Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc

Education institution number:
20557
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
23
Telephone:
Address:

261 St Andrews Road, Epsom, Auckland

View on map

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakatō Emerging

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
 
Organisational Conditions

Whakatō Emerging

Whakatō Emerging

2 Context of the Service

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc is an established service. A parent board provides governance support to a qualified centre manager. The manager leads a team of two qualified teachers and an administrator. A small number of children have Māori or Pacific heritage.

3 Summary of findings

Children benefit from a range of experiences and opportunities that facilitate their learning within a
play-based approach. Priority is given to the development of children’s oral language, literacy, and numeracy learning. Teachers support children’s developing social competence.

Children’s interests and learning dispositions are captured in assessment documented by teachers. Positive steps are taken to acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. Information and guidance are sought from external agencies to enable teachers to work more effectively with children who learn in diverse ways. Service leaders acknowledge a need to develop teachers’ understanding and use of the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation.

The centre manager is developing the organisational conditions to enable the teaching team to engage purposefully with internal evaluation processes. Regular opportunities for mentoring and coaching are designed to share knowledge and build their confidence to engage in evaluative practices. Those on the governing board need to ensure appropriate staffing and resources are allocated to support ongoing change and improvement over time.

A strategic plan guides the service’s goals and vision for children’s learning. It is timely for leaders and teachers to revisit the centre philosophy to promote teachers’ shared priorities for children’s learning. External expertise is sought to build professional accountability and capability within the teaching team. Teachers now need to evaluate how well professional learning experiences have contributed to improving their teaching practices.

The board should focus on supporting the manager and teaching team to develop leadership practices that enable effective succession planning. Ongoing monitoring of policies and procedures will ensure the service maintains regulatory requirements.

4 Improvement actions

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement
Planning:

  • For teachers to develop a shared understanding of Te Whāriki, to inform assessment, planning and teaching practices.

  • For service leaders to allocate resources for teachers’ professional development to support quality teaching practices and improved outcomes for learners.

  • To provide professional learning and development opportunities for leaders and teachers to grow their leadership and enable effective succession planning.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

6 Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • Having a record of training and/or information provided to adults who administer medicine to children while at the service (HS29).

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

31 May 2023

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc

Profile Number 

20557

Location 

Epsom, Auckland 

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

30 children over 2 years

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

30

Review team on site

March 2023

Date of this report

31 May 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, April 2019
Education Review, April 2015

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc - 18/04/2019

1 Evaluation of Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc

How well placed is Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc is an established service, licensed to provide for 30 children over the age of two years. Children participate in both sessional or full-day education and care. They play in a converted classroom with an extensive outside area, situated beside Three Kings School. The centre caters for a wide variety of diverse learners, including children with Māori and Pacific heritage.

The kindergarten is governed by a board comprised of parents and families of the children enrolled in the centre. The board provides governance and management support for the head teacher.

The kindergarten's philosophy centres on children and their learning. It emphasises working in partnership with parents and whānau, and the value of difference and diversity.

The head teacher and two other qualified teachers are new to their roles since the 2015 ERO review. The board are presently recruiting one more permanent qualified teacher. The board and team continue to be well supported by a long-serving administrator.

The 2015 ERO report identified many good practices to do with the programme, the environment and relationships with parents and whānau. These continue to be evident. However, staff turnover has meant that areas identified as next steps in curriculum and management continue to be areas for development.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten is going through a time of significant change. The board has effective systems and structures in place that should serve them well as the new teaching team is established. A useful three year strategic plan, policies and annual action plan, guide the kindergarten's direction and identify appropriate goals. When the new team is established, a priority for them is to review the philosophy and to develop shared understandings of Te Whāriki 2017, the revised early childhood curriculum.

Children direct their own play by choosing from the richly resourced environment. Teachers set up the environment to encourage children to explore and be creative. The large outdoor area promotes children's physical development and fosters challenge and problem-solving. Relationships between adults and children are positive and considerate. Children with additional learning needs are well cared for and supported.

Parents are increasingly partnering in their children's learning. Parents willingly share their knowledge and skills at cultural celebrations and attend events and functions. The head teacher has appropriately identified the benefit of sharing current good early childhood learning with parents and whānau.

Children's learning stories identify their growing interests, skills and learning dispositions over time. The head teacher has helpful guidelines to assist teachers with planning programmes to respond to and extend children's learning. Learning stories should also explicitly acknowledge children's language, culture and ethnicity.

Internal evaluation processes are becoming established. A range of people's perspectives are gathered to inform evaluation and review. Internal evaluation could be enhanced by developing indicators of good practice related to the area for evaluation, and by referring to relevant current research and theory. Placing a stronger focus on outcomes for children's learning in evaluation findings would further strengthen the process.

Key Next Steps

The board chair and the head teacher agree that the key next steps are:

  • strengthening programme planning to extend children's learning

  • strengthening internal evaluation by making stronger links to outcomes for children

  • continuing to build teachers' understanding and use of the principles and strands of Te Whāriki 2017.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

18 April 2019

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Epsom, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20557

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children aged over 2 years

Service roll

39

Gender composition

Girls 22 Boys 17

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Chinese
other ethnic groups

3
12
8
16

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2019

Date of this report

18 April 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

April 2015

Education Review

September 2010

Education Review

May 2007

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed

  • Well placed

  • Requires further development

  • Not well placed

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.

Three Kings Community Kindergarten Inc - 10/04/2015

1 Evaluation of Carlson Community Kindergarten

How well placed is Carlson Community 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.

Background

Carlson Community Kindergarten is located in the grounds of the Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy in Epsom. The kindergarten is licensed to provide sessional or full-day education and care for up to 30 children over two years of age. It is governed by a board of governors which is largely composed of parents of children attending the kindergarten. Families attending the centre are predominantly NZ European/Pākehā, Chinese and Indian, with a small number of children from other ethnic backgrounds.

A new centre manager works closely with three teachers and an administrator. Staff take leadership roles and work together well as a cohesive team.

Children are cared for within a converted classroom, and have an outdoor play area to enjoy. They receive a structured programme designed to reinforce independence, self-help skills and learning and exploring through play.

The 2010 ERO report on Carlson Community Kindergarten identified a number of areas of good performance and noted the positive interactions between teachers and children. It recommended that teachers source professional support for programme planning and assessment. The report also noted that teachers should plan for more child-directed programmes that focused on children’s emerging interests. The centre has responded well to the recommendations in this report.

The Review Findings

Children have a good sense of belonging in the kindergarten. They are well settled and highly engaged in the programme. Children interact positively with each other and are inclusive in their play. They choose freely from activities provided, playing with and alongside others, and having ready access to the indoors and outdoors areas.

The centre’s focus on respectful, reciprocal relationships between teachers and children and between children themselves is clearly evident. Teachers support children as successful and capable learners. Children are trusting and confident with teachers.

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the centre. Teachers know children and their families well and have established a welcoming environment for all families. They offer parents increasing opportunities to share information about their children and to have input into the programme.

The kindergarten environment is well established and promotes children’s creativity and exploration. Children have good access to a wide range of equipment and resources. The redesigned outdoor area is attractive and inviting for children. Both indoor and outdoor areas are well resourced.

Teachers encourage a child-initiated programme for children. They have high expectations of children’s behaviour and reinforce these expectations. All teachers need to continue reflecting on their practice and to build agreed understandings of what makes for culturally inclusive practices to help ensure they are responding well to children's ethnic diversity. Teachers continue to promote an appropriate curriculum that supports children’s individual and group interests. Planning and assessment processes are evident. Children’s learning journeys are recorded in portfolios.

In order to further strengthen planning and evaluation teachers should now:

  • embed effective ways to notice, recognise and respond to children’s interests
  • use observations of children’s emerging interests to strengthen teachers planning for individuals and groups
  • develop more robust and reflective evaluation processes
  • implement bicultural practices to build on relevant te ao Māori practices
  • strengthen the recording of children’s learning and development over time
  • consider ways in which the diversity of children’s language, culture and identity can be reflected in programme planning
  • encourage parents and whānau to contribute further to their children’s learning.

The centre has established a process for self review that is both documented and inclusive of parents’ feedback. It may be timely now for teachers to review this process to strengthen its capacity to gather multiple perspectives. It would also be useful to introduce criteria into the review process in so that decisions made about centre needs are closely linked to criteria set for goal achievement.

The centre manager and governing board work together collaboratively. The governing board supports the manager and teachers to run the daily operations. Good accountability processes are followed and plans are in place to guide future directions for the centre. These plans need to be closely monitored to ensure timely progress is made in achieving strategic goals and annual plans.

Key Next Steps

ERO, the board of governors and centre manager agree that to enhance the quality of practices in the centre, the centre needs to:

  • strengthen management and leadership processes
  • strengthen and embed effective curriculum implementation so that it is informed by high quality assessment, planning and evaluation processes
  • develop shared understandings of effective teaching practice
  • ensure that strategic and annual planning includes relevant detail in order to measure and review progress against strategic and annual goals on a regular basis.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Carlson Community 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Carlson Community Kindergarten will be in three years.

Dale Bailey Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

10 April 2015

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Epsom, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20557

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

45

Gender composition

Girls 23 Boys 22

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Indian

Chinese

Samoan

Tongan

other

1

21

9

8

2

1

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2015

Date of this report

10 April 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2010

 

Education Review

May 2007

 

Education Review

June 2004

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.