12 Laurina Road, Sunnynook, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
North Harbour Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
North Harbour Preschool provides full-day education and care for 40 children, including up to 10 under two years of age. It is located in a modified commercial building with a large outdoor area. Infants, toddlers and older children have separate indoor and outdoor play spaces. They have regular opportunities to explore the wider centre.
The preschool's philosophy is aligned to the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It places value on children learning in a respectful environment where they build a sense of belonging.
North Harbour Preschool is a family owned centre. Since the 2015 ERO review there have been staff changes, including a new centre manager and supervisor. Five of the eight staff are qualified teachers.
ERO's 2015 report commented that the service should continue to move towards a more responsive, child-led curriculum for children. Key next steps included reviewing the centre philosophy and the role of teachers in enacting the philosophy. Other next steps included strengthening internal evaluation, implementing teacher appraisals, and renewing police vets every three years. The preschool has made progress in some of these areas.
Children are well settled and engaged in the centre environment. Their wellbeing is nurtured through respectful relationships with teachers and each other, and their care and needs are well supported. This helps support children's strong sense of belonging in the centre.
Children are supported to be confident learners. They may make choices about their play in a well-resourced environment. Children play cooperatively and alongside their peers for long periods of time. They support each other in play through tuakana/teina relationships. Children move freely between the indoor and outdoor environments. Teachers promote oral language development to support children to confidently express themselves.
Infants and toddlers are provided with nurturing, attentive care. They benefit from calm interactions with familiar adults. Toddlers are encouraged to develop independence and explore their interests. Children's individual needs are well catered for. Infants' early attempts at communication are supported by teachers who use language to comfort them and extend their development. Infants and toddlers have regular and easy access to the older children’s play areas, supporting their social development and smooth transitions through the centre.
Teachers provide well-resourced environments that reflect the centre's values. Their interactions with children are supportive, and foster children’s learning. Some teachers use deeper questioning to promote more complexity in children's learning.
Teachers are continuing to develop their assessment, planning and evaluation processes. They have an increased focus on aligning programme planning with the outcomes expressed in Te Whāriki. Assessment portfolios contain information about children’s involvement in the programme. Teachers are increasingly recording children's learning and interests. Online portfolios provide families with easy access to information about their children’s learning experiences at the centre.
Centre leadership is effective and professional. Leaders promote staff wellbeing and collaboration to support positive outcomes for children. They provide good opportunities for staff development through well-targeted internal and external professional learning opportunities. Leaders focus on continual improvement and they foster teachers' leadership.
The centre's direction is driven by the vision of the leaders, and underpinned by a sound policy and procedures framework. Some good systems to monitor health and safety are in place. Internal evaluation is developing and results in improvement. Strategic goals have guided the recent redevelopment of the centre's environment to provide additional learning spaces for children.
Key next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of North Harbour 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:
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:
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, centre leaders must ensure that police vetting is completed in a timely way.
The next ERO review of North Harbour Preschool will be in three years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
7 February 2019
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.
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Location |
Sunnynook, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20371 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
32 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 16 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
6 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2018 |
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Date of this report |
7 February 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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Supplementary Review |
July 2013 |
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Supplementary Review |
July 2012 |
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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:
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.
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:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
North Harbour Preschool operates in an adapted commercial building in the residential area of Sunnynook on Auckland’s North Shore. It provides for up to 40 children, including 10 children up to two years of age. Of the 20 children currently on the roll, 14 are from migrant families and two have Māori heritage.
The team of three registered teachers includes the owner. Two additional staff, both of whom have some training in early childhood education, support the teaching team and provide meals for children. Some teachers are able to communicate with migrant families in their home languages.
ERO’s reviews of the centre since 2011 had highlighted concerns related to the learning environment and the constraints of the building structure. ERO had also identified concerns with the quality of teaching and learning, and management systems and practices.
Since ERO’s 2013 review, the centre has received external advice and support through a Ministry of Education (MOE) contract. External consultants have re-designed and landscaped the outdoor learning environments. Negotiations with the building owner resulted in significant alterations and interior decoration. Infants and toddlers are cared for in an area alongside the building entry and now have direct access to their outdoor play area. Children have timetabled access to the outdoor learning environment and between the upstairs and downstairs playrooms. However, a fire door and narrow internal staircase limit ready access for children.
Teachers have worked with advisers and attended a variety of courses, including an English language course. This professional development has helped teachers to improve their assessment, planning and teaching practices. The owner has also received support with financial management, strategic planning and self review. She is confident and enthusiastic about recent improvements and the centre’s ongoing growth and development.
Children participate confidently in conversations with their teachers. They generally relate well together and are settled and comfortable at the centre. Teachers’ relationships with children are warm and caring, and their interactions are positive and supportive. Meaningful conversations with children help to build their communication abilities. Parents who spoke to ERO appreciate the owner’s flexibility and responsiveness in providing for their requirements.
The learning environments are attractive, light and spacious, with good quality furniture and resources. Teacher's report that children are now more involved in learning with a better variety of resources in uncluttered and well organised play areas. Children’s mathematics and literacy learning is well supported through teachers interactions and appropriate resources. Children enjoy and make good use of the landscaped outdoor learning environment. This supports their imaginative play and offers opportunities for physical challenge.
Teachers continue to consider ways to make the best use of newly available spaces. They want to enrich the selection of resources and increase challenge for children. Improving children’s independent access to all play areas is an important next step.
Teachers report that parents are now better informed about their children’s learning programmes. Teachers are more aware of and more responsive to children’s individual interests and needs. They regularly discuss and evaluate programmes. There is a good level of focus on how well programmes promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Teachers now plan to improve the ways that they document their partnership with parents in assessment and planning. They also intend to examine how well the environment and teaching practices recognise and celebrate the cultural diversity of their community. Ongoing professional support for the teaching team should help them to further improve their assessment records and programme planning. It should also help them to become more critical of their teaching practice with a view to continually improving provision for children’s learning.
As part of the MOE relicensing process in 2014, the centre’s policies and procedures were reviewed and adapted. Some policies require further review so that they better reflect current requirements and guide centre practice. In 2013 ERO identified the need to improve teacher appraisal processes. This 2015 ERO review finds that a robust appraisal cycle has not yet been completed for all staff.
Since 2013 advisers have built on the centre’s self-review practices through an intensive process of review and development. Useful strategic and action plans were developed to guide these improvements. This model provides a basis for further development. However, the centre’s long-term plans are not currently documented. The annual plan does not contain sufficient clarity or guidance to support purposeful development or to ensure that all requirements are met. More transparency and collaboration in centre management planning would help staff to develop shared understandings. It could also help the owner to delegate and share some of her current responsibilities.
Centre leaders should work with advisers to build on progress to date, and as the centre’s roll increases. The next steps are to:
ERO recommends that the centre owner and teachers continue to work with external professional development providers to sustain recent improvements, address the next steps identified in this report, and to support ongoing development.
Before the review, the staff and management of North Harbour 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:
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:
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 practices the owner should:
ERO identified an area of non-compliance relating to employment practices. To meet legal requirements, the owner must:
The next ERO review of North Harbour Preschool will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
27 March 2015
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.
|
Location |
Sunnynook, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20371 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
20 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 13 Girls 7 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Filipino Korean Chinese Indian Middle Eastern other |
2 4 4 3 2 2 2 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 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
27 March 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Supplementary Review |
July 2013 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
June 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2011 |
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:
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.
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:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.