Te Kamo Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5012
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Total roll:
35
Telephone:
Address:

5 Farmer Street, Kamo, Whangarei

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Te Kamo Kindergarten - 15/08/2019

Here is the latest report for the Governing Organisation that this service is part of.

 

1 Evaluation of Te Kamo Kindergarten

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Te Kamo Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Te Kamo Kindergarten is one of 22 kindergartens governed and managed by the Northland Kindergarten Association (NKA). The kindergarten draws children from a wide geographic area and an increasingly diverse community. It provides six-hour sessions for 30 children over two years of age.

The kindergarten's philosophy values te reo and tikanga Māori, ako (community of learners), ngā hononga (relationships), and te taiao (environment). It references Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, as guiding documents.

The kindergarten teaching team includes a head teacher, two other registered teachers, an administrator, and a qualified lunch-cover staff member.

ERO's 2015 report noted next steps to build on existing good practices. Areas for development included evaluation, partnerships with whānau, and teachers' understanding of effective practices. Since 2015 the kindergarten has progressed these areas and established strong connections with the local primary school as well as other schools close by.

This review was part of a cluster of nine kindergarten reviews in the Northland Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children are confident and settled. They respond positively to the warm individual greetings from teachers and their peers. They play frequently in cooperative groups, with high levels of conversation and friendship. Teachers' focus on physical literacy promotes, and challenges children to try, new ways of moving to keep fit. The addition of a healthy heart focus on nutrition has been embraced by whānau and children.

Children are empowered to be autonomous and have a strong sense of belonging in the kindergarten. Teachers prompt children's investigations and support play. They engage children in reciprocal conversations about their interests. Children cheerfully share news and ideas with teachers.

Teachers have a strong focus on improving their implementation of a bicultural curriculum. Their work with a local kaumātua is evident in displays, children's portfolios and the use of te reo Māori. Children are familiar with aspects of tikanga Māori and demonstrate tuakana/teina relationships in their play.

A challenge that teachers have met well is the inclusion of two-year-old children in the roll. Teachers have made deliberate moves to ensure that children have a sense of safety in the kindergarten. They monitor the younger children, suggesting play options and supporting their growing social competence. Children play with increasing confidence.

Te Kamo Kindergarten has gone through a period of change and significant growth since ERO's 2015 review. The new teaching team has carefully considered and established a philosophy and team culture that is having a positive impact on outcomes for children. Distributed leadership recognises the interests and strengths of team members and has led to a variety of new initiatives that benefit children and their whānau. Teachers' deep reflection ensures that children's needs, interests and strengths are discussed and form the basis of curriculum planning.

Teachers have formed effective relationships with whānau, engaging in meaningful conversations that benefit their children. Teachers, children and parents planned and constructed a protective shelter for the mud kitchen that supports extended play well. Teachers are working diligently to be more actively welcoming and inclusive to those with English as an additional language.

Teachers have embraced NKA's professional development opportunities and new ideas from their professional practice manager. Teachers' knowledge of current good practice has grown and brought a sense of achievement about positive outcomes for children. Internal evaluation is well established and guides decision making. Teachers share their knowledge about children's learning with each other and discuss next steps for building on children's interests and skills.

The Association provides a comprehensive policy and procedure framework that sets clear expectations and guides teachers’ practice. It has developed relevant appraisal and teacher inquiry processes that reflect the Teaching Council’s guidelines. Each kindergarten’s annual plan aligns to the Association’s strategic vision, values and goals. NKA employs a speech language therapist and seconds a social worker from Family Works to provide targeted support for children, whānau and teachers.

Professional practice managers (PPM) regularly visit kindergartens to provide leadership and curriculum guidance for teachers. A Pou Whakarewa Tikanga Māori Advisor works closely with teachers to increase their understanding of and focus on authentically threading te ao Māori into learning programmes. There is an organisation-wide emphasis on providing high quality resources and equipment for children. Leaders and teachers value and respect the thoughtful use of natural resources.

Key Next Steps

The teaching team agrees that their key next steps are to:

  • continue strengthening assessment, planning and evaluation to more clearly align with their high expectations of progress in their teaching
  • prompt children's thinking about their next steps in learning as a way of giving them more ownership of their own learning.

Key next steps for Association-wide development include:

  • further developing assessment, planning and evaluation processes
  • deepening understanding of evaluative thinking and internal evaluation processes to measure the effectiveness of systems and practices across the Association.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Te Kamo 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

15 August 2019

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

LocationKamo, Whangarei
Ministry of Education profile number5012
Licence typeFree Kindergarten
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for30 children aged over 2 years
Service roll34
Gender compositionBoys 21 Girls 13
Ethnic compositionMāori 
NZ European/Pākehā
other ethnic groups
13 
15 
6
Percentage of qualified teachers80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenOver 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteJune 2019
Date of this report15 August 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education ReviewSeptember 2015
Education ReviewFebruary 2012
Education ReviewSeptember 2008

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed
  • Well placed
  • Requires further development
  • Not well placed

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.

Te Kamo Kindergarten - 09/09/2015

1 Evaluation of Te Kamo Kindergarten

How well placed is Te Kamo 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

Te Kamo Kindergarten, located north of Whangārei, provides six hour sessions for up to 30 children between two and five years of age. Half of the children enrolled have Māori heritage. The kindergarten’s philosophy is based on respectful relationships that celebrate the languages and cultures of children and families/whānau.

In the past three years the kindergarten has undergone change. The kindergarten was renamed Te Kamo Kindergarten in 2014. The roll reduced and session hours were extended to meet the changing needs of the community.

A new teaching team has worked to maintain the positive features identified in ERO’s 2012 report. These include providing a programme that is responsive to children’s interests and further strengthening partnerships with families/whānau. The outdoor environment and resources have been enhanced.

The kindergarten operates as part of the Northland Kindergarten Association. The Association provides governance, leadership and policy frameworks to meet operational management expectations. Association personnel assist teachers to maintain good standards of health and safety and to improve the quality of educational programmes. The Association’s Pūmanawatanga Plan reflects a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and support for the development of bicultural practices across the organisation.

This review was part of a cluster of 10 kindergarten reviews in the Northland Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

Children are confident communicators who develop respectful friendships and positive relationships with teachers and other children. They negotiate, problem-solve and ask questions to direct their own learning. Flexible routines support children’s decision-making and uninterrupted play.

Children demonstrate a sense of belonging. They enjoy opportunities to take on leadership roles. Children are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about Māori protocol, including mihi whakatau, karakia and waiata. Māori children experience an environment where te reo me ona tikanga Māori is an authentic and valued part of the kindergarten’s programme.

Teachers warmly welcome children and their families. They interact respectfully with and listen carefully to children, providing resources to support their exploration and learning. As a result of professional learning, teaching practices empower children to take responsibility for and manage their own behaviour. Teachers are committed to increasing their knowledge of tikanga and use of te reo Māori in the programme.

The programme reflects Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and promotes positive outcomes for children. Teachers work together to respond to children’s individual and group interests. Systems to assess and plan for children’s learning are evident. Children’s strengths, interests and participation in the programme are clearly shown in attractive learning records.

Teachers value the information that parents share about their child’s home and community experiences. Teachers are working deliberately to further enhance positive relationships with families. More regularly seeking parent’s aspirations and sharing how parents' suggestions have been responded to could further strengthen partnerships with families.

The teaching team is continuing to develop a shared understanding about effective teaching practices. Individual skills and strengths are contributing to team development. Teacher appraisal and self-review systems are used well to reflect on progress. Clearly defined long-term and annual goals guide ongoing improvement.

The Northland Kindergarten Association provides effective governance for kindergartens. Its long-term direction focuses on making decisions to improve learning outcomes for children. Positive strategies include:

  • good support and guidance from Association personnel to improve the quality of kindergarten programmes and teaching practice, particularly the development of bicultural practices and integration of Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) into programmes in meaningful ways for children
  • effective teacher appraisal and professional learning and development that contributes to improved teacher skills, knowledge and practice, especially in supporting children’s social competence and strengthening the quality of assessment documentation
  • significant investment in property and environment upgrades to promote children’s exploration and investigation
  • a focus on distributed leadership practices amongst kindergarten teaching teams to utilise teachers’ individual and collective strengths.

Association leaders are considering ways to enhance teacher appraisal processes and systems for self review. ERO recommends that the Association strengthens systems to ensure that all health and safety requirements are being implemented.

Key Next Steps

To build on existing good practices teachers agree they could:

  • continue to build shared team understandings of effective teaching
  • strengthen self review by improving the quality of evaluation practices
  • use parent/whānau aspirations and feedback to enhance children’s learning
  • work with local schools to review how well children are supported to transition to school.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Te Kamo 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.

In order to improve current practices, the service provider should ensure that teachers implement earthquake evacuation procedures, as previously identified in ERO’s 2012 report.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Te Kamo Kindergarten will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

9 September 2015

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

Kamo, Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

5012

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

37

Gender composition

Girls 20 Boys 17

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

other

20

15

2

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

June 2015

Date of this report

9 September 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

February 2012

 

Education Review

September 2008

 

Education Review

June 2005

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.