Argyle Preschool

Education institution number:
34131
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
53
Telephone:
Address:

5 Argyle Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton

View on map

Argyle 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 (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 Argyle Preschool are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whāngai Establishing

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakatō Emerging

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whāngai Establishing

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Argyle Preschool is a privately owned, mixed-age centre located in Hamilton. The centre owners lead a team of eight qualified and one in-training teacher across two adjoining houses. The centre's philosophy emphasises children learning and playing together, nurtured within family/whānau groupings.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a curriculum that positively promotes their sense of independence and decision-making. The well-resourced learning environments assist children’s critical thinking, wondering and creativity. Kaiako respond to children’s interests, supporting their ways of learning and their developing ideas of how the world works. The curriculum acknowledges the culture, language and identity of some children. Te reo and tikanga Māori are visible within the learning environment. Children develop confidence and curiosity through play.

Children benefit from warm, responsive and respectful relationships with kaiako. Transitions into, within and from the service support the needs of each child and their whānau. The mixed-age setting promotes inclusion. Whānau groupings enable infants, toddlers and young children to play and learn alongside each other, fostering tuakana teina relationships. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging.

Kaiako are building opportunities for parents to contribute to curriculum decisions. Parents and whānau have regular informal opportunities to talk with kaiako about children’s learning and needs. Parents aspirations for their children are gathered. Assessments are shared with parents and whānau by means of online portfolios. Kaiako are beginning to explore the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki. Children’s progress in relation to parent aspirations and the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki is not clear.

Leaders are establishing organisational conditions to support children’s learning and wellbeing. A sense of relational trust supports collaboration and an openness to change and improvement. There are some systems in place to promote a shared understanding of priorities for children’s learning.

Evaluation for improvement is in the early stage of development. Internal expertise of kaiako is being used to build collective capability and capacity to enact it. Strategic planning is not coherent. Leaders are yet to evaluate how organisational conditions are enabling or hindering learning.

4 Improvement actions

Argyle Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • strengthen the visibility of children’s learning in relation to the learning outcomes from
    Te Whāriki in planning and assessment
  • continue to build learning focused partnerships to ensure the service’s curriculum reflects whānau aspirations and priorities for supporting children’s culture, language and identity
  • establish evaluation practices to systematically consider what is working well and for which learners
  • use information from internal evaluation to support decisions about professional growth cycles and strategic priorities to promote equitable outcomes for all children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Argyle 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; 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.

6 Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • ensuring records of all safety checks and the results including the services’ risk assessment are kept. (GMA7a).

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

28 June 2021 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name Argyle Preschool
Profile Number 34131
Location Hamilton

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

57

Ethnic composition

Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 50, Other ethnic groups 2

Review team on site

May 2021

Date of this report

28 June 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, March 2018; Education Review, May 2015.

Argyle Preschool - 29/03/2018

1 Evaluation of Argyle Preschool

How well placed is Argyle Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Argyle Preschool is located in Hamilton and provides education and care for children from six months to school age. The preschool is privately owned and operated. It is licensed for 45 children, including 15 up to the age of two years. It operates a full-day programme from two adjoining character houses. At the time of this review, the roll of 44 included 7 Māori and 4 Pacific children.

The preschool has been operating successfully under the same ownership and management for the past 21 years. One of the owners is the centre manager who provides overall professional leadership to staff. She is supported by a teacher who has leadership responsibility for children up to the age of two.

The centre's philosophy focuses on family and whānau grouping. Children of mixed ages play and learn together happily. The preschool believes in nurturing independence and social skills within the security of a family group setting, to support transition with confidence and resilience.

The centre's governance and management have responded positively to the findings in the previous ERO report. The preschool has strengthened its self-review practices in curriculum areas and actively gathered different perspectives including parents' views to inform the review. Leaders have carried out formal observations of teaching, providing useful feedback and feedforward to improve teacher practice.

The Review Findings

There is a wide variety of rich and stimulating learning opportunities for children. They are able to make independent choices about their own learning and develop positive skills for self-management. Special events and visitors to the preschool enrich meaningful learning experiences for children. Learning environments are attractive with displays of children’s artwork and creativity. The outdoor physical environment is integral to children's learning and exploration. The preschool’s 'family' philosophy and curriculum supports effective tuakana/teina relationships. Younger children benefit from learning naturally alongside older children. Children are highly engaged in their learning and play.

Teachers are effective in developing children’s thinking, confidence and skills. There are positive, warm and trusting relationships between teachers and children. Teachers provide opportunities to extend children’s learning through further exploration and problem-solving. Children with additional learning needs are well supported and included appropriately. Teachers use te reo in their interactions with children and the programme reflects aspects of Māori and other cultures. Māori and all other children have a strong sense of belonging. Leaders and teachers acknowledge the need to continue to strengthen the integration of te reo and tikanga Māori in curriculum planning and practice.

Children up to the age of two benefit from responsive and respectful relationships. There is effective personalised communication with parents to meet individual needs. The environment is well-resourced with designated areas for play and learning. Children have many opportunities to exercise choice. Infants are confident, settled and happy in their surroundings.

Leadership is highly collaborative and supportive. Provision is made for professional learning and development for staff. The centre manager provides opportunities for teachers to develop their own leadership capabilities. Parents, families and whānau are welcomed and involved in preschool activities and share their knowledge, skills and expertise. Online learning portfolios support positive partnerships for learning with parents. Leadership is enabling quality teaching and learning opportunities for children.

The owners have a clear vision and direction for the preschool. The centre’s philosophy is well articulated and shared with staff, teachers, parents, families and whānau. Appropriate documentation guides all preschool operations. Ongoing, holistic self-review is leading to improved outcomes for children. There is a strong commitment to building effective relationships with parents and the local community. Children are safe and nurtured in a caring family environment.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for leaders and teachers are to:

  • align the performance management system to the new Education Council requirements

  • consider formal professional learning and development in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum (2017) to support planning and shared understanding for teachers

  • formalise expectations and documentation to identify children’s individual learning goals and next learning steps, to inform centre-wide curriculum planning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Argyle 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; 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Argyle Preschool will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

29 March 2018

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Hamilton

Ministry of Education profile number

34131

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

44

Gender composition

Girls 21 Boys 23

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other

7
33
4

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

January 2018

Date of this report

29 March 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

June 2012

Education Review

August 2009

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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:

  • Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
  • Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
  • Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
  • Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.