112 Waipapa Road, Hataitai, Wellington
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Matairangi Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Matairangi Kindergarten, located in Hataitai, provides whānau-based all-day education and care for up to 24 children, including seven aged under two years. Sessions run daily through the week from 8.30am to 2.30pm. The current roll is 36 children, aged from approximately 16 months to three and a half years. The centre serves a culturally diverse community.
The kindergarten's philosophy is based on the values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, wairuatanga, tino rangitiratanga. These are "modelled, lived and reinforced by tamariki, whānau and kaiako".
Since the June 2015 ERO review there have been some staff changes including the appointment of a new head teacher. All teachers are fully qualified.
Matairangi Kindergarten is operated by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association (the association). A team of senior teachers oversee and support the professional practice of the teaching team. The association governs 102 kindergartens which includes three Pacific kindergartens and a Pacific home-based service with two networks.
The previous ERO report identified areas requiring further development, including: assessment of children's learning; and understanding internal evaluation. Good progress has been made.
The association has made progress in improving the quality and monitoring of processes to support individual kindergartens, and the appraisal system.
This review was one of nine in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association.
Children play freely in a thoughtfully designed, well-resourced environment. Opportunities to initiate, choose and extend activities enable them to learn. Teachers work alongside children, allowing them the space and time to engage in exploration, investigation and problem solving. They respond sensitively to each child's cues, changing needs and preferences.
The holistic learning programme is responsive to children's interests and follows the natural rhythm of the day. Literacy and mathematics are woven skilfully into the activities.
Children with additional learning needs are identified and effectively supported. Leaders and teachers work alongside families and whānau to access external agencies when required.
Te ao Māori perspectives effectively underpin and enrich all aspects of the curriculum. Local stories and places of significance to Māori are celebrated through waiata, visual imagery and korero. Teachers use te reo Māori in rich, meaningful conversations with children. Tikanga Māori is highly valued and well understood by teachers and children.
The diversity of cultures within the kindergarten is valued and celebrated. Each child’s culture, language and identity is authentically acknowledged in their learning stories. Meaningful learning partnerships with whānau promote each child’s sense of belonging.
An effective planning for learning framework guides teacher practice and is based on children’s emerging interests. Teachers recognise what is important for learning. They use Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum to identify and link valued outcomes to meaningful learning experiences.
Assessment practice show teachers valuing children's cultural backgrounds and developing purposeful goals for their learning.
Teachers have developed a range of effective ways to work and communicate with parents and whānau. An online assessment tool enables whānau to share their aspirations and be informed about children’s learning and achievements. Engaging with whānau Māori to find out what educational success means for them and their tamariki is a priority for the teaching team.
Internal evaluation is well understood by leaders and teachers. They are currently embedding a useful framework that guides an improvement focused process and effectively informs decision making.
A well-considered appraisal process has recently been enhanced to grow and develop teacher practice. Teachers are expected to inquire into the effectiveness of their teaching. Purposeful appraisal goals focus on improving aspects of leadership and practice to support children’s learning and wellbeing.
The senior teaching team are reflective and highly improvement focused. They successfully foster collective sense of responsibility to implement the vision, values and mission of the association. Systems and processes have been well developed to guide teacher’s capability and positively impact on children’s learning.
Senior leaders work effectively together, with a shared commitment to meeting strategic goals and objectives for the benefit of children, whānau and community. Well-considered resource allocation supports and enhances children’s learning and wellbeing.
The key next steps for the teaching team are to continue to embed the new internal evaluation framework.
ERO and senior leaders agree that the association's next step is to:
continue to follow the strategic direction set through Tūmanako, Te Tiriti o Waitangi based Strategic Priority Framework.
Before the review, the staff and management of Matairangi 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 Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
30 August 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 |
Wellington |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60197 |
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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 |
24 children, including up to 7 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
36 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 20, Girls 16 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
June 2019 |
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Date of this report |
30 August 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2016 |
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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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Matairangi Community Kindergarten is located in Hataitai, Wellington and is an important part of the Hataitai Community House. Plunket and a playgroup, other community services within this building, complement the kindergarten. The centre is licensed for 22 and caters for children aged from seventeen months to three years and six months. Of the 46 children enrolled, four are Māori. This kindergarten model was established to meet community needs, primarily for children aged under two years old. A recent development is children's increased access to the outside area to enhance their enjoyment of the environment.
The kindergarten philosophy promotes a welcoming, fun and loving environment that reflects the values of manaakitanga, wairuatanga, kaitiakitanga, rangatiratanga and kotahitanga.
Matairangi Community 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 have 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 July 2012 ERO report for Matairangi Community Kindergarten identified that teachers needed to enhance aspects of teaching and learning. 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 four teachers at the kindergarten are qualified and registered. Staff changes since the previous ERO report include a new head teacher and two teachers.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
The programme is child-initiated. Teachers effectively respond to children’s emerging interests by providing inviting experiences that link to a range of curriculum areas. Children frequently revisit their previous activities and learning captured in their portfolios.
The centre is well resourced and organised for children. Wall displays successfully document the learning and planning happening for children. The outdoor area suitably provides for physical activity and investigation of the living world. Early literacy and numeracy understandings are integrated into the programme.
Teachers consider that children are competent and capable and encourage them to make choices. Positive guidance is used effectively to promote social competence and independence in self-care. A calm and purposeful tone is evident throughout the session. Teachers have a clear focus on ensuring that practices are supportive and inclusive.
Secure, child-teacher-family relationships encourage the development of children's identity. Their wellbeing is nurtured and they settle happily. The practice of teachers as primary caregivers helps to ensure the specific needs of infants, toddlers and their families are recognised and well catered for. Their transition to the next early childhood setting area is sensitively managed and children are well supported as they prepare for this move.
Teachers' responses effectively support participation, attendance and engagement of Māori children and their families. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori continue to be successfully embedded within teaching and learning. Teachers show a willingness to increase their capability to be responsive to Māori children’s culture, language and identity.
Practices to support continuing improvement and evaluate progress are strengthening. The head teacher is working very well with her team to grow a shared understanding of effective practice. Internal evaluation for improvement continues to develop and contributes to positive changes in the kindergarten.
The senior teacher provides termly written feedback that outlines agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. She completes 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 clearer links with the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Matairangi Community Kindergarten:
further refine and embed assessment, planning and evaluation practices to guide teaching and learning
continue to develop and use shared understandings of internal evaluation to enhance teaching and learning.
The association should continue to support the development of formal critique of teaching practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Matairangi Community 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 Matairangi Community Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
14 July 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 |
Wellington |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
60197 |
||
|
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
22 children, including up to 7 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
46 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 25, Girls 21 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Japanese |
4 38 3 1 |
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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 |
May 2016 |
||
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Date of this report |
14 July 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
December 2005 |
||
|
Accountability Review |
July 2002 |
||
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.