- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Wesley Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Wesley Kindergarten is a well-established kindergarten, licensed for 30 children over two years of age. It operates daily from 8.30am to 2.30pm.
The majority of the children attending the kindergarten are of Pacific heritage, and 25 percent are Māori. The centre's recently reviewed philosophy values children's interests and whānau participation. It promotes children's home languages and cultural identities.
The teaching team includes a head teacher, two other registered teachers, one of whom is a long-term reliever, and two teacher aides.
The 2015 ERO report identified that children had a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing. Teachers were providing good support for children's transition to school. Areas to strengthen included leadership and collaborative team practices. Good progress has been made in these areas.
The kindergarten operates as part of the Auckland Kindergarten Association (AKA). The association provides a framework of policies and operational guidelines, support personnel and programmes of professional learning and development. The AKA is establishing new roles and responsibilities at management and governance levels. Recruitment of appropriate personnel to fill identified roles is underway.
This review was part of a cluster of nine reviews in the AKA.
Children have a strong sense of belonging at the kindergarten. They are eager to settle into the day and actively participate in the programme. Children independently access resources both inside and outdoors. They use resources respectfully and have opportunities to engage in uninterrupted play.
Teachers are respectful and encouraging as they support children's play. They promote children's friendships and tuakana/teina relationships. Teachers implement a play-based learning programme with opportunities for children to develop literacy, numeracy and social competence skills. Children's transition to school is well supported.
Children contribute their ideas to the programme and teachers respond to their interests. The learning programme reflects Te Whāriki 2017, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers identify learning outcomes in their programme planning and increasingly in their assessments. Teachers would like to further develop their assessment, planning, and extension of individual children's learning.
Teachers are inclusive in their practice and know the children well. They are building an understanding of each child's identity as part of their family, culture and community. This is becoming more apparent in documentation, particularly in displays. Teachers are continuing to reflect on and strengthen their bicultural and culturally responsive practices.
Teachers are welcoming and approachable towards children and their whānau. They value whanaungatanga and have adapted flexible ways of working, to be available for whānau. Parents feel comfortable to stay and sense that their mana is respected at the kindergarten. They have opportunities to spend time with their children through being involved in kindergarten initiatives such as the 'Readathon'.
Professional learning and development has enabled teachers to evaluate their practice to improve outcomes for children. Internal evaluation and review has helped to transform many systems and operations. Deliberate improvements have been made to better reflect the community's aspirations and priorities for learning. Teachers are raising the profile of the kindergarten and establishing effective networks with local agencies and organisations.
The newly established leadership and collaborative team culture contribute to the holistic wellbeing of children and whānau. As part of a review of their vision and philosophy, teachers have identified learning that matters, in consultation with whānau. They focus on creating equitable access for all children and families.
Teachers find the professional development offered by the AKA useful and informative. This support has helped them to develop a vision and to contribute to the priorities for the kindergarten.
Key next steps include continuing to:
It would be useful for AKA to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Wesley 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:
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
22 February 2019
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 |
Mt Roskill, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5638 |
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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 years |
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Service roll |
35 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
November 2018 |
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Date of this report |
22 February 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2015 |
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Education Review |
August 2012 |
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Education Review |
May 2009 |
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ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.