Hospital Road, Newtown, Wellington
View on mapTe Ō Newtown Kindergarten
Newtown Kindergarten - 21/08/2019
1 Evaluation of Newtown Kindergarten
How well placed is Newtown Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Newtown Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Newtown Kindergarten is situated in Wellington. It provides all-day education and care for up to 42 children, aged over two years. A diverse range of cultures attend the kindergarten.
The head teacher is responsible for managing day-to-day operations. They also provide support to the teaching team. Most teachers are qualified. Since the June 2015 ERO review, some developments of the indoor learning area have been undertaken.
The kindergarten philosophy emphasises the importance of empowerment, holistic development, family and community relationships. This is purposefully underpinned by their Kawa of rangatiratanga, manaakitanga, kotahitanga and kaitiakitanga.
Newtown Kindergarten is governed and managed by He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association (the association). The chief executive and a board of trustees are responsible for the governance. A team of senior teachers oversee and support the professional practice of the teaching team. The association governs 102 kindergartens which includes three Pasifika kindergartens and a Pasifika home-based service with two networks.
ERO's June 2015 report identified areas requiring further development. These included assessment, and self review. Very good progress has been made in addressing these areas for improvement.
Progress has been made by the association to improve the quality and monitoring of processes to support individual kindergartens and regular implementation of a robust appraisal system.
This review was one of nine in He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua Kindergarten Association.
The Review Findings
Children play, learn and have fun in a play-based programme that celebrates the cultural diversity of each child and their whānau. They have many opportunities to explore and create. Teachers effectively use a range of intentional teaching strategies to support and extend children's interests. Positive and respectful interactions are highly evident.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori practices are highly valued and reflected in the service. Teachers enrich children’s learning through well-considered kaupapa Māori experiences. Waiata Māori and pakiwaitara are used in meaningful group activities. Places of value to Māori and their community are celebrated and embedded in the programme. This foundation for all children also strongly supports Māori success as Māori.
An effective planning for learning framework guides teacher practice and is based on children’s emerging interests. Teachers recognise what is important for learning by using Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to develop specific learning outcomes. They respond by creating meaningful learning experiences.
Children’s cultures, languages and identities are successfully celebrated within the programme. Planned cultural events provide opportunities for children, parents and whānau to come together as a community in meaningful ways. Family expertise is used effectively to extend both children's and teachers knowledge and understandings. Acknowledging the cultural diversity in the kindergarten is skilfully woven in assessment documentation.
Teachers work with parents and whānau in partnership to establish specific goals for their child. This information is used effectively to identify what learning matters. Purposeful conversations in children's learning stories provide opportunities for families and whānau to actively contribute.
Children with additional learning needs are identified and effectively supported. External agencies are accessed when required.
The teaching team are highly improvement focused and use internal evaluation well to reflect on their practice and inform improvements. When undertaking the analysis of the evidence gathered, teachers should consider how they can use success indicators to assist them in making decisions on improving outcomes for children.
Leaders and teachers have identified a need to explore ways that enable parents, whānau and their pacific community to more effectively contribute to decisions about review and development.
Leaders establish a culture in which children and their whānau are first and foremost valued, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to the kindergarten. Collaborative ways of working are fostered. Teachers are encouraged to lead many aspects within the curriculum.
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.
Key Next Steps
The key next steps for teachers are to:
- continue to develop meaningful strategies that enable greater participation with parents, whānau Māori, and their pacific community when next reviewing the kindergarten's philosophy, and continue to enhance their understanding and implementation of internal evaluation for improvement.
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.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Newtown 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
21 August 2019
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 |
Wellington |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
5365 |
||
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
42 children aged over two years |
||
Service roll |
53 |
||
Gender composition |
Girls 28, Boys 25 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
Review team on site |
June 2019 |
||
Date of this report |
21 August 2019 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
|
Education Review |
July 2012 |
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
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.
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.
Newtown Kindergarten - 22/06/2015
1 Evaluation of Newtown Kindergarten
How well placed is Newtown 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
Newtown 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). Its roll reflects the diverse multicultural community in which it is situated.
He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua is a new kindergarten association created from joining the Rimutaka and Wellington Kindergarten Associations in 2014. The transition to the new association is expected to be a three-year process.
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 Newtown Kindergarten identified that self review, opportunities for extending children’s learning and increasing the use of te reo Māori as needing further development. Teachers have responded positively to these. Many areas recognised as strengths have been sustained.
Areas where the Wellington Kindergarten Association needed to strengthen its support for teachers were also identified at the time. Improvement continues to be needed in some of these areas that the association has plans to address. These feature as key next steps in this report. The alignment of individual kindergartens' annual plans with the association’s strategic priorities has now been addressed.
All teachers at Newtown Kindergarten are qualified. Since the previous ERO review, a new team has been established and hours of operation have changed. A mixed age programme now operates daily.
This review was part of a cluster of 16 reviews in the He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua kindergartens.
The Review Findings
The newly created philosophy is strongly evident in the programme. Children and families are valued, cultural diversity is celebrated and they experience a sense of belonging. The kindergarten environment provides opportunities for children to experience challenge, risk-taking and discovery.
Newtown Kindergarten’s curriculum is responsive to children’s learning. Teachers show a commitment to building partnerships with families and to inclusive education for children with additional learning needs.
Children’s portfolios provide a useful record of their emerging interests with some links to prior learning experiences. Teachers extend children’s learning through a collaborative approach. There are opportunities provided for staff to revisit children’s learning to inform their teaching. Teachers have identified that they can further develop assessment, planning and evaluation to guide consistent practice.
Self review has been effectively used to support change and ongoing improvement. Teachers are making good use of self review to make informed decisions for teaching and learning.
The senior teacher provides termly written reports that outline agreed development priorities and progress in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. The association has recently implemented new reports that should more deliberately focus on outcomes for children, teacher and leader performance. ERO's evaluation affirms this development.
The 2012 ERO report identified that the association needed to improve the appraisal processes. These continue to require development. A recently revised appraisal model, yet to be implemented, includes: more focused goals that build teacher and leader capability; more regular and targeted feedback and feed forward about teaching practice; and clearer links with the Registered Teacher Criteria.
Children at Newtown Kindergarten have frequent opportunities to learn about Aotearoa New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage. The curriculum supports children and their whānau to experience a sense of belonging through reciprocal relationships. Teachers have identified the need to enhance and strengthen the bicultural curriculum and the use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. ERO's evaluation affirms this development.
Association leaders acknowledge that they need to build teachers’ capability to be responsive to Māori children’s culture, language and identity. This development should include establishing relationships with mana whenua and making use of Ministry of Education resources such as,Ka Hikitia - Accelerating Success 2013 - 2017 and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.
Key Next Steps
The senior teacher, head teacher, staff and ERO agree on the following key next steps for Newtown Kindergarten:
- continue to strengthen the assessment and evaluation of children’s learning
- further develop self review.
The senior management team of He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua should continue to further improve processes for growing and developing the practice of teachers, head teachers and senior teachers. This should include:
- improvements to the quality and monitoring of processes to support individual kindergartens and regular implementation of a robust appraisal system
- building teachers’ capability to be more responsive to Māori children’s culture, language and identity.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Newtown 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.
Next ERO Review
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Newtown Kindergarten will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
22 June 2015
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 |
Wellington |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
5365 |
||
Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
40 children, aged over 2 |
||
Service roll |
65 |
||
Gender composition |
Girls 41, Boys 24 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan South East Asian Indian Chinese Other Asian African Middle Eastern Other European |
2 23 1 9 7 6 1 9 3 4 |
|
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 |
May 2015 |
||
Date of this report |
22 June 2015 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2012 |
|
Education Review |
May 2008 |
||
Education Review |
September 2005 |
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.