Pebbles Montessori Sumner (0-3)

1 Evaluation of Pebbles Preschool

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

Pebbles Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Pebbles Preschool is a privately-owned education and care service in Sumner, Christchurch. It is licensed for 50 children, including up to 10 children under two years of age. Children are grouped in three rooms according to their age. Teachers use a Montessori approach to deliver the curriculum.

The centre's vision is for tamariki to see themselves as competent and confident learners in an environment of peace, respect and collaboration. Leaders and teachers have recently established centre priorities for learning. These priorities are: wellbeing, connection, responsibility, inclusive communication and to inspire ongoing learning.

This is one of three services. The owner and general manager provide governance, and overall organisational and professional leadership across the services. The centre manager carries out the day-to-day management of this service. Most teachers are qualified in early childhood education. Some of the teachers have Montessori education qualifications.

Since the November 2016 ERO review:

• a new centre manager has been appointed

• the general manager position has been created

• children's learning is a stronger focus of assessment and planning

• teachers are providing stronger bicultural perspectives in their practices

• leaders have further developed their evaluation for improvement practices.

This review was part of a cluster of three services within Pebbles Preschool Ltd.

The Review Findings

Children are well supported to lead their own learning, consistent with the centre's vision of them being confident and competent learners. Teachers work alongside the children rather than direct their learning and activities. They calmly and respectfully respond to the different needs of the children. Both outdoors and indoors, children have easy access to a variety of resources, activities and play equipment. These provide appropriate challenge, motivation and extension to children's learning and development. Transition practices between the rooms are sensitively managed in consultation with parents to best meet the needs of the children. Children have a strong sense of belonging to their centre, where learning is the focus of play and activities.

The centre manager and teachers have a major emphasis on deepening their awareness and knowledge of tikanga Māori protocols. These protocols are becoming a natural component of centre practices. Children hear and have many opportunities to use te reo Māori throughout their day. Māori children see concepts valued in their culture as important parts of their learning. The centre manager has identified the need to extend curriculum provision to better reflect other children's cultures within their learning.

Infants and toddlers experience routines that are flexible and responsive to their patterns and needs. Teachers are responsive to their verbal and non-verbal cues and signals. The environments are well resourced and arranged to encourage exploration and challenge. Play is used well to extend the development, learning and social competencies of the infants and toddlers. Children play well alongside each other and individually.

Children benefit from teachers' careful planning and deliberate curriculum approach. Planning includes clear learning goals and the specific teaching strategies they intend using to support the children. The clarity of planning leads to intentional teaching and interactions. Children's individual records show appropriate progress in learning overtime. Teachers use the progress information to effectively evaluate the impact their teaching has had on children's learning and development.

The centre's leadership is effective in identifying aspects of centre-wide practice that needs developing. Improvements are made as a result of appropriate actions and support for the teachers. Leaders have useful monitoring systems to ensure expectations of practice are being sustained. A very good example of improved and consistent practice is the increased partnership for learning parents have with the teachers.

Leadership for the three centres is purposeful in its support of teachers' professional practice and wellbeing. Leaders have promoted a shared understanding of the services' vision, philosophy, strategic goals and priorities for children's learning. Clear roles and responsibilities ensure all teachers are aware of the expectations of them for the delivery of the curriculum. Senior leaders support initiatives that contribute to better organisation and positive outcomes for children. These are key factors in providing responsive and effective teaching and learning programmes.

Internal evaluation is used effectively to improve teaching and learning, and centre-wide practices. There is useful alignment from the vision and strategic goals to centre development, and to teachers' appraisals and inquiries. Teachers and leaders participate in relevant evaluation, knowledge building and professional learning that contributes to changes in thinking and practices. Leaders are yet to link the effectiveness of practices, improvements and systems to outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

To gain a fuller picture of the impact of centre developments, leaders need to evaluate the difference improved actions and practices are making to outcomes for children, as a result of internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Pebbles 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

19 February 2020

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

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

• Very well placed

• Well placed

• Requires further development

• Not well placed

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.

1 Evaluation of Pebbles Preschool

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

Pebbles Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Pebbles Preschool is privately-owned and provides education and care for up to 50 children including 10 under two years of age. The centre's philosophy is child-focused with aspects of Montessori practices integrated through the programme. Most teachers, including the owner and centre manager, are qualified early childhood teachers.

This centre is one of three owned and operated by Pebbles Preschool Ltd. A new centre manager was appointed in 2016. The owner and manager work collaboratively together to provide professional leadership to staff across all centres.

In response to the recommendations of the 2013 ERO report, the owner and centre manager have developed new systems for assessment, planning, evaluation and appraisal.

This review was part of a cluster of three early childhood centre reviews of Pebbles Preschool Ltd.

The Review Findings

Children are well settled and engaged in their learning. They experience positive relationships with their peers and teachers. Parents and families are warmly welcomed into the centre.

Teachers sensitively nurture children’s wellbeing. They respectfully honour home routines and build strong links between the centre and home. Teachers appropriately support children to build self-help and independence skills.

Teachers appropriately use specific strategies to extend children's learning. These include open-ended questions and a range of resources that challenge children's ideas and problem-solving skills. Children's physical skills and confidence are supported in the well-presented and challenging outdoor areas. Some elements of bicultural practice are incorporated into the programme.

Children's transition into, through the centre and on to school are well managed. They have good opportunities to develop their conceptual knowledge of mathematics and literacy. Regular visits to the local school enhance children's confidence and readiness for transition.

Infants and toddlers are well supported by the unhurried, child-led routines. Teachers are nurturing and provide gentle guidance for children. They ensure home routines are carefully followed and resources are well presented and accessible to children.

Teachers regularly seek parents’ views and encourage their contribution to the programme and to their children's learning. Centre displays and on-line communication keep parents well informed about their child’s day.

Leaders work well together. They have introduced a number of new initiatives and developments at governance, leadership and centre levels. These include child assessment and programme planning, self-review, strategic planning and appraisal processes. There are clear systems that are guided by up-to-date policies and procedures.

The centre's self-review process is systematic and focused on ongoing improvement. However, self-review findings are likely to provide increasingly useful information if the process is made more evaluative. The appraisal process includes teacher reflections and sharing of effective teaching strategies. To further enhance the quality of teaching, formal observations and written feedback should form part of the appraisal process. The centre's strategic plan and its associated annual plan need further clarification in order to clearly set the future direction for the centre.

Key Next Steps

The centre managers and ERO agree that the key next steps for sustaining and continuing to improve the quality of learning and teaching include:

• making children's learning the focus of assessment, planning and evaluation for individuals and groups

• further strengthening bicultural perspectives in key centre documents and teacher practices

• strengthening and embedding evaluation, appraisal and strategic planning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Pebbles 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 Pebbles Preschool will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Te Waipounamu Southern

25 November 2016

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

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.