011 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review November 2007 Education Review December 2004 Accountability Review June 2000 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Kidsfirst Kindergartens Halswell.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Halswell is located in the Halswell suburb of Christchurch. This kindergarten operates all day to provide care and education for 40 children over the age of two. All teachers are fully qualified and registered.
It is one of 63 kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
Positive features of this kindergarten are:
The next steps are to:
The association is well organised and managed. It provides useful policies and procedures, 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 service 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