Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln

Education institution number:
5548
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
49
Telephone:
Address:

Boundary Road, Lincoln

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Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln - 15/05/2019

1 Evaluation of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

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

Background

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln is one of 69 early learning services governed and managed by Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.

The kindergarten provides for the education and care of young children from two to school age. All teachers/kaiako are qualified and certified. The association education manager (EM) provides consistent professional advice and guidance to support the effective operation of the service.

The head teacher is highly involved with local early childhood education services and junior school teachers through her leadership of the Early Years Cluster of Nga Mātāpuna o Nga Pakihi Kahui Ako | Community of Learning.

Kidsfirst kindergarten Lincoln vision is based on Māori values. The kindergarten incorporates the principles of:

  • Kaitiakitanga - safe and sustainable environment.

  • Rangatiratanga - children have opportunities follow their own interests, leading their own learning, Children are seen as capable, confident and competent learners. Children are able to set their own goals.

  • Whānaugnatanga - Parent and whānau input and relationships are valued. Children’s voices contribute to the kindergarten community alongside parents and whānau. Involvement and engagement within the community is a seen as a strength of this kindergarten.

  • Manaakitanga - the kindergarten values its people, place and objects.

  • Ako - teachers have an ongoing commitment to learning.

The kindergarten’s curriculum priorities are sustainable practices, cultural identity, and belonging.

ERO's November 2012 report noted that teachers needed to review and strengthen some aspects of children’s assessment, programme planning, and the appraisal process. Good progress has been made in each of these areas.

This review was one of seven in the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from the provision of a rich authentic curriculum. Sustainability is a key curriculum priority and a strong focus of the programme. Children learn Kaitiakitanga - to respect and care for the environment. They are involved in projects to recycle and reuse, and re-planting and cleaning up local rivers and parks on a regular basis. Teachers encourage children to express themselves creatively through art and music.

Children are empowered to be competent learners and communicators. Child voice is valued in decision-making. They have many opportunities to take a lead in their learning, and manage the things they do. They set their own goal and make plans for how to achieve them. Success is celebrated. Children are recognised as teachers as well as learners. Teachers develop and use specific learning outcomes and teaching strategies to promote positive outcomes for children.

Strong parent, whānau and community links support children to develop skills for lifelong learning. A parents' group provides opportunity for parents to be involved in consultation and activities to support the learning and resourcing of the kindergarten. Parents' aspirations for their children are sought, documented and used. Teachers have respect for children’s language, culture and identity. There are regular visits to the local marae and the neighbouring primary and secondary schools. Teachers are regularly involved with the local education community.

The Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association has a well-developed and clearly understood vision. It is underpinned by targeted strategic and annual planning systems. There are close links between the kindergarten plans, internal evaluation, appraisal and professional development. The teachers are well supported by association managers and leaders to achieve the priorities of the kindergarten and to promote high quality learning outcomes for all children.

Since the last review, a restructure has enabled a key focus on education excellence within the kindergartens, and innovation and collaboration within the association and in the wider early childhood community. Key staff make a significant contribution to supporting other early learning services in Te Waipounamu / South Island.

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 promoting understandings of and respect for te ao Māori at all levels of the organisation. The association's internal evaluation practices are being well used to inform decision making and support the strong focus on continuous improvement.

Key Next Steps

The teaching team has identified, and ERO agrees, that the next steps are:

  • to deepen understanding and implementation of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki and of internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln 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.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

15 May 2019

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

Lincoln

Ministry of Education profile number

5548

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children over 2 years of age

Service roll

56

Gender composition

Boys 28, Girls 28

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

3
41
12

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2019

Date of this report

15 May 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

November 2012

Education Review

May 2009

Education Review

June 2005

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.

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln - 26/11/2012

1 Evaluation of the Service

How well placed is the service to promote positive outcomes for children?

Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln is very well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.

Context

Kidsfirst Kindergartens administers 62 kindergartens and one early learning centre in Canterbury and the West Coast. An education services manager (ESM) works with each kindergarten giving feedback and professional support. This kindergarten maintains close relationships with the wider community and the Lincoln primary and secondary schools that are on adjoining sites. All teachers employed by Kidsfirst Kindergartens are fully qualified and registered early childhood teachers.

The kindergarten has a strong commitment to promoting sustainability and an appreciation of the natural world.

This review was conducted as part of a cluster approach to reviews in eight kindergartens and one early childhood education services within the Kidsfirst Kindergartens umbrella organisation.

Areas of strength

Children are actively engaged in a wide range of meaningful learning experiences. Teachers take time to listen, discuss and explore children’s interests and wonderings. They make good use of a range of teaching practices to help children to link and understand their learning.

Children are confident and competent learners. They are well supported by teachers to take care of themselves, each other and the environment.

Children experience positive and affirming relationships with their teachers. Teachers value parent and whānau contributions and successfully use this information to link home and kindergarten learning.

Teachers use a range of effective strategies to keep parents well informed about kindergarten events and children’s interests within the programme.

The environment promotes sustainability, bicultural understanding and an appreciation of the natural world. Children actively participate in a well-resourced learning environment that provides a wide range of learning experiences. Children have many opportunities to explore and be curious. Teachers work collaboratively and use their individual strengths to extend children’s learning in the programme. The kindergarten’s vision reflects the teacher and the community aspirations for children’s learning and is strongly evident in the programme.

Under the leadership of the head teacher, the teachers have gained a good understanding of self review and involve parents in the process. Reviews are used effectively to improve what happens for children.

Kidsfirst Kindergartens has a well developed policy and practice framework to support the daily and long-term operation of the kindergarten. The association is kept well informed about the work within the kindergarten. Kidsfirst Kindergartens’ managers have recently developed a new process for reviewing and reporting kindergarten information. This process is likely to help them further target their support to improve learning outcomes for children.

The education services manager provides a useful link between the Kidsfirst Kindergartens’ Association and the teachers. She supports shared leadership, affirms good practice and encourages the team to reflect on their practice.

Areas for development and review

ERO identified and the managers agreed that it is time to:

  • review the large group time to ensure it promotes the learning of all children
  • strengthen teachers' analysis of children’s learning
  • ensure appraisal goals continue to challenge teachers’ practices to improve the learning outcomes of all children.

2 Legal Requirements

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lincoln 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:

  • administration
  • health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial and property management.

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.

3 Next Review

When is ERO likely to review the early childhood service again?

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services

Southern Region

26 November 2012

Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Lincoln

Ministry of Education profile number

5548

Licence type

Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998

Number licensed for

40 children over two years of age number

Service roll

63

Gender composition

Boys 33

Girls 30

Ethnic composition

New Zealand European/Pākehā

Māori

Asian

Other ethnicities

51

4

2

6

Review team on site

August 2012

Date of this report

26 November 2012

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

May 2009

June 2005

December 2000

General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

About ERO Reviews

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

Review focus

ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:

  • 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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.