5 E Mamaru Road, Taipa
View on mapDoubtless Bay Kindergarten
Doubtless Bay Kindergarten - 05/12/2016
1 Evaluation of Doubtless Bay Kindergarten
How well placed is Doubtless Bay Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Doubtless Bay Kindergarten is licensed for up to 30 children between two and six years of age. It provides sessions for children that are similar to school hours. It serves families in the rural and coastal communities of Taipa. The kindergarten’s philosophy values community and positive relationships with families to encourage children’s wellbeing, curiosity and learning.
The kindergarten is one of three in the Far North governed by the Kaitaia and District Kindergarten Association. A manager oversees kindergarten operations and reports regularly to a board that is responsible for the strategic direction of the association. A senior teacher was appointed in 2015 to support professional learning and the ongoing improvement of teaching practices. An experienced head teacher leads a team that includes qualified teachers and a part-time administrator.
Positive features identified in ERO’s 2009 and 2013 reports have been sustained. These include positive and supportive relationships, innovative use of digital technologies and open communication with parents and the community. Teachers continually review the environment to support high quality outcomes for children.
This review was part of a cluster of three kindergarten reviews in the Kaitaia and District Kindergarten Association.
The Review Findings
The kindergarten’s philosophy is highly evident in practice. Children enjoy friendships with their peers and confidently choose between playing independently or in groups. They use many strategies to initiate purposeful play. Children experience respectful, positive relationships in an inclusive and stimulating environment.
Children make good choices about their play in the well resourced indoor and outdoor environments. They are enthusiastic about sharing their ideas and theories, play well with each other and are skilled at initiating play. Children have very good opportunities to explore and be physically active in the outdoor area and the nearby beach environment. Children engage in creative and imaginative play and have many opportunities to experience art and dance and to care for animals.
Teachers provide a high quality, child-led programme underpinned by the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers have a deep commitment to being inclusive of all learners. They are increasingly including aspects of te ao Māori in the programme. Print is used in meaningful ways and children are learning to make connections to literacy in their activities. Children have good opportunities to develop their oral language. Older children are very well supported as they move on to school.
Teachers' respectful relationships and knowledge about individual families and the community help them to affirm and build on children’s strengths and interests. Individual records of learning are highly valued, by teachers, children and families. These records show the development of children’s interests over time. Teachers value and use parent information, ideas and support to help children become confident, capable learners. Teachers are keen to build on these practices as part of improving teaching and learning.
The head teacher provides strong professional leadership and has developed positive relationships with parents, whānau and the community. Regular professional learning and development helps teachers to extend their skills and knowledge. The appraisal system is well used by teachers to help them reflect on progress towards their individual goals.
Internal evaluation is well established and informs ongoing improvement. Many reviews are used to bring about improvement. Strategic goals, which align with the kindergarten’s vision statement and philosophy, are clearly outlined in annual plans. Teachers value the support provided by the senior teacher to improve programmes and practices.
Management policies and processes are well established. The association’s strategic plan focuses on making decisions to improve learning outcomes for children, which include investing in upgrading property and environments. The board is using the New Zealand School Trustees Association tool, Hautū: Māori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review tool for Boards of Trustees, to review how well the association is meeting its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Key Next Steps
To enhance existing high quality practices teachers agree they could:
-
continue to develop teaching approaches to better reflect the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand
-
improve the evaluation of programme and strategic goals to clearly identify positive outcomes for children.
The board and manager agree to:
- improve the policy and procedures for managing staff competency and performance
- develop and implement an action plan to progress the association’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
- evaluate progress towards meeting the association's strategic goals.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Doubtless Bay 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.
ERO identified an area of non-compliance. The board and manager should ensure the practices and procedures for police vetting meet the requirements of the Vulnerable Children's Act.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7A.
Next ERO Review
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Doubtless Bay Kindergarten will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
5 December 2016
The Purpose of ERO Reports
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.
2 Information about the Early Childhood Service
Location |
Taipa, Far North |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
5002 |
||
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
30 children, over 2 years of age |
||
Service roll |
51 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 21 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā other European |
18 31 2 |
|
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 |
October 2016 |
||
Date of this report |
5 December 2016 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2013 |
|
Education Review |
February 2010 |
||
Education Review |
October 2006 |
3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews
ERO’s Evaluation Framework
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.
ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review
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.
Review Coverage
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.
Doubtless Bay Kindergarten - 25/02/2013
1 Evaluation of the Service
How well placed is the service to promote positive outcomes for children?
Doubtless Bay Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.
Context
Doubtless Bay Kindergarten is one of three kindergartens in the Far North District governed by the board of the Kaitaia and Districts Kindergarten Association. A manager oversees kindergarten operations, including financial management and employment matters. Most kindergarten operations are guided by Association policies.
Professional Practice Managers (PPMs) from the Northland Kindergarten Association are contracted to support teachers’ professional learning and development, and their implementation of programmes for children.
The current head teacher has been recently appointed and one teacher is new to the staff. The head teacher manages the day to day operations of the kindergarten and works with qualified teachers to support children’s learning and development. She has already reviewed several aspects of the operation of the kindergarten and is developing a strategic plan for 2013.
Children who attend the centre are mostly Māori and NZ European/Pākehā and come from a wide geographical area. They later move to one of six local schools. Each day, after kindergarten, children who are close to school age are able to spend a short time at the new entrant class of Taipa Area School, which is next door.
This review was conducted as part of a cluster approach to reviews in three early childhood education services within the Kaitaia and Districts Kindergarten Association umbrella organisation.
The Review Findings
Relationships within the kindergarten and with the kindergarten community are positive and supportive. Teachers show respect for children as capable and competent learners. They listen to children’s ideas and value their contributions in conversations. Children approach adults with confidence and show respect for each other and the kindergarten environment.
Teachers encourage and support open communication with parents. Parents report that they feel welcome in the centre. They sometimes spend time interacting with the children as they settle for the session. Children’s individual portfolios and wall displays inform parents about their children’s learning at the centre. Teachers consult with parents about what they want for their children and reflect on how they can support the children towards achieving their parents’ aspirations.
The programme is consistent with the kindergarten’s philosophy and Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. It reflects bicultural New Zealand, supporting the identity of all children and provides children with opportunities to learn through meaningful experiences.
Kindergarten staff use information and communication technologies (ICT) in innovative ways. ICT is used effectively to communicate with the wider kindergarten community and to share information about children’s learning electronically with some families. Children use ICT, especially computers and cameras, with confidence.
The manager of the Kaitaia and Districts Kindergarten Association has also identified the need to strengthen self review at their governance and management levels. Further steps to improve their support for kindergarten teachers could include:
- support for teachers’ professional learning and development
- induction and support for head teachers.
The staff are reflective about their practice. They have formally reviewed some kindergarten operations and systems. They should continue to strengthen self-review practices, including the impact of change on outcomes for children.
Children would benefit from greater support from teachers to extend their learning through play. Teachers could consider how to improve:
- planning to extend children’s thinking and deepen their understanding
- ways of recording children’s learning and how this information is used in ongoing programme planning.
Teachers have identified that they want to continue to build on the bicultural practices currently evident in the centre. Further developments could include greater acknowledgement of Māori children’s strengths and interests, increased use of te reo Māori, and reflecting te ao Māori more prominently in the kindergarten environment.
To improve current reporting practices, the Association should ensure that information about the allocation and use of Ministry of Education equity funding is shared with the kindergarten community.
2 Legal Requirements
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the management of Doubtless Bay 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:
- administration
- health, safety and welfare
- personnel management
- financial and property management.
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.
3 Next Review
When is ERO likely to review the early childhood service again?
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
25 February 2013
Information about the Early Childhood Service
Location |
Taipa, Far North District |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
5002 |
||
Licence type |
All Day Free Kindergarten |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
||
Number licensed for |
36 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 years |
||
Service roll |
51 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 27 Girls 24 |
||
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Māori/Pākehā Māori Indian American Asian Australian Cook Island Māori Dutch German Samoan |
17 13 12 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
No children under 2 years |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
November 2012 |
||
Date of this report |
25 February 2013 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
February 2010 October 2006 May 2004 |
General Information about Early Childhood Reviews
About ERO Reviews
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
Review focus
ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:
- 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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.
Review Coverage
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service 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 the service.