Uplands Kindergarten

Education institution number:
20178
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
28
Telephone:
Address:

497 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland

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Uplands Kindergarten

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 Uplands Kindergarten are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)


Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Uplands Kindergarten is a well-established community-based service owned by the Somervell Presbyterian Church. Centre leaders, parents and members of the church ministry form a management committee that governs the service. A qualified head teacher leads a team of three qualified teachers and two unqualified staff.

3 Summary of findings

The service commitment to bicultural and Te Tiriti based practices are evident in practice. Children experience an environment where te reo Māori and tikanga Māori practices are meaningfully woven through the curriculum and programme.

Children learn in a calm, unhurried environment where they are comfortable with the routines. Throughout the day children choose their play. They are supported well by skillful teachers who promote children’s social competence and language learning. Children are able to sustain their play for long periods, deepening their investigations and learning.

Teachers intentionally provide an environment that is inclusive. They know the children well and provide additional support when required. Teaching practices enable all children to fully participate in the curriculum.

Teachers provide many opportunities for children to be creative, make discoveries, research, engage in meaningful conservations, and problem solve in a thoughtfully resourced environment. These practices enhance children’s mana and identity as successful learners.

Children’s assessment information shows continuity and progress over time. Teachers could further explore ways to capture the languages and cultures of children and their whānau, and make these more visible within assessment records.

Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is embedded in the curriculum and assessment practices. Teachers skillfully connect learning outcomes with children’s progress in ways that are easily understood and support learning-focused partnerships with whānau.

There is a useful process for internal evaluation that focuses on ongoing improvement for children. Leaders and teachers should now consider how the improved outcomes for children could be discussed in more depth. This would support them to better know what has worked well, or not, for individuals and groups of children. Ongoing monitoring over time should ensure these improvements are sustained.

Leaders and teachers are reflective, and they work collaboratively to build teaching and leadership capability. Teaching practices are guided by relevant professional learning and development, which improves practice and supports teachers’ individual and collective growth.

4 Improvement actions

Uplands Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Further develop internal evaluation processes by focusing on how improvements are impacting on the learning of identified individuals and groups of children.

  • Make children’s languages and cultures more visible in assessment records.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Uplands Kindergarten 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.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

28 August 2023

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Uplands Kindergarten
Profile Number 20178
Location Remuera, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

43 children over 2 years

Percentage of qualified teachers 

100%

Service roll

29

Review team on site

May 2023

Date of this report

28 August 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku | Assurance Review, September 2021
Education Review, May 2018

Uplands Kindergarten September 2021

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Uplands Kindergarten is owned and operated by the Somervell Presbyterian Church. It is governed by a management committee, parent representatives and members of the Church’s ministry team. A qualified head teacher leads the long-standing team of five qualified and one unqualified staff.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

The curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is acknowledged through the curriculum.

Compliance

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

  • all indoor items and equipment are safe and suitable for their intended use (PF5).
  • evidence of the building having a current fire evacuation scheme that is approved by the New Zealand Fire Service (HS4).
  • water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60 degrees C (HS14).
  • all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

24 September 2021 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Uplands Kindergarten
Profile Number 20178
Location Remuera, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

45 children aged over two

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

40

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā 27, Chinese 9, Other ethnic groups 4

Review team on site

July 2021

Date of this report

24 September 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2018; Education Review, August 2014

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service
  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Uplands Kindergarten - 11/05/2018

1 Evaluation of Uplands Kindergarten

How well placed is Uplands 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

Uplands Kindergarten is a sessional and full-day community based kindergarten in Remuera. It is owned and operated by the Somervell Presbyterian Church. The kindergarten operates in a purpose built facility on the lower ground floor of the church building. There has been a major upgrade to the outdoor play area since the 2014 ERO review.

The kindergarten is governed by a management committee, comprised of volunteers from the congregation, parent representatives and members of the Church's ministry team. The teaching team of three registered teachers is led by the full-time head teacher.

Christian values and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, continue to underpin the centre ethos and practices. The kindergarten's vision and philosophy promote respectful and reciprocal partnerships with whānau and the wider community. It also supports a learning environment that is nurturing and flexible in order for children to develop as competent and confident learners.

ERO's 2014 report noted that children were eager, confident and articulate communicators. They were supported by teachers who encouraged them to be active problem solvers and to manage relationships with others. These positive aspects are still evident. The head teacher and teachers continue to make progress with the next steps identified in the 2014 report. These included developing self review and strengthening bicultural practices.

The Review Findings

Children and whānau are warmly welcomed into the kindergarten. Children settle quickly in activities of their own choice. Teachers value positive relationships with whānau. They include and respond well to children's diverse cultures and learning needs.

Teaching practices enhance children's sense of themselves as successful learners. Teachers regularly discuss children's learning and collaboratively plan to build on individual and group interests. Their relationships with children are respectful and responsive. They use the 'notice, recognise and respond' approach to support children's emerging interests, and extend children's thinking. Routines during the day provide opportunities for children to listen to story-telling, join in musical experiences, explore healthy eating habits and learn about environmental sustainability.

Parents appreciate the inclusive and community-focused approaches of the staff, and value how well staff communicate with them about their children's care and learning. Teachers work alongside children and their parents/whānau to guide and support children's learning development. As a result of these and other good practices, children have a strong sense of belonging in their centre.

The centre is developing bicultural practices. Teachers are growing their understanding of, and ability to implement, a bicultural programme through the use of te reo, waiata and tikanga Māori in programme planning. Children with home languages other than English are well supported in their learning. Leaders and the management committee should now evaluate their own understanding of what biculturalism means, to better inform their strategic planning and decision-making processes.

Transitions into and out of the centre are well managed. Teachers have formed good relationships with local schools, and make efforts to help children to comply with schools' academic expectations. Teachers continue to strengthen the improved practice of including early literacy, mathematics and science in the everyday play programmes, rather than relying on formal preschool sessions.

Leaders are committed to promoting quality teaching and child-led learning, and to increasing teachers' professional capability. Teachers have generous access to professional development and often share their learning with the team.

Managers regularly review policies and procedures. The review cycle should also include evaluation of the effectiveness of both the strategic and annual plan. The head teacher acknowledges the need to align teacher appraisal processes to the centre's strategic plan.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders agree that key next steps for development should include:

  • including a clearer focus on outcomes for children in the centre's strategic and annual planning, and in internal evaluation, in order to guide ongoing improvement

  • improving the appraisal process to better reflect the Education Council requirements

  • continuing to develop assessment of children's learning to include whānau contributions and to better inform programme planning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Uplands 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 Uplands Kindergarten will be in three years.

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

11 May 2018

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

Remuera, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20178

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

43 children over 2 years of age

Service roll

30

Gender composition

Girls 16 Boys 14

Ethnic composition

Pākehā
Chinese
Pacific

18
9
3

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

11 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

August 2014

Education Review

February 2011

Education Review

December 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 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.