31 McKay Cresent, Dargaville
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.
Selwyn Park Kindergarten in Dargaville is part of the Northland Kindergarten Association (NKA), which provides a governance and management framework to support its operation.
The kindergarten is licensed for 30 children over the age of two years. The children come from a wide area, some travelling significant distances to get to the kindergarten. The majority of the children attending the kindergarten are Māori. There is also a small number of Tongan children.
The kindergarten provides six hour sessions for children, with some attending just a few days in the week. The permanent staff of three qualified teachers are supported by an additional part-time teacher who covers lunch breaks.
Teachers have a shared philosophy statement that shows their commitment to establishing close relationships with children and whānau. The philosophy acknowledges Te Tiriti o Waitangi and notes that children's emerging interests are the trigger for te reo Māori programme developments.
ERO's 2012 report identified that children were competent, independent learners who facilitated their own play. The report noted that positive, respectful relationships with whānau were a feature. In addition, the centre's welcoming and inclusive atmosphere was affirmed, and children's understanding and use of te reo Māori was seen as a real strength. The report recommended strengthening planning processes, improving support for children's transition to school and adding complexity to children's learning. All of these areas have been addressed.
This review was part of a cluster of eight kindergarten reviews in the Northland Kindergarten Association.
Teachers' interaction with children are supportive, sensitive and respectful. A welcoming and inclusive start to the day enables children to settle quickly and gain confidence as participants in the programme. The curriculum is carefully planned for the strengths, interests and needs of children. Teachers continue to offer good opportunities for children to lead their own learning.
Teachers consistently work to establish and maintain positive relationships and close partnerships with whānau. This encourages a sense of wellbeing and belonging for all. Whānau are confident to talk with teachers and contribute to programmes.
Teachers have established a secure environment for children and whānau where they can use their home languages and share aspects of their cultural backgrounds. Teachers continue to seek ways for children to retain and strengthen their sense of cultural identity. They recognise whakapapa as important to the development of a sense of belonging and connectedness. Children confidently share their obvious familiarity with te reo Māori and also Tongan.
Children have many opportunities to take leadership roles and share their ideas and thinking. Changes to the environment have been discussed with, and sometimes planned by children to meet their own needs. Teachers follow a 'loose parts' philosophy in the high quality environments. This means that there are many items that children are able to use flexibly as they create their play. This way of working encourages children to design challenges and engage in vigorous 'safe' risks as they play.
Children are learning to communicate for a variety of purposes. Teachers support children's oral language development well and prompt children to solve problems independently. They also encourage and support children's interest in literacy, mathematical concepts and science.
Children are very well supported to start school. Successful approaches include a 'buddy' system established by a local school. This 'buddy' relationship starts at kindergarten and continues once the child starts school.
Children each have a portfolio that records their time in the kindergarten and contains learning stories about their interests, strengths and progress. The stories include children's and teachers' contributions. They also demonstrate the ways that teachers recognise and act on information about children shared by their whānau. This assessment information is used to plan the programme so that children's interests guide teachers' practices.
Teachers have established good processes for internal evaluation that leads to improvement. These processes help them to monitor progress towards strategic goals. The Association's governance practices are effective. Its long-term direction continues to focus on continually improving learning outcomes for children. Positive strategies include:
new teacher appraisal systems, and professional learning that focus more closely on improving team skills, knowledge and practice and more distributed leadership practices
Managers and teachers agree that the next step in the kindergarten are to:
increase the visibility in programme records of the principles, goals and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum
include more about their approaches to cultural responsiveness in their philosophy statement
more regularly include the parents' comments in children's portfolios.
Before the review, the staff and management of Selwyn Park 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 Selwyn Park Kindergarten will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
13 October 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 |
Dargaville, Northland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5009 |
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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, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
32 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 21 Girls 11 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Tongan Fijian |
24 3 4 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 |
August 2016 |
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Date of this report |
13 October 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
June 2012 |
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Education Review |
April 2009 |
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Education Review |
February 2006 |
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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.
Selwyn Park Kindergarten operates as part of the Northland Kindergarten Association (NKA). The kindergarten caters for up to 30 children and offers four school-day sessions and one half-day session for children from Dargaville and the surrounding areas. NKA support staff have worked consistently with staff since the 2009 ERO report to upgrade the indoor and outdoor learning environments. The centre is now an attractive and functional place for children’s learning.
A professional practice manager (PPM) from NKA, provides professional support and advice to staff to encourage the development of high quality teaching and learning programmes and effective administration systems. The head teacher, who was new at the time of the 2009 review, has settled well into her role. NKA has provided her with professional training to continue to develop the skills needed to lead the staff team.
There is a high number of Māori children enrolled at the kindergarten. Children from Pākehā, Pacific and Asian backgrounds also attend. Children are very settled and engaged in the programme. They show high levels of independence and are articulate communicators. Children display developing levels of social competence.
Teachers have developed inclusive relationships with whānau. Māori language, tikanga and beliefs are highly valued within daily kindergarten practice. Children and teachers interact freely with each other as do parents and teachers. Teachers provide support to parents that is appropriate and relevant to individual family circumstances.
Staff work well as a team. The administrator fulfils her role efficiently and provides valuable support to the teaching team. Teachers have reorganised learning environments to make resources more accessible to children, encourage their independent exploration, and to help them to follow their particular learning interests. Teachers consider how they can further extend children’s learning. They reflect on their teaching practice and engage in professional discussions based on current theories and research.
ERO recommends that teachers now review and refine curriculum planning practices to add complexity to children’s learning.
ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Selwyn Park Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the centre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atSelwyn Park Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
At the time of the 2009 ERO report, the kindergarten had just begun providing longer sessions for four days of the week and retained one half-day session per week. Increased numbers of staff improved opportunities for teachers to work more closely with whānau and children.
Competent children. Children are independent learners who capably facilitate their own play. Their ability to negotiate positive outcomes, compromise and manage their relationships with other children, is evident. They interact confidently with adults and have developed firm friendships with their peers. Children are respectful and display a strong sense of responsibility for the care of one another and the learning environment.
Positive relationships between whānau and staff. Teachers provide a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for children and their whānau. Relationships are trusting and respectful. Children, parents and teachers communicate with one another openly. Parents’ aspirations for their children are noted by teachers and are incorporated in to planning.
Teaching practice. Teachers have built sound relationships with the kindergarten’s community. They engage in conversations frequently with children and use resources to prompt thinking. They stimulate children’s learning by asking openended questions, and promote children’s ability to reason and solve problems. Teachers are responsive to new ideas and are open to learning new skills.
Tikanga and te reo Māori. Children are continuously developing a deepening competency in the use and understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori. Children greet their friends and teachers in the Māori language and mihi to visitors. Parents like the fact that their children are learning to speak in both the Māori and English languages. Children are beginning to display the ability to translate phrases, words and numbers spontaneously between languages. Teachers model manākitanga (hospitality), whakawhāungatanga (building family connections) and te reo for children.
Self review. Teachers use self-review procedures effectively to bring about improvement. Where needed, they introduce theoretical foundations and research articles to guide positive change. They have produced effective annual and strategic planning which is used to identify areas for improvement.
Add complexity to the quality of learning. Teachers should add complexity to learning by:
Partnerships with whānau. Teachers could consider working with whānau to develop a shared understanding of how children learn and the role of family in supporting that learning. They could also better support children’s move into the school environment by strengthening transition to school procedures.
Curriculum planning. Teachers could consider:
Philosophy. Teachers should review the kindergarten’s philosophy and add indicators of good practice to define focus areas identified within the philosophy statement.
Improvement to self review. Teachers could revisit the Ministry of Education selfreview guidelines to help them consider ways to document reviews more precisely.
Before the review, the staff of Selwyn Park Kindergarten completed an ERO CentreManagementAssurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they have attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
In order to improve current practice the managers should:
ERO, teachers and the professional practice manager agree that teachers should review and refine curriculum planning practices to add complexity to and extend children’s learning.
ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.
Makere Smith
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region (Acting)
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Type |
All Day Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children over 2 years of age |
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Roll number |
35 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 20 Boys 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 23, NZ European/Pākehā 8, Tongan 2, Cook Island Māori 1, South East Asian 1 |
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Review team on site |
May 2012 |
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Date of this report |
19 June 2012 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review, April 2009 Education Review, February 2006 Education Review, December 2002 |
19 June 2012
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Selwyn Park Kindergarten.
Selwyn Park Kindergarten operates as part of the Northland Kindergarten Association (NKA). The kindergarten caters for up to 30 children and offers four school-day sessions and one half-day session for children from Dargaville and the surrounding areas. NKA support staff have worked consistently with staff since the 2009 ERO report to upgrade the indoor and outdoor learning environments. The centre is now an attractive and functional place for children’s learning.
A professional practice manager (PPM) from NKA, provides professional support and advice to staff to encourage the development of high quality teaching and learning programmes and effective administration systems. The head teacher, who was new at the time of the 2009 review, has settled well into her role. NKA has provided her with professional training to continue to develop the skills needed to lead the staff team.
There is a high number of Māori children enrolled at the kindergarten. Children from Pākehā, Pacific and Asian backgrounds also attend. Children are very settled and engaged in the programme. They show high levels of independence and are articulate communicators. Children display developing levels of social competence.
Teachers have developed inclusive relationships with whānau. Māori language, tikanga and beliefs are highly valued within daily kindergarten practice. Children and teachers interact freely with each other as do parents and teachers. Teachers provide support to parents that is appropriate and relevant to individual family circumstances.
Staff work well as a team. The administrator fulfils her role efficiently and provides valuable support to the teaching team. Teachers have reorganised learning environments to make resources more accessible to children, encourage their independent exploration, and to help them to follow their particular learning interests. Teachers consider how they can further extend children’s learning. They reflect on their teaching practice and engage in professional discussions based on current theories and research.
ERO recommends that teachers now review and refine curriculum planning practices to add complexity to children’s learning.
ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Makere Smith
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region (Acting)
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre 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 this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.