Pioneers Nursery

Education institution number:
80048
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
25
Telephone:
Address:

78 Russell Street, Dunedin Central, Dunedin

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Pioneers Nursery - 06/09/2018

1 Evaluation of Pioneers Nursery

How well placed is Pioneers Nursery 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

Pioneers Nursery is one of four centres under the Dunedin Community Childcare Association, trading as Pioneers. Pioneers is a not for profit organisation and has four centres and three home-based care networks. A governance board oversees the work of Pioneers. A director acts as the operational manager and leader of learning. Pioneers aims to ‘provide accessible, affordable and flexible quality education and care for families of Dunedin’.

Pioneers Nursery is a small full-day service specialising in the education and care of infants and toddlers. At the time of this review it was in a temporary building, to enable extensive renovations to its facility. The centre will then return to its refurbished building and home-like setting. The centre provides healthy food for the children each day.

Pioneers Nursery has a head and assistant head teacher. The head teacher is responsible for the day-to-day management of the centre. Since the 2015 ERO review, there have been some changes in staffing. Teachers have a range of qualifications, experience and years of service.

The centre philosophy states that teachers will enhance learning through respectful, responsive interactions and strong relationships with children and their families. It emphasises the importance of a safe, caring environment, and allowing children to move freely and develop and learn at their own pace. The philosophy also states that children will be viewed as competent and unique individuals, whose dignity will be maintained.

This review was part of a cluster of four early learning services reviewed in the Pioneers (DCCA) organisation.

The Review Findings

Infants and toddlers benefit from responsive, respectful, trusting relationships. They settle quickly on arrival, and show a strong sense of attachment to their teachers. This is especially evident with their key teacher (primary caregiver). Key teachers know the children they are responsible for, and communicate closely with parents about their child’s care needs, wellbeing, learning and development.

Consistent with the centre philosophy, teachers see infants and toddlers as capable learners. Through gentle interactions and in a calm, unhurried setting, children are given space and time to lead their learning and take safe risks. This includes many opportunities for physical exploration. Teachers encourage choice, independence and self-management. They carefully support children to enjoy and manage emerging friendships.

Transitions for infants and toddlers are very sensitively managed. Great care is taken as each new child and family settles into the centre, and later moves on to Elm Row or Russell Street.

Flexible care routines that align with what happens at home further contribute to children’s wellbeing. Teachers prioritise undisturbed care moments to quietly interact with children. Care routines are consistently respectful.

Teachers frequently notice, record in learning stories and share with parents, interesting snippets about their child's day. These stories often capture a significant learning moment and briefly describe the learning. The quality of more detailed learning stories varied. In the better examples, teachers described how they had extended and deepened the learning. These stories often linked back to an agreed goal and showed the child's progress over time.

Teachers specifically plan relevant group focuses that lead to enriched learning experiences for the children. Group plans build on children’s interests and link to the centre’s priorities for learning. Plans would be enhanced by teachers clarifying the intended learning outcomes and strategies to support these. This information would help teachers in their subsequent evaluation of the impact of planning on children’s learning.

The centre is well led and managed. Leaders and teachers follow a useful process for planned internal evaluation. These result in ongoing improvements for children. There is regular professional learning about what is best for infants and toddlers. The shift to the temporary facilities was thoughtfully managed to minimise impact on children. The teachers work well as a team, communicating closely about children’s care needs and learning. Leaders and teachers frequently provide guidance and support to help parents, especially first-time parents.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps are to review how well children’s oral language development is supported, and to strengthen:

  • aspects of individual and group planning including how teachers gather and respond to parents’ aspirations/goals for their children’s learning

  • aspects of internal evaluation/self review

  • the use of te reo Māori in the day-to-day programme.

Pioneers Association - Governance

Pioneers has sound governance practices. Board members have a good understanding of their governance role, and have relevant skills and work experience. With the director, centre leaders and teachers they have developed well-considered strategic goals and useful long and short term plans. Initiatives and practices across the centres are intentionally aligned to these. Teachers and leaders feel valued and very well supported by the director and board.

The director has implemented useful systems and practices that contribute to the smooth operation of the centres through a period of significant change. Valuable relationships have been built with social and educational organisations beyond the association, with the intent of improving educational provision and children's wellbeing.

The director and ERO have identified that the next steps are to continue to:

  • implement the new and improved appraisal system, including teaching as inquiry
  • extend quality assurance to further identify and share best practices across all centres so that any additional support required is identified

  • build links with local iwi and Māori whānau to enable rich learning about te ao Māori across all centres
  • support centres to develop more useful annual action plans and improve reporting against these.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Pioneers Nursery 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 Pioneers Nursery will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

6 September 2018

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

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

80048

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 23 aged under 2

Service roll

21

Gender composition

Girls: 7 Boys: 14

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnicities

1
19
1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

June 2018

Date of this report

6 September 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

February 2015

Education Review

December 2011

Education Review

March 2009

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.

Russell Street Nursery - 09/02/2015

1 Evaluation of Russell Street Nursery

How well placed is Russell Street Nursery 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

Russell Street Nursery provides specialised care and learning for as many as 25 children up to two years of age. Parents bring children to this central-city service from the wider Dunedin area. Next door is a second centre run by the same association for children over two years of age. About a quarter of the children identify as Māori.

There have been some staff changes since the last ERO review. At the time of the review there were five fully-trained teachers and two in training. The ratio of teacher to child is often as low as 1 to 3 to ensure there are plenty of opportunities for one-to-one interactions to benefit individual children. Centre leaders work well with teachers to maintain a shared philosophy and set of beliefs about providing care and learning for very young children.

The centre’s philosophy can be seen in action. Teachers are caring and nurturing. They focus on free movement for children and provide opportunities for children to explore at their own pace. Care is taken to provide for and support children appropriately for their ages and stages. Children play in a calm, settled, unhurried environment.

The centre has made good progress in addressing the areas for review and development identified in the 2011 ERO report.

This review was part of a cluster of five centres managed by the Dunedin Community Childcare Association (DCCA).

The Review Findings

The programme for children is very responsive to children’s interests, preferences and strengths. Teachers organise the environment so that children have easy access to both indoor and outdoor spaces. These areas are well resourced and encourage exploration. Each child is supported by a ‘key teacher’, with a second teacher to step in when required. The ‘key teacher’ places a high priority on each child in her care, knowing the child and the family well, and caring for and supporting the child’s learning closely.

Children’s wishes and preferences can be seen in the ways teachers show they are responsive to each child’s interests and needs. Teachers have respectful, collaborative relationships with each other, and with parents and whānau. They have purposeful, respectful interactions with children. 

Children play alongside and interact with each other positively. Older children nurture and interact well with younger children in their play. 

Teachers know the children very well and are responsive to their verbal and non-verbal cues. They:

  • have positive, caring and affirming relationships with children
  • work effectively together to support children when they need extra care
  • ensure routines are responsive and sensitive to the child’s needs
  • make good use of opportunities to develop children’s vocabulary, knowledge, skills, and awareness of the world.

Teachers record how children’s language is supported and is developing. They take care to reflect the bicultural heritage of New Zealand and ensure there are opportunities for children to hear and use te reo Māori. There is awareness of tikanga Māori within the centre. Teachers invite input from Māori whānau and they are reviewing the effectiveness of this way of gathering and responding to the wishes of parents of Māori children. 

Teachers’ transition practices are well considered to support children effectively within the centre and as they move to the next centre. Teachers spoke knowledgeably to ERO about the learning opportunities provided to support children’s early mathematics learning and gave specific examples of how these are included in everyday activities.

The profile books that record children’s learning show that children receive a wide range of experiences within the centre and beyond. The recent introduction of an on-line portfolio system is giving families greater opportunity to be involved in their children’s learning. Special family events are included in learning programmes to help families feel well involved in the life of the centre. 

Centre leaders model and promote a shared understanding of the centre’s philosophy with a focus on children, their unique identity and potential. Leaders have a collaborative, high-trust way of working with the teaching team. They purposefully:

  • build the capacity of leadership with the teaching team
  • encourage the ongoing development of all staff
  • support new teachers in training
  • strategically choose new staff who will fit into the team culture of care.

Key Next Steps

Teachers need to improve the way their records of learning for all children regularly show over time how children are progressing in relation to their identified goals. Teachers should clearly record:

  • how they have given ongoing support in the development of the identified goal
  • the impact of specific teaching strategies on children’s learning.

The teaching team would benefit from better documentation of the centre’s expectations for each aspect of teaching. This would confirm that they have shared and agreed understandings. It would also provide a sound basis for effective review of how well they are implementing these expectations.

A further next step is to strengthen self review to ensure review is against the documented, agreed expectations, with useful indicators of good practice. This would ensure self-review practices confirm what is going well and identify any areas needing improvement. The teaching team should then plan how to bring about improvements and embed them in the revised expectations of good practice.

Teachers have identified that they want to use the new portfolio system to gather greater input from parents about children’s learning and teachers’ curriculum decisions.

Governance and Management

The DCCA is governed by an executive committee and managed by a newly appointed director. The experienced and supportive executive:

  • has a strong commitment to teaching and learning
  • has developed policies to guide practices within the centres
  • seek the views of parents and staff
  • is more purposefully appraising their teaching staff, in particular against the registered teacher criteria.

Head teachers appreciate the regular meeting they have as a group with the director.

Since the 2011 ERO review, the association has developed a useful framework for self review. The association management need to ensure its practices and those of the centres are following the guidelines. Better implementation of the guidelines should lead to more effective identification of what is going well and what needs further development. Findings from self review should be an integral part of planning.

The executive committee has developed four aspirational strategic goals. The associated annual plan could be improved by setting out how each goal is to be specifically achieved. The association recognises the need for each centre to develop annual plans that align with the association’s priorities. More detailed plans would provide a useful basis for head teachers and the director to write their reports against and for the executive committee to monitor progress against. 

The board needs to clarify the roles of the association management and leadership, including the director's responsibilities. This should help the achievement of the strategic plan.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Russell Street Nursery 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.

To improve current practice the early childhood leaders should:

  • develop written procedures to guide the results of police vetting and the management of related risks
  • improve its practices for the assessment and management of risk for all excursions.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Russell Street Nursery will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

9 February 2015

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

80048

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 2 aged under 2

Service roll

23

Gender composition

Female: 16

Male: 7

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Middle Eastern

Other European

6

13

1

1

2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

October 2014

Date of this report

9 February 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

December 2011

 

Education Review

March 2009

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.