How well placed is Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten in Auckland is licensed to provide education and care for up to 40 children over two years of age. The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA) and operates within the policies and management framework of this organisation. A professional services manager (PSM) provides management and curriculum support for teachers.
The kindergarten philosophy places a high value on relationships with the kindergarten’s community and on the provision of a high quality bicultural programme. The kindergarten’s curriculum is underpinned by the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
The centre has implemented the kindergarten day model (KDM) where children attend sessions that match school hours, but provision is also made for some children to attend for mornings only. The teaching team has changed as a result of this move. From a two teacher kindergarten with a roll of 30 the kindergarten now has four teachers, two of whom work full-time.
The 2011 ERO report noted strengths in the service’s bicultural provision, learning environment, and partnerships with the community. The report also identified some areas for development. These included self review and providing opportunities for children to take greater responsibility in leading their own learning. Good progress has been made in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children are confident and competent learners. Children and their families demonstrate a strong sense of belonging to the centre. They are warmly welcomed, settle quickly and choose from the wide variety of activities offered. They are highly engaged in their selected activities and have many opportunities to explore the centre’s large inviting environment.
Teachers collaboratively plan a programme that encourages children to explore areas that interest them. Teachers use each other’s interests and strengths to extend children's learning. They use questioning skilfully and provide rich experiences and resources to support children's wonderings. Children have many opportunities to develop their creativity and leadership skills. Children’s involvement in exploration is a strong feature of the daily programme.
There are many opportunities for children to participate in rich literacy and science experiences. Teachers offer activities and use opportunities that arise spontaneously to increase children’s understanding and skills in mathematics. These experiences are identified in children’s portfolios of learning. The assessment of these experiences could be further enhanced by using portfolio information to plan, extend and record children’s progress and understanding in literacy, mathematics, and science over their time at the kindergarten.
The centre offers a rich bicultural and multicultural programme. Te reo Māori is valued and forms part of the daily programme. Aspects of tikanga Māori are highly evident, and teachers participate in external professional development to extend their knowledge and understandings in this area. The acting head teacher confidently models and leads the teaching team, children and parents/whānau in increasing their knowledge and use of te reo and tikanga Māori. Recent consultation with whānau Māori has provided useful information about how they could support the programme provided for children.
Teachers value and encourage children's and teachers home languages. Families are invited to share aspects of their culture with the kindergarten.
Self review is an area that continues to develop. Teachers have recently undertaken professional learning in this area. They use a constructive framework to guide them and to help ensure they are informed by useful evidence from a variety of perspectives. Teachers are highly reflective and evaluate the results of their planned reviews in terms of outcomes for children, teachers and parents/whānau.
The Auckland Kindergarten Association continues to promote positive strategies. They include professional learning and development that strengthens teachers’ skills, knowledge and practice. Distributed leadership and the sharing of expertise among kindergarten teaching teams are also promoted. The sharing of knowledge and expertise within the association is encouraged. Association leaders are currently reviewing the appraisal process and continue to explore appropriate ways to support teachers to deliver high quality outcomes for children.
The teachers, the PSM and ERO agree that key next steps for the kindergarten should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Atatu Peninsula 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 Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
11 March 2015
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 |
Te Atatu, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5108 |
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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, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
55 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 25 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific other European other |
16 25 4 4 6 |
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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 |
November 2014 |
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Date of this report |
11 March 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2011 |
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Education Review |
November 2008 |
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Education Review |
June 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:
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.