Raglan Street, Oamaru
View on mapAkarangi | 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 Casa Nova Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakawhanake Sustaining Whakaū Embedding |
Casa Nova Kindergarten is one of five kindergartens in the Oamaru Kindergarten Association (OKA). Children who attend are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including a small number of Māori, and almost a quarter of children have Pacific heritages. A general manager and senior teacher provide support to the head teacher and the teaching team. The kindergarten has made very good progress in integrating te reo Māori and te ao Māori as recommended in the 2018 ERO report.
Children’s mana is recognised and fostered within a highly responsive and inclusive curriculum based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Learning experiences are engaging, encourage exploration and offer appropriate challenge.
There are regular opportunities for children to see, hear and speak multiple languages, including te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. Pasifika values and whānau contribution strongly inform the enacted curriculum. Children’s learning and development are well supported through caring, learning focused partnerships with parents. Teachers work collaboratively with whānau and the local school to support flexible transitions for children.
Well-documented assessment information shows:
children’s learning through the kindergarten’s identified priorities of relationships, respect, inclusion and social and emotional competence
children engaging in a range of broad, rich curriculum experiences
children’s learning and development over time.
Assessment documentation does not yet consistently show all children’s progress in relation to the kindergarten’s priorities for learning and the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki. The learning environment and assessment documentation should be broadened to better reflect all children’s cultures, languages, and identity.
A deliberate approach is in place to build the leadership capability within and across Oamaru kindergartens. This has enabled the board, managers, and teaching teams to effectively implement the association’s strategic vision and goals. Each teaching team benefits from ongoing mentoring and guidance provided by the association.
Internal evaluation processes are embedding. Improvements and outcomes from evaluations are regularly reported to the board. While quality indicators are evident, they are not yet used purposefully to guide the evaluation process, or to inform data analysis and actions taken. Deepening the teaching teams’ use of effective internal evaluation is now required.
The board and leaders are future focused, and they provide a range of initiatives that enable families and communities to participate in the kindergarten. Useful systems and processes guide the operation and management of the kindergarten. Effective processes are in place to monitor that licensing requirements are being met.
Casa Nova Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
More consistently show children's learning and progress over time in assessment documentation, in relation to the learning outcomes.
Make all children’s cultures more prominent in the learning environment and assessment documentation.
Make better use of indicators of best practice through all stages of internal evaluation. Ensure reporting is evaluative and consistently focused on outcomes for children and shifts in teacher practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Casa Nova 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.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
The procedure people should follow should they wish to complain about non-compliance of the Regulations or criteria includes details of the local Ministry of Education office (GMA1).
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
15 June 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Casa Nova Kindergarten |
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Profile Number |
5483 |
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Location |
Oamaru |
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Service type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Number licensed for |
30 children two years and over |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
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Service roll |
45 |
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Review team on site |
April 2023 |
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Date of this report |
15 June 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, May 2018; Education Review, August 2014 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Casa Nova Kindergarten is one of five kindergartens that form the Oamaru Kindergarten Association (OKA). It provides education and care for children up to 30 children from two years old and has a roll of 49 children. Casa Nova Kindergarten operates five days a week and is located next to Pembroke School. All teachers are fully certified and early childhood trained teachers.
The head teacher and teachers share the leadership and teaching roles in the kindergarten. An external Education Services Manager (ESM) supports professional practice in the team. The OKA oversees the governance and management of the kindergarten.
The kindergarten's philosophy sets out learning priorities which are based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles of partnership, protection (kaitiaki) and participation. Casa Nova Kindergarten serves a diverse community. It provides high quality education and care for all children including those children with a range of high needs. Leaders and teachers are 'focussed on being equitable, enthusiastic and responsive to the changing world learners and their whānau are living in'.
Since the last ERO review in 2014 the kindergarten has made very good progress in refining self-review processes, including widening the scope of reviews.
This review was part of a cluster of five reviews in the OKA.
Casa Nova Kindergarten continues to be a high performing kindergarten.
Records of learning show that children make good progress against their set goals and the kindergarten's curriculum priorities.
Teachers have strong, responsive and reciprocal, and respectful relationships with each whānau, supporting children's and parents' genuine sense of belonging. They are highly respected and seen as an important part of children's experiences and learning. Children's development and learning are not separated from their whānau. The aspirations of parents and whānau are known and responded to. The different values, cultures and beliefs are acknowledged.
Children's learning and wellbeing are very well supported by teachers who are highly committed to providing equitable opportunities for all children. Learning is based on children's interests and strengths. Children have strong ownership of and choice in their learning. For example, they confidently share their ideas and views about their learning, including in assessment records.
Leaders and teachers have a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles of participation, protection and partnership. This provides the foundation for Casa Nova's practice and programme. Their next step is to strengthen te ao and te reo Māori in children's day-to-day learning.
Casa Nova Kindergarten provides an environment where Pacific cultures are valued and differences are embraced and respected. Teachers work closely with Pacific families and use their knowledge and expertise to enrich children's learning.
Leaders and teachers remain highly responsive to the diverse and high learning needs of many of their children, while remaining focused on and providing equity for all children.
The teaching team at Casa Nova Kindergarten has a useful framework to guide evaluation for improvement and is very improvement focused. Teachers regularly reflect on the impact of their teaching strategies and adapt what they do.
Teachers and leaders work collaboratively to support all children to have success. When new systems are developed, practices are put in place to ensure they are sustained. Leadership within the team is encouraged, valued and supported.
Casa Nova Kindergarten receives targeted and well-planned professional learning and development. The team is well supported by the ESM to identify what is working well and areas for further development to improve outcomes for children.
The OKA effectively supports the kindergarten. It provides a useful strategic and operational framework for the kindergarten's management. There is strong alignment from the OKA strategic priorities to the kindergarten's priorities and plans. The OKA is committed to equity for all children, providing targeted resources to enable participation and inclusion of all children and their whānau. The OKA board is well informed about how well each kindergarten is progressing and contributing to the strategic direction.
The OKA strongly supports ongoing improvement across its kindergartens. It has effective evaluation and assurance practices that inform change and development. The OKA also supports its kindergartens to have constructive partnerships with other agencies and providers. Teacher capability across the OKA is being strengthened through an improved appraisal system.
ERO recommends that the head teacher and teachers continue to work on the areas that they and their ESM have identified. This includes, continuing to strengthen te ao and te reo Māori by being confident and courageous in sharing what they already know.
Before the review, the staff and management of Casa Nova 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 Casa Nova Kindergarten will be in four years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
24 May 2018
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 |
Oamaru |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5483 |
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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 from 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Boys: 17 Girls: 32 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
April 2018 |
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Date of this report |
24 May 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2010 |
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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:
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.