17 Wellington Street, Howick, Auckland
View on mapHowick Baptist Church Kindergarten
Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten
1 ERO’s Judgements
Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama- indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
2 Context of the Service
Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten is a not-for-profit, community-based service. The philosophy is based on Christian values. The service is governed by a management committee. An experienced centre manager leads a team of seven qualified teachers and three support staff. The service is licensed for children aged two to five years.
3 Summary of findings
Children have a strong sense of belonging in the centre. This is supported by the value placed on whanaungatanga, close connection between people, which is highly visible through the centre. Teachers work in partnership with parents and whānau to support parents’ aspirations for their children’s learning. Younger and older children learn from and with each other through well-developed tuakana/teina relationships. As a result, children are confident, they initiate conversations with their peers and teachers and express their feelings and thoughts.
Teachers value and celebrate children’s diverse cultures. Teachers use te reo Māori through the programme and integrate aspects of tikanga Māori. They recognise children’s interests and strengths and provide experiences to support their learning. Children’s exploration and creativity is promoted through opportunities for them to engage with a wide range of indoor and outdoor resources. Teachers also provide very good opportunities for children to develop skills in literacy and numeracy.
The service’s curriculum reflects Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and incorporates Christian values. Assessment information celebrates children’s progress and informs curriculum planning and evaluation.
Teachers undertake regular professional development to enhance their professional knowledge. They reflect deeply on their teaching practices to ensure that the outcomes they identify for children’s learning, are realised. Teachers use ongoing internal evaluation to inform change and improvement to teaching practices and the curriculum.
Leaders and teachers are committed to inclusive practices that promote children’s wellbeing and participation. Service leaders have established strong whānau and community relationships. They closely collaborate with external agencies and networks to promote equitable outcomes for all children. A positive team environment contributes to a professional and cohesive culture among the staff, committee and families.
4 Improvement actions
Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
- use internal evaluation processes to strengthen the consistency of governance and management systems
- enhance children’s sustained learning and complex thinking through strengthening play-based teaching practices.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Howick Baptist Church 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
3 June 2021
6 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name | Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten |
Profile Number | 25015 |
Location | Howick, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
50 children over 2 years of age. |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
Service roll |
30 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 1 |
Review team on site |
April 2021 |
Date of this report |
3 June 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, September 2016 |
Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten - 09/09/2016
1 Evaluation of Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten
How well placed is Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten is a well established centre with an all-day licence for up to 40 children. The centre offers five morning sessions and four afternoon extension sessions for three to five-year old children. It is governed by a management team that includes a representative of the church, Chairperson, centre manager, administrator and parents. It is staffed by nine qualified teachers who have worked together for over four years, and an administrator.
A strong Christian ethos is an integral part of the philosophy, and centre operations and the curriculum is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The centre serves an increasingly multicultural community in Howick. The kindergarten emphasises the value of communication and building partnerships with the whole family to achieve good quality learning outcomes for their children.
Since the 2013 ERO review the management team has redeveloped the outdoor play area and created a natural looking all-weather play space. They have increased the number of afternoon sessions and increased children's access to technology. Teachers have engaged in whole centre and individual professional learning that include a focus on bicultural practice, teaching as inquiry, and children's transition to school.
The Review Findings
Children in this centre have fun, engage in sustained play and enjoy the company of their teachers and peers. They are confident, have a strong sense of belonging, and respect for themselves and others. Children have good opportunities to explore, solve problems and make choices about their play. They know teachers' expectations, have a positive attitude to learning, and relate well to others. Children are eager, capable learners who understand concepts of fairness and responsibility.
Respectful, supportive relationships and a relaxed atmosphere underpin the centre’s welcoming and inclusive tone. Managers and staff value community involvement in the centre. Parents/whānau receive good information about their children's learning and are encouraged to take an active part in the centre's programme and events.
Teachers know children well, listening carefully and encouraging them to talk about their ideas. They are responsive to children’s ideas, needs and preferences. Teachers interact sensitively with children to support and build on the learning in their play.
Teachers foster children's English language development and affirm the use of children's home languages during play. Some teachers talk with children in their home languages. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to develop their physical skills, and nurture their creativity and imagination. Science, literacy and mathematics concepts are also integrated through play and planned activities.
Teachers plan a balance of child and teacher-led activities. They provide a well resourced, carefully organised environment. Displays reflect the centre's values and the use of New Zealand Sign Language. Teachers acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua. They are increasing their use of te reo Māori and their understanding of tikanga Māori. Teachers are keen to further develop bicultural practices and to strengthen support for children's home languages and cultural identities.
Teachers work collaboratively as a team, with a high degree of relational trust. They have high expectations and are beginning to use self review to reflect on, and identify ways to improve, their practice. Professional development is encouraged, as are opportunities to share and build teachers' leadership capability.
Managers have a strong commitment to providing a high quality service. They encourage a culture of teacher reflection, sharing good practice and ongoing improvement. Centre operations are guided by a considered approach to management and governance. The centre's philosophy, currently under review by staff, is evident in all aspects of the centre. Strengthening the strategic plan would help the management team to evaluate their success in achieving the newly developed centre vision.
Key Next Steps
Managers agree that next steps could include:
-
increasing the recognition of children's cultural identity in assessment portfolios
-
strengthening strategic and annual planning
-
further developing self review to include a focus on progress towards the service's vision, philosophy and strategic direction
- strengthening the staff appraisal process.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Howick Baptist Church 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 Howick Baptist Church Kindergarten will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
9 September 2016
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
Location |
Howick, Auckland |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
25015 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
40 children over 2 years of age |
||
Service roll |
47 |
||
Gender composition |
Girls 26 Boys 21 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Indian Asian Tongan other |
1 23 11 3 3 1 5 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
Review team on site |
June 2016 |
||
Date of this report |
9 September 2016 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2013 |
|
Education Review |
July 2010 |
||
Education Review |
June 2007 |
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.