4 Waimahanga Road, Onerahi, Whangarei
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre serves the local community of Onerahi in Whangarei. It provides education and care for 50 children, including up to 16 children under the age of two years.
The centre philosophy values the natural environment and community involvement. It reflects Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, through a holistic learning programme. The centre has recently been accepted into the Enviro Schools programme.
The centre is led by the owner/manager, who is a registered teacher. She, along with a recently appointed head teacher and a recently promoted senior teacher, form the leadership team. Of the 14 staff, 10 are experienced, qualified and registered early childhood teachers.
The purpose-built facility provides for children in three age-related areas. Children under two years of age have easy access to their own outdoor learning space. The other two spaces share an outdoor learning environment that provides for mixed-age play.
The 2016 ERO report noted respectful and collaborative relationships with parents' and teachers' holistic approach to support children in their learning journey. These positive aspects remain evident. The report suggested improvement in leadership and programme planning. Good progress has been made in these areas.
The centre is a member of Ngā Kura mō te ako o Whangarei Kāhui Ako Group 2.
Children demonstrate confidence to approach adults and their peers. They initiate conversations with each other and display awareness of social competencies through friendships and cooperative play. Tuakana/teina relationships are fostered to allow children to interact with each other. Teachers provide children with opportunities to interact with their wider world through regular local excursions.
Care of infants and toddlers is respectful and sensitive. The calm and slow-paced setting supports infants to feel secure. Teachers follow their lead and look for non-verbal cues to cater to their individual preferences and needs.
Teachers' relationships and interactions with children are responsive and affirming. They are aware of the individual needs of children and respond appropriately. Some teachers model effective teaching practice to extend children's learning, thinking and problem solving. Individual planning to promote positive best outcomes for children is an area of continued focus for the centre.
Well-resourced learning environments are purposeful and thoughtfully designed. Teachers encourage children's interests and the use of natural resources to promote connectedness to Papatūānuku, the land. Teachers often use te reo Māori when interacting with children and are introducing tikanga Māori into the programme.
Teachers document anecdotes about children's learning, identifying children's dispositions and interests. Some portfolios show good examples of teachers extending children's learning. Children have opportunities to share their stories from home.
The new leaders have the capacity, along with the owner, to build a strong leadership team based on the evident relational trust. Leaders are working with teachers to realise the centre's vision and strategic direction. Continued access to relevant professional learning will support teachers to build professional practice.
Centre operations are guided by a strategic plan and up-to-date policy framework. Effective management of staffing and good provision of resources support the delivery of a child-focused learning programme. Leaders have established an evaluation framework. Together with teachers they should use this framework to evaluate the effectiveness of changes made and the impact on outcomes for children and teachers.
Key next steps include:
strengthening teaching practices across the teaching team
teachers evaluating the effectiveness of the programme and their own teaching on extending children's learning
leaders and teachers strengthening the bicultural curriculum to support children, whānau and families to gain a deeper understanding of New Zealand's bicultural heritage.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre 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:
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
26 June 2020
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 |
Onerahi, Whangarei |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45606 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
68 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 30 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
19 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2020 |
||
|
Date of this report |
26 June 2020 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2013 |
||
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 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.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre is privately owned and is located in a residential area of Onerahi, close to Whangarei. The purpose-built centre has been open for 5 years. It provides education and care for up to 50 children, including up to 16 under two years of age.
Children are cared for in three developmental/age-related groups. Placement in these groupings is decided depending on children's individual physical, cognitive, social and emotional development and their general wellbeing. A special feature of the centre's programme is the 'Bush School' which operates two days a week for older children. Children spend time learning and exploring trees and creeks in the bush.
The 2013 ERO report noted that teachers could improve planning systems and increase the usefulness of centre documentation about children's learning. It also recommended that, in order to improve management and strategic planning, centre managers could increase the use of staff reflections, performance appraisal and self-review processes to further build staff capability.
Children are generally happy and confident. They experience a broad range of learning options. Children are given time to appreciate nature by being actively immersed in natural environments. Bush School provides children with opportunities to develop self-help, negotiation, problem-solving and social skills. Children enjoy positive learning experiences during their time at Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre that prepare them for their progression to school.
Toddlers and younger children are well supported. They benefit from very good teacher-to-child ratios. Their language and wider development is encouraged through good opportunities for conversation with teachers.
Children's holistic development, including social, emotional and physical aspects, is promoted and they are learning about making healthy food choices. They respond well to routines and help with tidying up at meal times. They appear very comfortable and confident in the centre.
Parents and teachers have respectful and collaborative relationships. Staff communicate effectively with families using a variety of on-line digital strategies and centre managers continue to explore further communication options.
Diversity is positively acknowledged and well supported in the centre. All children and their families are affirmed as respected members of the centre. Bicultural values are practised and promoted. Tuakana/teina relationships between older and younger children are encouraged. Bicultural understandings form a base on which other cultures are explored and celebrated.
The centre philosophy has been developed cooperatively by parents and teachers. It affirms the importance of family, the natural environment and the importance of providing children with time to explore, respond to challenges, and problem-solve as they work and play. Creativity and imaginative play are promoted to strengthen children's thinking and learning skills.
Teachers have opportunities to develop their leadership skills. Teachers do this by sharing the leadership of a range of projects that enable their professional and management skills to develop. The centre's performance appraisal system also helps teachers to focus on individual areas where their teaching practice can be improved and extended.
Teachers are well qualified and registered. They work together to build one another's professional understanding and knowledge and by sharing research articles. Individual and group planning is based on children's interests. Teachers know about children's individual strengths, needs and cultural backgrounds. Teachers keep up to date with local developments and challenges by their participation in a network of education and community organisations.
In order to further improve learning outcomes for children managers could continue to:
progress leadership training for centre leaders and staff
strengthen programme planning by using high quality indicators of good practice as a guide.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre 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 Kiwi Kids Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
13 June 2016
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 |
Onerahi, Whangarei |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45606 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
68 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 30 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese other |
20 44 2 2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 June 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2013 |
|
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.