54 Redcrest Avenue, Papakura Central, Auckland
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.
Red Hill Kindergarten is a well established service that is licensed for children between the ages of two and five years. The kindergarten offers all-day sessions where siblings and other children play together in mixed-age groups. It operates within the policies and management framework of the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association. An education manager (EM) visits the kindergarten and provides leadership and curriculum support for teachers.
Half of children on the roll are Māori. A small number of children come from Pacific and Asian backgrounds. Many children are at the kindergarten for just a short time. Parents and teachers work well together to identify children's needs and develop a shared understanding of what is valued in the kindergarten.
The 2013 ERO report noted that the kindergarten was well governed and managed. Teachers had fostered a sense of belonging for children and their whānau. Children engaged well in a programme that was often guided by their interests. These aspects of in the programme continue to be evident.
This review was part of a cluster of five kindergarten reviews in the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association.
Children are friendly, confident and curious. They have a strong sense of belonging, engage well in the programme and have fun in their learning. Children are articulate and respectful of each other and of visitors. Tuakana/teina relationships are evident in the way they care for each other. They play cooperatively and sustain their play for long periods. Te reo Māori is a familiar language to children.
Teachers are continuing to build relationships with the local community. Their communications with parents are reciprocal and informative, and parent involvement is welcomed. Teachers could now more consistently document how they respond to parents' aspirations for their children and how they include parents in planning for children's learning.
Teachers have established trusting relationships with families and a 'listening culture', and value both children's and parents' input. They have a strong focus on Māori and Pacific cultures and value the concept of ako. They are developing relationships with the local marae. Relationships based on whanaungatanga and manaakitanga provide meaningful foundations for respectful interactions and for learning.
Teachers view children as competent learners and experts in their areas of interest. They are skilful and in tune with children. They know when to intervene and when to stand back and encourage children's own exploration and independent learning. Children's language development, and their emotional and physical wellbeing, are well supported.
Teachers have worked consistently to provide an environment that stimulates sustained play and promotes enquiry based learning. They have an ongoing focus on natural science and natural learning environments. Teachers have a focus on sustainability through gardening and recycling.
With an influx of two year olds, provision for these younger children has been prioritised and addressed very well. Teachers now recognise that the programme needs to refocus on providing for the learning needs of older as well as younger children.
Planning is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers notice children's interests and learning dispositions and take them into account when planning for children's learning. Digital, online systems have recently been introduced to help teachers with planning for and recording children's learning.
The kindergarten has a positive team culture. Teachers are provided with many opportunities for professional development including leadership training. The head teacher promotes an inclusive and collaborative team approach, and teachers share leadership roles.
The Association continues to provide very good support for the kindergarten. The systems and personnel in place to support kindergarten operations, and ongoing review and monitoring, contribute to efficient management practices. Association leaders establish overarching long-term goals so that teachers can align their annual plan with the Association's strategic direction. They are responsive to changing community needs and variable hours of operation provide flexibility for families. Leaders continue to adapt personnel systems, including teacher appraisal, in response to changing requirements.
The Association focuses on continuous improvement in kindergarten operations and educational outcomes for children. They have high expectations for teachers to use evidence based, reflective practices. The Association has a strong commitment to bicultural practices, working in partnership with Māori whānau and each kindergarten's community. Leaders embrace cultural diversity and are currently focusing on strategies to promote success for Pacific learners.
Teachers and the education manager agree that the next key steps for kindergarten development could include:
continuing to use teacher reflections to guide improvements in practice
focusing internal evaluation more consistently on outcomes for children
continue to develop culturally responsive teaching practices
consider ways to provide a wider range of opportunities for children to take leadership roles in the programme.
Before the review, the staff and management of Red Hill 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 Red Hill Kindergarten will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
16 December 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 |
Papakura Central, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45489 |
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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 |
30 children, over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
30 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 16 Boys 14 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Cook Island Māori Samoan Niue South East Asian |
14 8 4 2 1 1 |
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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 |
October 2016 |
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Date of this report |
16 December 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
January 2013 |
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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.
Red Hill Kindergarten is very well placed to continue to promote positive outcomes for children. A sound framework of high quality professional support has enabled this reflective and committed team of teachers to quickly build effective teaching and learning programmes.
Red Hill Kindergarten in Papakura is part of the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association (CMKA). The Association’s clear vision sets the direction for the kindergarten. Strategies to achieve this vision include responsiveness to whānau contributions and bicultural practices. The Association has a commitment to high quality care and education.
Red Hill Kindergarten has been established within the last three years. It provides school-day sessions for children from the local community. Some children are under three years of age when they enrol and several families have more than one child in the kindergarten. A significant number of boys attend at present. The majority of children are of Māori heritage.
The teaching team has been together since September 2012. Since then they have built good working relationships and have developed shared goals. Their primary goal has been to develop strong relationships with their community. These relationships aim to encourage both parents and children to develop a sense of well-being and belonging in the kindergarten, and are beginning to be successfully realised.
The previous building on this site has been substantially altered to accommodate the kindergarten. The new building is spacious, and the playgrounds are well developed to provide for a variety of activities and experiences.
This review was conducted as part of a cluster approach to reviews in six early childhood education services within the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association (CMKA) umbrella organisation.
The kindergarten is well governed and managed. Professional support for the well qualified team of registered teachers is ongoing and useful. Specific initiatives and personnel in both the Association and kindergarten promote te reo me onā tikanga Māori and are strengthening children’s understanding about te ao Māori.
Teachers use the Association’s vision as a starting point for their teaching and learning statement. This statement expresses teachers’ shared intentions for children. Teachers’ work with children has made a marked difference to children’s sense of belonging and their willingness to engage with the programme.
The Association’s professional practice manager (PPM) team leads teachers in ongoing reflections about the quality of the kindergarten practices. Teachers are well positioned to continue developing self review processes that inform their practice.
Effective and well informed leadership within the team helps teachers to reflect meaningfully about their work and to identify the best ways of supporting children’s learning. Dedicated, professional teachers continuously update their own knowledge and learning about new advances in teaching practice. Their highly inclusive teaching practices are ensuring that the programme is successfully guiding learning for these children.
Teachers’ relationships and interactions with children are a strength of the kindergarten. Children are settled, busy and highly engaged with activities and each other. Teachers’ emphasis on respect for self, others and resources is evident in children’s friendships and in their collaborative play. They are helpful, kind and generous in their play. The good quality resources are well maintained. Children are careful with and enthusiastic in their use of the wide range of resources that teachers provide.
Children’s interests and ideas often guide the direction of the programme. Teachers use skilful questioning and provide additional information to increase children’s problem-solving skills and deepen their thinking. Teachers incorporate literacy, mathematics and science concepts into the programme in meaningful ways. Children respond very positively to the programme.
Teachers know children, their whānau and backgrounds well. Teachers’ respectful relationships with whānau have strengthened their trust and respect for the work that teachers do with children. Teachers’ calm, non-judgemental interactions with whānau promote the sense that everyone has a place in the centre. Teachers intend to continue following CMKA’s direction with regard to inviting and responding to contributions from whānau.
The kindergarten receives equity funding to assist with providing for children’s learning. Teachers have used this funding well to provide high quality resources and to partly fund many excursions. Such excursions provide additional learning and a broader perspective for children, and are greatly enjoyed by children and their whānau.
As a new team, teachers have undertaken professional development to help them with planning and assessment processes. Teachers are committed to continuing to strengthen and embed new assessment, planning and evaluation processes. Children’s portfolios are attractive and provide whānau with a clear picture of children’s learning and interests over time.
Before the review, the staff and management of Red Hill 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.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dale Bailey National Manager Review Services Northern Region
25 January 2013
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Location |
Papakura Central, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45489 |
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Licence type |
All Day Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 years |
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Service roll |
46 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 28 Girls 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Other ethnicities |
32 8 2 4 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
No children under 2 |
Choose an item. |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2012 |
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Date of this report |
25 January 2013 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:
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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.