- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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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.
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.
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Location |
New Plymouth |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5224 |
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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 |
34 children aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
51 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 27, Boys 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
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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 |
March 2017 |
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Date of this report |
11 May 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
August 2013 |
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Education Review |
June 2010 |
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Education Review |
December 2005 |
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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.