33 Winchester Street, Lyttelton
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lyttelton is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lyttelton is one of 71 early learning centres governed and managed by Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens. The kindergarten caters for the education and care of up to 30 young children from diverse cultural backgrounds.
An experienced member of the current staff was appointed as the head teacher in 2016. The teaching team of three includes the head teacher. All are certified, experienced, qualified early childhood teachers. Two teacher aides work alongside teachers in supporting children with specific learning needs.
An education services manager (ESM) employed by the Kidsfirst Kindergartens Association, provides regular professional advice and guidance for teachers.
The kindergarten has addressed the recommendations outlined in the 2013 ERO report. Both planning and assessment are better focused on children's learning. However, there is a still a need to further strengthen the quality of assessment in terms of outcomes for individual children.
Children experience caring and respectful interactions with other children and their teachers. They happily learn alongside each other, often independent of teachers. They learn and play in calm, settled spaces for sustained periods of time. Children confidently and carefully explore the centre's natural environment and eagerly share their scientific discoveries with others. These activities strongly support tuakana-teina relationships that encourage learning from each other (ako).
Teachers provide a purposeful curriculum that effectively stimulates children's curiosity. They actively use the natural environment to build children's understanding of sustainability. Teachers effectively use a range of resources to extend children's experiences and understanding of literacy and mathematical concepts.
Teachers strongly promote bicultural practices. Children regularly hear and use te reo Māori and experience aspects of tikanga Māori in authentic settings such as the marae. Interactions between children and adults strongly reflect Māori values, particularly manaakitanga (caring and respectful) and whanaungatanga (positive relationships with others). All children's cultural backgrounds are valued and their special cultural events are actively celebrated.
Parents confidently share their aspirations for their children's wellbeing and development. They are well informed about their children's learning experiences. Teachers are using online technologies to share information with their parents. Parents and members of the wider community are actively encouraged to contribute to the centre programme.
Teachers successfully work as a team and are reflective and improvement-focused. They use their combined strengths to positively support outcomes for children. They strategically utilise the professional development provided by the ESM and the Canterbury-Westland Kindergarten Association to enhance their practice.
The ESM and head teacher provide experienced leadership. This includes sharing professional advice to manage changes and actively sustain the positive learning environment for children. They have a useful internal evaluation process that is focused on further improving outcomes for children. This process could be further strengthened by evaluating the effectiveness of any changes to practices and systems on learning outcomes for children.
The Canterbury Westland Kindergartens Association has a well understood vision and targeted strategic and annual planning. 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 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 leadership capacity and teacher capability. It has high expectations for teaching and learning and equitable outcomes for all children. This includes a strong focus on promoting understandings of and respect for te ao Māori (the Māori world) at all levels of the organisation.
The ESM and ERO agree, that the key next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lyttelton 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 Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lyttelton will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)
13 July 2017
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 | Lyttelton | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 5433 | ||
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 30 children two years and over | ||
| Service roll | 41 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys: 24 Girls: 17 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Samoan | 9 31 1 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Over 2 | 1:10 | Meets minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | May 2017 | ||
| Date of this report | 13 July 2017 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | February 2013 | |
| Education Review | June 2009 | ||
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 Lyttelton is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens administers 62 kindergartens and one early learning centre in Canterbury and the West Coast. An education services manager works with each kindergarten giving feedback and professional support. All teachers employed by Kidsfirst kindergartens are fully qualified and registered early childhood teachers.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lyttelton is situated in the heart of the Lyttelton township. The Lyttelton township has been significantly affected by the 2010 – 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. This has resulted in a reduced roll at the kindergarten.
All teachers are fully qualified and are strongly focused on continuing to promoting positive outcomes for children and presenting a bicultural environment. Teachers effectively use inclusive and sensitive practices and model respectful interactions. They maintain strong links with the community and ensure children enjoy learning experiences beyond the centre. Teachers build professional relationships with the local schools to support children when they start school.
Since the 2009 ERO review, teachers and families have worked together to upgrade the outdoor area and increase the amount of good quality natural resources for children’s play.
This review was conducted as part of a cluster approach to reviews in nine early childhood education services within the Kidsfirst Kindergartens Association umbrella organisation.
Children and teachers experience high levels of manaakitanga (nurturing and respect) in the centre. They are well supported in developing skills to successfully manage themselves and their relationships with others. Teachers positively reinforce children’s helpful behaviours. Children play well with and alongside others and enjoy warm friendships with one another. They confidently take responsibility and care for the environment.
Teachers effectively use a range of teaching strategies to involve children in learning experiences. Children competently express and extend on their ideas and language skills. Teachers place appropriate emphasis on literacy, music and creative expression. This includes Māori literacy (myths, legends and Māori sayings) and waiata. Teachers regularly affirm and celebrate children’s efforts in their learning. They respectfully display children’s work in attractive and meaningful ways.
Teachers value the involvement of parents and whānau in their children’s learning. Many parents contribute to the programme and stay on session for periods of time, working with their own and other children.
There is an atmosphere of whanaungatanga (positive, family-like relationships) that builds children’s confidence and gives them a sense of belonging. Teachers know children well. They extend on their strengths and interests.
The teachers support and actively promote the kindergarten’s shared vision, values and beliefs. The vision strongly reflects the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Teachers have a good understanding of Māori values. These values are well integrated into the programme in ways that are meaningful to children and respectful of the Māori culture. Children are responsive to te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. This includes their obvious enjoyment of waiata and Māori stories. The home cultures and languages of other children are also acknowledged and celebrated.
Teachers place a strong emphasis on providing natural and recycled materials for children’s play and encouraging sustainability. Children are actively involved in an environment that provokes their curiosity and provides safe challenges. They have many opportunities to make their own discoveries, test their ideas, and learn about kaitiakitanga (caring for the natural environment).
Planned professional development and self review are focused on the ongoing improvement to children’s learning and teaching practices. Teachers value the professional development provided by the education service manager (ESM) which has successfully lifted the quality of their self review.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Association 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 of the kindergarten by the ESM and head teacher. Kidsfirst Kindergartens’ ESMs 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 Kidsfirst Kindergartens’ managers and the teaching team have identified, and ERO agrees, that the next steps to improve learning outcomes for children include continuing to:
Before the review, the management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Lyttelton 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.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Southern Region
11 February 2013
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Location |
Lyttelton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5433 |
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Licence type |
Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, number over two years of age |
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Service roll |
44 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 25; Boys 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā Māori Asian |
41 1 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
N/A |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
October 2012 |
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Date of this report |
11 February 2013 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Accountability Review |
June 2009 June 2004 December 1998 |
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
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:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.
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.