Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hornby

1 Evaluation of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hornby

How well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hornby to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hornby is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hornby is one of 71 early learning services governed and managed by Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens. The kindergarten caters for the education and care of young children from the diverse and culturally rich community that it serves. The kindergarten vision and values reflect kindergarten priorities and bicultural perspectives.

There have been significant changes to leadership and the teaching team since the previous ERO review in 2013. The association education service manager (ESM) provides consistent professional advice and guidance to support the effective operation of the service. All teachers are fully qualified and certified in early childhood education.

The ESM and teaching team have been responsive to the recommendations from the 2013 ERO report. This included further developing internal evaluation, and building on assessment, planning and programme evaluation processes.

The kindergarten has a long-established history within the community. Teachers make meaningful links to the local learning cluster and other early learning services and schools, to help children in their community make a positive transition to school. The kindergarten is also involved in teacher-led research, with the cluster, focused on promoting children's oral language.

During this review the kindergarten was hosting a teacher and nine children from Kidsfirst Kindergartens Wigram as the association undertook structural and major enhancement work of their building.

This review was part of a cluster of nine kindergartens governed and managed by the Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children, parents and whānau are warmly welcomed and well supported to develop a good sense of wellbeing and belonging at the kindergarten. The teaching team model care and kindness towards one another and for children and families. They place importance on fostering respectful, inclusive and reciprocal relationships. Parents and whānau are actively encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning and kindergarten events.

The cultures, languages and identities of all children and families are valued and respected. Increasing emphasis is given to integrating bicultural perspectives and understandings of te ao Māori within the daily programme.

The kindergarten provides strong leadership in the Pacific aspects of the programme, including translating newsletters into the Samoan language. Pacific children are well supported within the kindergarten where their home languages and cultures are valued. Teachers actively support the annual Pasifika Fia Fia celebrations with local schools and the community.

Teachers willingly seek the support of specialists and community groups to help children with additional needs. This support effectively enables these children to fully participate in all aspects of the programme. Transitions into the kindergarten and on to school are flexible and personalised to the individual needs of children and families.

The curriculum strongly focuses on providing a nature-based programme through weekly visits to a local farm and regularly participating in bush walks. These experiences meaningfully enrich children's learning about caring for the flora and fauna of the natural world.

Teachers effectively support the development of children's oral language and social skills. They deliberately include literacy experiences, physical challenges and expressive arts to extend children's learning.

Parents and whānau are well informed of their children’s learning. They willingly participate in face-to-face conversations and refer to the informative learning stories and wall displays for information. Teachers and families effectively use digital technologies to effectively communicate with one another.

The teaching team has developed a positive team culture. They effectively communicate with each other and work well together, making the most of individual teacher strengths. Teachers are well supported to build on their reflective practice and to develop self-review understandings.

The ESM and head teacher provide well-targeted professional learning to assist others. There is a systematic approach to planning and evaluating the priorities that are aligned to internal evaluation, the kindergarten's vision and values and the association's strategic plan.

The Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association is well supported by an experienced, professional board. The association has a well-understood vision and targeted strategic and annual planning systems. There are close links between the kindergarten plans, internal evaluation, appraisal and professional development. Teachers are well supported by association managers and leaders to achieve the priorities of the association and their own kindergarten objectives and vision, to provide high quality learning outcomes for all children.

The association has a very strong commitment to providing high quality professional development to build on leadership capacity and teacher capability. It has high expectations for teaching and learning and equitable outcomes for all children. This includes the appointment of a kaitautoko to further promote a strong focus on Tiriti aspirations at all levels of the organisation.

The Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association is innovative in its approaches and regularly seeks opportunities to be involved in the wider educational and local communities to promote high quality learning outcomes for all children.

Key Next Steps

The education services manager and teaching team have identified, and ERO’s evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps are to continue to strengthen:

• individual assessment and goal setting to add depth to children's learning

• bicultural practices and use of te reo Māori.

The chief executive has identified and ERO’s evaluation has confirmed, that the key next step for the association is to continue its property improvement long-term plan, ensuring that enhancements to its buildings reflect the changing needs of its communities.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hornby 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 Kidsfirst Kindergartens Hornby will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer, Southern - Te Waipounamu

21 March 2017 

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

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.