120 Victoria Avenue, Palmerston North
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Milverton Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Milverton Kindergarten is located in Palmerston North. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 2.30pm. Full day places are available to children from two to six years old. At the time of this review, there were 56 children enrolled and nine identify as Māori.
The kindergarten philosophy emphasises relationships as the foundation to connect children, family and whānau, teachers and community. Te ao Māori is celebrated alongside the diverse cultures of children who attend. The values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are integral to promote a sense of belonging to the service. Curiosity and creativity are nurtured and encouraged.
The kindergarten is administered by the Ruahine Kindergarten Association (the association). The governing board is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the organisation. The day-to-day running of the association is the role of the chief executive officer who is responsible to the board. An operations manager supports the service’s compliance and policy development. Two senior teachers provide educational leadership across the teaching teams.
The September 2016 ERO report identified that the team approach to supporting transition to school and internal evaluation required strengthening. Good progress has been made to address these areas.
This kindergarten is part of the Palmerston North City and Rural Schools Kāhui Ako One (now known as Te Oro Karaka Tahi Kāhui Ako).
This review was part of a cluster of twelve kindergartens and one early learning service in the Ruahine Kindergarten Association.
The philosophy and the service's priorities for learning are highly evident in practice. Children's sense of belonging is fostered within an environment that prioritises whanaungatanga. Strong, respectful and reciprocal relationships are formed with each family. Their languages and cultures are valued and contribute to the provision of an inclusive learning environment.
A wide range of activities and resources provides ample opportunities for children to explore their interests. Rich conversations and interactions between children and adults promote language development. Teachers connect with children in meaningful ways and celebrate their achievements. Intentional teaching strategies are interwoven in children's play to extend thinking, curiosity and problem solving.
Māori children's identities are acknowledged as the foundation for promoting their success. Teachers acknowledge whakapapa as integral to the development of a sense of self and connectedness. Parents and whānau contribute to their children's learning and work in partnership with teachers to support their children's success.
Children are well supported to experience and learn about the dual heritages of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Te ao Māori concepts are woven throughout the curriculum. Daily hui provides meaningful opportunities for children to learn pepeha, mihi, karakia and local iwi stories. Teachers continue to deepen their understanding of te ao Māori alongside children, whānau and the community.
Teachers identify potential barriers that may inhibit children's access and participation in learning. Relevant external support is accessed, as required, to meet the wellbeing and learning needs of children.
Effective partnerships with families and local schools nurture children's sense of belonging as they move on to school.
Assessment records highlight and build on children's strengths, dispositions for learning and interests. Learning narratives successfully show children as successful and competent learners. Their social and cultural worlds are acknowledged and appropriately responded to across the curriculum. Further evaluation of the impact of teaching strategies and curriculum decisions on progressing children's learning should enrich the individual planning process.
Senior teachers work collaboratively to build teacher and leadership capability. There is a strong commitment to growing staff knowledge and skills through ongoing professional learning, research opportunities and the sharing of good practice.
The service effectively uses the association-wide internal evaluation framework to engage in systematic internal evaluation. Teachers are reflective of changes that are made and the impact they have on improving children's wellbeing and learning. Extending the use of evaluation to identify actions for improvement should further support decision making to enhance learning outcomes for all children.
Association leaders have a well-considered approach to progressing strategic objectives. Robust systems and processes are in place for reporting, monitoring and evaluating the quality of operations. Information is used to inform decision making and to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
At kindergarten level, priorities are to continue to use evaluation to:
enrich the development of individual learning pathways
monitor the effectiveness of implemented initiatives on promoting equitable learning outcomes for children.
At the governance level, the Ruahine Kindergarten Association have identified that their priorities are to continue to:
strengthen and build their knowledge and understanding of tikanga Māori and seek engagement with local iwi, with kaumatua support.
Before the review, the staff and management of Milverton 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
18 October 2019
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 |
Palmerston North |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
5534 |
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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 |
40 children aged over 2 |
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|
Service roll |
56 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Female 28, Male 28 |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
August 2019 |
|
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Date of this report |
18 October 2019 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2016 |
|
Education Review |
October 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
|
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Milverton Kindergarten is one of 25 early childhood services administered by the Ruahine Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). It is licensed for 40 children aged over two years. Of the children enrolled, five are Māori. At the time of this ERO review, all children enrolled were aged three years or older. The kindergarten community is culturally diverse.
All five teachers are qualified and registered. Three have worked together for a number of years. In 2016, the kindergarten’s licensed hours were increased to 30 per week and staffing was increased accordingly.
The kindergarten philosophy emphasises the importance of respectful, reciprocal relationships and everyone working together (whanaungatanga) to support children’s learning. Biculturalism, the needs of each learner and their family and whānau, and provision of a high quality learning environment, are all given high priority.
The October 2012 ERO report supported the teaching team’s finding that ongoing evaluation should be more focused on the effectiveness of the programme in fostering children’s learning. Progress in this area is evident.
Day-to-day management of the association's affairs is the responsibility of the general manager. A governing board sets the overall strategic direction. The senior teacher provides professional leadership for teaching and learning. An operations manager supports services’ compliance, policy development and leadership. A management restructure has been undertaken since the previous ERO review.
This review is one of a cluster of eight reviews of Ruahine Kindergarten Association early learning services.
The values articulated in the kindergarten's philosophy statement are reflected in practice. A sense of whanaungatanga is highly evident in staff teamwork, the regular group gathering times and good level of participation and support of parents and whānau.
Teachers are inclusive in their practice. They work hard to encourage the participation of all families who are part of this culturally diverse learning community. Priority learners are collaboratively identified and planned for. There is good knowledge of, and liaison developed with, outside agencies should they be needed. Teachers recognise the importance of continuing to develop their understanding of Pacific cultures to support effective provision for these families.
Teachers acknowledge the importance and place of te ao Māori through the programme. This is evident in the consideration of bicultural values, some teacher development goals and professional learning opportunities. Association leaders are strongly committed to implementing a bicultural curriculum and promoting success for Māori as Māori. The revised te Tiriti o Waitangi policy, Wise Practice document and bicultural exemplars should support development of these practices.
The high quality environment supports children's investigation of, and participation in, a wide range of learning experiences. The outdoor area is well designed, presenting interesting areas for exploration and physically challenging play. Gardens provide rich authentic opportunities for investigation of the natural environment. Children are able to choose the level and timing of their participation for much of the day and have free access to learning materials. They enjoy the opportunities provided, showing confidence and independence as learners. A busy and purposeful tone is maintained.
Teachers are nurturing, encouraging and affirming. They engage well with children to support their settling, play and sustained engagement in learning experiences. Routines and expectations for behaviour are understood by children and consistently and positively reinforced by teachers. Children are encouraged, in ongoing ways, to be self-managing, resilient and to challenge themselves to try difficult things. They show enthusiasm for learning, and cooperation and friendliness towards peers and adults.
Although there are no two-year-olds presently enrolled, teachers are aware of the need to continue to develop routines and strategies that best support the learning and full participation of these children in the programme.
The programme effectively responds to children's interests, strengths and needs. Literacy, mathematics, the arts, science and physical activity are well integrated in play-based ways. Planning includes reference to learning that is valued at the service: the early childhood curriculum outcomes; children's developing learning dispositions; and the centre's philosophy. This process results in the identification of intentional teaching strategies to support individual learning. Teachers collaborate to consider the impact of agreed strategies on outcomes for children and ways of enhancing their approach. Their strong commitment to culturally responsive practice should be further enacted through increased acknowledgement of children's cultures, languages and identities, and te ao Māori in learning records.
The collection and sharing of assessment information with parents and whānau, through the use of an online programme, is improving dialogue about children's learning between teachers and families. Teachers recognise that they should continue to work on strengthening parents' and whānau partnership, including more purposeful planning to meet the aspirations they have for their children's learning at kindergarten.
Children's and their families' transitions into, and out of the kindergarten to primary school, are carefully considered. Support for new families is individualised according to their needs. Teachers continue to review and develop their approach to supporting transition to primary school. Research based on best practice is accessed to support their decision making. They agree that the development of reciprocal and purposeful relationships with the many local schools children move on to should be a priority to support the sharing of information about individuals and school and early childhood programmes.
Teachers work cohesively and collaboratively. Team work is well established. The head teacher provides strong leadership focused on improvement and outcomes for children.
The association is providing good support for teachers to use a more evaluative approach to review for improvement. Teachers should continue to build their shared understanding and use of internal evaluation to support decision making that improves and sustains positive outcomes for children. The association agrees the continued development of the Wise Practice indicators should occur to support understanding about the quality and effectiveness of practice and operation at kindergarten through to board level.
The kindergarten's annual plan outlines priorities for the year linked to the association's strategic goals of having high quality staff, coordinated services, effective partnerships and operations. Progress is recorded and reflected upon in collaboration with the senior teacher and operations manager. Quality indicators linked to outcomes for children are a useful addition to the annual plan. These should be further defined to enable more effective monitoring of progress.
The association provides effective governance and management support for this service. This includes:
constructive and improvement-focused support from the senior teacher
suitable quality assurance processes and guidelines linked to compliance with regulations and association expectations
a variety of operational and administrative support
effective and targeted support for teacher and leadership development through appraisal and wide-ranging professional learning opportunities.
ERO and association leaders agree that teachers should continue to strengthen the team's approach to:
supporting transition to school
internal evaluation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Milverton 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.
The next ERO review of Milverton Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
15 September 2016
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
|
Location |
Palmerston North |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
5534 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
56 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 29, Girls 27 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnic groups |
5 41 10 |
|
|
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 |
August 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
15 September 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2005 |
||
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:
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.