188 Rutland Street, Christchurch
View on mapHow well placed is Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
| Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland 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 kindergarten for up to six hours a day during the four kindergarten terms.
The kindergarten has made significant progress in meeting the recommendations of the 2012 ERO report. Child assessment and planning processes are now useful and successfully give direction for learning and teaching.
This review was part of a cluster of 18 kindergarten reviews.
The children are respected as competent learners who are capable of making the main decisions about what they want to learn and the resources that they will need to support their learning. They spend considerable time in meaningful and in-depth learning.
Teachers use a wide and effective range of practices to help children develop their thinking skills and problem solving, and competently discuss their learning with others. Teachers model for children who in turn use these approaches with other children to achieve meaningful and challenging learning.
Teachers make effective use of the arts to extend children’s skills and knowledge in appreciating each other’s work, using materials in creative ways and working cooperatively. Art displays of children’s work show originality, attention to detail and understanding of different techniques to give depth and character. Literacy and mathematics are also well integrated into the curriculum.
The environment promotes calmness and independence. The activity areas are very well resourced and children have easy access to all materials to make good decisions for their learning. The programme gives time for sustained child-led learning.
Relationships are positive, caring and focused on the wellbeing of children, families and teachers. Whanaungatanga is clearly evident. Children hear and use te reo Māori. Tikanga Māori is well integrated and evident across the programme and within the environment.
The head teacher and teachers share common values and beliefs for learning and teaching. They make good use of individual teacher strengths and interests to improve learning opportunities and the management of the kindergarten. The teaching team members are well supported by their Education Service Manager.
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 Rutland Street 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 Rutland Street will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer-Southern Southern Region
31 March 2015
| Location | St Albans, Christchurch | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 5453 | ||
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 40 children, over two years of age | ||
| Service roll | 59 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 30; Girls 29 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Pakistani Scottish Australian Japanese | 0 54 1 1 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 | 31 March 2015 | ||
| Most recent ERO reports | Education Review | February 2012 | |
| Education Review | October 2007 | ||
| Education Review | June 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 Rutland Street operates morning sessions from Monday to Friday and three afternoon sessions each week. It is licensed for 45 children over two years of age.
The kindergarten is one of 63 kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
The spacious, natural, learning areas provide interesting places for children to explore and make their own discoveries. Children have easy access to a wide range of quality resources and learning experiences.
Teachers use a variety of effective teaching approaches to help children to develop their learning interests. They involve children in learning conversations that encourage children’s deeper level of thinking and problem solving.
Other positive features of this kindergarten are:
literacy learning and science are strong focuses of the learning programme.
Teachers use te reo and tikanga Māori naturally in ways that provide opportunities for children to experience the language and tikanga Māori in the programme.
The teaching team has identified, and ERO agrees, that the next areas for development are to refine assessment and programme planning; and strengthen aspects of evaluation documentation.
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 kindergarten again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street 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 centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atKidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street.
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 states that teachers will work to develop respectful reciprocal relationships, where children, their family and the wider community are valued. Partnerships between children and teachers provide opportunities to learn together.
Teachers aim to provide stimulating and exciting learning areas that support challenge and enjoyment. The environment also encourages children’s independence.
Teachers foster positive, respectful relationships and a strong sense of belonging for children and families. Teachers warmly welcome children and families. Teachers know children well. They have a genuine interest and care for children. Parents share useful information with teachers to support children’s learning and well-being. Many parents actively take part in and add value to the programme. Teachers have well established links with the local school that help to support the transition to school for children and families.
Children are confident to make their own choices and remain engaged in their play for sustained lengths of time. They settle well into the kindergarten programme. Children have well developed social skills and play well with and alongside others. They are actively involved in cooperative and imaginative play, in small friendship groups. Children share and develop play ideas together. Their independence and self-help skills are encouraged by teachers.
Teachers use a range of effective strategies that build on children’s learning. They notice and respond appropriately to children’s individual interests and needs. Teachers make good links between home and the kindergarten that help to build on children’s prior learning. Teachers actively take part in children’s play, extending their conversations and social skills. They encourage children’s thinking and problem-solving skills. Teachers have high expectations for children’s learning and behaviour. Teachers successfully support children’s literacy and creative development. Many children have well developed art skills.
Children benefit from a child-focused programme that encourages them to explore and develop their learning interests. Teachers foster a calm learning environment. Children have many opportunities to make choices and take responsibility in the programme. Children adapt the environment and add to their play ideas. They are familiar and responsive to well established routines that provide long periods of uninterrupted time. Teachers naturally integrate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into the programme.
Children are actively involved in a wide range of learning experiences in the spacious natural play spaces. Teachers provide learning areas that are attractive, well planned and inviting to children. Literacy learning and science are strong focuses of the learning programme. Children’s work and ideas are valued and respectfully displayed. Attractive and well presented wall displays inform parents of children’s current learning interest. Children have many opportunities to be involved in physical play.
Since the previous ERO review, the teachers have made progress in aspects of children’s assessment, programme planning and self-review documentation. To further enhance these aspects they now need to more clearly:
They also need to:
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:
Although there are no children with identified moderate to severe special needs currently enrolled in this kindergarten, it is well placed to support children with moderate to severe special needs.
The kindergarten has well established links with specialist agencies that have previously supported them to meet the needs of children and families with moderate to severe special needs. The teachers have previous experience and success in including children with special needs which families in the community are aware of. The kindergarten has developed positive relationships with families. This has been useful in supporting children and families during the transition into the kindergarten and then when they move off to school.
Teachers state that strategies are shared with the school to benefit the child’s learning during the initial transition to school. Regular sharing of children’s progress and achievement has also occurred between the local school, other local early childhood services and the kindergarten.
Before the review, the staff of Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement andSelf-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 kindergarten 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 |
30 children |
|
Roll number |
71 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 31; Boys 40 |
|
Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 66; Māori 3; Asian 1; European 1 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2011 |
|
Date of this report |
16 February 2012 |
|
Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review October 2007 Education Review June 2004 Accountability Review January 1999 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street.
Kidsfirst Kindergartens Rutland Street operates morning sessions from Monday to Friday and three afternoon sessions each week. It is licensed for 45 children over two years of age.
The kindergarten is one of 63 kindergartens (including one early learning centre) administered by the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association Incorporated, trading as Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
The spacious, natural, learning areas provide interesting places for children to explore and make their own discoveries. Children have easy access to a wide range of quality resources and learning experiences.
Teachers use a variety of effective teaching approaches to help children to develop their learning interests. They involve children in learning conversations that encourage children’s deeper level of thinking and problem solving.
Other positive features of this kindergarten are:
literacy learning and science are strong focuses of the learning programme.
Teachers use te reo and tikanga Māori naturally in ways that provide opportunities for children to experience the language and tikanga Māori in the programme.
The teaching team has identified, and ERO agrees, that the next areas for development are to refine assessment and programme planning; and strengthen aspects of evaluation documentation.
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 kindergarten 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