34 Fillis Street, New Plymouth
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pukekura Kindergarten provides education and care for children from two to five years of age. The kindergarten is open for six hours daily, five days a week and is licenced for up to 34 children. Within these hours, sessional care and education is also provided. Of the roll of 51 children, four identify as Māori.
The teaching team is fully qualified. There have been staff changes, including leadership, since the August 2013 ERO report.
The kindergarten is one of 24 governed by the newly established Kindergarten Taranaki (the association), formerly North and South Taranaki Kindergarten Associations. A chief executive was appointed to lead the association in 2014.
Two professional leaders (PLs) are employed by the association to provide professional support and guidance to teachers. Since the 2016 reviews a programme manager and a human resource generalist have been appointed.
ERO's previous report identified areas requiring further development. These included teachers continuing to develop their evaluative capacity, review of the philosophy and enhancing teaching strategies to promote educational success for Māori and Pacific children. Progress is evident. In addition, the association was asked to strengthen appraisal and progress is ongoing.
This review was part of a cluster of eight in the Kindergarten Taranaki Association.
A calm, unhurried environment supports children's play and learning. A wide range of resources are readily accessible for children. Activities provided support children to choose, experience challenge and revisit prior learning.
Participation in creative arts is highly evident. Music, dramatic play and visual arts are particularly enjoyed by children. Photographs, art work, cultural artefacts and visual displays are used purposefully to enhance children's sense of belonging. Children know routines well and are provided with leadership opportunities.
Teachers draw on sound professional knowledge to provide a well-considered, varied curriculum. The environment effectively stimulates children's exploration, curiosity and promotes their developing interests. Children with diverse needs are well supported to engage with the kindergarten programme. Teachers liaise with outside agencies where appropriate.
A useful process for assessment, planning and evaluation has been recently implemented. Whānau are active participants in planning for their child's learning programme. The planned curriculum is closely aligned to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the Pukekura Kindergarten's philosophy. As this process develops it should be strengthened by:
Te ao Māori and tikanga Māori are valued and visible in the environment. This should be strengthened through regular and meaningful integration of te reo Māori throughout the programme.
Teachers implement a range of useful strategies to support children and their families into the kindergarten. Leaders have indicated that strengthening relationships with local schools is an area in development.
The kindergartens strategic plan 2017-2021 has appropriately identified a focus on priority learners. Association guidance should support ongoing educational success for these learners. A comprehensive system of review of all aspects of policies and procedures is in place.
A useful appraisal process is in place to support teachers' ongoing improvement. Teachers are highly reflective and review evidence collected to show the impact on their teaching practice. A recently revised appraisal procedure, includes the use of formal observation of teaching practice. Once fully established this should assist leaders to strengthen the process. PLs should then undertake regular monitoring of how well appraisal is being implemented in each kindergarten.
A self-review framework guides improvements to practice, and the environment, and enhances learning opportunities for children. A recent shift to have a stronger more evaluative focus to determine how well practices impact on children's learning and development has been implemented. PLs should support teachers to continue to deepen their understanding of internal evaluation.
The board works collaboratively with its community to establish its vision, values and strategic priorities. Establishing clearer measures of success should enable the board to measure progress and evaluate how well practices support the realisation of its goals and vision.
The board's ongoing commitment to biculturalism is reflected by initiatives to support teachers to promote te ao Māori in the curriculum and to develop culturally appropriate practices. Senior leaders are developing initiatives to better determine the impact of curriculum delivery and teaching and learning in each kindergarten.
The association should establish clear expectations of the purpose and use of assessment, planning and evaluation in kindergartens. Professional leaders in partnership with teaching teams should then monitor the effective implementation of:
In addition, the association should establish a system for the ongoing monitoring of compliance with legislative requirements, including those related to health and safety.
ERO and kindergarten teachers agree that the key next steps are to continue to strengthen:
The association should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pukekura 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 Pukekura Kindergarten will be in three years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
11 May 2017
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 | New Plymouth | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 5224 | ||
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 34 children aged over 2 | ||
| Service roll | 51 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 27, Boys 24 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Indian Other ethnicities | 4 39 4 4 | |
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 2017 | ||
| Date of this report | 11 May 2017 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | August 2013 | |
| Education Review | June 2010 | ||
| 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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pukekura Kindergarten is one of sixteen kindergartens managed by the North Taranaki Kindergarten Association (the association). The association governing board is responsible for setting overall strategic and policy direction for the organisation. Senior teachers are employed by the association to support teaching and learning.
The service is licensed for 34 children aged from two to five years. The kindergarten is situated in New Plymouth, adjacent to Pukekura Park. This exciting, natural environment is accessed weekly as part of the programme by children, parents and teachers. The teaching team consists of four qualified and registered teachers.
The philosophy that acknowledges that 'teachers are passionate, innovative and enthusiastic about maximising children’s learning' is evident in their practice.
The kindergarten has a positive reporting history with ERO. Areas for review and development from the June 2010 ERO report have been considered thoughtfully and responded to effectively.
This review was part of a cluster of eight kindergarten reviews in the North Taranaki Kindergarten Association.
Board members undertake regular training and have developed useful processes to support governance roles and responsibilities. The senior teacher provides effective professional leadership. She visits the kindergarten regularly and works alongside the teaching team to support development of teaching practice. These association processes help to promote positive outcomes for children.
The kindergarten vision is strongly evident in teaching and learning. Teachers have clearly identified the attributes of a Pukekura Kindergarten learner, where children are supported to develop as confident, co-independent lifelong learners. ERO observed these aspects of the vision being reinforced in practice and through centre documentation.
The learning environment, strongly influenced by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, is well organised and aesthetically pleasing. A focus on including elements of the natural world in play and in creative opportunities underpins the programme. Children actively lead the direction of their learning through exploration and the use of a wide variety of resources.
Secure, child-teacher-family relationships encourage the development of children's identity. Assessment is responsive to their immediate and emerging strengths, interests and skills. Learning stories show children's engagement and progress and these observations of learning are well reflected in profile books and visual displays within the kindergarten. Documentation shows evidence of teacher's analysis of observations and their increased understanding of diverse learning.
Children have fun as part of the learning process, supported by warm, nurturing adults. Teachers use an effective range of strategies to encourage the development of children's ideas about how the world works. Adults frequently engage with children in one-to-one, sustained interaction. Adults work sensitively and effectively in partnership with parents of children with special needs. Teachers recognise and respond to individual learning, including the cultural context of Māori and Pacific children.
The head teacher confidently leads teachers. Teachers demonstrate a commitment to using self review to strengthen current processes and to meet the objectives in strategic plans to support building capacity and sustainability. Self-review systems focus on maintaining a safe emotional and physical learning environment for children and adults. Regular consultation with parents encourages their contribution to decision-making processes and enhances outcomes for children.
The staff appraisal process is improvement-focused. Teachers have time for critical reflection on teaching effectiveness. Development goals focus on centre and individual teacher needs and interests. Teachers receive feedback to affirm and reinforce shifts in practice.
Teachers evaluative review capacity continues to develop. Appropriate next steps include:
continuing review of the philosophy to consider further ways to incorporate values and beliefs of all staff and the parent and whānau community
enhancing teaching strategies to provide further opportunities for Māori and Pacific children to enjoy success as Māori and Pacific.
The association should continue to review appraisal and consider formal critique of teaching practice and feedback processes to improve teaching and learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Pukekura 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.
The next ERO review of Pukekura Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)
2 August 2013
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 |
New Plymouth |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5224 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
34 children,number aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
60 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 30 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan |
6 52 2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
N/A |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
2 August 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
December 2005 |
||
|
Accountability Review |
October 2002 |
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 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.