3 Poplar Road, Stanmore Bay
View on mapLittle Poppy's Preschool
Little Poppy's Preschool
1 ERO’s Judgements
Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Little Poppy’s Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
2 Context of the Service
Little Poppy’s Preschool, previously known as Apples Childcare & Learning Centre is privately owned and operated. The centre manager, a registered qualified teacher, oversees the daily operation with the support from the owner. They lead a team of 11 qualified teachers and six unqualified staff.
3 Summary of findings
Children are familiar with routines. They are confident in themselves and with others through reciprocal relationships. Children have a positive attitude towards self-help skills and independence. They can sustain their play through provocations in the environment. Older children have opportunities to build early literacy and numeracy skills through learning experiences.
Infants and toddlers experience a calm and unhurried approach from teachers that promotes children’s empowerment and decision making. There is a strong focus of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in the toddlers’ room. Approaches to transitions within the service cater for individuals’ needs and whānau requests. Children with additional needs are supported to access the curriculum through leaders’ and teachers’ engagement with different support agencies.
Teachers continue to develop a shared understanding of planning and assessment processes and practices. The service is beginning to explore the learning outcomes for children in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Assessment documentation does not yet make visible teachers’ responses to children’s interests, dispositions and parent aspirations. There are some opportunities for parents to participate in assessment and curriculum planning processes. The local curriculum has not yet been unpacked.
Useful quality improvement systems, processes and practices have been established. Teachers have access to professional learning. Review and internal evaluation processes reflect multiple voices from teachers and parents. Research and data gathering are used to develop teachers’ understanding of good practice. Leaders and teachers continue to use internal evaluation to identify how well the programme impacts on all learners and informs quality improvement planning.
A positive working environment facilitates a low turnover of staff and relational trust amongst teachers. Leaders have well-established systems and processes in place to maintain regulatory requirements. Alignment between strategic direction, annual plan and internal evaluation is visible.
4 Improvement actions
Little Poppy’s Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. Leaders and teachers to:
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identify and embed a localised curriculum, in partnership with parents and whānau.
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increase the visibility of how teachers respond to children’s interests, dispositions, and parents’ aspirations in assessment and planning for learning
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regularly evaluate to determine how effectively the service is providing for the strengths, interests and needs of all children.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Poppy’s 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:
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curriculum
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premises and facilities
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health and safety practices
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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:
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emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
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physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
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suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
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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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
16 November 2022
6 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Poppy's Preschool |
Profile Number |
20259 |
Location |
Stanmore Bay, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
70 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
Service roll |
66 |
Review team on site |
June 2022 |
Date of this report |
16 November 2022 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, October 2020 |
Little Poppy’s Preschool - 16/10/2020
ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
ERO’s Judgement
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
Curriculum |
Meeting |
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
Health and safety |
Meeting |
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Background
Little Poppy’s Preschool is a family owned service providing full-day and sessional options for enrolment. There are four areas for different age groups. The open plan layout offers a variety of indoor and outdoor experiences. This is the first ERO review of the service since a change of ownership in 2019.
Summary of Review Findings
Leaders and teachers provide education and care that enhances children’s learning and development in meaningful ways. The service curriculum reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Te reo Māori is integrated into teaching practices.
The design and layout of the premises supports the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. This includes quiet spaces, areas for physically active play and space for a range of individual and group learning opportunities.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows:
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the temperature at the hot water cylinder is above 60 degrees (HS14)
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all staff who have regular access to children are safety checked according to the licensing requirements (GMA7A).
Next ERO Review
The next ERO review of Little Poppy’s Preschool is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
16 October 2020
Information About the Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Poppy’s Preschool |
Profile Number |
20259 |
Location |
Stanmore Bay, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
70 children, including up to 25 aged under 2. |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
Service roll |
70 |
Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 32 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 14 |
Review team on site |
September 2020 |
Date of this report |
16 October 2020 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Previously reviewed as Apples Childcare & Learning Centre Education Review April 2018 |
General Information about Assurance Reviews
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:
- having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
- previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
- that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
- that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
- where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
- evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
- discussions with those involved in the service
- consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
- observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.