86 Alma Road, Gonville, Whanganui
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Gonville Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Gonville Kindergarten is in Whanganui. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8:45am until 2:45pm. Full day places are available for children aged from two to six years.
The philosophy statement emphasises manaakitanga, aroha, inclusion and a commitment to te ao Māori.
The December 2015 ERO report identified that internal evaluation to improve teaching in relation to children's social competence required strengthening. This has been satisfactorily addressed.
Gonville is one of 15 kindergartens governed and managed by Whanganui Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). The governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the organisation. The day-to-day running of the association is the role of the general manager, who is responsible to the board.
Along with Barsanti and Marie McFarland Kindergartens, Gonville is part of the newly formed Castlecliff/Gonville Hub. This was formed to develop a collaborative approach to strengthening practice and cultural responsiveness. A new senior head teacher was appointed in January 2019. She has overall responsibility for the three kindergartens in the hub. A new team leader was appointed to Gonville in January 2019. She is responsible for day-to-day operation of the kindergarten.
Since April 2018, the association's programme of professional learning and development and curriculum implementation has been managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated. An association senior teacher and two senior teachers from Whānau Manaaki provide regular support for teachers.
This review was part of a cluster of 15 in the Whanganui Kindergarten Association Incorporated.
Children are celebrated for who they are and valued for what they bring to their kindergarten community. Teachers' relationships with parents and families are warm and responsive. Manaakitanga is central to interactions. There is a sense of whānau and friendship.
Strong community relationships foster children's sense of belonging within a wider local environment and culture. Teachers successfully engage with community role models to encourage children's aspirations and develop their interests.
Teachers are making good progress in fostering the learning of children requiring additional support. Individual planning is in the early stages and enables teachers to be more intentional in their teaching. Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Teachers work closely with whānau, and a range of external agencies, to plan and implement programmes to support these children's individual learning pathways.
The culture, language and identity of Māori children is highly promoted in an environment that is steeped in te ao Māori. Teachers successfully incorporate the skills and expertise that whānau Māori bring to the kindergarten. Collaboration with iwi is evident in the curriculum.
Children engage with resources, activities and routines that promote Pacific cultures. These are valued by teachers and form an integral part of the curriculum.
Learning stories identify children's interests and dispositions and are beginning to inform planning. Consistency of practice in relation to children's assessments is growing across the teaching team.
Children's sense of belonging is nurtured during and after transitions into the service and when moving to school. Children have many opportunities to experience the school environment and to interact with students and teachers. School children who previously attended Gonville remain a part of the kindergarten whānau.
Teachers focus on improving the quality of children's learning and wellbeing through ongoing and systematic internal evaluation. This continues to develop and contributes to improved outcomes for children.
The governing board is future-focused and has taken appropriate steps to strengthen opportunities for teachers’ professional learning and development. An association-wide appraisal process is in place to support teacher practice in promoting positive learning outcomes for children. Consistency of its implementation across all kindergartens requires strengthening.
Association leaders and ERO agree that for ongoing and sustained improvement, teachers at Gonville Kindergarten should continue to strengthen the consistency and analysis of evidence-based assessment and embed individual planning for all children.
The senior management team of Whanganui Kindergarten Association Incorporated should continue to strengthen the implementation of teacher appraisal.
Before the review, the staff and management of Gonville 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.
In order to improve practice teachers should ensure that at least one of the toilets for use by children is designed to provide them with some sense of privacy.
Since the on-site stage of the review, association leaders have provided ERO with steps taken to address this area.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
24 May 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 |
Whanganui |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5240 |
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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 aged over 2 |
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|
Service roll |
34 |
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|
Gender composition |
Boys 18, Girls 16 |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
14 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
April 2019 |
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Date of this report |
24 May 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
|
Education Review |
September 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
July 2008 |
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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 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.
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.
Gonville Kindergarten is situated in Whanganui. It is one of 14 kindergartens administered by the Whanganui Kindergarten Association (WKA). The kindergarten is licensed to provide all day education and care for 40 children, age two to five years. All teachers are qualified and registered with a range of teaching experiences.
The governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the WKA. The day-to-day running of the association is the role of the general manager, who is responsible to the board. Two senior teachers are employed to support the learning and development of teachers. Two cultural advisors were recently been appointed to support teachers to realise potential and support success for Māori and Pacific children.
Teachers have responded in a considered way to the areas for improvement in the September 2012 ERO report. Development has been well supported by focused professional learning.
This review was part of a cluster of seven kindergarten reviews in the Whanganui Kindergarten Association.
The kindergarten philosophy is focused on whanaungatanga which influences teaching practice and provides close relationships with families and the community. It directly connects to the Priorities for Children’s Learning, which have been collaboratively developed by teachers, children, whānau, community, iwi, local schools and the association. The spirit of a community of learners is strongly evident.
Te ao Māori and the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum are clearly evident and influence ongoing curriculum development. Children’s holistic growth is promoted through developing their sense of belonging, wellbeing and social competence.
A calm, unhurried and positive tone prevails. Interactions between adults and children are nurturing, respectful and reciprocal. Families and whānau are warmly welcomed and work in partnership with teachers to support their children’s learning.
Children enthusiastically participate in a varied and culturally rich curriculum. Te Tiriti o Waitangi based practices are honoured, enacted and recognised in models of good practice. A Pacific teacher and teacher aide speak to children in their home languages.
Leaders and teachers use assessment information well. Individual learning portfolios celebrate children’s achievements, culture and learning as well as their developing skills, knowledge and attitudes. Teachers analyse assessment information to identify children requiring additional support and inform ongoing programme planning.
Children have many opportunities to determine the direction of their own learning. Teachers support this skilfully. They are intentional in the teaching strategies they use and provide children with complex learning experiences. Many activities include te ao Māori, Samoan and the learning of literacy, mathematical and science skills. Children’s learning is further enhanced through regular outings and experiences in the community. Highly inclusive practices help all children and whānau to celebrate their differences.
Children and whānau transitioning into the kindergarten and to school are well supported. Positive relationships and dialogue between kindergarten and school personnel greatly assists this process. The head teacher networks with a range of professional leaders to pursue the best outcomes for children locally.
Internal evaluation for improvement is well understood and effectively guides ongoing change and decision- making. It provides a useful framework for teachers to reflect on their practice. This process is aligned to policies, procedures, philosophy, and all aspects of teaching and learning and is responsive to the cultural curriculum. Leaders and teachers and ERO agrees that using this process as a tool to better understand the impact of practices on outcomes for children will further strengthen internal evaluation.
A useful appraisal process supports teachers to reflect on their practice in relation to professional teaching requirements. The association leadership team is in the process of implementing a revised approach. This should include focused observations of teachers’ practice in relation to their professional goals. Once the new approach is fully implemented, evaluation of its impact on teachers’ development should be a next step for the association.
The kindergarten annual plan reflects the association’s strategic direction and incorporates the priorities for children’s learning. Teachers at Gonville Kindergarten have a strong sense of ownership of their annual plan.
The head teacher values children and teachers for who they are and what they bring to the kindergarten. She provides staff with opportunities to build their own leadership capability. These link to appraisal and focus on teacher inquiry and research. Teachers are collaborative and highly reflective practitioners who seek out current theory and best practice to adapt their teaching. They are advocates for all children.
The ‘Priorities for Children’s Learning’ kindergarten initiative is guided by the senior teachers’ response to a recent ERO National Evaluation report. This comprehensive, sound and strategic framework is being used to strengthen planning, assessment and evaluation processes.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next step to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Gonville 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:
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 Gonville Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
23 December 2015
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 |
Whanganui |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5240 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
43 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 23, Boys 20 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
21 15 3 4 |
|
|
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 |
October 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
23 December 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
July 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 2003 |
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.