High Street South, Carterton
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
With targeted association support, South End Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
South End Kindergarten is situated in Carterton, South Wairarapa. It 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. This is the first review for this kindergarten since the merger.
The kindergarten operates for six hours daily and caters for up to thirty children. There are eight Māori learners currently on the roll. Most teachers are new to the kindergarten since the July 2013 ERO review. There have also been several changes to the head teacher position during this time.
The kindergarten’s teaching philosophy is underpinned by the principles of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. It emphasises strong relationships, and a child centred programme that draws on children’s strengths, encouraging them to be confident and competent learners.
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 Wellington 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. Its introduction within the exRimutaka Kindergartens occurred during 2015, with kindergartens adapting it to respond to their community. South End teachers are at the early stages of using this document to guide practice.
The previous ERO report for South End Kindergarten identified that building understanding of strategic review, and further developing assessment and planning was needed. Progress in addressing these areas has been impacted by staffing changes. Improvement continues to be needed in some of these areas and the association has plans to address. These feature as key next steps in this report.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
Children confidently make choices and decisions about their learning. They purposefully engage in play with many sustaining their interests for extended periods. Children experience positive relationships with teachers and others. Good levels of cooperative play are evident.
Teachers promote language development, offering ideas that extend children’s problem solving and thinking. They make use of a wide range of practices that effectively support children to see themselves as capable learners. Literacy and numeracy are naturally integrated into play. Teachers support children’s social learning well.
Maintaining and strengthening relationships with children, families and whānau is a core priority for staff. Teachers are proactively exploring ways to involve families more in their child’s learning.
There are reciprocal links with South End School. Extending relationships with other local schools is a planned development. This should be useful in further supporting children and families as they move to school.
The newly established teaching team work well together. They express a commitment to ongoing improvement of kindergarten processes and practices. With the head teacher’s support teachers have begun to develop systems which should assist them to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning. Including implementing shared expectations for self-review and internal evaluation, and curriculum assessment and planning.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Teachers work with families and local services to positively respond to the identified needs of individuals.
An acknowledged next step is for leaders and teachers to further develop bicultural practices, then consider and respond to what success for Māori children as Māori means in this kindergarten.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. They complete an annual internal evaluation that supports strengthening of these termly reports. There is a deliberate focus on outcomes for children and teacher/leader performance.
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, teachers and ERO agree that key next steps for South End Kindergarten are to:
develop shared understanding of processes for effective internal evaluation
build on assessment and planning practices
deepen learning partnerships with families and whānau
extend practices that promote a bicultural curriculum and Māori children's success as Māori learners.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice and strengthening responsiveness to Māori children.
Progress against an action plan, that addresses the key next steps will be monitored by ERO.
Before the review, the staff and management of South End 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 South End Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
21 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 |
Carterton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5532 |
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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 |
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Service roll |
33 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 19, Boys 14 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Fijian |
8 24 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 |
21 December 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
July 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2010 |
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Education Review |
January 2007 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
South End Kindergarten is situated next to South End School in Carterton, Wairarapa. It caters for 30 children from two to five years of age. At the time of the review, there were 27 children on the roll, including six identified as Māori.
The Rimutaka Kindergarten Association (the association) effectively governs the kindergarten and provides senior teacher support for the kindergarten. It is committed to maintaining the ratio of 100% of teachers qualified. Clear policy guidelines outline association expectations for developing the programme and managing day-to-day operation.
All teachers are qualified. Since the beginning of 2013, an experienced head teacher has been in an acting role. Significant positive developments to kindergarten systems and processes have occurred during this time. This includes improvements to the areas identified from the May 2010 ERO review.
Respect for each child and their family's individuality is a core kindergarten belief. Teachers aim to provide a safe, caring and nurturing environment where all cultures are valued.
This review was part of a cluster of eleven kindergarten reviews in the Rimutaka Kindergarten Association.
Children benefit from positive and caring relationships with teachers. Parents and whānau are warmly welcomed and are comfortable to spend time in the kindergarten. Their contribution to the curriculum is highly valued by teachers. Useful links to the school support children and families during the transition to school process.
Children enjoy the company of others and many are involved in play for long periods. Older children have opportunities to support younger children in the programme. Teachers encourage independence and social learning. They provide clear expectations that support children’s wellbeing. Teachers respond well to children's ideas and needs, including those requiring additional support.
Teachers effectively support language development and children have many opportunities to engage in literacy experiences within the environment. The programme provides for a good range of inviting learning experiences for children to make choices, explore, and follow their interests.
Effective professional leadership is provided by the acting head teacher. Teachers' growing understanding and use of self-review are successfully supported as a means of improving the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers communicate well and work collaboratively together.
Senior teachers provide well targeted, ongoing support and guidance for teachers. They promote regular professional development opportunities and useful systems that are focused on positive outcomes for children. A planned development to the performance appraisal processes has the potential to better promote teacher practices.
Teachers, with the association support, are making good use of self review to build and extend their practice in giving significance to Māori learners’ culture, language, and identity. ERO's evaluation affirms with this development.
Teachers are committed and focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning. Their next steps are to continue to strengthen:
Before the review, the staff and management of South End 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 South End Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services Central Region (Acting)
25 July 2013
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.
|
Location |
Carterton |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5532 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
27 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 14, Girls 13 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Italian Filipino Indonesian |
6 17 2 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 |
Under 2 |
N/A |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
||
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Date of this report |
25 July 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
January 2007 |
||
|
Accountability Review |
October 2002 |
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.