16 A Harbour View Road, Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland
View on mapERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten in Auckland is licensed to provide education and care for up to 40 children aged two years and over. The kindergarten offers morning or six-hour sessions that align with school hours.
The teaching team values effective relationships based on manaakitanga, care and respect for others. Their philosophy recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi and values the provision of a high quality bicultural programme. It endorses child-led learning and the important place of parents and whānau in children's learning. It aligns with and strongly reflects Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
ERO's 2015 report outlined how well the kindergarten promoted children's learning, and how responsive it was to its multicultural setting. While retaining these good practices, teachers have made noteworthy progress in addressing the key next steps identified in the 2015 report. They have strengthened their internal evaluation and formative assessment practices, and now provide well for mathematics learning.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA). The AKA has a range of specialist personnel who assist teachers with curriculum, management and property matters. There continues to be a period of change for staff as they adapt to changes in AKA’s operational practices, leadership and management.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten offers children rich learning opportunities. Its well-developed physical environment and supportive emotional climate invite children's participation and exploration, and encourage them to experiment and learn through their play. Children are interested and engaged in their learning. They settle well to long periods of self-selected activities alone or alongside and in collaboration with others. Children respond positively to teachers and to the group learning times they share. They are confident and competent learners who are being well- prepared for ongoing learning.
A particular curriculum strength is its bicultural content. Teachers use te reo Māori as a living language and tikanga Māori is valued and shared. Māori children have their identity as Māori affirmed and are supported to achieve success as Māori. All children experience the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand in meaningful ways. The curriculum is also very responsive to children of Pacific and other diverse cultural backgrounds. Teachers are very inclusive, and children with additional needs are welcomed and well supported.
Teachers have established sound relationships with children and their whānau. These positive relationships result in high levels of trust, and a strong sense of community. Teachers implement a child-centred learning programme and are very responsive to children's emerging interests.
Teachers use their assessment processes and partnerships with parents to identify and extend these interests, and to celebrate children's ongoing learning and development. They practise sound procedures to support children's transition to school.
The kindergarten features strong professional leadership. All teachers are delegated leadership responsibilities aimed at maintaining currency with best practice. Leadership practices consolidate the kindergarten's values-driven curriculum and ensure implementation of both its philosophy and AKA expectations. Teachers are very reflective and are focused on ongoing improvement and fostering life-long learning.
The AKA has useful processes for supporting teachers' ongoing professional development and supporting teachers' interests. AKA has specific processes for ensuring that children with additional needs receive appropriate learning support. They have good systems in place to support children and whānau with health and wellbeing needs.
Kindergarten operations are guided by a comprehensive kindergarten plan and a shared vision that are linked to AKA strategic goals. A Quality Improvement Process (QIP) also aligns with AKA and kindergarten strategic plans. The AKA continues to review its management and leadership structure and to improve consistency and coherence across internal evaluation, quality assurance and improvement systems, and strategic planning.
Te Atatu Peninsula Kindergarten should continue to build on current well-developed internal evaluation practices to support planned developments and sustain high quality provision for children and their whānau.
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:
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:
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 four years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
26 June 2018
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 over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
51 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 28 Girls 23 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Korean other |
9 28 2 12 |
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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 |
May 2018 |
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Date of this report |
26 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2008 |
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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 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.
How well placed is Te Atatu Peninsula 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.
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.
|
Location |
Te Atatu, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5108 |
||
|
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 |
55 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 25 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific other European other |
16 25 4 4 6 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
November 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
11 March 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2008 |
||
|
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.