45 Oban Street, Wadestown, Wellington
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Wadestown Kindergarten is located in Wellington. Since the December 2011 ERO report, daily six hour sessions have been introduced. The service is licensed for 30 children aged over two years. Of the 57 children enrolled, five are Māori. The parent-led committee works proactively to support developments and strong community involvement is a feature of this kindergarten.
The kindergarten philosophy reflects values that provide children with an environment promoting their sense of place, belonging and wellbeing and where they are encouraged to explore and challenge themselves.
Wadestown Kindergarten is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014.
The board and managers provide governance for the organisation. Senior teachers have delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.
In 2012, the association developed a framework to guide the implementation of its curriculum, Te Manawa. This document outlines criteria for curriculum delivery, including expectations for assessment and planning for children’s learning.
The previous ERO report for Wadestown Kindergarten identified that teachers needed to strengthen the bicultural perspective, aspects of programme planning and understanding of evaluation to improve outcomes for children. Areas where the association could strengthen its support for teachers were also identified, and positive progress has occurred. The alignment of individual kindergartens’ annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been appropriately addressed.
All four teachers at the kindergarten are qualified and registered. Several staffing changes have occurred since the previous ERO report, including a new head teacher joining the team in late 2015.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
Children are purposeful and active learners. They experience an inviting and stimulating programme that fosters emerging interests, and supports child-led inquiries and investigations. Children’s risk-taking within a safe environment is well supported. They make choices from the variety of learning opportunities.
Assessment practices focus on children making progress. Parent involvement in programmes for children is significant and valued. The introduction of on-line social networking further supports regular consultation with parents and encourages their contribution to decision-making processes.
Children are confident learners. Teachers support and encourage them to solve problems and explore through play. Early literacy and numeracy experiences are included meaningfully throughout the programmes. Children's learning and development are celebrated and shared between teachers and parents.
Learners with additional needs are welcomed and supported by helpful partnerships with parents.
Strong links are established with two community playgroups. This connection helps children to smoothly transition into the service as many attend these sessions prior to beginning kindergarten. Positive relationships have been developed with two local schools. Teachers support families with information and discussion to guide decision making about transition to school.
The environment reflects the dual heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Children experience te reo me ngā tikanga Māori practices incidentally within the programme. Teachers continue to extend their knowledge and understandings in giving significance to Māori learners’ culture, language and identity. ERO's evaluation affirms this approach for ongoing development.
The teaching team is collaborative and the new head teacher welcomes initiative. Each teacher plays an active role in the kindergarten’s development.
Teachers are developing a shared understanding about the purpose of, and process for, internal evaluation. They are in the early stages of using evaluation to strengthen current practice and meet the objectives in their strategic teaching and learning plan. Internal evaluation to guide improvement and sustain best practice should be strengthened by deepening the analysis of the information gathered.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. She completes an annual internal evaluation that supports strengthening of these termly reports. There is a deliberate focus on outcomes for children and teacher/leader performance.
The 2012 ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal process. Managers undertook an internal review of the appraisal system. The revised model is being implemented across the kindergartens. The process includes focused goals that build teacher and leader capability and clearer links with the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Wadestown Kindergarten to continue:
embedding assessment, planning and evaluation practices to guide future curriculum emphases and decision making
developing and using shared understandings of internal evaluation to enhance teaching and learning.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice and strengthening of responsiveness to Māori children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Wadestown 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 Wadestown Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
28 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 |
Wadestown, Wellington |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5387 |
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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 |
30 children, aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
57 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 31, Girls 26 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Australian Other ethnic groups |
5 47 2 3 |
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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 |
May 2016 |
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Date of this report |
28 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2011 |
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Education Review |
May 2008 |
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Education Review |
August 2005 |
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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 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.
Wadestown Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support and advice and guidance to the teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Since the May 2008 ERO review the teaching team has changed and increased from three teachers to four. It is now a full day, licensed kindergarten. This has led to changes in the way children’s and community needs are being met and the programme is delivered.
Teachers create an atmosphere that is welcoming for families. Warm, responsive interactions occur between teachers and children, and among children. Teachers and whānau have developed a good relationship. Parents are confident to spend time in the kindergarten with their children and to discuss their child’s progress. There is a clear sense of belonging.
The environment is well resourced. Children are stimulated to develop language and scientific concepts. Books, displays, accessible resources and materials are suitably selected to support children’s learning. Children are self directed, confident, competent learners.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are evident in practice, displays, resources and signage. A successful annual celebration of Matariki provides an opportunity for children to learn and develop skills related to this culture.
The programme offers opportunities for children to play independently, cooperatively and creatively. Children are settled and highly engaged in learning experiences.
Although there are no children with special needs in the kindergarten, staff are aware of the need to adapt the curriculum for these children. The physical environment is suitable for meeting a range of needs.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Wadestown Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the centre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atWadestown Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
Since the May 2008 ERO review of the kindergarten has been relicensed as an all-day service. This has improved the ratio of teachers to children. The teaching team has changed and increased from three teachers to four.
The teaching team has reviewed its philosophy and developed a draft procedure for curriculum implementation. It is intended that these documents will guide teachers in further providing good quality education for children.
The child-centred, play-based programme offers many opportunities for children to play independently, cooperatively and creatively. Children’s independence is actively promoted. They are settled and highly engaged in the learning experiences offered.
The programme is planned in response to the children’s and community’s interests. This broadens the experiences and adds challenge to learning. Literacy is meaningfully integrated throughout the programme and very good science opportunities enable scientific concepts to be explored.
Bicultural awareness is evident. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are incorporated in displays, signage and formal routines. The annual kindergarten focus on Matariki has helped children to develop skills and knowledge of tikanga Māori.
Children’s portfolios are accessible and provide useful information to parents. Parents are encouraged to contribute by sharing their aspirations for their child, observations of development and responses to the teachers and child’s input. The portfolios use a narrative approach to highlight children’s engagement in the programme and developing friendships.
Well-being and a sense of belonging are fostered through the attractive, well presented physical environment. Children take advantage of the easy access from indoor to outdoor spaces. They experience a wide range of activities to develop physical and cognitive skills. Equipment varies in complexity and challenge to meet the range of children’s abilities and to extend the curriculum.
Interactions are warm, friendly and responsive. Children relate positively to their peers and are confident and purposeful with teachers and visitors. Routines are clearly established and responsive to children’s growing independence. Expectations for behaviour are clear and understood.
Parents and whānau are confident to spend time in the kindergarten. The effective relationships they have with teachers, facilitates informed communication about their child’s learning and development.
Staff work well as a team. Members interact positively, providing mutual support and encouragement. Teachers draw on their knowledge of children, making links to past experiences and family interests. Some teachers use effective strategies to engage and sustain children in conversations. Some capitalise on opportunities that arise to engage them in effective problem solving.
Although the programme offers many opportunities for children’s development, extending learning and giving positive, specific feedback could be strengthened. Teachers should provide for a balance of child-initiated and teacher-led activities.
Teachers have identified that their use of te reo Māori and inclusion of tikanga Māori could be extended. They have set a team goal to increase their use of te reo Māori in conversations, children’s portfolios and waiata in the programme.
Entries in the portfolios should be linked to provide a sense of continuity, and make the children’s learning and progress clear for parents.
Teachers write a programme evaluation each term. They recognise the usefulness of recording interim discussions on how well the programme is continuing to meet children’s needs. Recording judgements about the quality and effectiveness of the experiences and the impact on children’s learning would strengthen these evaluations.
Teachers are in the early stages of reviewing their programmes. Spontaneous reviews have been well used to improve outcomes for children. Next steps are for teachers to gain clarity about the difference between review and development and to be strategic in their choice of review topics.
The 2008 ERO review of the association identified several strengths, including the provision of professional development, sound operation plans, support for property development and the use of a range of communication strategies to keep teachers and communities informed. Areas for improvement included the quality and depth of the written feedback given to teachers by the senior teacher and strengthening the appraisal process.
Since 2008, the association has led consultation with the community to modify session times and improve the ratio of teachers to children from 1:15 to 1:10 and maintained its policy of employing qualified, registered teachers in regulated permanent positions.
The association provides expectations and guidance to the kindergarten through its strategic plan, policies and procedures and more recently, the professional development strategy Te Manawa: Criteria for Curriculum Implementation.
The association continues to provide high levels of guidance and support to teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
the strategic plan, setting expectations for participation, parent/whānau involvement and quality teaching practices
clearly defined indicators of quality teaching and learning practice through Te Manawa
a wide range of professional development opportunities
ongoing support in property development, human resource management, finance and resourcing.
The association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where the association can strengthen their support for teachers. These include:
further developing and supporting leadership, including a review of the appraisal process
reviewing senior teacher documentation to show how teachers have improved their practice as a result of feedback
reviewing how kindergartens’ annual plans for teaching and learning could more explicitly show how teachers respond to the association strategic priorities.
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement.
As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:
Although there are no children with moderate to severe needs, the kindergarten is inclusive and well prepared to enrol children who may require extra support. Teachers are aware of the need to adapt the curriculum for these children. Some staff have had related professional development and experience. The physical environment is suitable.
Before the review, the staff of Wadestown Kindergarten completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement andSelf-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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO recommends that the priorities for review and development, identified through the kindergarten’s reflection and this external evaluation, and outlined in this report, be addressed.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Kathleen Atkins
National Manager Review Services
Central Region
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Type |
All Day Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
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Roll number |
61 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 31, Boys 30 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā 44, Asian 6, Māori 5, Other ethnic groups 6 |
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Review team on site |
September 2011 |
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Date of this report |
15 December 2011 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review May 2008 Education Review August 2005 Accountability Review August 1998 |
15 December 2011
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Wadestown Kindergarten.
Wadestown Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support and advice and guidance to the teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Since the May 2008 ERO review the teaching team has changed and increased from three teachers to four. It is now a full day, licensed kindergarten. This has led to changes in the way children’s and community needs are being met and the programme is delivered.
Teachers create an atmosphere that is welcoming for families. Warm, responsive interactions occur between teachers and children, and among children. Teachers and whānau have developed a good relationship. Parents are confident to spend time in the kindergarten with their children and to discuss their child’s progress. There is a clear sense of belonging.
The environment is well resourced. Children are stimulated to develop language and scientific concepts. Books, displays, accessible resources and materials are suitably selected to support children’s learning. Children are self directed, confident, competent learners.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are evident in practice, displays, resources and signage. A successful annual celebration of Matariki provides an opportunity for children to learn and develop skills related to this culture.
The programme offers opportunities for children to play independently, cooperatively and creatively. Children are settled and highly engaged in learning experiences.
Although there are no children with special needs in the kindergarten, staff are aware of the need to adapt the curriculum for these children. The physical environment is suitable for meeting a range of needs.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Kathleen Atkins
National Manager Review Services
Central Region
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.
Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a centre, may be included in the review. ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.
National Evaluation Topics – This strand contributes to the development of education policies and their effective implementation. The information from this strand is aggregated by ERO for its national evaluation reports. Topics for investigation are changed regularly to provide up-to-date information.
Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.