Witherlea Kindergarten

1 Evaluation of Witherlea Kindergarten

How well placed is Witherlea Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Witherlea Kindergarten is licensed for 42 children aged over two years. It provides a morning sessional programme for older children Monday to Friday, and afternoon sessions for younger children, four afternoons a week. At the time of this ERO review, the association was investigating a move towards provision of all-day education and care.

All permanently-appointed teachers are qualified and certificated early childhood teachers.

The kindergarten is administered and supported by the Marlborough Kindergarten Association (MKA). The association is a not-for-profit, community-based provider. A general manager is responsible for the operation of the kindergartens. A senior teacher provides ongoing advice and guidance to the kindergartens. A kaiarahi Māori supports culturally responsive practice. Strategic direction and governance decisions are the responsibility of an elected board of trustees.

The kindergarten vision statement gives emphasis to facilitating learning opportunities through positive relationships and a holistic approach to children's learning and wellbeing. The vision is underpinned by a whakatauki (Māori proverb) that connects children's learning with curiosity and personality.

Since the 2014 ERO report, Witherlea Kindergarten has had a new head teacher and some changes in teaching staff. There are now useful processes for clearly identifying children’s learning needs and incorporating parents' and children's views in assessment, planning and evaluation. The kindergarten has further improved the quality of annual planning.

The association is involved in the Piritahi and Te Wheke Akoranga Kāhui Ako |Communities of Learning. Witherlea Kindergarten is a member of the Piritahi Kāhui Ako| Community of Learning.

This review was part of a cluster of seven kindergarten reviews in the Marlborough Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children’s wellbeing and learning are consistently promoted. Teachers know and respond well to children’s strengths, interests and capabilities. They actively foster children's sense of belonging and growing independence. Children increasingly develop their ability to initiate, make decisions and lead their own learning. Children learn in a spacious, natural and outdoor area that enables them to explore and build physical confidence and care of the environment (Kaitiakitanga).

Teachers make effective use of the learning environment to deliberately engage children's interest and curiosity. They use a range of strategies that enable children to experience meaningful opportunities to develop early literacy and numeracy understandings. Children are included in decisions about learning resources and the way spaces are organised to support their learning.

Transition processes are effective in supporting children and their families as they come into the kindergarten, move between sessions and on to school. Partnerships between families, teachers and local schools foster children’s sense of wellbeing.

Children’s language, culture and identity are valued. Teachers appreciate the skills and expertise that Māori whānau share to support learning and understanding of te ao Māori. Māori children's heritage is recognised and promoted. This helps them to be confident to understand and develop their identity as Māori. Bicultural perspectives are interwoven into learning programmes and are clearly evident throughout the day.

The kindergarten’s vision for holistic learning, through positive relationships and a sense of fun, firmly sets the focus and tone of learning. Short and long term plans for individuals and groups are closely linked to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Whānau voice and aspirations for their children are reflected in assessment, planning and evaluations.

Teachers' individual strengths and interests are recognised and well used to enhance the curriculum for children. They benefit from opportunities to be involved in a useful range of professional development to support their practice.

Since ERO’s 2014 reviews of kindergartens in the Association, a new general manager, senior teacher and office administrator have been appointed. The board is working towards a new strategic plan. Managers and leaders have proactively addressed ERO’s recommendation for the association identified in previous reports by strengthening the appraisal policy and processes. However this is in the early stages of implementation.

The MKA is strongly committed to ensuring all children have equitable access to inclusive education. This is very evident in the association's philosophy that promotes facilitating learning opportunities through positive relationships, celebrating diversity and ensuring equitable access to education. The philosophy is reflected in decisions made by the board and leadership.

Kindergartens receive a high level of support from the Marlborough Kindergarten Association. With a number of new head teachers, attention has been placed on growing leadership and building a cohesive culture across the kindergartens. MKA’s involvement in the Kāhui Ako|Communities of learning is making a significant difference to developing teaching as inquiry, transition to school and culturally responsive practices. Teachers are well supported by the kaiarahi Māori to build culturally responsive practices.

The board and leadership work well together with clear roles and responsibilities. Leadership provides quality reports to the board so they are well informed. Board and leaders make good use of internal evaluation to consult with the parent community and staff, to reflect on their own practice and support decision-making.

The board and association have identified that strategic planning is a key next step. ERO and the association acknowledge that:

• plans need to be more focused on strategic goals

• significant board decisions need to be underpinned by action plans

• the association's values need to be more clearly articulated.

Leaders and ERO also agree that there is a need to:

• develop guidelines that outline association expectations for teaching and learning, to better support consistency of practice and sustainability across the kindergartens

• fully implement planned observations into appraisal practices in all kindergartens.

Key Next Steps

Kindergarten leadership has identified, and ERO's evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps are to continue to:

• identify specific teaching strategies in planning, and evaluate how successful these are in supporting children to progress towards their learning goals

• embed internal evaluation processes that support teachers to inquire more deeply into approaches that support children's learning

• build a culture of collaboration to share and grow teachers' expertise.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

4 September 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

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.