Pukeko Country Preschool

1. Evaluation of Pukeko Preschool

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

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

Background

Pukeko Preschool is owned and operated by a not-for-profit community trust. It provides a full-day education and care service for children from two years to school age, in a mixed-age setting. The preschool is located on grounds adjacent to Tauwhare Primary School, and shares a number of their facilities. The preschool is licenced for a maximum of 17 children at any one time. The current roll is 23, including three children identified as Māori.

The trust board retain responsibility for centre governance, which includes strategic and annual planning, financial and property management, employment of staff and meeting legislative requirements. The centre manager is responsible for professional leadership and day-to-day operations. There have been minimal changes of the qualified teaching staff since the 2014 ERO review.

The preschool aims to provide quality care in a welcoming and safe environment, which promotes inquiry, curiosity and creativity. Children are respected and nurtured as unique individuals, and diverse cultures are valued. The centre fosters close links with families, the local school and the wider community.

The trust board and centre leaders responded positively to the recommendations in the 2014 ERO report. The appraisal process has been reviewed and more closely aligned to current Education Council requirements. Visually effective displays of learning have been developed and used to inform families about the programme.

The Review Findings

Children experience responsive, sensitive, and empowering relationships with adults. Teachers know the children very well in this small centre. High levels of relational trust are evident between teachers, children and their families. Children have opportunities for sustained and complex play, both individually and in small groups. Teachers have had recent professional development on the effective support for children with additional needs. Children are well supported to develop their dispositions for learning, social competencies and self-management skills.

Intentional teaching and learning practices are effective in promoting positive outcomes for children. ERO observed children’s interests and strengths being valued and supported. Teachers frequently extend children’s understanding through conversations that involve high levels of oral language. These conversations promote children’s critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

Children are engaged in a child-initiated curriculum that is responsive to their interests, strengths and capabilities. The curriculum design allows children to make choices and lead their own learning, between the more formalised times of transition. There are many ‘hands-on’ practical learning activities and children have ready access to quality equipment, including many natural resources, to manipulate and explore. Children experience a wide range of meaningful learning experiences in the indoor and outside play areas, surrounding school environments and on planned trips. They have many opportunities for physical challenge and risk taking to stimulate their development. Imaginative and creative play is valued and encouraged. Literacy, mathematics and the natural world learning experiences are skilfully integrated throughout the programme in meaningful and authentic contexts.

Planning and assessment is effectively informed, term-by-term, with parent input about their child’s current interests and strengths. Teachers prepare high-quality individual assessment portfolios which are attractively presented and appealing to children and parents. These portfolios are greatly valued, frequently re-visited and include an appropriate mix of individual and group experiences.

A feature of service is the close support of, and ease of transition to, the neighbouring school for all children. Preschool children attend many shared events, use the school playground, library and native forest area. Frequent interactions with older siblings at the school ensure children feel confident prior to transition. The inclusive and stimulating curriculum is effective at supporting all children to become competent and confident life-long learners.

Māori children benefit from the welcoming culture and underpinning values of the preschool.   Whānau input is valued and a sense of community is evident. Teachers have reflected on the revised Te Whāriki curriculum document, and recognise that the bicultural and local curriculum are areas for further development. Shared cultural events support an awareness of Māori language, culture and identity, but these are not currently focussed on individual whakapapa. Māori children are supported to succeed along with all other children.

The experienced head teacher models professional commitment to improving educational outcomes for all children. She works effectively with the staff to establish mutually respectful relationships throughout the local community, including with parents and the neighbouring school. Teachers work as a collaborative and reflective team, and are involved in effective internal evaluation focused on continual improvements in practice and outcomes for children. Staff work well with the head teacher to create an inclusive and supportive culture which promotes a sense of belonging and pride for all children.

Pukeko Preschool Community Trust Board provide effective governance that promotes successful learning outcomes for all children. The established philosophy, vision and values provide a shared sense of direction for the preschool community. Generous support for staff professional learning and development supports capacity building and fosters the sustainability of quality provision of education and care.

The preschool benefits from the strong support of parents and the local community, which includes past and present families, and the neighbouring school. An annual parent survey is completed, analysed and the results used to inform decisions. Parents spoken to by ERO expressed trust and confidence in preschool leadership and staff. The community trust board provide effective governance that promotes successful learning outcomes for all children.

Key Next Steps

The next steps for the preschool are to:

• continue to implement the principles of Te Whāriki (2017), with particular reference to the local curriculum, and how the language culture and identity of each child is affirmed
• review the current philosophy to more strongly reflect the service’s commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and bi-cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand
• review centre routines for shared kai and rest times, to minimise interruptions to children's learning through play
• strengthen the links between teaching as inquiry goals and the preschool's strategic priorities.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Pukeko 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. 

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

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

Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

2 May 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 

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.