183 Park Street, Winton
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Winton Kindergarten is Very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Winton Kindergarten provides early childhood education for children aged over two years. The kindergarten is licensed for up to 45 children. Children participate in half or whole-day learning programmes running from 8.30am to 2.30pm. The day-to-day operation of the kindergarten is managed by a head teacher, supported by five qualified and certificated teachers and parent help.
Winton Kindergarten provides a learning programme that is influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach. There is a strong focus on whanaungatanga, the arts and the natural environment.
The philosophy of the kindergarten values and nurtures:
all families and their contributions to the programme
ngā tamariki and kaiako (teachers) to learn together
the Hundred Languages of children.
The vision of the kindergarten supports 'the rights of ngā tamariki to develop strong ecological identities to become the next guardians of kaitiakitanga'.
Winton Kindergarten is one of 23 kindergartens administered by Kindergartens South (KS). A general manager oversees each kindergarten within the association, under the governance of a board. Senior Teachers provide ongoing professional advice, guidance and support to each kindergarten for teaching and learning.
The kindergarten has sustained the effective practices noted in ERO's 2013 report. The kindergarten has continued to sustain good progress with curriculum assessment, planning and evaluation practices, teacher appraisal and internal-evaluation systems and practices.
This review was part of a cluster of seven reviews in KS.
Children’s wellbeing and learning are consistently promoted and valued. Children are active, deeply engaged learners and are respectful, caring and inclusive of others. Children are supported to be knowledgeable, appreciative and connected to the local environment and wider community. Kaiako help children to develop their ability to negotiate and make informed decisions about their learning.
Kaiako know the children well and respond appropriately to their strengths, interests and capabilities. They value the positive relationships and interactions shared with children and their families/whānau. Kaiako model respectful play and support children to develop social skills to relate well to their peers.
The language, culture and identity of children are valued and reflected in the programme and the curriculum design. The learning environment reflects and expands on the Reggio Emilia approach which is well embedded within the curriculum learning areas. Collaborative relationships between tamariki, whānau and kaiako are highly evident.
Bicultural perspectives are integrated in meaningful ways within the learning programme. Kaiako actively work with whānau Māori to strengthen and consolidate their own learning and understandings of te ao Māori. Māori children's heritage is recognised and promoted within the programme regularly. As a result, Māori children are well supported to experience success as Māori.
Parents are involved at all levels in the life of the kindergarten. Kaiako keep parents informed of children's learning and progress and happenings in the kindergarten. Kaiako regularly seek the contributions of parents and community expertise to extend and strengthen children's learning pathways.
Transitions into the kindergarten, within the kindergarten and on to school, are well managed by leaders and kaiako. Kaiako continue to work closely with parents, children and external agencies to support children’s learning and wellbeing.
Individual and group assessment and planning is guided by the kindergarten's philosophy and is documented effectively in the curriculum design. Leaders and kaiako gather the perspectives of children, families and whānau to inform the learning programme. Parents' and whānau' aspirations for their children are valued and inform individual children’s learning goals.
Leaders promote collaboration amongst kaiako and a culture of distributed leadership. Kaiako benefit from relevant professional development, which supports their teaching practice and enhances their professional capabilities.
Since ERO’s 2017 reviews of SK kindergartens, there have been significant changes within the association management and leadership team. Many of the good practices in place to support the kindergartens have been sustained. However ERO found that the board needs better information to know how well kindergartens are improving outcomes for children. The board also needs to review its own performance and review the roles and responsibilities within the association leadership and management team.
The association and board have clearly identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps (for SK) to further improve outcomes for children are to:
further develop the vision, values, philosophy and goals to better reflect the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori perspectives
ensure reporting and monitoring at all levels are evaluative and show how outcomes for children have been improved, especially for priority learners and in relation to the association’s valued outcomes, vision and philosophy
ensure there is a clear process for consulting with all parents and whānau Māori within the association
monitor the effectiveness of new initiatives
review the roles and responsibilities of leadership positions within the association and review the performance and effectiveness of the board
review and update the complaints policy and procedure.
Teachers have clearly identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps to further improve outcomes for children at the Winton Kindergarten are to:
extend the internal-evaluation process to include regular monitoring of the actions taken and the evaluation of the impact of these on outcomes for children
ensure that these actions are clearly identified in goal setting and the evaluation of progress towards the goals.
Before the review, the staff and management of Winton 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 Winton Kindergarten will be in four years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
6 March 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 |
Winton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5531 |
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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 |
45 children aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Girls: 29 Boys: 20 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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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 |
6 March 2019 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
December 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2010 |
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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 will depend on how well the service promotes 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.
Winton Kindergarten is located in the small rural town of Winton, in Central Southland.
The kindergarten is licensed for 40 children. The children who attend the kindergarten come from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures.
Since the last ERO review in 2010, there have been several changes to the teaching team, including the appointment of three new teachers. The very experienced and long-serving head teacher is leading and managing the kindergarten very well.
The kindergarten philosophy for teaching and learning is strongly evident in practice. The kindergarten aims to provide a welcoming, caring and nurturing environment for all children, whānau and caregivers. Children’s learning is fostered within a rural setting where community spirit is valued.
The learning programme and environment supports high quality relationships between children, teachers and whānau. Teachers have high expectations for children’s learning. Children are seen as competent and capable learners.
The indoor and outdoor environments are very well resourced. They are purposefully arranged to foster, mystery and curiosity in children. Children’s work is respectfully displayed. Spaces are thoughtfully designed to invite and inspire learning.
This review was part of a cluster of 23 kindergarten reviews in the Southland Kindergarten Association.
Children benefit from a rich curriculum that builds complexity and deepens their learning. The kindergarten’s philosophy and vision guides all aspects of learning and teaching. Children learn and play in an unhurried and stimulating environment. Teachers, children and families learn together. There is a strong use of the arts and information and communication technologies (ICT) to transform and provoke children’s thinking and creativity.
Children enjoy a wide range of experiences in and beyond the kindergarten. A project approach gives them opportunities to drive their own learning. The specially designated project room allows them to work for sustained periods and revisit their learning.
Children benefit from high-quality teaching. Teachers are skilled at talking with and listening to children. They build on their strengths, interests and abilities. They actively listen to children and support their learning through careful questioning and providing explicit feedback. They make effective use of ICT to make learning visible and accessible to whānau and the wider community. Teachers make good use of natural resources to extend children’s learning. They are very aware of including Māori perspectives in meaningful ways.
Children and whānau are very well supported as they enrol and move into the kindergarten. Teachers very quickly develop partnerships with parents and regularly consult and inform them about their child’s learning and the learning intentions of the programme. They seek multiple ways of building and supporting whānau relationships and using them to enrich the programme. ERO observed respectful relationships that foster a strong sense of belonging in this kindergarten.
Children develop strong friendships with one another and are confident to explore and share their knowledge and understanding with others. Parents who spoke with ERO were very positive about the quality of learning and care their children receive.
The head teacher shows a strong commitment to the philosophy and vision of the kindergarten.
She has developed effective systems and has high expectations for teaching and learning. The head teacher fosters collaborative ways of working. She makes very good use of the individual interests of teachers.
There are very good processes for undertaking self review. Self review is focused on improving outcomes for children.
The Kindergarten South governors consulted widely when developing the vision and goals that guide the long-term direction of the association. They have high expectations that the association and each kindergarten will:
Governors and staff have a clear understanding of the roles of governance and management in the association. They have developed a useful policy framework and guidelines that support the day-to-day and long-term operation of the kindergartens.
The advisory support teachers provide useful feedback and guidance to staff and endorse the high expectations set by the board of governors. Winton Kindergarten benefits from strong ongoing support from the general manager and other association staff.
A further enhancement to current good practice would be for the teachers to refine processes and documentation for planning, assessment and self review.
Before the review, the staff and management of Winton 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 Winton Kindergarten will be in four years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Southern Region
18 December 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 |
Invercargill |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5531 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children aged two to five years |
||
|
Service roll |
63 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 32 Boys 31 |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Filipino Other ethnicities |
6 50 3 4 |
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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 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
18 December 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
November 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 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:
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.