5 Woodlands Road, Opotiki
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Happy Feet Preschool is a small privately owned full day education and care service. The centre is located in a semi-rural area close to Opotiki Township and has been open for two years. It is licensed for 25 children with up to 10 children under the age of two. There are currently 23 children enrolled, 18 of whom are Māori.
The centre philosophy reinforces the importance of children learning through play. Parents are valued as the child's first teacher and staff endeavour to collaborate with whānau to enhance children’s development. Teachers aim to cater for the needs and interests of each child. They implement the principles of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and wairuatanga and provide free education for all children. Leaders provide transport to and from the centre to support families and enable equitable access to education.
There are two separate age-group learning spaces, with a shared outdoor area which supports tuakana teina, where all age groups learn from one another.
The centre owners provide stability for children, with one owner teaching full time. There has been consistent staff turnover since the centre has opened.
This is the centre's first ERO review.
Teachers promote positive learning opportunities that allow children to develop confidence and competence in everyday learning. They provide caring and nurturing support with respectful and affirming interactions. Teachers model good practice and positively guide children’s behaviour through reciprocal relationships that foster a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging. Leaders have established a culture in which children are first and foremost valued, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning.
Children are well supported to develop curiosity and confidence to explore their environment. Literacy and numeracy are included in the programme, however teachers should now consider the use of mathematics to ensure all aspects, such as patterning and measuring, are included. Oral language is promoted through modelling, waiata, music and the use of te reo Māori to support a commitment to bi-cultural learning. Intentional teaching supports children to develop social competence skills. Children enjoy a range of opportunities for learning outside of the centre including visits to the nearby park and wetlands.
Responsive caregiving supports infants and toddlers need for strong and secure attachments. Their teachers understand the concept of aroha, including compassion, respect, connectedness and obligation to whānau. This helps them provide appropriate care and education for the very young who benefit from a calm, caring and settled learning environment.
Children enjoy a responsive curriculum that allows them to make choices and decisions about their learning. The programme is a mix of adult-led and child-directed experiences, where teachers deliberately follow children’s interests for learning. Children experience a curriculum that responds to their strengths and abilities and affirms their language, culture and identity. Leaders should review the environment to improve the accessibility and availability of an appropriate range of resources.
Parents are informed about children's learning through:
attractive learning portfolios that showcase children's learning progressions
informal conversations
social media and newsletters
centre events.
Teachers are active in building partnerships with parents to involve them more in their children’s learning.
The owner is focussed on the wellbeing of all children and providing learning opportunities that are authentic and meaningful. She is committed to delivering a culturally responsive programme to foster children’s success as Māori. Children benefit from the commitment of the owners to provide equitable opportunities for all children.
Self review is developing and has led to some positive change. There are plans for extending the centre building and outdoor playground. Leaders now need to consider how the limited space can be used most effectively to improve outcomes for children's learning.
Children benefit from a philosophy that reflects the bi-cultural nature of Aotearoa New Zealand. The service's vision, goals and systems are responsive to the learning and cultural needs of children. A robust annual process for appraisal is in place, but has yet to be fully implemented due to staff turnover.
The owners and ERO agree that priorities for the centre are to:
strengthen assessment by demonstrating children's development over time and the increasing complexity of their learning
continue to build teacher capability through a strategic planned approach to professional learning, and the full implementation of the appraisal.
Before the review, the staff and management of Happy Feet Preschool 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 Happy Feet Preschool will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty
8 June 2017
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 |
Opotiki |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46574 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
23 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 15 Boys 8 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Indian Pacific |
18 4 1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
50-79% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
April 2017 |
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Date of this report |
8 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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No previous ERO reports |
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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:
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.