53-55 James Street, Kopeopeo, Whakatane
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 Pohutukawa 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 |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Pohutukawa Preschool is a privately-owned, purpose built, all-day education and care service in Whakatāne. Strong, positive relationships underpin the centre philosophy. Extended hours of operation cater to the needs of working parents. Equitable opportunities for all children are provided by the service to promote participation in the curriculum.
The service is beginning to explore children’s learning and progress in relation to the intended outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. General use of Te Whāriki strands and goals, and evaluation of children’s learning are evident in some assessments. Identification and use of learning priorities for all children is yet to be implemented across the service.
The service is building on established relationships with parents and whānau to increase the focus on children’s progress and learning. Opportunities are provided through regular communication to gather parents’ aspirations and share children's experiences and routines from home. Consistent assessment, planning and evaluation through learning focused partnerships, are yet to be implemented to make valued learning for all children, parents and whānau more visible.
Teachers are establishing their knowledge and understanding of effective internal evaluation. Ongoing inquiry and action research support teacher capability and collective capacity to reflect on their practice. They are yet to consider what is and isn’t working, and for which groups of children in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki.
Leaders are embedding the conditions that enable collaboration for improvement. Ongoing professional development provides opportunities to build teacher capability. A shared leadership approach allows teachers to use each other’s strengths to develop practice. Robust induction and mentoring processes enhance teachers’ awareness of expectations and routines to support children’s learning and wellbeing.
The service has established sound systems, processes and practices that support decision making. Identified priorities in the strategic plan are guiding operations and resourcing. Policies and procedures are in place to promote teaching and learning. Opportunities for parents and whānau to contribute to the design and development of a responsive curriculum are provided through regular whānau meetings and events.
Pohutukawa Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pohutukawa 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.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
3 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Pohutukawa Preschool |
| Profile Number | 46814 |
| Location | Kopeopeo, Whakatāne |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
97 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 32, NZ European/Pākehā 61, Pacific 4 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
3 June 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2017 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pohutukawa Preschool is a privately-owned, all-day education and care centre in Whakatane. The centre opened in August 2015. It is licenced for 75 children with a maximum of 35 under two years of age. There are currently 97 children on the roll, 33 of whom are Māori. The centre is open longer hours to support parents' variable working hours. The owners provide equitable opportunities for all children by removing possible barriers to participation.
The centre philosophy is focussed on building strong, positive relationships, where everyone feels respected and included. The teachers' goal is to provide children with optimal social and emotional growth in a loving, caring, and safe environment. They aim to promote physical as well as intellectual development, while teaching the importance of being patient, kind, and self confident.
The preschool is organised into three age-related rooms, each with a lead teacher, one of whom is the pedagogical leader for the centre. The owner oversees all centre operations. With rapid growth in the centre roll since its opening, a number of relievers have been employed. This has contributed to a high turnover of staff.
This is the first ERO review for the centre.
Pohutukawa Preschool is welcoming to all children, their parents and whānau. Children benefit from respectful relationships with teachers. They demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and have fun as part of their learning. The purpose-built centre is well resourced and includes a wide range of sustainable, natural materials. High teacher-to-child ratios support opportunities for teachers to engage with children in their learning. Children play and learn in a supportive, caring environment.
Teachers encourage tuakana-teina interactions, whereby older children support younger children in their learning. They deliberately and effectively use positive guidance strategies to support children's social competency skills. Children are able to follow their interests and make choices about their learning. Transition processes in, through and beyond the centre are flexible and adapted for individual children. Children are confident, competent learners.
Literacy and mathematics are integrated naturally across the curriculum. Children's learning is enhanced through participation in a range of excursions into the local community. They benefit from a curriculum that provides a range of opportunities and supports children to lead their learning. Teachers now need to consider the inclusion of more challenges in the programme and environment to extend the learning for all children.
Teachers develop positive relationships with parents. Regular communication enables parents to share children's experiences and routines from home, and their aspirations, learning goals and shared interests for children's learning and development. Portfolios record children’s engagement in the programme. Learning stories need to include the learning outcomes of children's goals, to show continuity of development and acknowledgement of parent aspirations. It would be beneficial to make the portfolios more readily accessible to both children and parents so they can share and celebrate learning.
Infants' and toddlers' individual needs are well provided for by caring and attentive teachers. The environment is carefully organised to facilitate children's individual learning goals. Planning processes support ongoing learning opportunities. Responsive caregiving supports infants' and toddlers' need for strong and secure attachments. Children's right to be informed about decisions that affect them is respected. Children under the age of two experience an environment that allows them space and time to lead their learning.
Teachers incorporate many aspects of te ao Māori into the curriculum. They include tikanga practices, waiata, karakia, Matariki celebrations and some te reo Māori. A knowledgeable staff member is supporting teachers to build their capability. There are specific celebrations related to other cultures relevant to the children. Leaders and teachers have identified the need to build relationships with local iwi and hapu to further strengthen their responsiveness to children's language, culture and identity.
Leaders have a strong commitment to the vision, philosophy and goals of the centre. Planned and spontaneous internal evaluations lead to change and improvement in the quality of outcomes for children in various aspects of centre practice. Leaders provide professional development for teachers, with a view to building their capability. Shared leadership allows teachers to use each other’s strengths to develop practice. A thorough induction and mentoring process for teachers enables them to be aware of expectations and routines. Leadership practices reflect the right of all to a quality, inclusive early childhood education.
A strategic plan identifies the centre's priorities, some of which are linked to teaching and learning. The owner has effective policies and procedures in place to guide practice. Parents and whānau have the opportunity to have input into the centre's direction through regular whānau meetings. A robust appraisal system is documented. The owner needs to ensure ongoing monitoring of the consistency of the implementation of the system.
The owner and ERO agree priorities for the centre are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pohutukawa 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 Pohutukawa Preschool will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty
30 June 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.
|
Location |
Whakatane |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46814 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 35 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
97 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 52 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
33 |
|
|
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 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
30 June 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
No previous ERO reports |
|
|
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.