Ngahina Street, Paraparaumu
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
With targeted association support, Ngahina Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ngahina Kindergarten is situated in Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast. Since the March 2012 ERO report there have been significant changes in the teaching team. All teachers are qualified and registered.
Ngahina Kindergarten is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014. In September 2015 the association began introducing an initiative called 'Keeping Kindergarten Strong' to support managing financial constraints. Currently a project is in place to support the management of teacher workload.
The board and managers provide governance for the organisation. Senior teachers have delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.
In 2012, the association developed a framework to guide the implementation of its curriculum, Te Manawa. This document outlines criteria for curriculum delivery including expectations for assessment and planning for children's learning.
The previous ERO report for Ngahina Kindergarten identified that assessment, planning and evaluation, teachers confidence and capability to embed te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and self review needed further development. Further development is needed.
Areas where the association could strengthen its support for teachers were also identified. The alignment of individual kindergartens' annual plans with the association's strategic priorities have now been appropriately addressed.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
A recent focus on increasing the participation of parents and whānau in the kindergarten has strengthened relationships and supports children's sense of belonging. Family aspirations are valued and acknowledged.
Children enjoy friendships with their peers and play cooperatively. They access a suitable variety of resources and activities to support their learning. Excursions and visitors to the kindergarten provide further learning opportunities.
Aspects of Te Manawa and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are reflected through the programme. Teachers regularly interact with children. Some opportunities are missed to engage children in rich learning conversations.
Profile books are an attractive records of children’s participation in activities. They require further development to be an effective tool to assess children's learning. The senior teacher and teachers agree that assessment practices need improving to better identify how teachers are noticing, recognising and responding to individual children's interests, strengths and needs.
There has been a focus on acknowledging children's whakapapa in learning stories. Te ao Māori is reflected through wall displays, resources and artefacts. Teachers are beginning to increase their use of te reo Māori. This continues to be an area for development.
The language, culture and identify of Pacific children attending the kindergarten is acknowledged through visual displays and resources. Teachers value the knowledge and contribution that Pacific parents and aiga make to the programme.
Teachers are responsive to children with diverse needs. They work collaboratively with parents, whānau and external agencies to support their participation in the programme. Teachers should monitor children's progress and evaluate how well the curriculum supports learning goals.
The kindergarten staff have reviewed resources and equipment to cater for the learning needs of younger children. Staff recognise that the programmes for two year olds needs strengthening. ERO's evaluation affirms this ongoing development.
Some aspects of kindergarten routines need to be reviewed to be responsive to the needs of all children.
Teachers have strengthened their understanding and use of self review as a process to support improvement and further development will enhance this.
The new teaching team is rebuilding following recent changes. The association should support staff as they plan for future change and include review of the kindergarten philosophy in consultation with parents, whānau and the community.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. An annual internal evaluation is completed that supports strengthening of these termly reports. There is deliberate focus on outcomes for children and teacher/leader performance.
The 2012 ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal process. Managers undertook an internal review of the appraisal system. The revised model is being implemented across the kindergartens. The process includes focused goals that build teacher and leader capability and clearer links with the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Ngahina Kindergarten:
strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation
strengthen the programme for two year olds
continue to build leadership within the kindergarten
continue to develop understanding of internal evaluation as a tool to improve outcomes for children.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice and strengthen responsiveness to Māori children.
Progress against an action plan, that addresses the key next steps, will be monitored by ERO.
Before the review, the staff and management of Ngahina 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 Ngahina Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
17 May 2016
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 |
Paraparaumu |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5366 |
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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 |
30 children, aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
44 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 23, Girls 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
15 14 8 7 |
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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 |
March 2016 |
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Date of this report |
17 May 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
March 2012 |
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Education Review |
May 2008 |
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Education Review |
September 2005 |
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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.
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.
Ngahina Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensee of the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Children play and learn in a programme that offers them choices, promotes their independence and is inclusive in nature. They are frequently absorbed in sustained cooperative play. There is an overarching focus on early literacy, sustainable living and transition to school. The atmosphere is supportive and settled.
The high quality environment is carefully planned to stimulate children’s interest, curiosity and engagement. They move freely between activities with easy access to the wide range of resources and equipment. The diverse cultural community is well reflected in displays and other play materials. Gardens are an attractive feature and provide additional real-life experiences.
Children are confident and independent learners who set their own challenges. They demonstrate good social skills and collaborative behaviours of working together, negotiation and cooperation. There are many examples of children supporting each other.
The kindergarten has built strong community relationships. Regular reciprocal visits occur with the adjacent primary school. Teachers work closely with other professionals and specialists to support children and families, further develop the environment and advance sustainability practices.
Teachers are sensitive, affirming and respectful of children and their families. They notice and respond to children’s interests and strengths through conversation and the provision of additional resources. The teaching team has a shared vision and beliefs which are evident in practice.
The teaching team agrees that areas for further development include aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation, extending children’s thinking and embedding te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into the programme.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Ngahina Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the kindergarten to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the kindergarten (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children at Ngahina Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
The 2008 ERO review noted that the environment-based programme provided children with a variety of interesting learning opportunities. Interactions between teachers and children were caring and responsive. Areas identified as requiring improvement were te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, aspects of assessment, programme planning and evaluation. The understanding and implementation of self review also required development. Teachers have undertaken professional development in these areas in the last three years.
Since 2008 the kindergarten has diversified its operations twice and now operates on a full licence for hours closely aligned to the school day. Older children attend three days a week and the younger ones the other two days. The number of teachers has increased, resulting in improved teacher/child ratios.
There has been continual upgrading of the environment and resources to support children’s learning. This has resulted in spacious work and play spaces and a focus on conservation and sustainable practices. Plans are in place for the continued development of the environment.
Environment
The high quality learning environment is carefully planned to stimulate children’s interest, curiosity and engagement. They move freely between activities with easy access to the wide range of resources and equipment. The diverse cultural community is well reflected in displays and other materials. An expansive outdoor area provides ample opportunities for physical challenge and many inviting places for quiet reflection, construction and social play. The gardens are an attractive feature. These present daily authentic learning experiences as children involve themselves in all aspects of preparation, planting and harvesting.
Programme
Children benefit from a flexible and child-oriented programme that enables them to choose and develop activities to support their interests. They are frequently absorbed in sustained cooperative play. Transitions to routine times are well managed and unobtrusive. Teachers make a deliberate effort to include Māori contexts for learning. Children are experimenting with different technologies to explore and record their interests. There are many opportunities for them to revisit and reflect on previous experiences.
The teaching team is well established with a shared vision and beliefs. These are clearly reflected in the kindergarten philosophy and evident in practice. They appreciate each other’s strengths and interests and are open to change. These aspects contribute to the consistent and settled atmosphere and programme.
There is a well established relationship with the adjacent primary school. Regular reciprocal visits help children and their family to become familiar with the different expectations and new environment. These practices assist a smooth transition to school.
Assessment
Teachers understanding of assessment and their practices have been strengthened through the use of Te Manawa, the association’s criteria for curriculum implementation. There is now a stronger focus on learning dispositions and inclusion of the different perspectives of teachers, parents and children in the process. Individual portfolios capture each child’s unique learning, characteristics and celebrate their cultural and family background. These aspects better reflect the principles of assessment for learning.
Interactions
Children are confident and independent learners who set their own challenges. They demonstrate good social skills and collaborative behaviours of working together, negotiation and cooperation. There are many examples of tuakana/teina as children support each other in their play and learning.
Teachers are sensitive, affirming and respectful of children and their families. They work quietly alongside children promoting problem solving, independence and creativity. Teachers notice and respond to children’s interests and strengths through conversation and the provision of additional resources.
Self review
Spontaneous review covers a range of topics, is improvement focused and successful in improving outcomes for children. Teachers regularly reflect on their practice and set goals to continue to develop their professional practice and knowledge.
More consistent and purposeful teacher reflections are needed to better support the identification of strategies for programme direction and effectiveness of their practice.
The thread of children’s continuous learning requires strengthening. The implementation of the identified next steps and the linking of observations to show connections and development over time would support this. At times, teachers miss opportunities for the deeper exploration of children’s ideas and engagement in learning conversations.
Teachers need to continue to build their confidence and capability to further embed te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in the programme.
The teaching team has identified that robust, planned self review is not yet well understood and requires further development.
The 2008 ERO review of the association identified several strengths, including the provision of professional development, sound operation plans, support for property development and the use of a range of communication strategies to keep teachers and communities informed. Areas for improvement included the quality and depth of the written feedback given to teachers by the senior teacher and strengthening the appraisal process.
Since 2008, the association has led consultation with the community to modify session times and improve the ratio of teachers to children from 1:15 to 1:10 and maintained its policy of employing qualified, registered teachers in regulated permanent positions.
The association provides expectations and guidance to the kindergarten through its strategic plan, policies and procedures and more recently, the professional development strategy Te Manawa: Criteria for Curriculum Implementation.
The association continues to provide high levels of guidance and support to teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
the strategic plan setting expectations for participation, parent/whānau involvement and quality teaching practices
clearly defined indicators of quality teaching and learning practice through Te Manawa
a wide range of professional development opportunities
ongoing support in property development, human resource management, finance and resourcing.
The association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where the association can strengthen its support for teachers. These include:
further developing and supporting leadership, including a review of the appraisal process
reviewing senior teacher documentation to show how teachers have improved their practice as a result of feedback
reviewing how kindergartens’ annual plans for teaching and learning could more explicitly show how teachers respond to the association’s strategic priorities.
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement.
As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:
The association’s mission is to provide quality, inclusive and accessible early childhood education. Being inclusive and partnership with parents, whānau and community are stated as core values and principles.
The kindergarten environment is positive, welcoming and inclusive. Carefully considered transition processes are in place that are flexible to accommodate differing family needs. Teachers know children and their families well and use this knowledge effectively to support both adults and children.
All teachers attend children’s individual planning meetings. They work together with families, agencies and specialists and take shared responsibility to implement the agreed strategies to support the child’s learning and development. The progress with these goals and other successes are celebrated in the child’s portfolio.
Children demonstrate inclusive behaviours in their play and interactions. They are tolerant, patient and accepting of each other.
There is no formal process in place to gather the aspirations whānau have for their child while at the kindergarten. Developing this practice should further enhance partnership with parents.
Before the review, the staff of Ngahina Kindergarten completed an ERO Centre Management 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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO and the kindergarten leaders agreed that the priorities for development and review are those outlined in the report.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Kathleen Atkins
National Manager Review Services
Central Region
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Type |
All Day Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children aged over 2 years |
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Roll number |
74 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 39, Girls 35 |
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Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 31, Māori 26, Pacific 7, Asian 4, Other ethnic groups 6 |
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Review team on site |
November 2011 |
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Date of this report |
6 March 2012 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review May 2008 Education Review September 2005 Accountability Review August 1998 |
6 March 2012
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Ngahina Kindergarten.
Ngahina Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is the licensee of the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Children play and learn in a programme that offers them choices, promotes their independence and is inclusive in nature. They are frequently absorbed in sustained cooperative play. There is an overarching focus on early literacy, sustainable living and transition to school. The atmosphere is supportive and settled.
The high quality environment is carefully planned to stimulate children’s interest, curiosity and engagement. They move freely between activities with easy access to the wide range of resources and equipment. The diverse cultural community is well reflected in displays and other play materials. Gardens are an attractive feature and provide additional real-life experiences.
Children are confident and independent learners who set their own challenges. They demonstrate good social skills and collaborative behaviours of working together, negotiation and cooperation. There are many examples of children supporting each other.
The kindergarten has built strong community relationships. Regular reciprocal visits occur with the adjacent primary school. Teachers work closely with other professionals and specialists to support children and families, further develop the environment and advance sustainability practices.
Teachers are sensitive, affirming and respectful of children and their families. They notice and respond to children’s interests and strengths through conversation and the provision of additional resources. The teaching team has a shared vision and beliefs which are evident in practice.
The teaching team agrees that areas for further development include aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation, extending children’s thinking and embedding te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into the programme.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Kathleen Atkins
National Manager Review Services
Central Region
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.