11 A Tennyson Avenue, Takapuna, Auckland
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Takapuna Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Takapuna Kindergarten is a well-established service that provides a six-hour day for up to 40 children over two years of age. Families attending the kindergarten are very supportive of the service and its operations, and many have had several children attending over a number of years.
The kindergarten facilities have been recently upgraded, providing additional space for staff, resources and whānau. A stable team of four qualified teachers, including the head teacher, is supported by a teaching assistant and a part-time administrator.
Teachers have recently reviewed their teaching philosophy. The updated philosophy statement reflects the principles of Te Whāriki, the revised early childhood curriculum. It expresses a commitment to community, inclusion, learning and sustainability.
ERO's 2016 review identified high quality teaching practices and positive outcomes for children. Areas to strengthen and embed included self review, programme evaluation and bicultural practices. Significant progress has been made in these areas.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides leadership, a framework of policies and operational guidelines, support personnel and programmes of professional learning and development for staff. A new AKA structure and new leadership roles have been established, and new personnel appointed.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Takapuna Kindergarten has an inclusive culture. Children and their families are well known to the staff. Children are respected, and their individual strengths and interests inform teachers' planning and assessment practices. Parents who spoke to ERO expressed their appreciation of teachers' child-centred approaches.
Teachers have a strong community focus. Children develop friendships and enjoy tuakana/teina relationships. They are confident and capable communicators and benefit from trusting and respectful interactions with teachers.
Children enjoy challenging learning programmes. Learning activities are authentic, relevant to local community priorities, and consistent with families' values and aspirations. Children lead their own learning and have opportunities to develop leadership.
Programmes have a strong emphasis on upholding bicultural and Enviro-School practices. Documents reflect Māori concepts and children are familiar with the inclusion of te reo and tikanga in the daily programme. Activities, such as a beach clean-up, build children's social and community awareness and help them to develop an understanding of, and responsibility for, environmental sustainability.
Daily programmes are calm and unhurried. Children choose from a wide range of well selected resources and persist with activities they enjoy for extended periods. Teachers support children's learning through thoughtful questioning and provocations. Natural resources feature in the indoor and outdoor environments, and in children's creative and constructive play.
Teachers work well as a collaborative team with a clear focus on promoting the principles of Te Whāriki. They have built internal evaluation capability through their collective and individual inquiries. Teachers' reflections increasingly consider the effectiveness of their practices in relation to outcomes for children.
The head teacher provides good leadership and a strategic approach to ongoing improvements. The team continues its focus on involving the community, embedding biculturalism and implementing the Enviro-School programme. Professional learning and development has supported these priorities.
The AKA continues to provide support for its kindergartens to strengthen bicultural practices. In many instances this has made a significant difference to teachers' confidence and capability. Specialist support impacts positively on teachers’ inclusion of children with additional learning needs. Priority is being given to re-establishing and supporting Parent Whānau Groups in all kindergartens. The strategic direction being established by new AKA leaders is providing a positive framework for kindergartens’ annual planning.
Teachers agree that further developments could include:
developing a more explicit sense of a learning journey in children's individual portfolios
using internal evaluation to make the alignment between Te Whāriki, the philosophy and the planned learning programme more visible.
It would be useful for AKA managers to:
clarify new roles and engage teaching teams in the implementation of the new structure across the AKA
increase the rigour of monitoring and quality assurance, and strengthen internal evaluation at all levels of the AKA
identify and implement strategies for achieving greater consistency of the practices that are strengths in some kindergartens, across the AKA.
Before the review, the staff and management of Takapuna 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 - Te Tai Raki
13 February 2020
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 |
Takapuna, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5107 |
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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 |
40 children over the age of 2 years |
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Service roll |
62 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 36 Girls 26 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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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 |
December 2019 |
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Date of this report |
13 February 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2016 |
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Education Review |
April 2013 |
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Education Review |
November 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.
Takapuna Kindergarten, on Auckland's North Shore, is licensed for 40 children aged over two years. Since the 2013 ERO report the kindergarten has undergone significant changes. The building has been totally rebuilt, and for a period the kindergarten operated from a local sports club. The kindergarten now provides a Kindergarten Day Model where children attend hours that are similar to school hours. Takapuna Kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides a governance and management framework to support its operation.
The kindergarten is staffed by four qualified teachers, one teaching assistant and an administrator. The kindergarten enjoys a positive reputation in the community. A core group of parents provides help and support with fundraising and events. Environmental sustainability is a strong focus of teaching practices and kindergarten processes.
The kindergarten's philosophy statement is based on the shared values of the teaching team, children and their whānau. It incorporates four key areas - community, diversity, learning and sustainability. Relationships, unity of purpose, inclusion, bicultural practice, a play-based programme, and guardianship of the environment are strongly emphasised.
The 2013 ERO report highlighted the provision of a meaningful programme, by skilled teachers. It also noted that children were well supported to build positive relationships and to explore and learn in an attractive environment which fostered sustainable living. These aspects have been sustained.
The teaching team has responded very positively to the report's recommendations. These included strengthening self-review processes, children's portfolios, and relationships with whānau to affirm children's cultural backgrounds.
The AKA restructure in 2015 has introduced new responsibilities and ways of working for both AKA and kindergarten personnel. A period of transition is continuing for staff as they develop their understanding and competence in relation to new roles and systems.
This review was part of a cluster of nine kindergartens in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children are happy, engaged explorers and independent learners. They have a sense of ownership of the kindergarten environment and co-construct play areas with their teachers. Children are viewed as competent and capable by their teachers. They respond by being organisers, leaders, friends and negotiators. They are self managing and engage in long periods of complex play.
The curriculum provided for children is holistic, reflects the kindergarten's philosophy and supports children to become good citizens of the community and of the world. Children are articulate and use complex language. Teachers sensitively move in and out of children's play, encouraging wonder and critical thinking. They value the knowledge children bring and encourage them in new experiences related to their interests.
Parents and children are welcomed on arrival and many parents stay, invited by their children to play or to observe in different play areas. Parents that spoke with ERO shared their appreciation of the teaching team. They were pleased with the meaningful inclusion of literacy, mathematics, science and digital learning in the programme.
Portfolios provide good records of children's continuous learning. Programme planning incorporates children's interests and how teachers will respond, alongside learning goals that children set for themselves. Teachers are continuing to work on ways to meaningfully incorporate parents' aspirations for their child's learning into programme planning.
The AKA's 'Whakamanawa' professional development is supporting teachers to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Māori culture. They continue to seek meaningful ways to represent a te ao Māori worldview in the programme, through sustainability, kotahitanga and kaitiaki initiatives. Displays of cultural symbols and art make meaningful links to Māori and Pacific cultures.
Teachers make good use of the physical environment to support children's learning and parents' understanding of how children learn. Learning stories displayed in the environment allow children to revisit their learning.
Teachers value self review as a way of improving outcomes for children. Building capacity through shared leadership is an ongoing goal. The AKA provides timely, in-depth support for the head teacher and the team. The AKA strategic plan provides a stepping stone for the kindergarten to develop a plan that meets the needs of its local community.
AKA support and guidance is responsive to each kindergarten's individual context. New AKA positions are providing more targeted support for head teachers in their leadership and management roles. A new Quality Improvement Process (QIP) is aligned with AKA and kindergarten strategic plans. This process monitors quality, and promotes ongoing improvement in the kindergartens.
Teachers agree that, with AKA support, they should continue to:
develop self-review processes
refine programme planning and evaluation processes
strengthen bicultural practice so that it becomes embedded in the daily programme.
Before the review, the staff and management of Takapuna 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 Takapuna Kindergarten will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
27 May 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.
|
Location |
Takapuna, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5107 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
61 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 34, Boys 27 |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Indian other Asian other European |
1 46 3 2 4 5 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
NA |
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|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
27 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
April 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2006 |
||
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.