Papakowhai Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5371
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
47
Telephone:
Address:

5 Yarrow Place, Papakowhai, Porirua

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Papakowhai Kindergarten - 10/03/2020

1 Evaluation of Papakowhai Kindergarten

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

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

Background

Papakowhai Kindergarten is a well-established kindergarten in Porirua. It provides all-day education and care for up to 40 children aged over two years and serves a diverse ethnic community. Of the 62 children enrolled six are Māori and three Samoan. Daily sessions are for a mixed three-to-five years age group. Since the June 2015 ERO report, licence numbers have been increased to 40 children. Three of the five teachers are long-serving employees.

The philosophy emphasises the importance of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, learning partnerships with whānau and children's holistic learning through the virtues of manaakitanga, whakahoahoa and whataota.

Papakowhai Kindergarten is a member of the North Porirua Kāhui Ako l Community of Learning.

The kindergarten is governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association (the association). A team of senior teachers oversees and supports the professional practice of the teaching team. The association governs 102 kindergartens, which includes three Pacific kindergartens and a Pacific home-based service with two networks.

ERO's June 2015 report identified teachers' cultural responsiveness as an area for continued development, and the quality of the association's support for services and teachers' appraisal required strengthening. Progress is evident in all areas.

This review was one of eight in He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association, Wellington region.

The Review Findings

Children play freely in a thoughtfully-designed, well-resourced environment. They have opportunities to initiate, choose and extend activities. Teachers work alongside them providing good support for their exploration, investigation and problem solving. They respond sensitively to children's cues, changing needs and preferences. Literacy, mathematics, science and the arts are woven skilfully into activities.

Leaders, teachers, parents and whānau have worked collaboratively to review and determine the kindergarten's philosophy and bicultural statement. These highlight the kaupapa Māori concepts of ako, whanaungatanga and tuakana teina. The identified learning outcomes are strongly evident in practice.

An effective planning-for-learning framework guides teacher practice and is based on children’s emerging interests. Teachers recognise what is important for learning and effectively use Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Te Manawa: the association's guidance document, to identify and link valued outcomes to meaningful learning experiences. In collaboration with parents and whānau they effectively support, guide and extend each child's learning based on their interests.

Children's portfolios are used well to record learning. They reflect the bicultural curriculum and celebrate families' cultures, languages and identities. A next step is for teachers to better record how children are supported to progress over time. Children with additional learning needs are identified and effectively supported. Leaders and teachers work alongside families and whānau to access external agencies when required.

Te ao Māori is highly valued. Children are familiar with and participate in karakia and waiata. Teachers meaningfully use te reo Māori in learning conversations with children. People, places and stories of significance for Māori and their community are celebrated.

Leaders and teachers continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of Tapasā to better plan for the learning of children of Pacific heritage.

Children's transitions into and out of the centre are well-managed. Teachers have identified the need to strengthen their approach to supporting children's transitions to primary school, including developing their own relationships with new entrant teachers to assist with the relevant sharing of information.

Leaders and teachers have a good understanding of internal evaluation for improvement and use it effectively to measure the impact of their practice on children’s learning. The strong focus on improving outcomes for children enables teachers to question and change traditional practices if necessary. It also allows them to think more critically about how practice may need to vary depending on different contexts or moments in time.

The head teacher effectively leads the teaching team. There are many opportunities for teachers to lead and take responsibility for aspects of the curriculum and continue to develop their leadership skills.

A well-considered appraisal process has recently been enhanced to grow and develop teacher practice. Teachers are expected to inquire into the effectiveness of their teaching. Purposeful appraisal goals focus on improving aspects of leadership and practice to support children’s learning and wellbeing.

The senior teaching team is reflective and highly improvement focused. They successfully foster a collective sense of responsibility to implement the vision, values and mission of the association. Systems and processes have been well developed to guide teachers' capability and positively impact on children’s learning.

Senior leaders work effectively together, with a shared commitment to meeting strategic goals and objectives for the benefit of children, whānau and community. Well-considered resource allocation supports and enhances children’s learning and wellbeing.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and teachers agree that a priority is to continue to strengthen assessment practice.

ERO and senior leaders agree that the association's next step is to:

  • continue to follow the strategic direction set through Tūmanako, Te Tiriti o Waitangi based Strategic Priority Framework.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Papakowhai 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

10 March 2020

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

Porirua

Ministry of Education profile number

5371

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children aged over 2

Service roll

62

Gender composition

Male 33, Female 29

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Indian
Other ethnic groups

6
33
4
19

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

November 2019

Date of this report

10 March 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2015

Education Review

September 2012

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.

Papakowhai Kindergarten - 08/06/2015

1 Evaluation of Papakowhai Kindergarten

How well placed is Papakowhai 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

Papakowhai Kindergarten is a well-established centre in Porirua. Since the September 2012 ERO review, hours of operation have changed. Children aged from three years attend on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Younger children, aged from two years, attend on Wednesday and Friday.

Papakowhai Kindergarten 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. The transition to the new association is expected to be a three-year process.

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.

All teachers at Papakowhai Kindergarten are qualified and registered. Some, including the head teacher, have many years of experience at the kindergarten. The centre philosophy is underpinned by the virtues of manaakitanga - caring and sharing, whakahoahoa - friendliness, and hautoa - courage.

The 2012 ERO report for Papakowhai Kindergarten identified that assessment of children’s learning should be further strengthened by increasing children’s input, parents’ contributions and cultural relevance. These aspects have been fully addressed.

Areas where the Wellington Kindergarten Association needed to strengthen its support for teachers were also identified at the time. Improvement continues to be needed in some of these areas that the association has plans to address. These feature as key next steps in this report. The alignment of individual kindergartens' annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been addressed.

This review was part of a cluster of 12 kindergarten reviews in He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten philosophy of empowering children to become confident, competent learners is highly evident in practice. Children move freely around the centre. They show security and confidence in their interactions with peers and adults. Warm, respectful relationships foster their sense of belonging.

The programme is child-initiated. Teachers believe that children are competent and capable. They work in partnership with parents to respond effectively to children’s emerging interests. The environment is a key feature of the kindergarten. It is purposefully and intentionally planned to support children’s learning and their understanding of their place in the community and the wider world.

In 2012, the 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. The head teacher and staff at Papakowhai Kindergarten make effective use of Te Manawa to guide their practice. Individual and group assessment of learning, and parents’ aspirations for their children, are successfully used to plan the programme.

Teachers proactively respond to children’s diverse needs. They have identified a need to grow their capacity to support the culture, language and identity of Pacific children and those from other ethnic groups. ERO's evaluation affirms this direction.

Clear and consistent leadership is evident. Practices to support continuing improvement and evaluate progress are strengthening. Self review is well embedded and has led to improved outcomes for children. Teachers' commitment to continual improvement is a positive influence on the programme.

The previous ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal processes. These continue to require strengthening. A recently revised appraisal model, yet to be implemented, includes: more focused goals that build teacher and leader capability; more regular and targeted feedback and feed forward about teaching practice; and clearer links with the Registered Teacher Criteria.

The senior teacher provides termly written reports that outline agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. The association has recently implemented new reports that should more deliberately focus on outcomes for children, teacher and leader performance. ERO's evaluation affirms this development.

Children have many opportunities to learn about Aotearoa New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage. Teachers and leaders acknowledge that they need to build their capability to be responsive to Māori children’s culture, language and identity. This development should include establishing relationships with mana whenua and making use of Ministry of Education resources such as,Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013-2017 and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.

Key Next Steps

The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Papakowhai Kindergarten, to:

  • continue to build teachers’ capability to be responsive to the culture, language and identity of Māori children, Pacific children and children from other ethnic groups.

At Association level, the senior management team of He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua should continue to further improve processes for growing and developing the practice of teachers, head teachers and the senior teacher. These should include:

  • improvements to the quality and monitoring of processes to support individual kindergartens and regular implementation of a robust appraisal system.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Papakowhai 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 Papakowhai Kindergarten will be in three years.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

8 June 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

Porirua

Ministry of Education profile number

5371

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, aged over 2

Service roll

61

Gender composition

Boys 36, Girls 25

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Pacific

Other ethnic groups

9

41

3

8

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

March 2015

Date of this report

8 June 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2012

 

Education Review

May 2008

 

Education Review

June 2005

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.