Royal Road Primary School 112 Royal Road, Massey, Auckland
View on mapAkarangi | 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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Royal Road Pre-School are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
|
What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Royal Road Pre-School, located in the grounds of Royal Road School in Massey, is licensed for 40 children over two years of age. A centre manager leads, and is part of, a team of five teachers. Children who attend the pre-school come from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Children are supported to be highly engaged, confident learners. Respectful, responsive, nurturing relationships are a feature of teaching practices, and each child is valued as a unique individual. Unhurried routines contribute to the sense of calm in the centre. Meaningful conversations support and enrich children’s oral language.
The experienced teachers work collaboratively and seamlessly to promote children’s inclusive play and learning. They provide a well-resourced, easily accessible learning environment. Centre programmes reflect the principles and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Assessment practices ensure information documented about children’s learning reflects the cultural contexts in which they live and includes culturally valued knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours. Over time, assessment builds each child’s cultural identity, sense of belonging and learner identity.
Teachers are focused on strengthening the partnerships they have with families. Learning stories and centre documents are translated into home languages to enhance shared understandings of children’s learning progress. Teachers continue to seek ways to support their multicultural community to maintain connections to their cultural identities and home languages.
The environment reflects Māori and Pacific cultures. The centre’s commitment to embedding te ao Māori in the programme is highly evident. The ritual of a mihi whakatau is part of the transition process between the rooms and is an integral part of the centre kawa.
A significant feature of the centre is the strong working relationship between the centre personnel and the primary school staff. This connection enables positive transitions through the centre and onto school.
Highly effective leadership is focused on building a culture of continuous improvement and sustaining good quality teaching practice to enrich children’s learning. Tailored professional learning is prioritised to build teachers’ knowledge of how to support children with diverse learning needs and their families.
Lifewise Trust provides sound governance and management support. The trust has a good working relationship with the centre. Purposeful internal evaluation is used to inform and improve teaching practice.
Royal Road Pre-School will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Royal Road 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.
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
24 September 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Royal Road Pre-School |
| Profile Number | 25178 |
| Location | Massey, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
41 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 10, NZ European/Pākehā 2, Burmese 8, Samoan 6, |
|
Review team on site |
May 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
24 September 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, December 2017 ; Education Review, June 2014 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Royal Road Preschool is located in the grounds of Royal Road School in Massey, Auckland. It is licensed for 40 children over two years of age and offers a full six-hour day, or half days if parents require them. The centre has two indoor spaces that cater for different ages. Most children are Māori and there is also a large group of Pacific children. Nearly all children attend Royal Road School when they move on from the preschool.
The centre is a community based and not-for-profit service. Since 2012 it has been governed and managed by Lifewise Trust, an Auckland-based social development organisation. An arm of the Methodist Mission, the trust offers a variety of community services, including a small number of licensed early learning centres. The low fees approach adopted by the trust ensures that families have equitable access to good quality education and care that prepares children well for their future.
The centre's philosophy promotes respect for children as capable, competent learners and affirms children's cultural heritage and strengths. It also promotes an environment where diversity is valued and families are welcome.
A centre manager leads, and is part of a team of five registered teachers. A Lifewise service manager supports the governance and leadership of the centre. She works with the centre manager to provide ongoing guidance for the teaching team. The centre's whānau committee provides a leadership role for parents. It takes responsibility for organising events that encourage whānau involvement.
The 2014 ERO report noted that most teachers were new to the centre and that they were using good strategies to engage children in their play and learning. The report identified next steps for improvements in programmes for toddlers and older children and in developing bicultural practices. It identified the need for Lifewise Trust to improve governance and management practices, including the development of strategic planning, teacher appraisal and support, and internal evaluation. These areas have been addressed.
Very good teaching practices support and promote children's play and learning. Teachers listen carefully to children and respect their ideas and knowledge. They use questions effectively to stimulate children's thinking. They encourage children to problem solve, and to plan and lead their play. Teachers partner with children, joining in with their imaginary play and following their direction. As a result, children are highly engaged and confident learners, and have a strong sense of ownership in their centre.
The centre's environment invites children's interest and exploration, and offers good opportunities for physical challenge alongside stimulating quieter activities. Literacy and maths learning are supported meaningfully in the context of children's play, and good opportunities for reading and writing are available across all learning areas. Children can independently access good quality resources. They are encouraged to be responsible and take good care of their learning spaces.
Teachers work collaboratively to design learning programmes based on children's interests and strengths. They seek ways to maintain children's connections to their cultures in the context of the curriculum. Teachers are continuing to grow their own knowledge and understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori, and of the languages and cultures of other children. As a result of these good practices, children are proud of their identity, and are confident to take appropriate risks in their learning.
A significant feature of the centre is the strong working relationship between the centre, parents and primary school staff. This good connection allows children to experience seamless transitions through the centre and on to school.
Centre leaders provide highly effective, collaborative leadership. They enact the centre's vision to serve their local community and provide the best start possible for children's learning. Leaders encourage teachers to share in decision making and planning for the future direction of the centre. Teachers' appraisal is robust and team-focused. They meet regularly with leaders to share and discuss ideas to improve their professional practice.
Lifewise Trust provides good governance and management support, including a sound policy framework. The trust has a good working relationship with staff. Internal evaluation is well understood and used extensively at all levels of the centre to improve learning outcomes for children. Staff ensure that evaluation findings link to the centre's strategic planning, which includes teachers' professional learning and appraisal goals. This well documented process drives and continually improves teaching practice and outcomes for children.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps include:
continuing to use assessment information to strengthen planning for children's individual learning pathways
evaluating the impact that teaching practice has on improving children's learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Royal Road 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:
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 Royal Road Preschool will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
7 December 2017
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 |
Massey, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25178 |
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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 over the age of 2 years |
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Service roll |
40 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 23 Girls 17 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
18 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
October 2017 |
||
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Date of this report |
7 December 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2014 |
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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.