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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
One Tree Hill Community Kindergarten operates from a community hall in a residential suburb of Auckland. It offers an all day service to children from two to five years of age. The service is managed by a newly appointed head teacher and governed by a management committee. The kindergarten continues to have a history of positive ERO reporting.
Managers and teachers have recently reviewed the kindergarten’s vision and philosophy, to support children to develop a love of learning and exploration. Parents have many opportunities to be involved in their children’s learning.
Children settle quickly and experience a sense of belonging in this centre. They are empowered to be confident and capable learners. Children can negotiate about their play with teachers and other children. They are developing good skills to manage their learning and care needs.
Teachers are welcoming and inclusive of all children and whānau. They work alongside children, and model respectful interactions. Teachers have meaningful conversations with children about learning, knowledge and experiences. They encourage children to explore and develop their own ideas. Attractive displays of children’s work throughout the centre allow children and teachers to revisit learning.
Children have good opportunity for physical challenge, exploration and creativity. They benefit from a natural learning environment in the attractively designed outdoor area. The well-resourced and spacious indoor space offers children many learning choices.
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, guides the learning programme. A recent curriculum review is enabling teachers to plan more relevant programmes for children. Attractive portfolios include children’s and parents’ comments, and are easily accessed by them. Learning stories track children’s progress and development.
The kindergarten is well governed and managed. Self review is well understood and used. The management committee and the head teacher work closely to make ongoing centre improvements. Views of parents and staff are included in centre planning. Managers are currently reviewing the effectiveness of the kindergarten’s systems and procedures.
Managers are also improving teachers’ appraisal processes to meaningfully build the quality of teaching practice. They acknowledge the need to increase teachers’ understanding and use of bicultural practices.
The management committee, teachers and ERO agree that key next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of One Tree Hill Community 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 One Tree Hill Community Kindergarten will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
6 October 2014
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 |
One Tree Hill, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20125 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
65 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 36 Girls 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Indian Tongan Filipino Indonesian other |
6 49 2 2 2 1 1 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
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 |
August 2014 |
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Date of this report |
6 October 2014 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2011 |
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Education Review |
June 2008 |
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Education Review |
July 2005 |
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.