|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Raumati South Kindergarten is located on the Kapiti coast, north of Wellington. Since the March 2012 ERO report, the service has introduced daily six hour sessions. Parents make decisions about the days of attendance of children based on their individual needs. The kindergarten is licensed for 45 children aged over two years. Of the 70 children enrolled, nine are Māori. Parents and the community support the kindergarten's involvement in the Enviroschool initiative.
The kindergarten philosophy supports children to be confident, capable and resilient learners. Relationships with children, whānau and community are integral to the running of the programme. Teachers plan to revisit the philosophy to more succinctly align statements to the learning community values and beliefs.
Raumati South 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 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.
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 previous ERO report for Raumati South Kindergarten identified that teachers needed to further develop their understanding of evaluation to improve literacy and numeracy experiences for learners and aspects of the outdoor environment. Areas where the association could strengthen its support for teachers were also identified, and positive progress has occurred. The alignment of individual kindergartens’ annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been appropriately addressed.
All five teachers at the kindergarten are qualified and registered. Teachers show a commitment to improving their qualifications through ongoing study and professional learning.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
Respectful and reciprocal relationships between children and teachers are evident. There is a welcoming atmosphere and purposeful, cooperative play is a feature. A carefully considered and well-resourced setting contributes significantly to children’s sense of belonging. Children learn about the natural world and sustainable practices in the interesting and stimulating environment. They actively contribute to caring for their environment.
Teachers plan from children’s emerging interests, ideas and strengths. Thoughtful conversations with parents, and teachers’ daily observations, help to decide the next steps to challenge children and enrich their experiences. Increased understanding of children’s learning pathways should further support how they plan to add significance and enhance outcomes for children.
There are many opportunities for children to explore and engage in reading, writing and number activities. Children use their knowledge confidently across the curriculum.
The unique place of te ao Māori and bicultural practices are interwoven within the sustainable curriculum. Teachers show a willingness to increase their capability to be responsive to Māori children’s culture, language and identity. They should consider further ways to more purposefully respond to the cultures of Pacific children.
Children with special needs are welcomed and supported by close partnerships with parents. Teachers know each child and their personalities well. Developing appropriate social behaviour is evident in children’s relationships and the respectful way they interact with each other. Teachers model the values of caring for each other and enjoying learning.
Teachers effectively support children to settle into and between kindergarten sessions. Transition to and from the kindergarten is flexible and responsive to the needs and preferences of children and families. Positive, reciprocal relationships with the local and other contributing schools help support children and parents with the move to the new entrant classroom.
The head teacher is a capable professional leader who welcomes initiative. Teachers are very reflective and improvement focused. Sound use of current best practice is beginning to support developing internal evaluation processes.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. She completes an annual internal evaluation that supports strengthening of these termly reports. There is a deliberate focus on outcomes for children and teacher/leader performance.
The previous ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal process. Managers undertook an internal review of the appraisal system. The revised model is being implemented across the kindergartens. The process includes focused goals that build teacher and leader capability and clearer links with the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Raumati South Kindergarten:
understanding and use of internal evaluation
approaches to planning for learning.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice and strengthening of responsiveness to Māori children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Raumati South 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 Raumati South Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
9 June 2016
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 |
Raumati South |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60231 |
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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 |
45 children, aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
70 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 36, Girls 34 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Chinese African Indian Other ethnic groups |
9 51 1 2 1 1 5 |
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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 2016 |
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Date of this report |
9 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2008 |
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|
Education Review |
September 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:
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.