Moriah (Private) Kindergarten Inc - 28/02/2018

• On this page:

• 1 Evaluation of Moriah (Private) Kindergarten Inc
• 2 Information about the Early Childhood Service
• 3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

How well placed is Moriah (Private) Kindergarten Inc to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Moriah (Private) Kindergarten Inc is a long-established centre located in Te Aro, Wellington. The centre operates as a non-profit parent cooperative and caters for up to 25 children, aged over two years, from the Jewish and wider community.

A management committee of parents governs the centre with the support of the principal, who also has oversight of teaching and learning. All teachers are qualified and registered. Most have been employed at the centre for a number of years.

Since the October 2014 ERO report, the committee and leaders have reviewed and updated written guidelines. Teachers have focused on improving the quality and consistency of their positive guidance practices. At the beginning of 2017, the centre became part of the Enviroschools programme.

The 2014 ERO report identified strategic planning as requiring further development. This area continues to need strengthening.

The Review Findings

Teaching and learning practices reflect the philosophy and promote positive outcomes. Warm, reciprocal interactions between teachers and children contribute to a settled learning environment. Children are happy, active and engaged. They see themselves as competent learners, persevering confidently in learning of their own choosing for extended periods of time. Their strong sense of belonging and wellbeing is evident.

Teachers use a range of effective strategies to invite children‘s interests, extend their ideas and support their play. Positive guidance is used well to support social competence.

Teachers have identified the valued learning outcomes that are underpinned by Moriah values, care for the environment and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. All elements are very evident in practice.

The curriculum includes a balance of child-led and engaging teacher-initiated experiences. Core learning areas are well integrated in play-based ways. The importance of caring for the environment, yourself, and others is consistently modelled by teachers and well understood by children. Teaching practice is consistent across the centre.

A comprehensive approach to planning for learning, based on individual children‘s needs and interests, is in place. An online programme and other written documents are used well to record their learning and special moments with families. Parents spoken to by ERO report high levels of satisfaction with the increased levels of communication they are receiving about their children and the programme. To further strengthen their approach teachers should consider:

• making visible in learning records, their strategies to progress children‘s learning

• reviewing how they evaluate the programme

• continuing to seek ways children can revisit and reflect on their learning.

Progress has been made in strengthening the bicultural perspective in the programme. Teachers have increased their knowledge of, and strive to integrate, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into their everyday interactions with children. The principal has identified that the next steps for the team is to further consider the Ministry of Education resource, Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners and seek supportive connections in the local community.

Children's transitions from the centre to school are well considered and made in collaboration with parents and whānau. A comprehensive written report about each child's learning is provided as part of the process. Relationships with local schools continue to be developed.

The teaching team is well led by the long-serving principal. Professional leadership provided supports a collaborative, improvement-focused culture. Teachers' growth is well supported through the appraisal process, professional reading, and a range of developmental opportunities. Teachers' and leaders' understanding and use of internal evaluation needs further depth to better support decisions about change and improvement.

Aspects of governance are well developed. The parent committee is very supportive of the principal and teachers. Current policies promote consistency of practice and operation. The development of comprehensive guidelines to support a clearer understanding of governance and management roles and responsibilities should be considered.

Long term planning requires strengthening. Identifying strategic priorities, and defining desired outcomes linked to goals is required. This will provide a basis for internal evaluation and enable the principal to report on progress towards meeting the desired outcomes.

Key Next Steps

ERO and leaders agree that to further strengthen practice the team should continue to develop:

• planning for children's learning

• the bi-cultural programme

• understanding and use of internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Moriah (Private) Kindergarten Inc 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Moriah (Private) Kindergarten Inc will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

28 February 2018

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.