Koromiko Avenue, Hawera
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Koromiko Kindergarten is licensed to provide all day education and care for up to 37 children, aged over two years. Of the 56 enrolled, 10 identify as Māori.
The kindergarten philosophy, reviewed in 2017, emphasises the importance of relationships with whānau, bicultural approaches, the value of children's play and learning and includes a strong focus on environmentally sustainable practices.
A parent committee supports the kindergarten with fundraising, finances and community events. The kindergarten participates in the Enviroschools programme, and is a member of the early years network group in Hawera. All teachers at Koromiko Kindergarten are fully qualified.
Koromiko Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens governed and managed by Kindergarten Taranaki - Te Putahi Kura Pūhou Taranaki (the organisation). Day-to-day management of the organisation is the responsibility of the chief executive. A governing board sets the overall strategic direction. A professional manager and two professional leaders provide regular support and a range of learning and development opportunities for teachers. An operations manager supports kindergartens' policy development and compliance.
In 2017, the board developed a strategic plan with the intention for individual kindergartens to align their strategic plans to the organisation's goals and measures. The Quality Evaluation Tool was introduced in late 2017. The purpose of this document is for teachers to self-assess teaching and learning practices to inform internal evaluation and improve outcomes for children.
The May 2015 ERO report identified that the kindergarten's internal evaluation and inclusion of te ao Māori into the curriculum were areas to continue to strengthen. Progress is ongoing.
ERO also identified areas for the organisation to strengthen. These included:
developing the annual plan
strengthening systems and processes for performance management
consistent implementation of appraisal
reviewing and clarifying the role of the professional leaders in building teachers’ capability.
Progress in these areas is evident.
This review was part of a cluster of five reviews in Kindergarten Taranaki - Te Putahi Kura Pūhou Taranaki.
Children actively engage in learning in a play-based programme within which their wellbeing, independence, creativity and interests are promoted. The indoor and outdoor spaces have been thoughtfully designed to engage children in a range of interesting experiences. Environmentally sustainable practices are evident and integrated throughout the curriculum. These opportunities help to develop children's knowledge of the living world and their sense of belonging at the kindergarten.
Teachers competently support and extend children's play and learning. Literacy, numeracy and science are integrated into the curriculum. There is a balance of child and teacher-led experiences. Manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are valued and evident. A strong sense of community is effectively promoted.
Children with diverse learning needs are very well supported to engage with the curriculum through inclusive practices and initiatives. Teachers liaise with parents and whānau, as well as external agencies, to plan and monitor children's wellbeing and learning.
A revised assessment, planning and evaluation system is being implemented. Teachers identify learning goals for individual children and develop strategies to support these goals. Children's assessment records show evidence of their participation in the programme and progress over time. The planned curriculum is closely aligned to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Koromiko Kindergarten's philosophy. Teachers should now strengthen how they:
gather and record information about children's cultural knowledge and experiences
align specific teaching strategies to children's established learning goals.
Well-considered transitions into kindergarten support children's wellbeing and confidence. The head teacher promotes a focus on developing relationships with local schools.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are integrated throughout the kindergarten's curriculum. Children's sense of belonging is enhanced through cultural artefacts and celebrations. Positive relationships between parents and teachers assist children to develop an understanding of the diverse cultures within their community.
The head teacher leads a team of highly reflective and collaborative teachers who are improvement focused. They are motivated to access relevant professional development to support their ongoing learning. This contributes to useful reviews that lead to improved outcomes for children.
Teachers are increasingly responsive to the culture language and identity of Māori children. This is supported by the organisation's environmental focus, consideration of localised bicultural values, and teacher development goals and professional learning opportunities. A number of new initiatives and systems have been developed by the organisation that should further develop these aspects of practice.
The organisation generally provides useful governance and management support for this kindergarten. This includes:
purposeful support from the professional leaders to build teacher capability
effective and targeted teacher and leadership development through an appraisal process and a range of professional learning opportunities.
Organisation leaders are purposefully building teachers’ understanding of internal evaluation through ongoing mentoring. Teachers should continue to clearly measure the impact of practices on children’s learning.
ERO, the professional leader and teachers agree the following key next steps for Koromiko Kindergarten are to further develop:
acknowledgement of children's culture and language in assessment documentation
alignment of teaching strategies to improve children's outcomes.
ERO and Kindergarten Taranaki agree that the organisation should further develop:
quality assurance processes and guidelines linked to compliance with regulations and association expectations
a policy framework to support kindergartens.
Managers and leaders should consolidate newly introduced plans and processes and evaluate the effectiveness of practices and operation across all levels of the organisation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Koromiko Kindergarten 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.
The next ERO review of Koromiko Kindergarten will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
10 August 2018
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.
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Location |
Hawera |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5233 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
37 children aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
56 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 28, Girls 28 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
June 2018 |
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Date of this report |
10 August 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
July 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
October 2008 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Koromiko Kindergarten is situated in Hawera, Taranaki. It is one of 24 kindergartens administered by the newly established entity Kindergarten Taranaki, formerly known as the North and South Taranaki Kindergarten Associations. The board is responsible for setting the overall strategic and policy direction for the organisation. Four professional leaders are employed to support professional learning and development for teachers. The present management structure is under review.
The kindergarten is licensed for 37 children over two years of age. All teachers are qualified and registered. Since the July 2012 ERO report, there has been a strengthening of self-review processes and ongoing development of assessment, planning and evaluation of the learning programmes.
The Kindergarten philosophy has clear links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and this is evident throughout practice.
This review was part of a cluster of eight kindergarten reviews in Kindergarten Taranaki.
At Koromiko Kindergarten, children participate enthusiastically in a curriculum which is responsive to their strengths, interests and needs. Children have many opportunities for uninterrupted and sustained work and play which supports their learning. Children’s literacy, numeracy and science learning is enhanced through meaningful and interesting activities.
The physical environment offers challenge and interest and encourages children to explore and become fully involved in a wide range of activities. The environment is uncluttered, well resourced and spacious with an easy flow throughout. It provides good support for teaching and learning. Teaching practice includes a strongly established focus on sustainable environmental practices.
Teachers have positive, sensitive and responsive relationships with children, helping them to develop independent and social skills as they learn. They extend children’s ideas and support their interests and developing working theories. Teachers work collaboratively and have collective responsibility for all children and their learning. An inclusive culture is evident throughout the kindergarten.
Assessment, in the form of learning stories, provides a good record of children’s progress over time while at the kindergarten. Well-presented portfolios are available to children so they can revisit and share their learning with others. Teachers continue to explore effective planning and assessment processes to further promote children’s learning.
Teachers help children and their families to transition into the kindergarten and to school. Staff work with the Hawera Early Years Network to support positive relationships between early childhood and new entrant primary school teachers.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are well integrated into the programme. Teachers continue to develop their understanding of teaching practices that respond to Māori learners. They continue to investigate ways to strengthen partnerships with parents and whānau.
Leadership of the kindergarten is supportive and collaborative. The head teacher effectively leads and builds capability within the centre to promote positive learning outcomes for all children.
Self review is well embedded and focused on improvement, positive teaching practice and outcomes for children. The strategic plan, self review and appraisal are aligned and guided by the kindergarten’s philosophy. Teachers collect evidence for their appraisal and reflect in relation to the Registered Teacher Criteria. It is supported by targeted professional development. Teachers have a shared understanding of the purpose and use of self review for improvement.
Leaders and teachers agree with ERO that:
Kindergarten Taranaki is a new entity established in March 2014. Collaboratively developed strategies and values guide future direction. An internal review of capacity and capability of non-teaching roles has been completed. Further development of processes and practices is required.
ERO, the chief executive and professional leaders agree that priorities for improvement are:
Before the review, the staff and management of Koromiko Kindergarten 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 Koromiko Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie,
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central,
14 May 2015
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 |
Hawera |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5233 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
37 children, aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
47 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 26, Boys 21 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnic groups |
6 37 4 |
|
|
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 |
March 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
14 May 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 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.