West End Kindergarten (Timaru)

Education institution number:
5481
Service type:
Free Kindergarten
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
57
Telephone:
Address:

34 Kiwi Drive, Timaru

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West End Kindergarten (Timaru)

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 West End Kindergarten (Timaru) 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

West End Kindergarten (Timaru) is one of 13 kindergartens governed by South Canterbury Kindergarten Association. Children who attend are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including some Māori children and a small number who have Pacific heritages. There have been changes since ERO’s 2018 review, including an increase in the number of teaching staff in response to the addition of an adjacent building catering for children aged up to two years. Some progress has been made in areas identified for improvement since the 2018 ERO report.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience an inclusive curriculum. They see and hear multiple languages including te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. Teachers have built sound relationships with parents, whānau, the wider community and external agencies. Children with additional learning needs are effectively supported by this collaborative approach.

Infants and toddlers learn in a well-resourced environment. Teachers respond to children’s cues and offer a calm, slow-paced programme. Children demonstrate a sense of trust in their teachers, and confidence in their own abilities.

Assessment and planning are collaborative and show children’s learner identity. Whānau aspirations are gathered and inform the development of children’s individual learning goals. Teachers document children’s interests, play and learning. They are beginning to gather views of whānau to help inform a culturally responsive curriculum. Assessment information does not yet consistently show children’s learning and progress overtime in relation to the kindergarten curriculum priorities or the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Leaders and those responsible for governance have established and implemented 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, at association level and within individual kindergartens, evaluation practices require further embedding to be fully effective. This includes developing collective capability to effectively monitor and evaluate improvement actions to better determine whether these improvements are having the desired impact.

Leaders and teachers work alongside parents, the community, and mana whenua to implement the association’s strategic vision and goals. This is enabling them to develop practices committed to implementing practices related to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

4 Improvement actions

West End Kindergarten (Timaru) will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Improve the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning overtime in relation to the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, and the kindergarten priorities for learning.

  • Increase the visibility and effectiveness of teachers’ response to children's cultures, languages and identity.

  • Those responsible for governance and management to continue to build their own and teachers’ capability to effectively use internal 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 West End Kindergarten (Timaru) 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 Actions for Compliance

During and since the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • Accurately recording checks made by adults during the time children attending the service sleep (HS9).

  • Maintaining 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)

13 November 2023 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

West End Kindergarten (Timaru)

Profile Number

5481

Location

Timaru

Service type

Free Kindergarten

Number licensed for

52 children, including up to 12 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

69

Review team on site

June 2023

Date of this report

13 November 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, October 2014

West End Kindergarten (Timaru) - 27/06/2018

1 Evaluation of West End Kindergarten (Timaru)

How well placed is West End Kindergarten (Timaru) to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

West End Kindergarten (Timaru) is Very Well Placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

West End Kindergarten (Timaru) is one of 12 kindergartens governed and managed by the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten (SCK) Association in Timaru. It is licensed to provide education and care for up to 40 children.

The governance board and leaders have effectively addressed the areas for improvement identified in the 2014 ERO report. Leaders and teachers have strengthened programme assessment and planning processes, and refined and embedded new self-review processes. Internal evaluation is now well-established.

A head teacher oversees the daily programme and centre operations and is well supported by a team of capable and experienced teachers. All teachers are qualified and certificated early childhood teachers. A senior teacher provides professional coaching and mentoring for teachers.

This review was part of a cluster of seven kindergartens in the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten (SCK) Association.

The Review Findings

The kindergarten's philosophy is deeply grounded in the concepts of whanaungatanga, ako and manaakitanga. Teachers and parents have identified the learning that matters in West End Kindergarten (Timaru) through their curriculum priorities. These include, for children to develop:

  • early literacy skills
  • independence
  • confidence
  • friendships
  • physical skills
  • a sense of agency
  • a sense of identity.

This is further supported by the moemoeā/vision, "Where children strive to be masters of their own learning". The moemoeā emphasises the aspirations of children, teachers and whānau to provide a welcoming, stimulating, nurturing and safe learning environment through high quality teaching and learning.

Teachers provide a rich curriculum with a wide range of provocations for children to make choices and be independent. The curriculum recognises, values and responds to the cultural needs of all children. Children experience calm, unhurried routines and interactions with their teachers. Their learning is based on respectful relationships with each other and their teachers.

There are high levels of engagement in complex and creative play for all children. Children are purposefully engaged in their learning for long periods of time. They have many opportunities to work co-operatively together to achieve their chosen tasks. Children enjoy playing alone or alongside others in the attractively presented, very well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments.

Leaders and teachers respond very well to an increasingly diverse community of learners and families/whānau. Bicultural practices have strengthened across all curriculum areas and are consistently reflected in teacher practices. There is a very strong and shared commitment to provide many opportunities for children to learn te reo and tikanga Māori. Teachers genuinely value and celebrate children's home cultures and languages and include authentic aspects within the learning programme. As a result, children feel an increased sense of belonging and pride in their cultural backgrounds.

Teachers use a wide range of relevant and appropriate intentional teaching strategies to support children's learning, development and wellbeing. They effectively integrate early literacy and early numeracy learning into the programme. Teachers listen carefully to the verbal and non-verbal cues of children and respond appropriately at the child's level to extend language learning and ideas in meaningful ways.

Internal evaluation has been used very effectively by teachers to assess, plan and evaluate children's learning and development. Teachers systematically plan for individuals and groups as part of their regular staff meetings. Diverse learners are well planned for and appropriately supported by teachers to be actively engaged in their learning. Teachers carefully evaluate children's learning and progression and critically reflect on their teaching practices.

Transitions into and from the centre are very well managed and appropriately meet the needs of children and their families/whānau. Teachers deliberately include opportunities for children to be independent and develop social and emotional competence. This is integrated into the learning programme to foster children's readiness and support a smooth transition to school.

Parents are kept very well informed about their child's learning and development. Teachers value parents' views and seek their contributions to continually improve outcomes for children's learning and to improve centre practices.

The experienced head teacher models a culture of positive, responsive and collaborative teaching. Teachers benefit from a shared leadership approach which supports professional practice and capability. The senior teacher provides ongoing professional mentoring and coaching for all teachers to continue to improve and strengthen practice. Teachers respond very well to regular feedback and recommendations from the senior teacher that help to shift and lift teaching practice.

The SCK philosophy, vision, goals and systems are effectively promoting positive outcomes for children. The board, managers and leaders have proactively addressed the recommendations for the association in the October 2014 report.

There is strong alignment from the SCK strategic priorities to the kindergarten priorities and plans. The board is well informed about how well each kindergarten is progressing and contributing to the strategic direction of the SCK. However, the board could know more about how well the kindergartens are improving outcomes for children and how well children are achieving in relation to the association’s valued outcomes (purpose).

The board is focused on improving outcomes for all children, including taking deliberate action to support Māori and Pacific children and children with diverse learning needs in the kindergartens. SCK leaders have developed strong networked relationships with community organisations to support children and their whānau. The next step for the board is to consider culturally responsive practice as governors and consult with Māori whānau about their views.

There are effective systems and processes for ensuring that regulatory requirements are met within the kindergartens. Relevant professional learning, improved appraisal processes and effective ongoing coaching and mentoring by the senior teachers are building teacher capability within the kindergartens.

Key Next Steps

The head teacher and senior teacher have clearly identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps to further improve outcomes for children are to:

  • continue to strengthen evaluations to show the impact of teaching strategies that support children's learning and show children's progress in relation to the kindergarten's valued learning outcomes
  • report to the association more deeply on the progress children are making against the association's strategic priorities and valued learning outcomes.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of West End Kindergarten (Timaru) 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 West End Kindergarten (Timaru) will be in four years.

Dr Lesley Patterson Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

27 June 2018

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

Timaru

Ministry of Education profile number

5481

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, aged over 2

Service roll

47

Gender composition

Boys: 21

Girls: 26

Ethnic composition

Māori:

Pākehā:

Pacific:

Other:

6

38

1

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

May 2018

Date of this report

27 June 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

October 2014

Education Review

June 2011

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.

West End Kindergarten (Timaru) - 14/10/2014

1 Evaluation of West End Kindergarten (Timaru)

How well placed is West End Kindergarten (Timaru) 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

West End Kindergarten in Timaru is part of the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association. The kindergarten runs five morning sessions a week for the older children and three afternoons for the younger ones.

Children at West End Kindergarten benefit from a stimulating programme that supports their learning and wellbeing. It receives strong community support and has a large active parent committee. The teachers use ICT as a tool for communicating with parents. The kindergarten is part of a group of kindergartens and schools whose teachers meet to support children’s successful transition to school.

Two teachers share the head teacher position, allowing one of them to take on an advisory role for other kindergartens in the association. The teachers have made good progress on the recommendations from the 2011 ERO report.

This review was part of a cluster of eleven kindergarten reviews in the South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association.

The Review Findings

West End Kindergarten has a strong philosophy based around empowering children as learners and communicators. The philosophy is evident in practice in many ways. Children’s play is settled and purposeful, and the teachers trust them to play independently. This allows the teachers to devote time to small groups or individuals. Teachers genuinely listen to and converse with children. Through these conversations they help extend children’s learning about themselves and the world.

Children at the kindergarten develop strong friendships with each other and enjoy their time together. The teachers foster a culture of care and respect for other people. They deliberately help children learn ways to get on well with their friends, solve the problems that arise, and invite others to join their play. A child guide told ERO that “teachers teach children how to play together.”

The large outside and inside areas offer many interesting spaces for different activities. Children make their own decisions about where they wish to play and what they want to do. Teachers are clear about the learning that is important for the children. They set out resources and provide experiences to promote this learning.

Children have a strong sense of belonging and ownership at the kindergarten. Teachers know the children well and follow up on their enthusiasms and interests to build a rich programme. They also actively seek parents’ wishes for their children’s learning and weave these ideas into the programme. Teachers respect children’s rights to express a point of view and involve them in decisions that affect them.

Teachers are skilled at turning opportunities into learning experiences for children. They follow up on real-life events such as a recent fire at the kindergarten, and model important learning and attitudes. Children benefit from rich early literacy and mathematics experiences which are integrated throughout the day.

Children hear and use some te reo Māori, learn waiata, and take part in celebrations such as Mātariki and the local Flava festival. Teachers’ planning shows a focus of increasing Māori perspectives within the kindergarten.

The teachers have developed useful systems to plan for children’s learning. Children are keen to share the records of their learning in their profile books. The teachers have identified a group of children who need additional support with speech and language. They have recently set up and are implementing individual plans around this.

The enthusiastic team of teachers works well together. They have a shared understanding of what is important for the children. The effective leadership in the kindergarten guides ongoing improvement, and the leaders deliberately support others to grow.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and ERO agree that next steps for the kindergarten are to:

  • strengthen self review by including evaluative questions and indicators to measure progress

  • continue to develop partnerships with Māori whānau

  • refine aspects of assessment, planning, and evaluation.

Governance

The South Canterbury Free Kindergarten Association 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 West End 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 West End Kindergarten (Timaru) 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 West End Kindergarten (Timaru) will be in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

14 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

Timaru

Ministry of Education profile number

5481

Licence type

Free Kindergarten

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children from 2 years to school age

Service roll

59

Gender composition

Boys: 31 Girls: 28

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Pacific

Other

5

51

2

1

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

14 October 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2011

 

Education Review

November 2007

 

Education Review

November 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.