Mosgiel Central Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5509
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
53
Telephone:
Address:

3 Irvine Street, Mosgiel

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Mosgiel Central Kindergarten - 07/05/2019

1 Evaluation of Mosgiel Central Kindergarten

How well placed is Mosgiel Central Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Mosgiel Central Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Mosgiel Central Kindergarten provides early childhood education for children aged over two years of age. The kindergarten is licensed for up to 43 children. Children participate in half or whole day learning programmes running from 8.30am to 2.30pm. The day-to-day operation of the kindergarten is managed by a head teacher, supported by four qualified early childhood teachers and three support staff.

The kindergarten's philosophy states that children will:

  • acknowledge and celebrate the cultural diversity of their learning community

  • experience the values, traditions and language of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand

  • develop independence, social competency skills and be leaders in their learning.

The kindergarten has sustained the effective practices noted in ERO's 2015 review and continues to make very good progress with curriculum assessment, planning and evaluation practices, teacher appraisal and internal evaluation systems.

Mosgiel Central Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens administered by Dunedin Kindergartens (DK). A general manager oversees the association, under the governance of a board. Senior teachers provide ongoing professional advice and guidance to each kindergarten on teaching and learning. This review was part of a cluster of five reviews in DK.

The Review Findings

Children experience a strong sense of belonging and place in the kindergarten. Children are confident and competent and capably lead their learning. They know what learning suits them best. There are high levels of engagement from all children across all curriculum learning areas.

Strong, learning-focused partnerships with parents and whānau are clearly evident. Relationships with children and their whānau and between adults in the kindergarten environment are reciprocal and responsive. Parent voice is sought regularly and is valued by all teachers.

The curriculum is broad and interesting. There is strong evidence of increased complexity in children's learning and wellbeing. There is a good balance of child-led and teacher-led teaching and learning opportunities. Children actively seek opportunities to take leadership roles within the kindergarten.

Assessment, planning and evaluation processes and practices are well understood and implemented. Teachers regularly discuss and plan for all individuals and groups of children. High levels of intentional teaching practices are evident.

The needs of diverse learners are well supported and prioritised. There is a well-established culture of social and emotional coaching, by teachers, to support the wellbeing of all children.

The kindergarten philosophy is well aligned to core concepts and values of te ao Māori. These are very evident in the programme and teacher practices. Diverse cultural practices are also acknowledged, celebrated and valued.

Leadership is capable and improvement focused. The learning environment is very well structured and managed. Teachers are unhurried and present in the learning environments. Transitions are well thought out and well managed. There is a strong focus on sustainability across the programme, which is well integrated in a range of curriculum areas such as science and early literacy.

The DK board has made good progress in addressing the governance recommendations from ERO's 2015 reviews. The DK’s mission and strategic priorities are well known and reflected in each kindergarten's strategic and annual plans. The DK has a sound policy and procedure framework that provides guidance for kindergartens and sound systems to monitor health and safety. Leaders and teachers benefit from relevant professional development and leadership support. The DK actively supports equity of outcomes for all children by funding additional teaching resources to support children with additional needs.

Key Next Steps for the DK

The Board have clearly identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps to further improve outcomes for children are to:

  • ensure that reporting and monitoring at all levels is evaluative, to clearly show how desired outcomes for children have been improved in relation to the DK’s and kindergartens’ priorities for learning and other strategic priorities

  • ensure that a comprehensive and systematic quality assurance framework is implemented to inform and monitor ongoing improvements in each kindergarten.

Key Next Steps for Mosgiel Central Kindergarten

The teaching team has identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next step to further improve outcomes for children is to:

  • continue to strengthen their use and understanding of te reo me ona tikanga Māori practices.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Mosgiel Central 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.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

7 May 2019

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

Location

Mosgiel, Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

5509

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

43 children over the age of two years

Service roll

51

Gender composition

Girls 22, Boys 29

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnicities

46
5

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2019

Date of this report

7 May 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

February 2009

Education Review

December 2015

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

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.

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.

Mosgiel Central Kindergarten - 22/12/2015

1 Evaluation of Mosgiel Central Kindergarten

How well placed is Mosgiel Central Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Mosgiel Central Kindergarten provides education and care for children from two years to school age. The kindergarten moved to a brand-new, purpose-built building and playground in 2015. The teachers place high importance on children being self managing and making decisions for themselves.

The kindergarten operates according to school-day hours. Some of the younger children go home at lunchtime, so 40 children attend in the mornings and 30 in the afternoons. A large number of two year olds attend.

After some leadership changes, an experienced teacher has been appointed as acting-head teacher. All the teachers are qualified. An active parent committee supports the kindergarten well with fundraising and improvements. The teachers have made significant progress on the recommendations of the 2012 ERO report.

The kindergarten operates under the Dunedin Kindergartens (DK) umbrella. DK provides management and professional support for the teachers.

This review was part of a cluster of 24 kindergarten reviews in the DK.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from warm and caring relationships with their teachers. The teachers take the time to get to know the parents, form strong relationships with them, and make them feel welcome at the kindergarten. They hold events to include the whole family. The teachers use a variety of ways to show parents what children learn through their kindergarten experiences.

The teachers foster a calm and settled atmosphere which is especially valuable in helping the younger children feel at home. The children have a strong sense of belonging at the kindergarten and form their own friendships.

The teachers focus on learning. Their emphasis on children being self/managing and making decisions for themselves is clearly evident in the programme. The flexible rhythm of the day gives children choice and uninterrupted time for play. Children have a wide variety of interesting learning experiences to choose from. Extensive use of open-ended resources, such as a collection of big foam climbing blocks and a pile of driftwood, allows children to make choices, set challenges for themselves and solve problems.

The teachers talk with children in a respectful and responsive way in order to build a sense of trust and develop children’s oral language and social skills. They provide rich experiences including literacy, music, ICT and dramatic play and then engage children in conversations about what they are doing and learning. Teachers allow children time to think and reply.

Children take part in real-life learning experiences such as making their own morning tea, gardening, and caring for the kindergarten’s guinea pigs and birds. They go on regular excursions into the local community, including to the public library and to water the planter boxes in Mosgiel's main street. Children are prepared for starting school through regular visits with one local school and some contact with others.

The indoor and outdoor areas are thoughtfully and imaginatively designed. The kindergarten has many high-quality resources. It also has a variety of play spaces so children can choose an open or a cosy spot, a quiet or a more active place to play in.

Children’s awareness of te ao Māori is growing through use of waiata, te reo and tikanga Māori and wall displays. Teachers encourage Māori whānau and children to contribute their cultural knowledge to the daily programme. This is an area the teachers are continuing to strengthen.

Teachers create group plans to foster important learning for children. They have a system to plan for individual children. Parents and teachers discuss children’s interests and future learning. The children’s portfolios describe what children are learning and often show children’s progress. Teachers agree that identifying children’s next learning steps more clearly and what teachers will do to support this learning will improve their planning and assessment practices.

The acting-head teacher has strengthened systems for the kindergarten’s operation. Teachers work well as a team and value the different approach that each person brings. They have common understandings about what is important for children here. They build these understandings further through shared professional learning, readings and discussions.

The most recent self review (using the DK format) is a well-implemented and documented process. This has led to positive changes for children. The teachers need to refine their use of indicators and develop a schedule to ensure all aspects of the kindergarten’s operations are reviewed over time.

The vision of the DK is to provide excellence in early childhood education for all children. The DK is governed by a board and managed by a long-serving general manager. The kindergarten teachers told ERO they appreciated the support they receive from the association and the advice and guidance of the senior teachers.

The board, general manager and senior teachers:

  • provide appropriate opportunities for parents and staff to contribute their ideas about matters in the association
  • are responsive to the identified needs of children and families within the association and provide funding and support to enable these to be met
  • have developed a useful framework to guide their work
  • take all reasonable steps to ensure safe environments for children, teachers and other staff
  • maintain their professional learning and provide ongoing professional learning for teachers in the association.

Key Next Steps

Teachers agree that their next steps, with the support of their senior teacher, are to:

  • continue to strengthen and build consistency in planning and assessment of children’s learning
  • rewrite the philosophy statement to better represent what is important for children’s learning in this kindergarten
  • develop the long-term plan so it becomes a useful guide for the kindergarten’s future
  • involve parents more consistently in making important decisions, such as in relation to the philosophy and long-term plan.

ERO agrees these are appropriate next steps.

Next steps for the board, with the support of the general manager and senior teachers, are to:

  • continue to define what excellence in education looks like in the DK
  • further develop strategic planning to better show future goals and priorities and how these will be achieved in the association and in the kindergartens
  • ensure that the reports they receive show how well the association’s vision and goals are met, are evaluative and inform future planning
  • continue to strengthen the appraisal process and be assured that appraisals are rigorous and consistent throughout the kindergartens.

With the appointment of a new senior teacher, it is timely for the board and general manager to review the role of the senior teachers and strengthen systems to ensure consistent, high-quality practice across all kindergartens within the association.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Mosgiel Central 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Mosgiel Central Kindergarten will be in three years.

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

22 December 2015

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

Location

Mosgiel, Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

5509

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

42 children over two years of age

Service roll

44

Gender composition

Girls: 22 Boys: 22

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Other

4

37

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

Not applicable

 
 

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

October 2015

Date of this report

22 December 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2012

 

Education Review

February 2009

 

Education Review

February 2006

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.