63 Antrim Crescent, Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pencarrow Kindergarten is licensed to provide all day education and care for up to 42 children, aged over two years. At the time of this ERO review, 15 of the 33 enrolled identified as Māori and four as of Pacific heritage.
The kindergarten's philosophy emphasises whanaungatanga, valuing and respecting the mana of the child and their whānau, including wairua, aroha, culture and diversity. All teachers at Pencarrow Kindergarten are fully qualified. Day-to-day operation of the service is the responsibility of the head teacher, who supports the teaching team.
Pencarrow Kindergarten is one of 19 services in the Lower Hutt region, governed and managed by Hutt City Kindergarten Association (the association). Since the June 2015 ERO report, a new senior leadership team has been appointed. This includes a general manager and two senior teachers, guided by a team leader. The governance board has also undergone significant changes.
The previous ERO report identified key next steps for this kindergarten. These included: clearly articulating with whānau the shared vision of success; and continuing to strengthen self-review. Ongoing progress is being made in these areas.
The association also had some areas for development, including: strategic planning; cultural responsiveness to Māori and Pacific families; evaluation; and the appraisal process. Good progress has been made in these areas.
Since the previous ERO report there has been ongoing development of the outdoor learning space. Leaders, teachers, community and whānau have had opportunities to participate in the development of this.
This review was part of a cluster of eight kindergartens in the Hutt City Kindergarten Association.
Children confidently engage in their learning through a strong bicultural programme. The outside space allows children to take risks, explore and have fun through purposeful and collaborative play. Teachers work alongside learners to build their social competence. Manaakitanga is highly valued. Children and whānau are warmly welcomed and respected.
Kaupapa Māori is well integrated into the programme. Teachers use te reo Māori in meaningful conversations with tamariki. Their success, culture, language and identity are highly valued and promoted in the service. Tikanga practices are well understood by children.
Leaders and teachers effectively establish a culture in which children and their whānau are valued, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning. Community events and excursions enable children to feel a sense of belonging and connection to Wainuiomata. Leaders and teachers are exploring ways to develop more meaningful learning partnerships with parents and whānau.
Children with diverse needs are well supported in the service. Leaders and teachers work collaboratively to enable them to participate in the programme.
Teachers notice children’s emerging interests, recognise opportunities for learning, and respond through offering appropriate experiences. They use Te Whāriki (2017) to guide and support curriculum development. Individualised planning for learning responds to the child’s culture, language and identity. Key next steps to improve this practice include:
developing specific learning outcomes for children
identifying teaching strategies that will support learning
using assessment documentation to clearly show progression towards learning goals.
Children are appropriately supported by teachers as they transition into the kindergarten and when moving on to school. Leaders and teachers are continuing to strengthen relationships with local primary schools to promote smooth transitions for children.
An internal evaluation system that provides clear expectations has been implemented to guide this process. Senior teachers are working collaboratively with the teaching team to build their evaluative understanding. Teachers are beginning to deepen their knowledge and understanding of how they can evaluate the impact of their practices on children’s learning. Ongoing support from the association should help to sustain continued improvement.
A comprehensive, well-considered appraisal process is in place. Teachers challenge themselves to continually improve their practice through strategic goal-setting and professional learning. Plans are in place to further strengthen this system by developing an inquiry-based approach to teacher appraisal. ERO's evaluation affirms this direction. This should support teachers to better measure the success of improved practices in promoting outcomes for specific children and priority groups.
The governance board includes a wide range of community representation and useful skills. The board and senior leadership team work well together, with a shared commitment to meeting its goals and objectives for the benefit of children, whānau and community. Resource allocation clearly aligns with this focus. The board and senior leadership actively seek equitable and inclusive ways to eliminate barriers to children’s learning and wellbeing.
ERO, the governance board and senior leaders agree that the association's next steps are to:
monitor, evaluate and report on the extent to which children and their families’ outcomes are improved though systems, processes and initiatives. This should include consideration of impact on specific priority groups
consider ways to increase opportunities for whānau to actively contribute to the association’s operation and strategic direction.
The association's senior teaching team are reflective and highly improvement focused. Robust, linked systems and processes have been skilfully developed to guide and grow teacher capability and positively impact children’s learning. Leaders are successfully fostering a collective sense of responsibility for the vision, values and mission of the association.
ERO and kindergarten teachers agree that their priority next steps are to:
continue developing aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation to show clear links to outcomes for children, teaching strategies that will support these outcomes and greater progression of children's learning
continue to develop more meaningful learning partnerships with parents and whānau
continue to access association support for internal evaluation to build practice and promote positive outcomes for children.
The association agrees they should increase focus on:
measuring outcomes for children and their families
developing whānau and community partnership practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Pencarrow 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.
The next ERO review of Pencarrow Kindergarten will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review & Improvement Services Central
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
30 August 2018
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 |
Lower Hutt |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5616 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
42 children, aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
33 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 17, Boys 16 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
15 |
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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 2018 |
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Date of this report |
30 August 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
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Education Review |
August 2012 |
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Education Review |
February 2009 |
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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.
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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.
Pencarrow Kindergarten is located in Wainuiomata and provides education and care for children from two to five years of age. It offers morning sessions five days a week for 40 children and a shorter session for 20 children in the afternoons. The kindergarten is licensed for up to 42 children. The roll has become increasingly diverse and now includes families with a range of cultural backgrounds.
The teaching team is fully qualified. The programme is further assisted by support staff. The kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO. An established teaching team provides a very stable staffing place.
The August 2012 ERO report identified an area requiring further development. This included the need for teachers to refine aspects of their assessment and review. They continue to monitor and further develop these processes. Professional learning and development has been accessed to improve aspects of practice. Teachers are committed to the ongoing acquisition of professional knowledge.
The kindergarten is governed by the Hutt City Kindergarten Association (the association). Two professional practice managers (PPMs) are employed by the association to provide professional support and guidance to teachers. Since the previous review there have been several changes to the General Manager.
This review was part of a cluster of ten kindergarten reviews in the Hutt City Kindergarten.
The head teacher has a clear vision of how the kindergarten should operate to provide high quality early childhood education. She sets clear curriculum delivery expectations for the teaching team, children and parents. As a result the environment is calm, safe, aesthetically pleasing and exciting. Teachers and parents and whānau are supported to take an active role in all aspects of the kindergarten.
Children are engaged, busy and purposeful in their play. They work individually or in small groups, taking responsibility for much of their own learning. They make good use of the many resources available, making deliberate decisions and selections for their learning.
Literacy and numeracy are strong features of the programme. These are integrated and authentically interwoven into a wide range of experiences. Teachers encourage children to think, reason and experiment. They are respectful and support each other in their learning. Strong tuakina teina relationships are evident.
The kindergarten environment has been completely redeveloped over the past few years. This continues to evolve as teachers’ thinking deepens. The agreed philosophy underpins the curriculum and overall operation of the kindergarten. It has influenced the development of the outdoor play space which reflects, promotes and celebrates the culture of Māori and Pacific children. The natural environment, both indoors and outside, invite children to explore, create, construct and investigate.
Te reo me ngā tikānga Māori are well established in the kindergarten. Te reo Māori is heard frequently and used in conversations among children and between adults and children. Waiata and poi are popular experiences. Children remain engaged in these activities for sustained periods of time, enjoying learning together and building their expertise.
Strategies to support success for Māori and Pacific children have been developed with whānau, aiga and families. Teachers participate in external professional development to progress their knowledge, skill and awareness in these areas. Annual events such as the Umu and Waitangi Day celebrations that reflect the cultural backgrounds of Māori and Pacific children have become major community occasions.
Self review is developing and results have improved outcomes for children. A key next step is for teachers to strengthen self review and build capacity to evaluate their practice. This should provide additional information to judge the effectiveness of kindergarten operations, practice and to inform decision making.
The kindergarten has a well developed assessment, planning and evaluation process. Assessment information displayed in profile books is accessible to parents through an online programme. This identifies the learning taking place, shows how teachers add challenge and complexity and highlight children's progress for parents. These stories clearly link to children’s interests and whānau aspirations.
Links to assessment are evident in daily and weekly planning meetings. Children’s progress, interests, strengths and needs are discussed and then catered for through the wider curriculum.
The association is part way through the implementation of a new approach to appraisal. Once fully established this should assist leaders to provide a robust, supportive and developmental process. Kindergarten leaders should then undertake regular monitoring of how well appraisal is being implemented in each kindergarten.
The board receives a range of useful information. A key next step is for leaders to provide more evaluative reporting to assist in decision making and ongoing resourcing. The strategic plan provides a vision and shared direction to guide development. Establishing clearer measures of success should strengthen evaluation of progress towards goals. In addition, strategies that promote cultural responsiveness to Māori and Pacific families should be highlighted in strategic documents.
The professional practice managers provide half-yearly written reports. These provide information about how the kindergarten is meeting legislative requirements and at times, make recommendations. These reports should be strengthened to show how effective the programme is in improving outcomes for children and the quality of teaching and learning.
The association provides guidance and support for continuous improvement of teaching and learning. This includes:
At the time of the review the association was involved in a formal review to determine the future direction of Hutt City Kindergartens. ERO identified that, within the current operating model, the capacity of senior staff to provide targeted support that promotes ongoing improvement to teaching and learning is limited.
ERO identified priorities for improvement should include:
The association should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pencarrow 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 Pencarrow Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
24 June 2015
|
Location |
Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5616 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
42 children, aged over 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
40 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 22, Boys 18 |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
13 17 5 5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
May 2015 |
||
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Date of this report |
24 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
December 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.