13 Albert Road, Warkworth
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Mahurangi Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Mahurangi Kindergarten is one of 15 early childhood services operating under the umbrella of the Northern Auckland Kindergarten Association, (the association) now trading as Kaitiaki Kindergartens. The service is licensed for 40 children aged over two years and serves a diverse ethnic community. Some families have English as a second language. Of the 56 children enrolled, 8 are Māori. Daily sessions are for a mixed-age group of children from two-to-five years.
A governing board sets strategic direction for the association. Management of the association’s affairs is the responsibility of the general manager (GM). Two professional practice leaders (PPL's) have oversight of teaching and learning, compliance, policy development and leadership. Day-to-day operation in this kindergarten is the responsibility of the head teacher who leads a team of four registered teachers.
Since the April 2016 ERO report, there has been turnover of personnel at board, management and senior leadership levels. Two of the four teachers have been employed since that time.
The philosophy underpinning teaching and learning emphasises the importance of reflecting/hinegaro, whakamana, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga in daily practices.
Mahurangi Kindergarten is a member of the Mahurangi Kāhui Ako l Community of Learning, and has attained bronze status in the Enviroschool programme.
The previous ERO evaluation identified the need to continue to strengthen evaluation of the curriculum in order to explicitly respond to the abilities and interests of all children. Progress has been made in this area.
This review is one of nine in the Northern Auckland Free Kindergarten Association.
The well-developed environment supports children to engage and participate in richly-resourced learning areas. These are thoughtfully organised to encourage children's interests and participation. The recently-designed oval garden was planned and planted by children. Sustainable practices are highly evident.
Children are engaged, motivated and imaginative. Science, literacy, mathematics and the arts are meaningfully integrated into the programme. Teachers are responsive and respectful. They appreciate the significance of children's developing ideas and interests. Positive guidance strategies are used well to promote settling, perseverance and social competence.
Group and individual planning, based on children's interests, successfully guides curriculum development. Children's portfolios are a useful record of their participation in the programme. These show the links between home and the kindergarten. Teachers should look for ways to discuss with parents their child's learning and show this in assessment documents. Strengthening teachers' ability to evaluate children's learning and show progress over time, is a next step.
Children's diverse cultures are celebrated in the kindergarten environment. The culture, language and identity of Māori children are valued. Teachers have identified that they will continue to strengthen their knowledge and understanding of te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori. The use of language and protocols in everyday practice, as well as seeking useful connections to develop their approach, should increase the confidence of teachers and children. Children's cultures need to be better reflected in assessment and planning documentation.
Teachers demonstrate highly inclusive practice. Children with additional learning needs are well supported to achieve success. Leaders and teachers carefully track, monitor and plan for their learning and development. They work alongside families to access association and external agencies' support when required. The responsive approach to parents and children with English as second language is evident. Parents are sensitively and warmly welcomed to the service.
Children and families' transitions into the kindergarten are well considered and thoughtfully managed by teachers. Continuing to strengthen relationships with local primary schools is an area of focus for teachers.
Leaders and teachers work collaboratively to make ongoing improvements for children's learning. Opportunities to develop leadership skills are encouraged. Review is valued and has often led to improvements within the environment and teacher practice. A stronger focus on evaluation of practices would better support decision making to measure the effectiveness of the changes made on improved learning outcomes for children.
The association has some good processes in place to support teachers. These include an improved inquiry-based appraisal, targeted learning and development opportunities, and access to PPLs' guidance. Assisting teachers to implement and embed the new policy framework and reporting requirements, and deciding on the form and function of the PPL role and how this will be enacted in kindergartens, are priorities.
With the appointment of a new board, GM and leadership team, considerable work has been done to review the existing management structures, processes and guidelines for operation, and to improve accountability. The board and GM should continue to review and develop governance and operational roles and responsibilities, in consultation with teachers and the community, to support the sustainability of operation and ensure continuous improvement to outcomes for children.
Priorities for teachers are to continue to develop:
aspects of planning for children's learning
knowledge and use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori
the reflection of children's culture, language and identity in assessment documentation
understanding and use of internal evaluation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Mahurangi 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
20 March 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.
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Location |
Warkworth |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5023 |
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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 |
40 children aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
56 |
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Gender composition |
Male 32, Female 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
November 2019 |
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Date of this report |
20 March 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
December 2012 |
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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:
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.
Mahurangi Kindergarten is part of the Northern Auckland Kindergarten Association, Te Manatōpū Kura o Te Tai Tokerau. The Association provides support and an organisational framework for 15 services. The Association’s management team comprises the general manager and two teaching services managers (TSMs), as well as development and finance managers. Teachers and whānau are represented on the Association’s board.
The kindergarten provides a service for the families of Warkworth and its surrounding rural community. It is licensed for up to 40 children over two years of age and currently caters for 59 children each week. As a result of changes in the community, more children now enrol before they are three, and there is increasing cultural diversity. Many families and most staff have had a long association with the community and this kindergarten.
The head teacher is on leave and an acting head teacher has been appointed for 2016. The four registered teachers are well supported by an administrator. The kindergarten's philosophy is values based. It promotes relationships, inclusion and bicultural practice, with a strong focus on fostering a sense of belonging and community.
This review was part of a cluster of four kindergarten reviews in the Northern Auckland Kindergarten Association.
The kindergarten's vision and philosophical approaches have been thoughtfully developed in consultation with families. They incorporate families' cultural perspectives and are translated into several community languages, so they are well understood. The philosophy is underpinned by early childhood education theory and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It is visible throughout the environment and in all aspects of teaching and learning. Whanaungatanga, manaaki and a strong sense of community are features in the kindergarten. Children often engage in and make an active and valued contribution to community events.
As a result of teachers' strong focus on meaningful relationships and responsive teaching, children see themselves as capable communicators, learners and leaders. They work together collaboratively in self-directed play and expect adults to support them where needed. Children and their families have a sense of ownership, belonging and wellbeing in the kindergarten.
The atmosphere in the kindergarten is welcoming, calm and unhurried. The learning environment is thoughtfully laid out with well-presented resources and inviting spaces. Attractive displays celebrate and value children's creativity and learning, family cultures, and the community. Children use resources flexibly to support their imaginative play. The outdoor environment encourages challenge and active engagement in physical activity, and provides good opportunities for children to be involved in gardening. Teachers are currently considering ways to better use the surrounding natural environment to expand children's learning experiences.
Teachers' shared knowledge of children results in a programme that responds to children's emerging interests and growing capabilities. A current focus on 'mindfulness' illustrates how teachers value and build on whānau contributions to the programme. Teachers skilfully support child-initiated learning and listen carefully to children's ideas to extend conversations and promote thinking. They integrate literacy, mathematics and science into the programme in meaningful ways. Children are very well supported and prepared to transition smoothly to school.
Teachers' commitment to bicultural practice is evident in their respect for tikanga and their natural use of te reo Māori as they work with children. Māori concepts and values are visible and well expressed for whānau. Teachers have been proactive in learning more about the Kiribati community and this has resulted in significantly increased cross-cultural understanding and inclusive practices.
Teachers provide very good information for whānau about children's learning and how it reflects the kindergarten's philosophy and best practice in early childhood education. Assessment records recognise children's developing abilities and dispositions for learning. There are very good examples of teachers responding to individual children's strengths and interests and extending learning over time. Some assessment portfolios illustrate the partnership between teachers and whānau very well. Children make good use of their own portfolios to revisit and share their learning experiences.
Teachers' self-review processes are well established and informed by research and professional discussion. They clearly identify positive learning outcomes for children. Some curriculum documentation shows purposefully planned teaching strategies and teachers' reflection about their effectiveness particularly well.
The acting head teacher provides considered, strategic leadership. The teaching team has recently developed more comprehensive strategic and annual plans to guide kindergarten developments. Strategic goals link well with the kindergarten's philosophical approaches, are well informed by teachers' professional research and reflection, and align with the Association's strategic plans. The team is keen to consolidate and monitor this strategic planning. Teachers are open to new ideas and challenge. They are committed to growing their professional practice and knowledge, and to connecting with and serving their community.
Association managers lead a culture of reflective and strategic thinking. They continually seek to strengthen systems for knowing about and enhancing the quality of provision for children, communities and staff. Managers are currently reviewing and developing several key systems and practices. These include strategic planning, teacher performance appraisal, and health and safety systems. They are working to strengthen links between quality assurance processes and indicators of best practice in early childhood education.
The teaching team has appropriately identified strategic priorities for development, building on their current areas of focus and good practice. Key next steps include:
reviewing children's assessment records to increase the consistency of high quality practices
more explicit recognition of and response to individual Māori children's cultural identity
more frequently recording planned teaching strategies and evaluating their effectiveness in responding to the interests and abilities of all children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Mahurangi 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:
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 Mahurangi Kindergarten will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
15 April 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 |
Warkworth |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5023 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
59 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 31 Girls 28 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Kiribati Tongan Ugandan other |
5 42 3 2 2 5 |
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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 |
February 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
15 April 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
December 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
January 2007 |
||
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.