136 Lynn Street, Dunedin
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Wakari Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Wakari Kindergarten is one of 24 kindergartens in the Dunedin Kindergartens (DK). Children from two years to school age attend for up to six hours a day. Five qualified and registered teachers, with support from a teacher aide, provide education and care for up to 45 children, including a high number of children with additional needs.
The teaching team has worked together for a considerable time. The head teacher and teachers receive regular support from a DK senior teacher. The kindergarten's philosophy emphasises the importance of having strong relationships with children's families and the community. It states that children will experience learning within a fun, stimulating environment that promotes early literacy, mathematics, art and other forms of creative expression, and learning about New Zealand's bicultural heritage. Parents' involvement in all aspects of the service is welcomed.
The December 2015 ERO review recommended improvements to assessment, bicultural development and internal evaluation. The kindergarten has made very good progress with the recommendations.
This review was of a cluster of 11 kindergartens within the Dunedin Kindergarten Association.
Children's learning is well supported. They experience a rich curriculum that responds to their strengths and interests and includes multiple ways for creative and cultural expression. They are encouraged to be independent and take responsibility for their learning. They work confidently, and for sustained periods of time, play alone, alongside others or in small groups with teachers.
Teachers include parents' wishes for children's learning in planning and assessment records and in the daily programme. Documentation shows how teachers have contributed to each child's learning by adding complexity to learning over time. An effective system for planning for groups of children is linked to the learning that is valued in the kindergarten. This includes a strong focus on building children's oral language, social competence and learning about environmental sustainability.
There is an inclusive culture. Teachers take time to establish trusting and meaningful relationships with all families. Very young children are comfortably included in the daily programme and engage fully in learning activities. A wide range of approaches and strategies are used to ensure the wellbeing and learning of children with additional needs. Teachers work closely with families and access external support and professional development to build their understanding of how to best meet individual needs.
Teachers value cultural diversity, including parents' and community members' contributions to enrich children's learning. They are highly focused on integrating and promoting Māori culture and bicultural practices within the kindergarten. They are building on their own cultural knowledge and strengthening their practices to ensure the identity and language of all children, including Māori children, are recognised and celebrated.
Teachers take collective responsibility for all aspects of the kindergarten's operations. They have clear roles and responsibilities and make good use of their individual strengths, interests and skills within the programme. They have well established routines and systems to support an orderly operation. They collaboratively reflect on their teaching and the impact of planned learning strategies. They continuously refine practices to ensure alignment with the service's philosophy, strategic priorities and valued learning. Internal evaluation processes are very effectively improving outcomes for children and helping teachers determine the future direction of the kindergarten.
The DK board has made good progress in addressing the governance recommendations from ERO's 2015 reviews. The association's mission and strategic priorities are well known and reflected in each kindergarten's strategic and annual plans. The association has a sound policy and procedure framework that provides guidance for kindergartens and sound systems to monitor health and safety. Leaders and teachers benefit from relevant professional development and leadership support. The association actively supports equity of outcomes for all children by funding additional teaching resources to support children with additional needs.
The teaching team should continue to embed recent improvements to strengthen the link between learning priorities, outcomes for children and the systems in place to support these. This should help ensure good practices are sustained and continue to be built on over time.
The board has clearly identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps for the association to further improve outcomes for children are to ensure that:
reporting and monitoring at all levels are evaluative, to clearly show how desired outcomes for children have been improved in relation to the DK’s and kindergartens’ priorities for learning and other strategic priorities
a robust and systematic quality assurance framework is implemented to inform and monitor ongoing improvements in each kindergarten.
Before the review, the staff and management of Wakari Kindergarten completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
18 February 2020
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 |
Dunedin |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5508 |
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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 |
45 children over age 2 |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Female 32 Male 17 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
N/A |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2019 |
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Date of this report |
18 February 2020 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
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Education Review |
July 2012 |
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ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Wakari Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Wakari Kindergarten is located in the hill suburb of Wakari in Dunedin. It is one of 24 kindergartens in the Dunedin Kindergarten Association (DK). This is the only kindergarten in the DK to offer morning sessions for older children and afternoon sessions for younger children. A weekly playgroup is a meeting place for prospective parents and children before starting kindergarten.
The teachers are experienced, qualified and have worked together for a considerable time. They value the positive relationships they have with the children's families and the wider community. They aim for children to have fun as they learn. A parent committee actively raises funds for new resources and organises social events for families. The teachers have developed close links with local schools and external agencies.
The team has worked on the recommendations from the July 2012 ERO report, however self review still requires further development.
This review was part of a cluster of 24 reviews in the DK.
Children and their families benefit from the inclusive and welcoming atmosphere teachers have created in the kindergarten. Teachers foster and develop caring relationships with children. They have created a culture where children are valued and affirmed for who they are. They provide strong support for families and work with them in the best interests of their children. Teachers seek parents’ wishes for their children’s learning and are seeking ways to do this more regularly and especially in ways that are preferred by Māori whānau. Wall displays and social media help parents to know about the learning in the kindergarten.
Children are settled in the programme. They benefit from consistent routines and teachers’ high expectations about how to play and learn together. They play well, have fun and enjoy the company of their friends. The outdoor environment is well planned and provides choice and challenge for children and encourages exploration. Children independently choose from a wide range of resources indoors.
Teachers have purposeful learning conversations with children. They intentionally:
Teachers incorporate te reo Māori and Māori perspectives into the programme. They draw on the knowledge and skills of parents to support them with this. Teachers have identified that implementing a rich bicultural curriculum is a work in progress. They should include this focus in long-term planning to ensure progress is sustained.
Key features of the programme that enhance children’s learning include many opportunities for:
The group programme is based on teachers’ knowledge of children and is carefully thought out with strategies and experiences. Teachers have found weekly written evaluations an effective way to share information and provide continuity of teaching within the programme. These would be even more effective if they were evaluative rather than descriptive.
Profile books show many aspects of each child’s learning journey and children enjoy revisiting their experiences in their books. It is timely for teachers to review the effectiveness of assessment practices to ensure the good practices identified are consistently implemented for all children.
The experienced teaching team shares the various roles and responsibilities and works well together. Teachers have a strong commitment to teaching and learning. They are thoughtful and knowledgeable. There are useful systems for the daily running of the kindergarten.
The association has provided teachers with a useful format to support self review. Teachers have made some positive changes, however self review would be strengthened by teachers making more effective use of indicators throughout all stages of a review.
The vision of the DK is to provide excellence in early childhood education for all children. The DK is governed by a board and managed by a long-serving general manager. The kindergarten teachers told ERO they appreciated the support they receive from the association and the advice and guidance of the senior teachers.
The board, general manager and senior teachers:
provide appropriate opportunities for parents and staff to contribute their ideas about matters in the association
are responsive to the identified needs of children and families within the association, and provide funding and support to enable these to be met
have developed a useful framework to guide their work
take all reasonable steps to ensure safe environments for children, teachers and other staff
maintain their professional learning and provide ongoing professional learning for teachers in the association.
The teachers, senior teacher and ERO agree that the next steps for the kindergarten’s ongoing improvement journey are to:
continue to strengthen aspects of self review and assessment
ensure the kindergarten philosophy makes clear what is valued as important learning for children and includes teachers’ commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Next steps for the board, with the support of the general manager and senior teachers, are to:
continue to define what excellence in education looks like in the DK
further develop strategic planning to better show future goals and priorities and how these will be achieved in the association and in the kindergartens
ensure that the reports they receive show how well the association's vision and goals are met, are evaluative and inform future planning
continue to strengthen the appraisal process and be assured that appraisals are rigorous and consistent throughout the kindergartens.
With the appointment of a new senior teacher it is timely for the board and general manager to review the role of the senior teachers and strengthen systems to ensure consistent, high-quality practice across all kindergartens within the association.
Before the review, the staff and management of Wakari 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 Wakari Kindergarten will be in three years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
4 December 2015
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
|
Location |
Dunedin |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5508 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children aged two-to-five years |
||
|
Service roll |
72 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys: 40 Girls: 32 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other |
8 59 5 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
N/A |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
October 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
4 December 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2006 |
||
ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
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.
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.