Rata Free Kindergarten

Education institution number:
5477
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Total roll:
29
Telephone:
Address:

53 Cass Street, Temuka

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Rata Free 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.  

ERO’s judgements for ​Rata Free Kindergarten​ are as follows: 

Outcome Indicators 

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) 

Whāngai Establishing​ 

Ngā Akatoro Domains 

 
Learning Conditions 
Organisational Conditions 

Whāngai Establishing​ 

​​Whakaū Embedding​

2 Context of the Service 

Rata Free Kindergarten is one of 13 kindergartens governed by South Canterbury Kindergarten Association. Children who attend are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and there are a small number of Māori children. The kindergarten has had significant staff changes in the last 18 months. There has been some progress since the 2016 ERO report.  

3 Summary of findings 

Children experience positive and learning-focused interactions with teachers who are responsive to their interests, strengths and capabilities. Teachers engage with children in deliberate and meaningful ways to support their ongoing learning and developing social and emotional skills. They help children to make choices, have a sense of security and predictability, and to demonstrate their emerging learner identity. The bicultural curriculum is developing. Aspects of tikanga Māori and some te reo Māori are integrated into the curriculum.  

Leaders and teachers are in the beginning stages of implementing new processes for planning and assessment of children’s learning. This includes collaborating with whānau, teachers and children to identify the valued learning. Individual learning is documented and is beginning to show links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the learning outcomes. Leaders and teachers plan to use the Te Whāriki learning outcomes more intentionally and better reflect children’s cultures, languages and identity in documentation. This practice would help to show children’s learning and progress over time. 

Leaders and those with roles in governance have established and implement sound systems, processes and practices to drive improvement within the association. This includes relevant opportunities for professional learning and engagement in professional growth and reflection. Senior teachers support improved practice by regularly visiting and mentoring kindergarten staff.  

Improved guidelines for internal evaluation are in place. However, governance, leadership and within individual kindergartens internal evaluation for improvement requires further embedding to be fully effective. This includes developing the collective capability to effectively monitor and evaluate the improvement actions to better determine whether they are having the desired impact.  

The board, managers and teaching teams effectively implement the association’s strategic vision, values and goals. Collaboration with mana whenua is enabling them to develop practices that show deepening commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Decision making and allocation of resources are focused on enabling children and whānau full participation within the kindergarten.  

4 Improvement actions 

Rata Free Kindergarten​ will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning: 

  • Continue to gather whānau, teacher and children’s perspectives to review the curriculum priorities, and then evidence these through children’s assessment documentation.  
  • Implement and embed the planning, assessment and evaluation guidelines and explore how to integrate the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki to better inform documentation of children’s learning.  
  • Those responsible for governance and management to continue to build their own and teachers’ capability to use evaluation to scrutinise all aspects of operation and more clearly show the impact of planned actions on outcomes for identified individuals and groups of learners.  

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements 

Before the review, the staff and management of ​Rata Free Kindergarten​ completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios) 
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices. 

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. 

6 Action for Compliance  

During the review, the service provided​ ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:  

  • Having a detailed record of safety checking, including risk assessment required to be completed after all relevant information is obtained (GMA7A).   
     

Patricia Davey 
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE) 

​11 December 2023​   

7 About the Early Childhood Service  

Early Childhood Service NameRata Free Kindergarten 
Profile Number5477
LocationTemuka
Service type  ​Free Kindergarten​
Number licensed for  33 children over the age of 2.  
Percentage of qualified teachers  ​100%​
Service roll 32 
Review team on site August 2023  
Date of this report ​11 December 2023​
Most recent ERO report(s)​Education Review​, ​May 2016​; ​Education Review​, ​October 2014​

Rata Free Kindergarten - 19/05/2016

1 Evaluation of Rata Free Kindergarten

How well placed is Rata Free 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

Rata Kindergarten is one of eleven kindergartens under the South Canterbury Kindergarten Association (SCFKA) and is in Temuka. It is licensed for 33 children. Currently there are approximately 20 children attending each day between 8:30am and 2:30pm. A new head teacher was appointed in October 2014. She is supported by a teacher and a teacher aide.

The kindergarten has a large, spacious outdoor area where children can explore and develop physical skills. The indoor area is well resourced and organised.

The 2014 ERO report identified a number of significant areas for improvement, including assessment, planning and evaluation, self review, and teaching practice. Teachers, with the support of the SCFKA, have made good progress in making the improvements needed and are continuing to build on and strengthen this work.

The Review Findings

Key aspects that contribute to children's learning and wellbeing have been improved at the kindergarten.

The kindergarten philosophy has been extensively reviewed. Teachers, with parent input, have developed values which express in general terms what they want children to learn. These are being used to guide planning for individuals and groups of children. The values could be more useful if they describe more specifically what teachers intend children to learn.

Children now benefit from a richer and more interesting programme. This includes:

  • early literacy and mathematics learning integrated into play
  • dramatic play
  • a more purposeful and better resourced environment
  • opportunities for children to explore, have choice and be independent
  • regular trips outside the kindergarten.

Teachers are responsive to children's home lives and are mindful of this when planning the programme. They have links with the local rest home and have established links with nearby schools. Children enjoy a weekly visit from local high school students.

Respect for Māori and Pacific cultures is strongly evident in the daily programme and environment. Teachers have linked Māori concepts to the kindergarten values. Children enjoy:

  • waiata and karakia
  • learning their own mihi
  • listening to and retelling local legends through dramatic play and art work
  • Pacific songs and greetings
  • participating in the area cultural festival.

Teachers have developed a format to gather parents' wishes for their children and ask how they can support children's language, culture and identity. Teachers should consider how they will effectively respond to these wishes and show this in children's records of learning.

Teachers ensure children have a sense of belonging by making the kindergarten a welcoming place for them and their families. Children are well supported in their transitions into and through the kindergarten and as they move on to school. Teachers know the children and their families well.

Teachers:

  • effectively support children to learn the skills of being a friend
  • provide a positive environment for children to learn in
  • listen carefully to children and have genuine conversations with them
  • encourage children to follow their interests
  • carefully plan strategies to help those children who need extra support to play and learn successfully.

The teachers have identified that it would be useful to evaluate the quality of their interactions and deepen their understandings of the range and effectiveness of the teaching strategies they use. This has been identified as a priority for 2016.

Teachers have strengthened systems for planning, assessment and evaluation of children's learning. They regularly discuss all children and plan for their learning.

Teachers need to:

  • be clearer about the learning they intend to support and the strategies and experiences they will provide to support this learning
  • make evaluations more specific to show how well they have supported the learning
  • continue to explore how they can work with parents as partners in children's learning journeys.

The head teacher and teacher work well together and are strongly committed to improving the programme and their teaching practices. The kindergarten association has been very supportive of the kindergarten. It has provided extra support by way of a teacher aide.

All SCFKA kindergarten teachers have received professional learning and development to strengthen their use and understanding of self review. This is still work in progress for the association and for this kindergarten. Aspects of self review could be simplified.

To further develop self-review practice, teachers at Rata Kindergarten need to ensure:

  • the review focus is evaluative
  • indicators are simply stated and match the review focus
  • indicators are used to guide the review at all stages.

The SCFKA ensures effective day-to-day management of the kindergarten.

Key Next Steps

The teachers and ERO agree the next steps are to improve aspects of:

  • assessment, planning and evaluation
  • partnerships for learning with parents including responding to children's language, culture and identity
  • the philosophy, to better describe the intended learning
  • self review.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Rata Free 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 Rata Free Kindergarten will be in three years.

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

19 May 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

LocationTemuka
Ministry of Education profile number5477
Licence typeFree Kindergarten
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for33 children over 2 years of age
Service roll22
Gender composition

Boys: 12

Girls: 10

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

7

15

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenOver 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteApril 2016
Date of this report19 May 2016
Most recent ERO report(s)Education ReviewOctober 2014
Education ReviewJune 2011
Education ReviewFebruary 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 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.

Rata Free Kindergarten - 07/10/2014

1 Evaluation of Rata Free Kindergarten

How well placed is Rata Free Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

The teaching team is yet to fully adjust to being a smaller team. There have been staff changes and a new head teacher is to be appointed in the near future. Teachers need to better support children to develop their social competencies. Improved planning would help teachers guide interactions and provide an environment that consistently supports children’s learning and independence.

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

Background

Rata Free Kindergarten is one of two kindergartens in Temuka. It is licensed to have 33 children. Currently there are 20 children attending each day between 8.30am and 2.30pm.

There have been a number of staffing changes in recent times. Prior to 2014, the kindergarten had three full-time teachers. Since the beginning of 2014, the teaching team consists of two full-time teachers, one part-time teacher and a teacher aide working two hours a day. A relieving head teacher leads the teaching team.

The kindergarten is participating in Ministry of Education (MOE) professional development to build closer partnerships with the local marae and whānau.

In their philosophy teachers state:

  • they aim to foster children’s social and lifelong skills in a positive, welcoming and fun environment
  • the place of Māori culture is important
  • the cultures of all children are valued
  • they plan regularly for individual children and groups to maximise teaching and learning needs and opportunities.

The next steps in this report identify how the philosophy could be better put into practice.

This review was part of a cluster of 11 kindergarten reviews in the South Canterbury Kindergarten Association (SCFKA).

The Review Findings

Children enjoy spacious indoor and outdoor areas. Learning and play opportunities include climbing, construction, creativity and dramatic play. Awareness of their immediate and local environment has been enhanced through gardening, looking after a worm farm and learning Māori legends specific to the area.

A key feature of Rata Free Kindergarten is the teachers’ determination to provide a rich bicultural environment for all children. Children hear and use te reo Māori throughout their kindergarten day. Teachers integrate tikanga Māori into daily practices.

There is a sense of community within the kindergarten. This is seen through:

  • good relationships with children and their whānau

  • stronger connections being established with the local marae

  • inviting people from the community to be part of the kindergarten programme.

ERO observed some children playing well individually and in small groups. They were able to access resources they required for their play independently. The children see the kindergarten as their place, their tūrangawaewae.

Through play, children can explore and are exposed to a range of mathematics concepts, for example sorting, counting and measuring. Teachers are familiar with the MOE resource Te Aho Tukutuku.

Key Next Steps

With ongoing support from the SCFKA, teachers need to continue to strengthen their planning processes for individual children and groups. In particular this should include:

  • finding better ways to respond to parents’ wishes for their children’s learning and development
  • more consistently identifying the learning outcomes
  • ensuring plans include what strategies teachers will use to support children to achieve
  • assessing the progress children have made in regard to the planned intentions
  • evaluating the effectiveness of their teaching.

The kindergarten has some children with high learning and/or social behaviour needs. The teachers need to ensure suitable planning is in place to guide the teaching and learning of these priority learners.

The teachers have recently reviewed the philosophy to make certain it reflects the teaching team’s beliefs. Their next step is to describe the philosophy as to what it will look like in practice. This should assist the teachers to:

  • implement the philosophy through their programme and teaching practices
  • integrate the philosophy into their planning for individual children and groups.

These developments, in conjunction with meaningful and useful planning, should allow teachers to have deeper and more effective interactions with children. They should also provide a richer curriculum that responds to the interests, skills and abilities of all children.

With the SCFKA, the teaching team needs to make better use of self review to monitor the effectiveness of its curriculum, programmes and practices, including the mathematics learning area.

Governance

The SCFKA is governed by a board and managed by a newly appointed general manager. The board:

  • has a strong commitment to teaching and learning

  • seeks parents’ views about important matters in the association

  • has made changes to the roll size and opening hours of the kindergartens to be more responsive to community needs and maintain the financial viability of the association

  • is very responsive to important government initiatives such as ensuring educational success for all children.

Next steps for the board are to:

  • know more about its roles and responsibilities as the governing body

  • develop strategic planning

  • ensure that reports review how well the association’s goals are met, are more evaluative and are better used for future planning

  • refine appraisal systems to ensure that staff and teachers more formally receive critical feedback about their work.

The senior teachers provide useful ongoing professional development and maintain a strong focus on teaching and learning to the kindergartens within the association. They have shared with the teachers at Rata Free Kindergarten the expectations they have for teaching and learning and how well they think the team is meeting those expectations.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Rata Free 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.

Development Plan Recommendation

ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Rata Free Kindergarten will be within two years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

7 October 2014

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

Temuka

Ministry of Education profile number

5477

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

33 children over two years of age

Service roll

26

Gender composition

Boys: 15 Girls: 11

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Other

9

14

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

Not applicable

 
 

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2014

Date of this report

7 October 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2011

 

Education Review

February 2008

 

Education Review

October 2004

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.