Stewart Island EC Education Centre

1 Evaluation of Stewart Island EC Education Centre

How well placed is Stewart Island EC Education Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

This centre, known as Rakiura Rugrats, is the only early learning service on Stewart Island. It provides an essential service for the community and is very well supported by the community. This support reflects the strong emotional connections (whanaungatanga) families and whānau have had with the centre over generations.

The service is owned by a community-based trust and run by a parent management committee. The committee and its one trained teacher receive mentoring support from the Southland Kindergarten Association. The teacher is also supported by a teacher aide and parent helpers.

The service offers education and care for up to 20 children from 9am to 1.15pm each day. It recently established provision for up to 10 under two year old children on one morning a fortnight, and will increase this to one day a week in October 2018. This is to help young children transition into the centre.

The committee and teacher have made good progress in addressing the recommendations from the 2015 ERO report. The committee has strengthened systems, including reviewing policies, documenting operational procedures and putting in place succession planning processes.

The Review Findings

Children play and learn in an environment that recognises and builds on the values and beliefs of families and whānau. These values and beliefs reflect the specific nature of the community and its strong involvement in, and commitment to the centre. Children are encouraged to learn about the community's rich cultural history. They are involved in caring for and sustaining the island's unique natural identity.

Children have a wide range of learning opportunities within the centre, in collaboration with the primary school and others on the island, and further afield. Visiting experts provide specific activities from time to time. Learning covers a broad range of integrated curriculum interests, themes and activities.

Teaching and learning practices promote positive learning outcomes for children. Assessment, planning and evaluation respond to the interests, strengths and capabilities of children, as individuals and in groups. The current focus appropriately supports 'tamariki to be kaitiaki, guardians of Papatuanuku'. Children are benefitting from a programme that:

• prioritises identity, culture and sense of place

• fosters social and learning competencies

• is responsive to those with special and identified learning needs

• identifies a wide range of learning outcomes through assessment.

Transitioning processes effectively support children as they come into and move on from the centre. Positive, regular communication and close relationships with the school enable children to move comfortably from the centre to the school. Specific activities for four year old children support this process. Appropriate introductions, care and learning experiences for under two year olds are strongly supported by families and whānau on the parent committee and as parent helpers.

The teacher and teacher aide work in close partnership (mahi tahi) with parents and whānau. Parents are actively involved in their children's learning and in the life of the centre. There are close links between the centre and the home.

The recently reviewed philosophy strongly reflects the values and aspirations of whānau and the community (manaakitanga). This philosophy is central to the strategic goals, appraisal and professional practice of the teacher and the centre programme. The centre views the environment as the 'third teacher' (kaiako), supporting all children to understand and embrace their culture and identity. Understanding and taking responsibility as guardians of the environment (kaitiakitanga) is a valued outcome for all children, and especially Māori children. This prioritises learning success for Māori children, as Māori, in the context of their identity, culture and place.

Key Next Steps

The centre and ERO agree that key next steps are to:

• further strengthen internal evaluation to better focus on the impact of evaluation on outcomes for children

• further increase knowledge, understanding and integration of Te Whāriki 2017.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Stewart Island EC Education Centre 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 Stewart Island EC Education Centre will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard 

Director Review & Improvement Services

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

29 August 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.