51 B Brook Street, Nelson
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
The Brook Kindergarten is very well placed to promote learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Brook Kindergarten is one of 19 kindergartens governed and managed by Nelson Tasman Kindergartens. All kindergartens share a common vision and values.
Children from two years old to school age can attend the kindergartens for up to six hours a day during the four kindergarten terms. School holiday programmes operate at three kindergartens. Children enrolled at other kindergartens can also enrol in these programmes.
The association employs qualified early childhood teachers, teacher aides and an administrator in each kindergarten.
Since the 2013 ERO review, the kindergarten has made significant progress to meet the recommendations in the ERO report. Self review and child assessment are now useful and effectively show the depth and complexity of learning and teaching.
This review was part of a cluster of four kindergarten reviews in the Nelson Tasman Kindergartens.
The kindergarten provides a calm, welcoming environment where children are highly focused on their learning. Children are well supported by their teachers to develop their interests, skills, knowledge and abilities.
Relationships among the children, teachers and families are supportive and respectful. Tuakana teina relationships are highly evident between children. Older children willingly help younger children and include them in their play and learning.
Teachers effectively involve families in their children's learning and kindergarten programmes and events. Through strong learning partnerships teachers ensure parents are involved in setting goals for their child's learning and kept well informed about their child's progress and learning outcomes. Teachers maintain strong links between home and centre learning.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are well integrated into the programme. Children know and use te reo Māori. Teachers make effective use of professional development to continue to increase their skills and knowledge in this area of the curriculum. Māori parents also enrich, clarify and extend te reo and tikanga Māori in the programme. The environment reflects the pride the children, teachers and community have in New Zealand's bicultural heritage.
The kindergarten has a very good range of resources that are presented in ways that encourage children to explore, work independently and spend the time that they need to develop their interests, ideas and learning. The programme has a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy, creativity and physical activity. The outdoor environment is effectively used by children and teachers to help children develop a good range of physical skills and appropriate attitudes towards team and competitive sports.
Transitions into the kindergarten are well established, flexible and focused on the needs of the child and family. Older children are well supported to develop the skills, confidence and knowledge that they will need to successfully transition to school. This includes the sharing of information and reciprocal visits to and from a local school.
Learning is valued and shared. Teachers clearly identify the learning occurring for each child and the ways they use their skills and knowledge of the child and the environment to extend learning and social development.
Teachers work well together to meet the needs of the children and their families. They have high expectations for teaching and learning, and make good use of individual strengths and interests to achieve high quality outcomes for all children.
Self review is well established and used appropriately to improve the programme and learning outcomes for all children.
The managers, teachers and ERO agree that a key next step for the kindergarten is to strengthen the connections between child assessment, programme planning and evaluation to more clearly show the impact of learning and teaching on outcomes for children.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens has a very strong commitment to te ao Māori (the Māori world) and ensuring their Senior Education Advisors (SEAs) and teachers are competent and confident in te reo and tikanga Māori. A kaiārahi Māori successfully works with each kindergarten to increase teachers’ knowledge and understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori to ensure Māori children succeed as Māori.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens provides significant support for diverse learners and their families. Teachers in kindergartens with diverse learners receive considerable extra training and funding to ensure the needs of these children are well met.
Self review is thorough, well understood and effectively used at association level and in most kindergartens.
The CEO and SEAs provide strong professional support to the board and teachers. They work collaboratively and effectively use their skills to support the kindergartens and early childhood education in the wider community.
The skills and knowledge of the CEO and the SEAs are regularly sought by other kindergarten associations and early childhood services. Nelson Tasman Kindergartens is innovative in its approaches and regularly seeks opportunities to be involved in the wider educational and local communities to promote high quality learning outcomes for all children.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens has a well understood vision and strategic and annual planning systems. There are close links between the association strategic plan, the kindergarten plans, self review, appraisal and professional development. The teachers and families are well supported by association managers and leaders to achieve the objectives of the association strategic plan and to provide high quality learning outcomes for all children.
Nelson Tasman Kindergartens leaders have identified and ERO agrees that the next key steps for the organisation include:
Before the review, the staff and management of The Brook 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 The Brook Kindergarten will be in four years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
2 June 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.
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Location |
Nelson |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5404 |
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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 |
44 children, two years and older |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 26; Boys 23 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnicities |
4 39 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 |
April 2016 |
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Date of this report |
2 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
August 2013 |
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Education Review |
March 2010 |
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Education Review |
October 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:
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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Brook Kindergarten is located in central Nelson. It provides education and care for up to 44 children over the age of two years. Morning sessions are offered daily and afternoon sessions are run three days a week. Whānau groupings and the opportunity for the child to attend both sessions are available.
The teaching team is fully qualified, and the programme is further assisted by support staff and volunteers from the community. Children come from a wide range of backgrounds and for many families, English is an additional language. An active parent committee leads fundraising initiatives to support ongoing resourcing and improvements to the kindergarten environment.
The kindergarten is governed by the Nelson Kindergarten Association (the association) and overseen by a team of Senior Education Advisors (SEAs). This review was part of a cluster of eleven kindergartens and early childhood services in the Nelson Kindergarten Association.
Children and families benefit from welcoming, responsive and respectful relationships with their teachers. Partnership with parents is promoted and they are encouraged to contribute to the programme. Relationships between children are fostered and teachers promote opportunities for them to share their expertise with one another. Children choose to play independently or collaboratively in groups of their own choosing.
Teachers involve themselves in children’s self-initiated play. They are intentional in the way they recognise and respond to opportunities to support children’s learning. Throughout play and learning experiences, teachers encourage children to use their thinking skills and be independent. Teachers provide children with specific feedback and their success is acknowledged.
The curriculum is clearly linked to the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It would be timely for teachers to review their current teaching philosophy to ensure that it reflects the values held by teachers and the kindergarten community.
Children confidently engage in the flexible routines which provide a framework for the day. A wide range of learning experiences is available to children. Literacy, early mathematical concepts and music and movement are well integrated into the programme. The tone is conducive to learning.
Te reo Māori and appropriate tikānga practices are used effectively in the programme. Teachers are committed to strengthening their understanding of te ao Māori, including the integrated use of the language. Teachers are exploring a vision for success for Māori in this context and are involving appropriate personnel to support this development. In addition, they are beginning to consider provision for Pacific children. Further guidance should be provided through the support networks of the association.
There is a range of useful information available which supports children and families in their transition to school. Teachers should clearly establish indicators of successful transition to assist them to evaluate its effectiveness in improving outcomes for children.
Well-presented profiles highlight children’s participation, group interests and developing relationships in the programme. Children freely access these to reflect on their prior learning experiences. Teachers should consider how they can celebrate children’s culture through these profiles.
Spontaneous and regular reviews have been used to reflect on aspects of the programme to inform ongoing improvements. There is strong alignment between the guiding documents of the association and kindergarten and the resulting review. Teachers and the association are highly consultative, regularly requesting and receiving feedback from their parent community. The association has effectively led robust review and evaluation using a collaborative approach.
The association provides high levels of guidance and support for teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
clear guiding documents
expectations for programme delivery and kindergarten operations, including health and safety practices
access to a wide range of professional learning and development opportunities.
The recently updated appraisal process is collaborative and provides clear guidance and support to staff. Leaders are engaging in ongoing professional learning in this area to support its successful implementation. ERO’s evaluation affirms this and recommends this approach include a focus on the quality of feedback and feed forward for ongoing teacher development.
The SEA regularly visits the kindergarten and provides support and leadership to the teaching team. Through SEA guidance and identified next steps teachers are well supported to provide positive outcomes for children.
ERO and kindergarten leaders agree that the key next steps are to:
clearly analyse assessment information and show through the documents how teachers plan to add depth and complexity to children’s learning to more effectively highlight progress overtime
continue to build the evaluative capacity of teachers to systematically enquire into and judge the effectiveness of their kindergarten operations. This should assist future decision-making and identify priorities to further enhance children’s learning and wellbeing.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Brook 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 The Brook Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services Central Region (Acting)
2 September 2013
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 |
Nelson |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5404 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
44 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
62 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 32, Girls 30 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indian Other ethnic groups |
9 43 2 8 |
|
|
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 |
N/A |
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Over 2 |
1 : 10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
||
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Date of this report |
2 September 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2006 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2004 |
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.