Manaia Community Preschool

1 Evaluation of Manaia Community Preschool

How well placed is Manaia Community Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Manaia Community Preschool is a community-based early learning service, located in the grounds of Manaia School in rural Taranaki. It is licensed for 40 children aged over two years and is open each week day from 9.00am to 1.15pm.  Of the 48 children enrolled, 19 are Māori.

A committee of parents is responsible for the governance of the service. The day-to-day management role is undertaken by the administration manager and senior teacher who work closely with the committee to support overall operation. The senior teacher is also responsible for learning and teaching. Three out of the four teachers are qualified and registered. All are new to the service since the October 2014 ERO report.

The philosophy emphasises the importance of positive, inclusive and challenging learning experiences supported by nurturing relationships, the natural environment, and local history.

The Review Findings

At Manaia Community Preschool children have choices about all aspects of their participation in the programme. They are well supported to make wise and independent decisions and to maintain their engagement in their play for sustained periods. Learning conversations are used well to extend thinking and ideas. Opportunities for creative, open-ended play are well developed. Literacy, science and mathematics are integrated into the programme in purposeful play-based ways. Positive, respectful strategies support social learning. Children are confident and competent learners.

The programme provides opportunities for children, parents and whānau to experience meaningful kaupapa Māori contexts. Te ao Māori is highly valued. Teachers' commitment is expressed through their practice and planning for children's learning. Tikanga Māori is becoming embedded in the programme. Reciprocal links with local iwi are now well established and result in mutually supportive activities. Local history and taonga are celebrated. Teachers' are building their understanding of ways to work with Māori learners. 

Teachers' practice strongly emphasises the philosophical ideals identified by previous centre staff as important for promoting children's learning.  It is timely, with a new teaching team and parent group, that priorities for children's learning are collaboratively reviewed, to ensure they continue to represent the values of this learning community and adequately define educational success for this group of children.

Children's transitions are carefully planned and well supported. New enrolees have their individual needs acknowledged and acted upon in consultation with their families. A range of practices contributes to an approach that promotes continuity of learning for children when they start primary school. Established relationships with local schools enables the sharing of information about individual children, and school and early childhood programmes.

The centre is resourced to support the implementation of a wide variety of learning experiences both indoors and outside. Organisation of materials is carefully considered to invite children's interest and participation. Respect for the environment is highly evident.

Teachers prioritise the development of positive relationships with parents and whānau. Many families have enduring relationships with the centre. Whānau aspirations for their children are sought and acknowledged in planning.

Planning for learning is innovative and comprehensive. A computer-based programme is used well by teachers to record and share information about individual children and identify strategies to support and extend their learning. Portfolios of learning stories show how teachers are noticing, recognising and responding to children's strengths and interests. Ongoing programme evaluation is facilitated through tracking the way teachers' practice links to valued outcomes and the philosophy guiding teaching and learning.

Teachers are well supported in their practice. They are encouraged to attend a range of professional learning opportunities. Generous time is allocated for them to complete their work and collaborate in the best interests of children. The newly-revised appraisal process is linked to professional teaching requirements and has the potential to sustain and build their capability. The senior teacher does not yet have goals identified for her development as a leader. This is a priority.

Understanding and use of internal evaluation is developing. Teachers have adopted a framework for evaluation based on resources recently introduced to the education sector. Further emphasis should be placed on the identification of indicators that represent best practice to enhance decision-making about improvement.

Good leadership contributes to a positive culture, focused on improvement to outcomes for children. The staff are working well as a team.

The centre is well governed and managed. Committee members work well with the senior teacher and administration manager to identify priorities for development and meet legislative requirements. Well-defined reporting informs decision making. A good range of policy guidelines is in place to support understanding of expectations and consistency of practice. Committee members should consider undertaking training in order to better define governance roles and responsibilities and support the sustainability of operation. 

Key Next Steps

ERO and leaders agree that priorities for development are to:

• review the philosophy guiding teaching and learning
• further develop understanding of internal evaluation
• identify development goals to support the senior teacher in her leadership role
• continue to refine governance roles and responsibilities.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Manaia Community 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:

• 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.

In order to improve current practice, the service provider should ensure that:

• the depth of playground bark consistently meets legislative requirements for impact surfacing
• risk assessment for excursions is appropriately defined
• risk procedures for practice impacted on by a delay in the results of police vetting, are clearly documented. 

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Manaia Community Preschool will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

29 September 2017 

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

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.