- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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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 South Kindergarten offers all day education and care for up to 40 children over the age of two years. The roll includes some Māori children and a small number of Pacific and Asian children.
A new teaching team consists of four qualified teachers, one teaching assistant, a teacher aide and a staff member who works as both administrator and teacher aide. One full-time teaching position is shared by two teachers. The imminent appointment of another full-time teacher will complete the teaching team. The newly appointed head teacher and the teachers are keen to build a cohesive and collaborative teaching team.
The 2014 ERO report noted that teachers skilfully engaged children in collaborative play and investigation, and facilitated conversations that challenged children's thinking. A commitment to recognising the special interests of Māori and Pacific children was also evident. These positive aspects of teaching practice remain.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA) which provides a governance and management framework. Professional support personnel assist teachers with curriculum, management and property matters. There continues to be a period of transition for staff as they adapt to changes in AKA operational practices.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children are confident learners and communicators. They know about making choices, are able to lead their own learning and independently select resources. The programme is unhurried and gives children time to engage in play and exploration for long periods. Many children work collaboratively and persist at difficult tasks. Children are well supported to be strong in their cultural identity.
Teachers provide a welcoming, friendly and inclusive environment for children and their whānau. They foster conversations with children that promote language development, communication skills, thinking and reasoning. Teachers listen carefully to children’s ideas and make good links with their prior knowledge. Teachers encourage and scaffold children's learning through exploration, investigation, independence and problem solving.
Bicultural practices are integrated well. Children share mihi in te reo Māori, and sing waiata at mat times. The use of Māori resources supports children to develop an appreciation of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa. All teachers have undertaken professional learning and development in the AKA Whakamanawa programme that focuses on strengthening bicultural practices. Teachers value and make links to Tātaiako, the cultural competencies for teachers of Māori learners. Teachers intend to increase the incidental use of te reo Māori in the programme.
The kindergarten's learning environments play a powerful role in supporting children’s learning. The stimulating and attractive environments give children lots of choice and access to resources and equipment. The spacious and well-resourced outdoor area provides children with extensive physical challenges and indicates respect for children as capable, self-directed learners.
Teachers are embarking on a new planning process to respond more effectively to children's interests and strengths and have started monthly programme evaluations. This process helps them to identify teaching strategies and learning outcomes for children. Individual portfolios provide an attractive record of children's engagement in the programme and capture their relationships with others well. A good reflection of children's cultural identity is also evident.
Teachers encourage children to identify their own learning goals. They could now regularly update these goals and make better use of them to guide their assessment of children's learning. These steps would allow them to strengthen the focus on children's individual strengths and interests in portfolios.
Teachers build strong child-focused relationships with parents. There are many opportunities for families to participate in the programme, share their culture and be aware of their children’s progress. Children's learning is shared with parents through wall displays and an online e-portfolio. Parents appreciate how quickly their children settle, the very good quality of teaching and learning, and the way in which teachers involve parents in their children's learning.
Teachers have identified areas for shared professional development, particularly in internal evaluation and the update of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers are reflective and are starting to strengthen the ways that they critique their own practice to improve outcomes for children.
The AKA is reviewing its appraisal processes to align with the new Education Council requirements. As part of this development leaders should ensure that there is depth and an improvement focus in teachers’ reflection and professional goals.
Key next steps for the teaching team include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Atatu South 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 South Kindergarten will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
8 February 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 South, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5109 |
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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 |
55 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
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 |
November 2017 |
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Date of this report |
8 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2014 |
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Education Review |
April 2010 |
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Education Review |
November 2006 |
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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:
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.