St Kilda Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5507
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
31
Telephone:
Address:

47 Victoria Road, St Kilda, Dunedin

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St Kilda Kindergarten - 19/03/2020

1 Evaluation of St Kilda Kindergarten

How well placed is St Kilda Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

St Kilda Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

St Kilda Kindergarten provides education and care for 35 children from two years old to school age. It is licensed for up to 40 children and currently has a roll of 35, 6 of whom identify as Māori. Sessions operate Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 2.30pm.

St Kilda Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens governed by Dunedin Kindergartens (DK). Day-to-day operations are led by a head teacher with the support of two other experienced, qualified teachers. A senior teacher from DK provides support for professional and operational practice.

The kindergarten's valued outcomes are for children to:

  • have a sense of wellbeing and belonging

  • be positive and confident about their cultural identity

  • be confident and capable learners

  • respect and appreciate the natural environment.

Teachers aim to support these outcomes by providing a safe, happy and inclusive learning environment, nurturing genuine relationships in which whānau are an integral part of the programme, encouraging inquiry-based learning, and fostering imaginative play and exploration.

This review was part of a cluster of 11 kindergarten reviews in DK.

The Review Findings

Teachers have positive, sensitive and responsive relationships with children and their families. They engage effectively with the language and culture of the children and their parents to build confidence and a strong sense of belonging. They view each family and their knowledge of their child as an integral part of the service's learning community. Children benefit from the kindergarten's networks within the wider community.

Teachers are committed to providing an inclusive environment and education. Children with additional needs are well supported to participate fully in all aspects of the programme alongside their peers. Teachers have close working relationships with external agencies to support children with specific needs. They have all learnt, and use, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) proficiently. Children benefit from experiencing three languages, namely English, NZSL and te reo Māori in the day-to-day programme.

Children are empowered to take increasing responsibility for the wellbeing of themselves and others. Teachers have a strong focus on fostering children's independence. Children are included in decisions about the resources and design of the learning environment. They make full use of the kindergarten’s natural environment to challenge their own social, physical and creative development. Transitions into, through and out of the kindergarten are carefully planned to meet individual needs.

Teachers' assessment and planning practices show a focus on strategic priorities and children’s interests and dispositions. Learning records show teachers' responsiveness to parents’ wishes, continuity of learning and increasing complexity through deliberate teaching. Teachers are highly responsive to children’s culture, language and identity and any additional needs. All teachers know all children’s goals and take collective responsibility for supporting children to reach them. The centre philosophy is strongly evident in practice. Māori children can see that their culture is valued.

A coherent strategic plan links goals, appraisals, professional learning, actions to be taken and possible next steps.

Internal evaluation is focused on the identified needs of children and families in this centre. The process incorporates research and engages teachers with professional literature. Parent voice is gathered and responded to effectively. This is contributing to actions and shifts in practice that better support children's learning and wellbeing.

The board of DK has made good progress in addressing the governance recommendations from ERO's 2015 reviews. DK's mission and strategic priorities are well known and reflected in each kindergarten's strategic and annual plans. A sound policy and procedure framework provides guidance for kindergartens and sound systems to monitor health and safety. Leaders and teachers benefit from relevant professional development and leadership support. DK actively supports equity of outcomes for all children by funding additional teaching resources to support children with additional needs.

Key Next Steps

The key next step for the centre is for teachers to strengthen internal evaluation by having a more evaluative approach.

The board has clearly identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps for DK to further improve outcomes for children are to ensure that:

  • reporting and monitoring at all levels are evaluative, to clearly show how desired outcomes for children have been improved in relation to DK's and the kindergartens' priorities for learning and other strategic priorities

  • a robust and systematic quality assurance framework is implemented to inform and monitor ongoing improvements in each kindergarten.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of St Kilda 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

19 March 2020

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

5507

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children over 2 years of age

Service roll

35 children

Gender composition

Male 24, Female 11

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

6
27
2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

December 2019

Date of this report

19 March 2020

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

November 2015

Education Review

June 2012

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement

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.

Review Coverage

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.

St Kilda Kindergarten - 05/11/2015

1 Evaluation of St Kilda Kindergarten

How well placed is St Kilda Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

St Kilda Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens operating under the Dunedin Kindergarten Association (DK). It is located near the beach and local schools in the St Kilda suburb of Dunedin. It provides learning experiences for up to 30 children from 8:30 in the morning to 2:30 in the afternoon. Children may attend all or part of the day as their family chooses.

Children benefit from enthusiastic, qualified teachers. Children enjoy playing and learning in the very well-resourced, spacious and attractive, indoor and outdoor areas. The outdoor environment reflects the coastal setting. It offers children variety in well-defined spaces, and opportunities for physical challenge.

The kindergarten philosophy states the importance of:

  • caring relationships between teachers and children and their families
  • children driving their own learning through imaginative play and exploration
  • children being secure in their cultural identity
  • children developing a love for the natural environment.

Teachers have successfully addressed most of the recommendations in the June 2012, ERO report. They are continuing to work on lifting their levels of confidence and competence in the use of te reo Māori.

This review was part of a cluster of 24 reviews in the Dunedin Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children are very settled. They relate well with their teachers and many appear to have strong friendships with each other and have fun together. Teachers help support children’s growing independence, they encourage them to make choices about how to set up their environment, what they want to do, and where and when to play and eat.

Children are helped by teachers to develop a strong sense of belonging to the kindergarten and the local community. One aspect of this is the whānau tree showing photos of local features and the current children and teachers. Teachers know about their children’s diverse backgrounds and home lives and value what children bring to the kindergarten in terms of experiences, culture and things. They use these as a stimulus for learning and for having genuine conversations with children. They provide meaningful experiences to capture children’s interests, and purposefully include a bicultural dimension. They also include aspects of the Pacific cultures in the daily programme. Families are very supportive and involved in the programme and life of the kindergarten.

Children are provided with a wide range of experiences that stimulate their interest and support their oral language development. These include, art, gardening, the use of natural resources, magnetic stories, resources for construction, dramatic and imaginative play. Their learning is also enriched by:

  • many visitors who come to share their skills and cultural celebrations
  • regular excursions within the local community and to other places of interest
  • a carefully considered transition to school programme.

All teachers have taken part in professional learning and development to enrich the way they include mathematics, literacy and music in the programme. This has resulted in these being highly evident throughout the day.

Teachers have effective systems to plan for individual children’s learning. They formally meet with parents twice yearly to share knowledge and to gather parents’ wishes for their children. The teaching team discusses all children over time to know about their learning. Children’s records of learning show:

  • useful termly goals
  • ongoing assessment and evaluation
  • children’s progress and relevant stories of learning in a variety of contexts
  • what teachers are doing to support children’s further learning.

There are well-developed group plans which provide children with variety and interest, and are responsive to the identified needs of the group.

Teachers understand the purpose and process of self review very well. They have carried out an effective review to know how well their philosophy is enacted in the programme. This led to positive changes in the philosophy and in teachers’ practices. When next reviewing the philosophy, teachers should consider seeking parent input about what they consider is important at St Kilda Kindergarten.

The head teacher is leading the team well and has established useful systems to support the smooth running of the kindergarten and high quality learning for children.

The vision of the DK is to provide excellence in early childhood education for all children. The DK is governed by a board and managed by a long-serving general manager. The kindergarten teachers told ERO they appreciated the support they receive from the association and the advice and guidance of the senior teachers.

The board, general manager and senior teachers:

  • provide opportunities for parents and staff to contribute their ideas about matters in the association
  • are responsive to identified needs of children and families within the association and provide funding and support to enable these to be met
  • have developed a framework to guide their work
  • take all reasonable steps to ensure safe environments for children, teachers and staff
  • maintain their professional learning and provide ongoing professional learning for teachers in the association.

Key Next Steps

Teachers have a good idea of what they want for the future of the kindergarten. They have developed a strategic plan which currently includes every-day business. This plan could better show the priorities and actions to achieve the desired outcomes. Related systems such as professional learning, appraisal, self-review topics and senior-teacher support could then be aligned to strengthen the strategic focus.

Next steps for the board, with the support of the general manager and senior teachers, are to:

  • continue to define what excellence in education looks like in the DK
  • further develop strategic planning to better show future goals and priorities and how these will be achieved in the association and in the kindergartens
  • ensure that the reports they receive show how well the association’s vision and goals are met, are evaluative and inform future planning
  • continue to strengthen the appraisal process and be assured that appraisals are rigorous and consistent throughout the kindergartens.

With the appointment of a new senior teacher it is timely for the board and general manager to review the role of the senior teachers and strengthen systems to ensure consistent high-quality practice across all kindergartens within the association.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of St Kilda 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.

ERO found that the plans to manage risks during excursions could be more detailed so that all adults are clear about what to do if there is an incident.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of St Kilda Kindergarten will be in four years.

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

5 November 2015

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

5507

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children over two years of age

Service roll

34

Gender composition

Girls: 17

Boys: 17

Ethnic composition

Pākehā

Fijian

Other ethnicities

30

1

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

Not applicable

 
 

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2015

Date of this report

5 November 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

June 2012

 

Education Review

December 2008

 

Education Review

February 2006

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.