59 Haerehuka St, Otorohanga
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 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 Hopscotch Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding |
Hopscotch Preschool is one of two centres under the same ownership. They share governance and organisational systems. This service provides care and education for children aged two years to school age, with families transitioning from the infant and toddler centre. Relationships are prioritised as central to its philosophy.
Children have the opportunity to explore and experience a thoughtfully resourced, play-based environment. There is a clear focus on ensuring children with additional learning needs are fully included in the centre. Children are well supported by leaders, teachers and families working in partnership to encourage ongoing learning. Children benefit from being part of a rich and responsive curriculum.
The strengths and interests of children are clearly reflected in the centre programme and most documentation of their learning. Their individual curiosities and ways of learning are evident, with visible continuity of growth over time. There is a range of ability and knowledge from teachers who assess and evaluate children’s learning. Teachers are yet to embed the 20 learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in relation to individual children’s learning.
Māori children have some opportunity to experience aspects of their own culture in the centre environment. A bicultural curriculum that reflects what matters to children and whānau is in the early stages of implementation. Leaders are working to strengthen teacher capability to respond to diverse languages and cultures. Reflection of individual children’s identities is not yet consistently present throughout centre practices.
Clear strategic planning and internal evaluation ensures children are at the centre of decisions made to strengthen practice. Strong trust and collaboration amongst leaders and teachers support a collegial learning environment. Children’s experiences in the centre are positively impacted by a governance and leadership team that prioritises ongoing growth.
Hopscotch Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
sharpen the focus at the beginning and end stages of evaluation practices, to better understand why shifts in practice have worked, and for which groups of children
work in partnership with whānau Māori to strengthen teachers’ understanding of te aō Māori and the places and people of significance to the local area
embed the new assessment system fore fronting the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki to inform learning priorities, and to better reflect and affirm individual children’s language culture and identity.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hopscotch 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:
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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
6 October 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Hopscotch Preschool |
|
Profile Number |
30322 |
|
Location |
Otorohanga |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
46 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 6, NZ European/Pākehā 32, Other ethnic groups 8. |
|
Review team on site |
May 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
6 October 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, June 2015 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Hopscotch Preschool is a privately-owned, all-day education and care centre located in Otorohanga. The centre is licensed for 30 children from two to five years of age and is under the same ownership as the nearby Hopscotch Early Learning Centre that caters for younger children. At the time of this review 48 children were enrolled, including 17 who identify as Māori.
Since the last ERO report in 2015 there has been a complete change of teaching team, with a new supervisor also recently appointed. Centre ownership has remained stable.
The centre makes a commitment to a philosophy respecting the uniqueness of each child, their family and what they bring with them. Parents are acknowledged as the child’s first teacher and their contributions are valued. Teachers aim to nurture and develop learning habits that support the development of confident and competent children.
There are positive, responsive and respectful relationships between teachers, children and their families and whānau. Teachers value children’s views and this supports centre decision making and changes to routines and programmes. Children are empowered to take responsibility for their own learning and support them to experiment and problem solve. Teachers effectively foster children’s oral language development. There are successful transitions into and out of the centre supported by effective partnerships with families and schools. Children experience a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing in an inclusive environment.
A wide range of meaningful learning opportunities enrich the centre's curriculum. Environments are well resourced for learning and children have many excursions into the local community. Children's early literacy skills and development are well supported. Te reo and tikanga Māori are naturally integrated into the environment. Children's engagement in the life of the centre is captured in learning portfolios which parents can access easily. Strengthening assessment to include individual planning, more closely following children's interests and strengths and progressions of learning is a useful next step.
Management and leadership work collaboratively to improve centre practices. There is ongoing self review and new staff feel well supported through an effective induction process. Management acknowledges the need to develop shared understandings of centre operations and direction with the new team, including a focus on building teacher capability. There is strong communication with parents, families and whānau. Parents feel welcome in the centre and have opportunities to share their views and aspirations for their children. Children learn in a secure physical and emotional environment.
Leaders and ERO agree that there is a need to strengthen strategic planning to develop a shared vision and direction for centre improvement.
Priority should be given to reviewing, strengthening and implementing an appraisal system that:
aligns to Education Council guidelines
develops clear expectations for goal setting, quality of evidence, reflection and inquiry
formalises and documents feedback and feedforward to improve practice.
Leaders and teachers acknowledge the need to access external professional learning and development in Te Whāriki 2017 to strengthen planning, teaching and assessment for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hopscotch 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 Hopscotch Preschool will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
14 June 2018
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 |
Otorohanga |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30322 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
48 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 27 Girls 21 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
17 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
May 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
14 June 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
September 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
||
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.
Hopscotch Preschool is a privately-owned, all-day education and care service located in Otorohanga. It was established in 2008 and has had a positive reporting history with ERO. The centre is licensed for 30 children from two to five years of age and is under the same ownership as the nearby Hopscotch Early Learning Centre that caters for younger children. The roll is currently 45, including 5 children who identify as Māori.
Since the 2012 ERO review, there has been a change in centre leadership. The centre manager resigned and two new supervisors, acting in a joint role, were appointed. They have already had a positive effect on assessment, planning and evaluation, communication with parents, and transition- to-school processes. Leaders and teachers have carried out an in-depth review of the centre philosophy and have also increased the way that te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated into centre operations and practices.
Teachers are being supported to complete their teaching qualifications and registration. At the time of this ERO review there were four qualified staff, one in training and three non-qualified support staff. The centre owner/licensee and teachers have established strong relationships with the local community, parents and whānau. There is a positive and welcoming culture. Children are happily engaged, well supported and cared for, and confidently cooperate and communicate with each other.
Children benefit from respectful, caring and supportive relationships with adults and with one another. Teachers allow children to take the lead and initiate their own learning activities. They quietly support children, comment on their play, and extend their thinking and learning experiences. Children are competent communicators who play collaboratively and independently. They confidently make their wishes known, access resources, and set up their own learning and play.
Teachers are responsive to children’s emerging interests and initiatives. They join children in play, supporting and promoting their learning. They identify and discuss children’s interests and ideas, contribute their own ideas, and prepare the environment to stimulate learning. A recent development has involved teachers in more in-depth planning for individual children. This has proven to be a valuable way to enhance outcomes for the identified children, as well as more closely engaging parents in the process. Transitions into and from the centre are sensitively and carefully managed, and children are well prepared for school.
Children experience known routines in which their sense of belonging and independence are fostered. They benefit from whole-centre excursions and projects that relate to the local environment and community.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are strongly promoted and made visible. Children learn waiaita and karakia and are becoming familiar with local places of interest. Recent consultation with community and whānau has supported the centre in developing Te Whakapapa ō Hopscotch.
Rich literacy learning is evident on the centre walls and in the resources. Children have ample opportunities to experience mathematics, science, exploration, imaginary play and creative arts. Leaders have recognised the need for an upgrade to aspects of the outdoor environment in their strategic plan.
Children’s activities are captured in well-written stories that identify learning and make links to the dispositions in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The supervisors are modelling good quality assessment practices, and are increasing the way that children and parents can make contributions to their learning. Children are able to see their progress and achievements recorded in portfolios which they can easily access.
The centre owner/licensee and supervisors effectively work together to manage change for improvement. They meet regularly to discuss and review professional practice and make decisions focused on improving outcomes for children. The new supervisors have built trusting relationships with staff, established a more inclusive culture, and are modelling the desired practices they expect of others. Their leadership of professional learning and development (PLD) and the appraisal process is having a positive impact. Supervisors have already made significant improvements to assessment, planning and evaluation, and are leading the focus on embedding bicultural practices throughout the centre.
Strong systems and processes are in place to ensure the smooth running of centre organisation and procedures. The owner/licensee is very engaged in centre activities and sets high standards for education and care. She promotes robust self-review processes to ensure that the centre continues to bring about improved outcomes for children. There are collaborative relationships with centre leaders, teachers and staff. These are resulting in a collegial, team approach and shared understandings about the centre vision and direction as outlined in the philosophy and strategic plan.
The centre leaders agree that important next steps for improvement are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Hopscotch 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.
The next ERO review of Hopscotch Preschool will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
30 June 2015
|
Location |
Otorohanga |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30322 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
45 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 28 Boys 17 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other |
5 36 4 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
June 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
30 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
September 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
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.