Daniell Street, Featherston
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.
Meta Riddiford Kindergarten is situated in Featherston, South Wairarapa District. It is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014. This is the first review for this kindergarten since the merger.
The service is licensed for 30 children aged over two years. Of the children enrolled, 15 are Māori. Since the July 2013 ERO report, the kindergarten has diversified to offer five, six hour sessions for a mixed-age group weekly. Parents also have the option of whānau grouping for their children.
Significant changes to the kindergarten's staffing and the association's senior teacher team have occurred over the past two years. Both permanent full-time teaching positions are currently held by relief staff. All teachers are qualified and certificated. One teacher has provisional certification.
The recently reviewed kindergarten philosophy reflects teachers' shared values and beliefs. It underpins teaching practices and priorities for learners and emphasises the importance of seeking whānau aspirations for children and having fun.
The board and managers provide governance for the organisation. Senior teachers have delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.
In 2012, the Wellington association developed a framework to guide the implementation of its curriculum, Te Manawa. This document outlines criteria for curriculum delivery including expectations for assessment and planning for children’s learning. Its introduction within the exRimutaka Kindergartens occurred during 2015, with kindergartens adapting it to respond to their community. The Meta Riddiford teaching team are at the early stages of using this document to guide practice in this area.
The previous ERO report for Meta Riddiford Kindergarten identified that building shared understanding of self review, assessment and planning was needed. Progress in addressing these areas has been impacted by staffing changes.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
Children experience positive and responsive relationships with teachers. Staff have a clear emphasis on ensuring teaching practice and the environment are supportive and inclusive. They encourage respectful behaviour and support children's developing social competencies. A carefully considered setting contributes significantly to children’s and whānau sense of belonging.
Assessment is increasingly responsive to children's immediate and emerging strengths, interests and skills. Narratives and photographs show their engagement and, at times, dispositional learning and progress. These observations of learning are reflected in portfolios and a variety of visual displays within the kindergarten. Evaluation of the impact of teaching strategies and curriculum decisions on children’s learning is in the early stages of implementation.
Teachers view each family and its knowledge of their child as an important part of the kindergarten’s learning community. Increasing communication with whānau about children’s learning programmes, progress and achievements is a developing focus for teachers.
Teachers increasingly incorporate te ao Māori into the programme as a part of children’s daily experiences. The acting head teacher is a confident role model of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and provides valuable support for staff understanding and using bicultural practices. Promoting the wairua of whanaungatanga and aroha for whānau and the community continues to be embedded within teaching and learning.
A current review of children's transitions out of the kindergarten should provide useful guidance in supporting teachers to enhance outcomes for children as they move to school. Transitions into the service are flexible and responsive to the needs of individual children and families.
The acting head teacher provides supportive leadership and, in a short time, has helped to refine and develop the team's shared understanding of assessment and planning. Strategic teaching and learning plans, and emergent reviews provide useful direction. Teachers take time to reflect on their effectiveness. Internal evaluation for improvement continues to evolve and should contribute to positive changes and outcomes for children and whānau.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. They complete an annual internal evaluation that supports strengthening of these termly reports. There is a deliberate focus on outcomes for children and teacher/leader performance.
The previous report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal processes. Managers undertook an internal review of the appraisal system. The revised model is being implemented across the kindergartens. The process includes focused goals that build teacher and leader capability and clearer links with the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The senior teacher, senior head teacher, staff and ERO agree that the following key next steps for Meta Riddiford Kindergarten are to further develop and:
embed newly introduced assessment, planning and evaluation practices to support future teaching and learning
strengthen teachers' capacity for internal evaluation to promote their inquiry into the impact of teaching practice on outcomes for children.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice.
Progress against an action plan, that addresses the key next steps will be monitored by ERO.
Before the review, the staff and management of Meta Riddiford 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 Meta Riddiford Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
16 February 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 |
Featherston |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5309 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
40 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 22, Boys 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Australian Indian |
15 22 2 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 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
16 February 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
July 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Meta Riddiford Kindergarten is located in Featherston, Wairarapa and caters for children from two to five years of age. It is an all-day centre and licensed for 40 children. At the time of this review there were 45 children enrolled, including 15 Māori.
The Rimutaka Kindergarten Association effectively governs the kindergarten, and provides senior teacher support for the kindergarten. They are committed to maintaining the ratio of 100% qualified teachers. Well-developed policy guidelines clearly outline association expectations for developing the programme and managing day-to-day operations.
The teaching team comprises a head teacher and four fully qualified teachers.
Meta Riddiford Kindergarten’s vision is to have 'An environment where fun and respect are paramount'. Teachers model this effectively in their teaching practice.
The kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO.
This review was part of a cluster of eleven kindergarten reviews in the Rimutaka Kindergarten Association.
Teachers show a clear commitment to instilling life skills and a love of learning in children. They effectively respond to children’s interests and needs by:
providing opportunities for sustained child-led play where learning through play is valued
promoting high quality literacy and numeracy learning
showing genuine care for children and positively affirming their success
sharing professional conversations about aspects of the programme
focusing on children’s holistic development
building on children’s prior learning and extending their imagination and reasoning.
As a result, children’s social and emotional confidence, wellbeing and sense of belonging are successfully fostered in the programme. Relationships teachers have with children are warm, welcoming and responsive to their needs. Children clearly enjoy their conversations with adults.
Teachers are gaining confidence in reflecting the language, culture and identity of Māori learners within the curriculum. There is a focus on growing links with the local community to provide children with meaningful experiences. An appropriate association-wide review is currently being undertaken to evaluate and implement practices to enhance learning opportunities for Māori learners.
The diverse backgrounds of children and their families are celebrated. Parents are warmly welcomed and positive partnerships with whānau are highly valued. For many, the kindergarten is the hub of the community so relationships are regarded as important for enhancing successful outcomes for children.
Teachers encourage and continue to provide opportunities, such as support meetings and education workshops, to empower parents as first teachers to contribute to their child’s learning.
Positive relationships with local schools support smooth transitions for children. Useful information for parents is provided and reciprocal visits build children’s confidence and familiarity with their new environment.
Teachers work in partnership with external agencies and parents of children with additional needs to improve and enhance their learning. Individual plans are developed and reviewed to support children in an inclusive environment.
Senior teachers provide well-targeted, ongoing support and guidance for teachers. They promote regular professional development opportunities and useful systems that focus on positive outcomes for children. Planned development of the performance appraisal process has the potential to better promote teacher development.
Children’s emotional and physical wellbeing is promoted through sound health and safety practices.
The head teacher and her staff have appropriately identified the need to collaboratively review their teaching philosophy. ERO's evaluation affirms this direction. Such review should clearly build a shared understanding of what constitutes high quality use of:
Teachers acknowledge the need to strengthen their evaluative capacity to systematically enquire into and judge the impact of the areas for development outlined above.
Before the review, the staff and management of Meta Riddiford 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 Meta Riddiford Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)
29 July 2013
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 |
Featherston |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5309 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
45 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 26 Boys 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific |
15 29 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
N/A |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
29 July 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2007 |
||
|
Accountability Review |
September 2002 |
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.