76 A Cambridge Street, Levin
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fanau Pasifika is an all-day kindergarten in Levin. The service was formerly the Cambridge Street Kindergarten and was reviewed by ERO under that licence in May 2012. The service has undergone significant changes since the previous ERO report. It operates a six hour session five days a week and enrols children aged under two years. In September 2012, it transitioned to a Pasifika kindergarten and now works with a co-head teacher structure.
The kindergarten is licensed for 45 children with a maximum of 12 up to the age of two. Ethnic groups represented on the roll include Samoan, Tongan, Māori, Pākehā and Chinese.
The kindergarten philosophy is underpinned by the cultural values of unity, alofa, respect, reciprocal relationships, spirituality, aiga, leadership and kindness.
Fanau Pasifika Kindergarten is one of 85 kindergartens and three home-based education and care networks governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated (the association). This is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014.
The board and managers provide governance for the organisation. Senior teachers oversee delegated kindergartens. Their role is to provide regular support and a range of professional learning and development opportunities for teachers.
In 2012, the association developed a framework to guide the implementation of its curriculum, Te Manawa. This document outlines criteria for curriculum delivery, including expectations for assessment and planning for children’s learning.
The previous ERO report for Cambridge Street Kindergarten identified that planning and assessment, and self review needed further development. Areas where the association could strengthen its support for teachers were also identified and positive progress has occurred. The alignment of individual kindergartens’ annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been appropriately addressed.
All six teachers at Fanau Pasifika Kindergarten are qualified and registered.
This review was part of a Pacific cluster of three kindergartens and three home-based services reviews in He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
Children's cultures, languages and identities are effectively promoted and responded to by teachers. Children are valued for what they and their families bring to the kindergarten. Their sense of belonging is strongly supported through the respectful relationships developed between families and teachers and within the community. Children are comfortable to approach adults. They engage in a curriculum that is responsive to their needs and interests.
Educationally powerful connections and partnerships support children and their families to experience success. Parents spend time at the kindergarten and engage in their children's learning in a variety of ways. The kindergarten values are clearly evident and meaningful within the environment.
The inclusive nature of the kindergarten is a feature. Children build respectful, cross-cultural relationships. They demonstrate an eagerness to learn language, songs and customs across the cultures represented at the kindergarten. Teachers support and guide their understanding.
Children are empowered to lead their learning. Teachers respect and value what parents know about their children. Their teaching is guided and informed by this knowledge. The curriculum is designed and implemented as a result of observation, discussion and ongoing planning. Planning walls in the kindergarten show how teachers notice, recognise and respond to children's learning.
Infants and toddlers play and learn in a high trust environment. The concept of fanau is clearly evident. Adults are responsive and work together to provide appropriate resources and experiences for these younger children. Tuakana-teina relationships are strong amongst children. Teachers maintain a calm, slow pace in which younger children have space and time to lead their learning.
Self review for improvement is developing. ERO and the senior teacher, head teacher and staff agree that teachers should continue to develop and embed robust self review and internal evaluation to further promote positive outcomes for children.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. They complete an annual internal evaluation that supports strengthening of these termly reports. There is a deliberate focus on outcomes for children and teacher/leader performance.
The previous ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal process. Managers undertook an internal review of the appraisal system. The revised model is being implemented across the kindergartens. The process includes focused goals that build teacher and leader capability and clear links with the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice and strengthening responsiveness to Māori children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Fanau Pasifika 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 Fanau Pasifika will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
14 June 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 | Levin | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 5544 | ||
| Licence type | Free Kindergarten | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 45 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 50 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 27, Boys 23 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Samoan Pākehā Tongan Chinese Other ethnic groups | 6 19 9 8 6 2 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:5 | Meets minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:10 | Meets minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | April 2016 | ||
| Date of this report | 14 June 2016 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | No previous ERO reports | ||
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.
Cambridge Street Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is thelicensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Children’s well-being and belonging are effectively fostered through the relationship focused programme. Children are self-directed and independent learners who engage for sustained periods in activities, well supported by teachers. Early literacy and mathematics are well integrated and children’s physical development is also given strong emphasis. Te reo Māori is regularly used by children and teachers. Portfolios capture the uniqueness of the individual child and record their significant learning, progress and skill development. Children are celebrated as competent and confident learners.
The kindergarten has undergone many changes over the last year. A new senior head teacher was appointed to lead the team through association innovations for the direction of the service. The hours have changed to be aligned to the school day and rolls have dropped to enable planned developments to the building to occur more easily.
The new teaching team has worked to enhance the learning environment and increase the resources to better support children’s play and interests. A good range of easily accessible materials, games, accessories and equipment is well set up throughout the spacious environment. There is ample room for whole group activities and sustained uninterrupted play. Children’s physical dexterity and challenge are well supported. The attractive gardens provide children with real life experiences and the creation of interesting play spaces. A settled and calm atmosphere prevails.
Children are confident and cooperative. Their social competence is evident through the strong friendships established with peers and supporting each other well through tuakana/teina relationships. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging at the kindergarten. Teachers are warm, positive and respectful. They promote problem solving, planning and thinking and engage in interactive conversations with children. Good relationships are evident with families.
The teaching team agrees that developing a team philosophy is a priority and that robust, planned self review requires strengthening. Aspects of assessment and planning are also areas for further development.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Cambridge Street Kindergarten was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the centre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atCambridge Street Kindergarten.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
The 2008 ERO review noted that Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, provided the foundation for planning and teachers’ practice. Programmes reflected children’s strengths and interests. Interactions between teachers and children were calm, respectful and responsive. Areas identified as requiring further development were the use of te reo Māori, evaluation of programmes and transition to school resources. Teachers have worked positively to strengthen these areas.
In July 2011 the kindergarten was relicensed and now offers all day education and care for young children. The kindergarten currently operates on a transitional licence while awaiting major building redevelopment. Roll numbers have been reduced during 2011 in preparation for this work.
A new head teacher was appointed at the beginning of 2012. One of the team has taught at the kindergarten for several years. Another relieving team member has been employed in a permanent capacity. The teaching team had been together for six weeks at the time of this ERO review and are working to develop a constructive and professional team culture.
Children’s well-being and belonging are effectively fostered through the relationship focused programme. They are self-directed and independent learners who engage for sustained periods at activities, well supported by teachers. Kindergarten routines are unhurried. Early literacy and mathematics are integrated in meaningful ways. Children’s physical development is also given strong emphasis. Te reo Māori is regularly used by children and teachers. Planning stories successfully record the progress of strong group interests over time.
Learning stories are consistently high quality. They are creatively written and well analysed to identify learning dispositions. Te reo Māori is well-integrated. Portfolios capture the uniqueness of the individual child and record their significant learning, progress and skill development meaningfully. Children are celebrated as competent and confident learners.
A good variety of equipment and resources is available to support children’s play and interests. The spacious indoor and outside environments enable ample room for whole group activities and sustained uninterrupted play. Children’s physical dexterity and challenge are well supported and they use the whole environment as their play develops. Attractive gardens provide them with real life experiences and interesting play spaces. A settled and calm atmosphere prevails.
Children are confident and cooperative. Their social competence is evident through the strong friendships established with peers and supporting each other well through tuakana/teina relationships.
Teachers are warm, positive and respectful in their interactions with children. They promote problem solving, planning and thinking and trust children to make good decisions. They engage in interactive conversations and effectively link different experiences to put learning in meaningful contexts for the child. Positive relationships are evident with families.
Regular responsive review has successfully resulted in enhancing the learning environment, increasing resources to support children’s play and interests and adjusting daily routines. The head teacher has prioritised policies and procedures for review and development. The association template guides an appropriate planned review process.
It is a priority for teachers to establish their team philosophy and procedures for implementing Te Manawa, the association’s criteria for curriculum implementation to better articulate their shared beliefs, values, vision and practices. These can then be used as a foundation for programme implementation, building on the kindergarten culture and to assist the team in the transition process of change.
Including more robust reflection in planning stories, especially in relation to teacher effectiveness, is likely to assist the team to identify further strategies and programme direction.
The information that families share about their children’s strengths, interests and aspirations is not yet effectively used in the assessment process. Integrating these aspects is likely to assist in building stronger partnerships with families and whānau in their child’s learning.
The teaching team has identified that planned self review requires further development. More rigour and depth is required at each stage and data used more effectively to better inform decision-making. Reviews undertaken in response to issues that arise are not consistently revisited to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of changes over time.
The 2008 ERO review of the association identified several strengths, including the provision of professional development, sound operation plans, support for property development and the use of a range of communication strategies to keep teachers and communities informed. Areas for improvement included the quality and depth of the written feedback given to teachers by the senior teacher and strengthening the appraisal process.
Since 2008, the association has led consultation with the community to modify session times and improve the ratio of teachers to children from 1:15 to 1:10 and maintained its policy of employing qualified, registered teachers in regulated permanent positions.
The association provides expectations and guidance to the kindergarten through its strategic plan, policies and procedures and more recently, the professional development strategy Te Manawa: Criteria for Curriculum Implementation.
The association continues to provide high levels of guidance and support to teachers for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning. These include:
The association, senior teachers and ERO have identified areas where the association can strengthen its support for teachers. These include:
reviewing how kindergartens’ annual plans for teaching and learning could more explicitly show how teachers respond to the association’s strategic priorities.
Before the review, the staff of Cambridge Street Kindergarten completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement andSelf-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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO and the kindergarten leaders agreed that the priorities for development and review are those outlined in the report.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services (Acting)
Central Region
|
Type |
Free Kindergarten |
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children aged over 2 years |
|
Roll number |
27 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 14 Girls 13 |
|
Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 15 Māori 10 Cook Island Māori 2 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2012 |
|
Date of this report |
30 May 2012 |
|
Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review June 2008 Education Review August 2005 Accountability Review July 1998 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Cambridge Street Kindergarten.
Cambridge Street Kindergarten is affiliated to the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association (the association). The association has a governing board and a general manager. The general manager is thelicensed service provider contact person for the kindergarten. The association employs a team of senior teachers, one of whom is responsible for leading the professional support, advice and guidance to this teaching team. She also liaises with the kindergarten community.
Children’s well-being and belonging are effectively fostered through the relationship focused programme. Children are self-directed and independent learners who engage for sustained periods in activities, well supported by teachers. Early literacy and mathematics are well integrated and children’s physical development is also given strong emphasis. Te reo Māori is regularly used by children and teachers. Portfolios capture the uniqueness of the individual child and record their significant learning, progress and skill development. Children are celebrated as competent and confident learners.
The kindergarten has undergone many changes over the last year. A new senior head teacher was appointed to lead the team through association innovations for the direction of the service. The hours have changed to be aligned to the school day and rolls have dropped to enable planned developments to the building to occur more easily.
The new teaching team has worked to enhance the learning environment and increase the resources to better support children’s play and interests. A good range of easily accessible materials, games, accessories and equipment is well set up throughout the spacious environment. There is ample room for whole group activities and sustained uninterrupted play. Children’s physical dexterity and challenge are well supported. The attractive gardens provide children with real life experiences and the creation of interesting play spaces. A settled and calm atmosphere prevails.
Children are confident and cooperative. Their social competence is evident through the strong friendships established with peers and supporting each other well through tuakana/teina relationships. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging at the kindergarten. Teachers are warm, positive and respectful. They promote problem solving, planning and thinking and engage in interactive conversations with children. Good relationships are evident with families.
The teaching team agrees that developing a team philosophy is a priority and that robust, planned self review requires strengthening. Aspects of assessment and planning are also areas for further development.
ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services (Acting)
Central Region
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.