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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 Village Kindergarten is a well established early childhood service that offers a six-hour daily session for its culturally diverse local community.
The kindergarten's philosophy highlights the importance of positive relationships. It acknowledges Te Tiriti o Waitangi and recognises Māori language and culture as taonga to be celebrated within the learning programme.
The head teacher is an experienced educator. She continues to provide leadership for the teaching team of three qualified teachers, a teacher aide and a teaching assistant. Most teachers are new to the kindergarten since the 2014 ERO review.
The 2014 ERO report identified many positive aspects including calm and respectful teaching practices and good integration of te reo Māori throughout the programme. Key next steps identified in the 2014 report included refining self-review processes and further developing programme planning.
The kindergarten is part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA), which provides a governance and management framework and support personnel, in a range of different roles.
This review was part of a cluster of nine kindergarten reviews in the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
Children experience a strong sense of community in their kindergarten. Teachers know children and whānau well. They are responsive to children's care and learning needs, and are warm and positive in their interactions. These features, alongside whānau involvement in the kindergarten, mean that children are comfortable, happy and secure in their learning environment.
Teachers and whānau promote te reo Māori and tikanga meaningfully in daily practices and in the environment. Kaumātua and kuia have a valued role in the kindergarten. Alongside the strongly bicultural curriculum, teachers ensure that the various cultures of all children are reflected in the kindergarten. As a result, children value their bicultural heritage of Aotearoa and are confident in their own cultural identity.
Children's interests and parent input form the basis of teachers' programme planning. Often these interests lead to whole-centre experiences that teachers extend through connections with community facilities and resources. Children's confidence is enhanced by the support that teachers provide for them to take healthy risks in their play and be physically challenged. Portfolios highlight how teachers link children's learning to parents' aspirations and input.
Teachers work well together as a teaching team. They recognise and work to each other's strengths and curriculum interests. The head teacher is experienced and has high expectations for herself and the teaching team to promote positive outcomes for children and whānau. Her collaborative approach provides good opportunities for shared leadership within the teaching team. A very good model of internal evaluation led by one of the teachers provides a useful approach for ongoing change and improvement.
Kindergarten operations are guided by a comprehensive strategic plan and a shared vision, linked to the AKA’s strategic goals. A quality improvement process (QIP) also aligns with AKA and kindergarten strategic plans. It enables the AKA and teachers to monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement. The AKA continues to review its management and leadership structure. It has begun a process of internal evaluation to establish how effectively the four pillars of its strategic plan are resulting in more positive outcomes for children, their families, and the organisation.
Key next steps for the kindergarten include teachers continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Atatu Village 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.
The next ERO review of Te Atatu Village Kindergarten will be in three years.
Steffan Brough
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
2 June 2017
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 Peninsula, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10114 |
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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 |
57 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 35 Boys 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā South East Asian Cook Islands Māori Samoan Tongan Niue other |
11 18 5 3 3 3 2 12 |
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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 |
February 2017 |
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Date of this report |
2 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
February 2014 |
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Education Review |
May 2010 |
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Education Review |
April 2007 |
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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.