58 Arawa Street, Ohakune
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Ohakune Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ohakune Kindergarten is in Ohakune on the Central Plateau. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8:45am until 2:45pm. Full day places are available for children aged from two to six years.
The philosophy statement makes links to the centre pepeha and emphasises the development of children as resilient, confident communicators who are respectful, inclusive and positive lifelong learners.
The December 2015 ERO report identified that assessment for children's learning and understanding of internal evaluation required further development. Some progress has been made in these areas.
Ohakune is one of 15 kindergartens governed and managed by the Whanganui Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). The governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the organisation. The day-to-day running of the association is the role of the general manager, who is responsible to the board.
Since April 2018, the association's programme of professional learning and development and curriculum implementation has been managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated. An association senior teacher and two senior teachers from Whānau Manaaki provide regular support for teachers.
This review was part of a cluster of 15 in the Whanganui Kindergarten Association Incorporated.
Children are highly engaged in a bicultural curriculum that successfully reflects the local community. The centre philosophy connects children's learning to local places of significance for Māori. There is a strong focus on sustainability and wellbeing in line with community priorities.
Children's play reflects their life experiences. They predominantly lead their own learning. Teachers take opportunities to extend children's emerging ideas about how the world works. Local events and excursions support them to make connections to the wider community.
Teachers are implementing strategies that promote Māori children's educational success. The curriculum includes concepts, knowledge, skills and practices that reflect te āo Māori and leadership opportunities are provided for children. Teachers seek ways to support iwi educational aims within the wider community.
A community approach effectively creates an inclusive learning environment. Teachers work to build social competence in children. Those with additional learning needs are well supported to progress their learning. Teachers are proactive and resourceful to achieve this, working collaboratively with whānau and external agencies.
Children's transition in to and out of the kindergarten are responsive to individual needs. Teachers continue to work with the neighbouring school to strengthen the transition process. Useful information is shared about children's learning that connects the early childhood and school curriculums.
Individual and group planning continues to be refined to inform the programme and ensure children's interests are incorporated. An online platform allows parents to have continuing input into their child's learning and their aspirations form the basis of planning. 'Taonga pukapuka' documents children's participation in the programme, dispositions and developing skills.
It is timely to evaluate assessment, planning and evaluation practices to gauge how effectively:
parent input is captured and responded to
children's cultures, languages and identities are reflected throughout the process
all aspects of the offered curriculum are encompassed.
Teachers are supported to progress their understanding and use of effective internal evaluation. A useful framework is used well to guide the process. Continuing to implement this should further support positive outcomes for children and whānau.
The governing board is future-focused and has taken appropriate steps to strengthen opportunities for teachers’ professional learning and development. An association-wide appraisal process is in place to support teacher practice in promoting positive learning outcomes for children. Consistency of its implementation across all kindergartens requires strengthening.
Association leaders and ERO agree that for ongoing and sustained improvement, staff at Ohakune Kindergarten should continue to embed internal evaluation processes and use this to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of kindergarten practices.
The senior management team of Whanganui Kindergarten Association Incorporated should continue to strengthen the implementation of teacher appraisal.
Before the review, the staff and management of Ohakune 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
11 June 2019
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 |
Ohakune |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5244 |
|
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
47 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 27, Girls 20 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
March 2019 |
|
|
Date of this report |
11 June 2019 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
|
Education Review |
October 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2008 |
|
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.
Ohakune Kindergarten is one of 14 administered by the Whanganui Kindergarten Association, (the association). The kindergarten is licensed for 30 children aged over two years and offers six-hour sessions five days per week. Of the 39 children currently enrolled, nine identify as Māori. All four teachers are qualified and registered. Two are working towards meeting full teacher registration requirements. Three have been appointed since the 2012 ERO review.
A governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the association. Dayto-day operation is the role of the general manager, who is accountable to the board. Two senior teachers are employed to support the learning and development of teachers. Two recently appointed cultural advisors support teachers to work with Māori and Pacific children.
The kindergarten’s pepeha is integral to teaching, learning and operation:
Ko Ruapehu te maunga, te maunga koro Ko Aotea te waka, te waka tere Ko Mangawhero te awa, te hukapapa Ko Ngāti Rangi te iwi, nō te whenua nei.This review was part of a cluster of seven kindergarten reviews in the Whanganui Kindergarten Association.
The philosophy has been progressively developed with much care and the support of whānau and iwi. It is made tangible for all through the creation of a tukutuku panel that continues to be added to over time. Agreed values are reflected in practice and celebrated through pepeha, waiata and karakia.
The Priorities for Learning initiative has helped teachers to identify and focus on what is important for children, whānau and community. In this kindergarten priorities are te Tiriti o Waitangi, meaningful relationships, whanaungatanga, creative mediums, ngā atua and engaged planning. These link strongly to philosophical values and are evident in practice, planning and review. The head teacher has started to develop indicators of best practice linked to the priorities to support ongoing improvement to teaching and learning.
Children enthusiastically participate in a curriculum that responds to their interests, strengths and ideas. Literacy, mathematics and science are meaningfully integrated into learning experiences. There is a wide range of opportunities for creative and physical play. Teachers are responsive and respectful. They view children as competent to make decisions about their learning.
The curriculum authentically integrates bicultural values and practices. Teachers should continue to encourage tamariki to use to reo Māori in their everyday interactions with others.
Success for Māori children as Maori is effectively promoted. Staff value and attend local iwi events and maintain a purposeful relationship with Ngāti Rangi to support their authentic approach.
The environment is well resourced. It celebrates and reflects a commitment to bicultural values, children’s learning and the unique features of the wider local community. Children enjoy opportunities to freely investigate materials and confidently lead their learning. The Ngahere Project is an environmental initiative that has been purposefully designed to enhance children’s outdoor experiences.
Careful consideration is given to supporting children when they start kindergarten and move on to primary school. Teachers’ approach is based on individual needs. A positive relationship has been developed with the adjacent school, which supports both children and whānau needs. Tuakana teina relationships are fostered through regular visits from school children. Teachers should continue to seek effective ways of sharing information about learners and school and early childhood programmes.
Teachers recognise and respond to individual children’s emerging interests. Their inclusive practice provides good support for children with diverse learning needs. Group plans aid working together. Taonga pukapuka are attractive records of children’s involvement in kindergarten activities. To improve current practice, teachers should increase the focus, in taonga pukapuka, on recording children’s significant learning moments and how their progress is being facilitated over time. Evaluation of children’s learning should also be further developed.
Parent/whānau relationships are valued. Families’ aspirations for their children’s learning are sought. The education leader agrees that specific acknowledgment of these in plans for learning is a next step.
With a new team, a focus on developing cohesive practice and shared understanding of values and ways of working has been necessary. This has been capably led by the head teacher. All staff show a high level of commitment to the kindergarten philosophy and support for each other. Teachers’ capability is being built though opportunities for them to lead aspects of practice and through good mentoring by the head teacher.
A useful appraisal process supports teachers to reflect on their practice in relation to professional teaching requirements. The association leadership team is in the process of implementing a revised approach. This should include focused observations of teachers’ practice in relation to their professional goals. Once the new approach is fully implemented, evaluation of its impact on teachers’ development should be a next step for the association.
Teachers are highly reflective and regularly work together to review aspects of their practice. Developing the team’s understanding and use of internal evaluation should enhance decision making about change and improvement.
Kindergarten long-term plans strongly align with the association’s strategic priorities. The inclusion of priorities for children’s learning, identified by the kindergarten, should provide a stronger basis for review and development of practice.
The senior teacher provides a range of support for teaching teams. She is considering further developing her approach to giving feedback and reporting to better meet kindergarten needs.
The teaching team, with support from the association, should continue to develop its:
Before the review, the staff and management of Ohakune 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 Ohakune Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
2 December 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 |
Ohakune |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5244 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
39 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 21, Boys 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian |
9 29 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
October 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
2 December 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2003 |
||
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.