4376A State Highway 12, Ruawai
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Ruawai Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ruawai Kindergarten is one of 22 kindergartens governed and managed by the Northland Kindergarten Association (NKA). It is a well-established kindergarten situated in a semi-rural town, and is licensed for 30 children two years of age and over. Approximately one-third of the children attending have Māori heritage. Some parents travel long distances so their children can attend the kindergarten.
Ruawai Kindergarten is part of the 'Enviroschools' programme and is guided by the principles of sustainable communities, Māori perspectives, learning for sustainability, respect for diversity of people and culture, and empowered students. The teaching team includes a head teacher, two other qualified teachers and one lunch cover staff member.
The kindergarten has a history of positive ERO reports. In 2015, ERO identified many positive aspects of practice that continue to be present. Areas for improvement included assessment, connecting with the local Māori community and self review. Good progress has been made in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of nine reviews in the NKA.
Children are confident and engaged in learning, and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They have a well-developed sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of others, the environment, and themselves. Children develop good self-management skills and social competencies. Children lead their own learning and have many opportunities to develop their ideas and theories, and explore creativity at their own pace.
Teachers are respectful and responsive in their interactions with children and whānau. They intentionally support children to build cooperative friendship groups to achieve common goals. Teachers promote children's questioning, thinking and language development effectively.
Children access a thoughtfully prepared environment that fosters their learning and development. Teachers promote and encourage children's understanding of their role as kaitiaki. They provide opportunities for children to connect with and care for the natural world around them. Children demonstrate their understanding of the kindergarten's sustainable practices, and support others to participate in this initiative.
Teachers skilfully integrate te reo, tikanga and te ao Māori into the programme. The curriculum reflects the unique context of the local community. Teachers support children's cultural identity, and home languages other than English are sometimes included in the programme.
Teachers know children's interests, dispositions, and their family background well. They draw upon the expertise of parents and the wider community to support their programme. Some families have intergenerational connections with the kindergarten. Teachers collaborate with the local schools to promote children's transition to school.
Teachers collaborate regularly to assess children's learning and development, and plan how they will respond and extend learning. Children's individual pukapuka (portfolios) show children's and parents' input, as well as children's interests and participation in the programme. Teachers are beginning to use this information to guide curriculum development.
Internal evaluation is effective, regular and collaborative. It incorporates multiple perspectives, including those of parents. Evaluation is underpinned by research, leads to improved outcomes, and reflects the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The kindergarten's philosophy is highly evident in practice.
Kindergarten leadership is collaborative. Team culture is positive and well established. The new appraisal system is beginning to build individual teacher capabilities and a sense of team capacity.
Professional practice managers (PPM) regularly visit kindergartens to provide leadership and curriculum guidance for teachers. A Pou Whakarewa Tikanga Māori Advisor works closely with teachers to increase their understanding of and focus on authentically threading te ao Māori into learning programmes. There is an organisation-wide emphasis on providing high quality resources and equipment for children. Leaders and teachers value and respect the thoughtful use of natural resources.
The Association provides a comprehensive policy and procedure framework that sets clear expectations and guides teachers’ practice. It has developed relevant appraisal and teacher inquiry processes that reflect the Teaching Council’s guidelines. Each kindergarten’s annual plan aligns to the Association’s strategic vision, values and goals. NKA employs a speech language therapist and seconds a social worker from Family Works to provide targeted support for children, whānau and teachers.
Leaders and teachers agree that key next steps include improving:
assessment and planning to show the continuity of children's learning and teachers' intentional planning to extend children's learning
evaluation of teaching and learning.
Key next steps for Association-wide development include:
further developing assessment, planning and evaluation processes
deepening understanding of evaluative thinking and internal evaluation processes to measure the effectiveness of systems and practices across the Association.
Before the review, the staff and management of Ruawai 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
15 August 2019
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 |
Ruawai |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5008 |
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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 aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
37 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 22 Boys 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
12 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
June 2019 |
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Date of this report |
15 August 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2015 |
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Education Review |
April 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:
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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.
Ruawai Kindergarten provides six hour sessions for up to 30 children over the age of two years. The kindergarten operates in a purpose-built, modern facility adjacent to the local primary school in rural Ruawai. Children play together in a mixed-age group.
Many children attending the Kindergarten identify as NZ European/Pākehā, with a smaller number from Māori backgrounds. Most of the children’s families are from the surrounding agricultural areas.
The kindergarten’s 2012 ERO report identified positive aspects of the programme, including the skilled integration of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, into the programme. It also highlighted developing relationships with families. ERO recommended that teachers should strengthen evaluation systems to identify the impact of teaching on children’s learning.
The kindergarten operates as part of the Northland Kindergarten Association. The Association provides governance, leadership and policy frameworks to meet operational and management expectations. Association personnel assist teachers to maintain good standards of health and safety and to improve the quality of educational programmes. The Association’s Pūmanawatanga Plan reflects a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and support for the development of bicultural practices across the organisation.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 kindergarten reviews in the Northland Kindergarten Association.
The kindergarten’s move to the new site has been a revitalising force for children and teachers. The centre is spacious, and the outdoor area is providing new opportunities for children’s play. Teachers continue to plan for further good use of the playground, with a stronger focus on environmental sustainability and respect for nature. Many examples of child voice and children’s creative work are displayed to indicate the value teachers’ place on children’s ideas and thinking.
Children choose and guide their own play. They talk enthusiastically with friends and adults and are respectful and careful of others’ feelings. Tuakana/teina relationships are visible. Teachers use strategies from professional learning to support children to play together respectfully. These positive strategies are allowing children to develop sound self-management skills.
Teachers provide good quality education and care for children. From their first positive transitions into the kindergarten, teachers strive to give children a sense of belonging, wellbeing and confidence. As a result of these careful transitions, children and their families appear self assured and happy. Teachers record useful information about individual children’s learning while at kindergarten. This information can be used as children move to school.
Children enjoy the kindergarten's plentiful resources and play in ways familiar to their home lives. Teachers work close to children, supporting their play when necessary and engaging them in conversation. Teachers recognise and use children’s interests as a starting point for planning programmes. They could now consider ways of increasing children’s learning based on what they already know by broadening the scope of learning programmes.
Children have many opportunities to hear and use te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Teachers’ have a significant and visible commitment to te ao Māori (the Māori world). They promote it in ways that are meaningful to children, their parents and themselves. They also support children’s knowledge and understanding of waiata, mihi whakatau and karakia. Children clearly demonstrate their familiarity with the language and protocols, sometimes using te reo Māori in their games. Teachers have benefitted from the support provided by Association personnel and have expressed their intent to continue this development.
Teachers invite parents/whānau to discuss their aspirations for their children and to contribute to programmes. This is encouraging a sense of ownership and inclusion for families.
The Northland Kindergarten Association provides effective governance for kindergartens. Its long-term direction focuses on making decisions to improve learning outcomes for children. Positive strategies include:
Association leaders are considering ways to enhance teacher appraisal and self review processes. ERO recommends that the Association strengthens systems to ensure that all health and safety requirements are being implemented.
To build on existing good practices ERO suggested, and teachers agree, that they could continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Ruawai 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 Ruawai Kindergarten will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
9 September 2015
|
Location |
Ruawai |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5008 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
45 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 24 Girls 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā British South African |
10 33 1 1 |
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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 |
June 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
9 September 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 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.