Scallywaggs Senior Kindergarten

1 Evaluation of Scallywaggs Senior Kindergarten

How well placed is Scallywaggs Senior Kindergarten to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Scallywaggs Senior Kindergarten is a privately owned centre in Waipukurau, Central Hawke’s Bay. It is licensed to provide all day education and care for 30 children, aged over two years. It is part of four other buildings situated on the same site. Each has its own outdoor area. There are opportunities for children to join together in the middle kindergarten.

Scallywaggs 2007 Ltd organisation is governed and managed by a general manager and operations manager who work collaboratively to promote the service's vision. Several staff changes have occurred over the past few months.

The August 2014 ERO report identified key next steps in assessment, planning, evaluation and self review. The Ministry of Education has provided targeted support to the Scallywaggs organisation. As a result, significant progress has been made by management to improve service-wide systems and processes that contribute to successful outcomes for children.

This review was part of a cluster of three centre reviews in the Scallywaggs organisation.

The Review Findings

The philosophy, recently reviewed in consultation with families, supports teachers to identify the service's priorities for learning, which are evident in practice. To provide consistency of practice across the organisation, a key next step is for teachers to align the curriculum, assessment and internal evaluation to the priorities.

Key teacher roles effectively support children to develop a sense of belonging. Warm, responsive and reciprocal relationships are fostered. Clear links between centre and home experiences provide opportunities for parents to contribute to their children's learning. Children demonstrate confidence and competence as they explore the environment alongside their peers.

Aspects of te ao Māori are beginning to emerge in the programme. Leaders and teachers are committed to further growing their understanding of Treaty based practices. Strengthening learning partnerships with whānau Māori, should support teachers to provide for the individual needs of Māori children.

Individual planning is responsive to children's learning goals. The service works collaboratively with parents and accesses external agencies as required, to support children with additional learning needs.

Children's learning assessment stories successfully capture their participation and engagement in the programme. Teachers notice, recognise and respond to children's individual interests and needs and make appropriate links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Leaders have identified that further strengthening this process is required and is currently under review. As part of this process, consideration should be given to documenting the individual progression of children's learning.

Flexible transitions into the centre, within rooms are responsive to the needs of each child and family. Teachers sensitively respond to and support the youngest children's needs and provide for strong secure attachments. Leaders have identified that further improving the daily transition processes is required to ensure that children have continued access to a responsive programme.

Governance clearly defines roles and responsibilities, with a strategic focus on improving teaching and learning. A comprehensive policy framework sets expectations to guide practice and centre operations. Leaders have identified that further strengthening of this process is required and is currently under review.

A deliberate focus on growing staff leadership capability contributes to strengthened teacher collaboration and teamwork. The service engages in professional learning and sharing of good practice that is focussed on improving children's learning. A newly developed appraisal process supports teachers to inquire into their practice.

A cycle of review provides leaders and teachers with a useful framework to successfully identify areas of practice that require improvement. A key next step is refine the evaluative aspect of the process, through the use of measureable indicators to better evaluate the effectiveness of practice on achieving the intended learning outcomes that the philosophy aspires to.

Key Next Steps

Senior leaders and ERO agree that the following key next steps for Scallywaggs education and care services are to further strengthen:

• consistency of practice across the service that aligns to the services identified priorities for learning
• learning partnerships with whānau Māori to provide specific strategies that support success for Māori children
• assessment, planning and evaluation to show the progression of children's learning across the curriculum
• daily transition processes
• monitoring and evaluating the impact of teacher practice on the intended learning priorities for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Scallywaggs Senior Kindergarten 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 Scallywaggs Senior Kindergarten will be in three years.

Patricia Davey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

19 June 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

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.