10 Beatty Street, Otahuhu, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
St Mary's Family Pre-School is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
St Mary's Family Pre-School is one of two preschools operating under the umbrella of the Anglican Trust for Woman and Children (ATWC). It is licensed for 35 children, including 10 up to two years of age. Most children who attend the centre have Pacific heritage, while those with Māori heritage make up the next largest group.
The preschool provides all-day and sessional services. About 20 percent of the roll is made up of children whose parents attend an ATWC residential parenting programme. The preschool provides a programme based on "attachment theory and the circle of security".
A preschool manager has a governance role at the centre and reports to the Trust Service Delivery Manager. A centre supervisor has oversight of day-to-day operations and the curriculum.
The 2015 ERO report identified that development was necessary to improve programmes to meet children’s learning needs, internal evaluation and teacher appraisal. While some progress has been made in these areas, further work is necessary.
Children are settled in the centre and demonstrate a sense of belonging. They play and learn in a welcoming environment that supports their physical and emotional wellbeing.
Mothers from the ATWC residential programme attend Wednesday morning sessions with their children. During this time, teachers and ATWC personnel coach the mothers about how to play and interact with their children with the aim of improving outcomes for children and families.
Infants and toddlers play in a separate inside area and share the playground with older children. Teachers focus on forming secure attachments between adults and children. Their responsive caregiving practices result in a calm environment. Teachers should now consider ways to provide children with a wider variety of activities, including sensory exploration. Better access to the outdoor environment would also enhance children's opportunities to learn and explore.
Teachers know children and families well and interact with them in attentive ways. They encourage children to make choices within a prepared environment. A strong ethic of care is embedded in their teaching approaches. A greater emphasis on helping children to develop more respectful approaches in their conversations with others would be a worthwhile development.
While teachers are working with children in small groups they should consider how they could more effectively respond to and extend children's thinking and learning. It would also be beneficial for children if they had more opportunities to express their ideas, problem solve, and lead their own learning.
Portfolios are an attractive record of children's participation in the programme. Assessment processes are developing. There are some good examples of teachers identifying children's individual interests and dispositions. In order to build on this good practice, teachers should document children's learning progress and how they plan to respond to children's interests, play and learning.
Teachers make curriculum decisions collaboratively. They are developing ways to gather parent aspirations and to reflect these within planning. Teachers are building their knowledge and understanding of the revised early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki 2017. Developing shared understandings about how to assess and plan for learning will improve teaching practice and learning outcomes.
Teachers understand the importance of promoting te reo and tikanga Māori. Continuing support for teachers to use te reo in the programme will help them to develop more consistent practices. Teachers could continue to find ways to reflect children's diverse cultures in the programme.
Centre policies and procedures are being developed. Continuing with regular policy reviews will assist teachers to ensure that policies are understood and implemented. Internal evaluations are regular and follow an established process, and have resulted in recent improvements to the learning environment.
The centre's appraisal process has been improved to meet the requirements of the Education Council's teaching standards. Teachers have accessed relevant professional development opportunities to improve their practice. Leaders should continue to support teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching, and to gauge the impact that professional development has on children's learning outcomes.
The strategic plan is aligned with the centre annual plan. By setting specific actions and quality indicators teachers would be better placed to evaluate the progress being made towards achieving the centre's strategic aims and goals.
Key next steps for the centre include continuing work to:
establish sound and shared understandings about the use of Te Whāriki 2017 to strengthen evaluation, assessment and planning and to guide the review of the centre's philosophy
build teaching practices that empower children to think creatively and lead their own learning
strengthen teachers' implementation of the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the programme
establish culturally responsive practices with children and families from Māori, Pacific and other cultures.
Before the review, the staff and management of St Mary's Family Pre-School 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:
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.
The next ERO review of St Mary's Family Pre-School will be in three years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
31 January 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 |
Otahuhu, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25091 |
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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 |
35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
27 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 17 Boys 10 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
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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 |
September 2018 |
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Date of this report |
31 January 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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Education Review |
September 2008 |
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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.
St Mary’s Family Pre-School is located in Otahuhu, Auckland. It operates under the Anglican Trust for Women and Children (ATWC) along with a range of support services for families from diverse experiences and cultural backgrounds. The centre provides education and care for children from the wider community as well as families who receive support from the Trust. The centre is licensed for 35 children, including up to 10 children under the age of two.
The centre’s philosophy places importance on working in partnership with families and providing an affordable service. It values a safe and secure environment for children to develop to their potential.
The centre has separate indoor areas for the infants/toddlers and the older children. It provides a large outdoor play area that invites children to interact and play together in a fun environment.
The centre contact person is also the Trust’s Director of Family Services. She reports to the Trust and mentors the centre manager in her leadership role. The centre manager is supported by a long serving team leader and a teaching team who are mostly new since the 2012 ERO review. Staff turnover has had a negative impact on sustaining improvement. The centre employs six qualified teachers, allowing for a high ratio of adults to children. Five of the teachers are fully registered.
The strengths of the centre that were identified in the 2012 ERO report relating to positive relationships, interactions and the centre environment continue. Several aspects of centre management have been improved. Self review is in the early stages of development.
Infants and toddlers receive high quality nurturing care in a well-resourced environment. Staff respond appropriately to infants’ non verbal communication. They are very mindful of following infants’ preferences and respectfully allowing children to build attachments with teachers.
Children enjoy a range of activities that are relevant for their age and stage of development. Children are very settled and enjoy the opportunities they have to play and explore. Children are comfortable in their surroundings and with their teachers. They demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the centre.
Teachers encourage children to explore through play and to develop social skills and positive attitudes. Staff embrace the centre philosophy by supporting children’s wellbeing and building trusting relationships with them. They are committed to working in partnership with families to promote positive outcomes for children. Staff are continuing to develop their skills in te reo Māori through professional development.
Teachers have implemented individual plans so that the programme responds better to children’s interests. They should develop planning, assessment and evaluation practices to continue to improve the quality of the programme.
The centre manager and contact person promote centre improvement. They liaise extensively with professional support services to ensure that children and their families are well supported. The managers work collaboratively to ensure that they have a shared understanding of centre operations, strengths and challenges. They have begun to plan more strategically for centre developments and to specify desired actions in annual plans.
The centre manager has made good progress in developing self-review practices. She is continuing to grow the team’s understanding of self review and models best teaching practice for staff. Managers are extending opportunities for teachers to grow professionally and to accept leadership roles within the centre. They have implemented more robust teacher appraisal processes. Teachers have identified positive outcomes from a focus on leadership and are more directly linking their next steps to their individual development plans.
ERO and centre leaders agree that priorities for improvement include:
Before the review, the staff and management of St Mary's Family Pre-School 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.
The next ERO review of St Mary's Family Pre-School will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
23 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 |
Otahuhu, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25091 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
36 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 21 Boys 15 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Tongan Afghani Cook Island Māori Indian other |
7 7 8 5 3 2 2 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2015 |
||
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Date of this report |
23 March 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
September 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
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.