101 Three Mile Bush Road, Kamo, Whangarei
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.
Hurupaki Kindergarten, on the Hurupaki School grounds, is licensed for 40 children over the age of two years and offers the choice of full or half-day attendance. Some children attend only a few days each week. All teachers are qualified and share the leadership of kindergarten operations.
The kindergarten has a very positive reporting history with ERO. The 2013 ERO report noted the confidence and competence of learners, the support given to children with special needs and the effective teaching practice. These positive aspects have been maintained. It also identified areas teachers could improve with internal evaluation practices and develop a team understanding of centre's curriculum. There has been good progress in these areas.
The kindergarten is part of the Northland Kindergarten Association (NKA), which provides governance and management frameworks to support kindergarten operations.
This review was part of a cluster of eight kindergarten reviews in the Northland Kindergarten Association.
Children respond positively to the warm and caring environment where teachers welcome parents and children on arrival. Teachers engage children in conversation to help them connect home life to their kindergarten experience. Children's and parents' voices are valued and responded to by teachers. These positive and sensitive relationships help families feel a sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Teachers' relationships with families and the local community are well developed and appreciated. A parent committee is very active in supporting its well-regarded teachers. The kindergarten is a hub of the community. Many parents stay in close contact with the kindergarten once their children have moved on. These reciprocal relationships support a culture of learning partnerships with families that enables teachers to know children and families and their context very well.
Children enjoy their friendships and play cooperatively with their peers. Teachers encourage them to help one another and practice tuakana teina, where older children teach the younger ones. Children with diverse needs are supported and encouraged to develop at their own pace through respectful and sensitive relationships with teachers. Teachers encourage parents/whānau to be part of their children's play.
Children play in an environment influenced and underpinned by a strong literacy and mathematics curriculum. The spacious kindergarten environment offers challenge, risk-taking, provocations and a wide variety of rich learning opportunities that children use effectively to extend their play. Teachers provide a responsive and varied curriculum that is planned to incorporate the emergent interests of children and develop their learning dispositions.
Teachers use assessment to plan learning for individual children and groups based on observed interests and strengths. These interests and strengths provide a starting point for teachers to respond to and extend children's learning dispositions. Teachers collate children's progress and development in individual assessment portfolios. Clear continuity of learning, including social and creative development, can be seen in the learning journeys of individual children. Teachers could record some of their teaching involvement in the recorded learning process.
Teachers demonstrate a commitment to strengthening their understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi principles and te reo and tikanga Māori. They actively promote children's understanding of te reo Māori through integrating it into the programme. They use waiata, karakia and greetings that children respond to and clearly understand. Visual displays and artefacts further support this focus.
The teaching team work collegially to build the service's capacity by developing shared understandings of good practice. Teachers seek professional knowledge to guide their practice. They are developing an understanding of what quality means for them. Leadership is shared and draws on the strengths and interests of individual teachers. They continually evaluate processes and outcomes to improve and extend practice over time.
The teaching team has developed its directional plan from NKA’s strategic goals. Their objectives are relevant for centre ongoing improvement and are continually evaluated.
The Association's governance practices are effective. Its long-term direction continues to focus on continually improving learning outcomes for children. Positive strategies include:
very good support and guidance by Association personnel, especially in the development of culturally responsive practices and the integration of te ao Māori in ways that are meaningful for children
ERO, teachers and management have identified that key next steps for the kindergarten's development should include teachers:
continuing to build learning partnerships with culturally diverse families
embedding the evaluative process
embedding the appraisal process
further developing Māori assessment lens criteria from the Te Whatu Pokeka resource.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hurupaki 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 Hurupaki Kindergarten will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
8 February 2017
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 |
Kamo, Whangarei |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10083 |
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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 |
40 children, over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
54 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Korean others |
4 42 4 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 |
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Review team on site |
November 2016 |
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Date of this report |
8 February 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
August 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2010 |
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Education Review |
February 2007 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Hurupaki Kindergarten is one of 21 kindergartens that operate under the governance of the Northland Kindergarten Association. The association provides a framework of policies and procedures that are reviewed on a regular basis. The guiding centre philosophy is evident in practice. The strategic direction of the centre is developed by the association and implemented by teachers.
The kindergarten is on the Hurupaki School grounds in a semi-rural area of Kamo. Children come from Māori, Pākehā and Korean family backgrounds. The centre is in the process of changing from a sessional model to a kindergarten day model. Transitions to school are being well monitored by the teachers.
There has been a change of head teacher and the teaching team since the last ERO review. The professional practice manager from the association visits regularly. She affirms teachers work and makes suggestions for further improvement to practices. All teachers are fully qualified and registered.
Children are confident, competent and articulate learners. They are independent and self managing, displaying high levels of self esteem. They have the social ability to interact well in small and large groups of both boys and girls. There is a clear understanding of the importance of respect for others and care for the environment.
Learning is based on children’s interests and strengths. Planning shows the use of the exemplar assessment processes and is strongly linked to Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. The kindergarten is attractively presented, well resourced, and organised. The spacious environment allows for the provision of a good range of experiences, including a strong focus on natural science. Challenges are built into the curriculum to promote children’s sense of achievement.
Overall teachers demonstrate effective teaching practices. They know the children well. Caring and affirming relationships are evident between children and teachers. The learning environment is inclusive of all. Teachers are beginning to recognise the importance of focusing on the needs of the government’s goals for priority learners. The association provides an adviser to strengthen knowledge about Māori tikanga me ona te reo. Children with special learning needs are well supported when in attendance and there is also a developing awareness of appropriately catering for the learning needs of Pacific learners.
Support is provided to help teachers develop their teaching and learning knowledge and skills. Cluster professional learning development is provided by the association. Teachers also access individual courses from other providers. An appraisal system is in place which has been upgraded to include the kindergarten teacher professional standards and the teacher registration criteria. To further embed cultural competencies in this process the Tātaiako document could be incorporated into procedures.
Leadership opportunities are provided for children, parents and teachers. Children are provided with regular opportunities to lead their own and others' learning. Parents are warmly welcomed in the centre and are encouraged to be involved in their children’s education. They are involved in kindergarten events and fundraisers for the community. Teachers could now explore the concept of partnership with parents when planning for children’s learning.
ERO, the professional practice manager and teachers agreed on the next steps for the kindergarten. These are for teachers to:
develop a clearer understanding of self review and self-review practices
develop a team understanding of the centre’s curriculum
build their capacity to better cater for priority learners.
The teaching team includes teachers with extensive leadership experience. In conjunction with the association, the team can now more actively support the head teacher’s leadership development.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hurupaki 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 Hurupaki Kindergarten will be in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Northern Region (Acting)
20 August 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 |
Kamo, Whangarei |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10083 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
56 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 28 Girls 28 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Korean |
14 39 3 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
July 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
20 August 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
May 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.