106 Tenby Street, Wanaka
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 Wanaka Pre-School Early Childhood Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
|
What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Wanaka Pre-School is a not-for-profit service, governed by a parent committee. A lead teacher is responsible for teaching and learning, whilst a manager oversees administration. Most teachers are qualified. There have been changes in staff since the 2018 ERO review.
Children are very well supported in their learning and wellbeing. Respectful and caring interactions nurture the uniqueness of each child and support transitions into the service, the Kereru room and on to school. Each day, teachers collaboratively plan and evaluate how they resource and support children’s learning. Over time, children make good progress, are confident learners and show a strong sense of belonging.
Children benefit from a broad and responsive curriculum that aligns with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and is consistent with the service's philosophy and learning priorities. Curriculum strengths are early literacy, social competency, sustainability, creative play and physical exploration. Deliberate teacher provocations complement child-led learning in a thoughtfully resourced environment. Children show a high level of interest in their play and learning.
Leaders and teachers ensure children have many opportunities to participate and learn. They work closely with families and external experts to support learners with additional needs. Children, including Māori and recent migrants, know their cultures are valued. Increasing meaningful integration of te ao and te reo Māori is required to enrich the bicultural curriculum.
Teachers are attentive and nurturing with toddlers, working closely with families to ensure flexible care routines. They empower and affirm their emerging dispositions, foster exploration and oral language development.
There is variability as to how well learning records show children's progress in relation to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki. Some records could also better show how children’s diverse languages and cultures are valued. Effective partnerships with parents to enrich children's learning are evident.
Leaders have built a collaborative and reflective professional culture. Regular and purposeful professional learning and internal evaluation have resulted in improved outcomes for children. Strong processes are in place to support new staff, teachers in training and recent graduates. With staff changes, there is variable understanding of how effectively teachers do and use internal evaluation for improvement.
Effective governance and management have resulted in sound systems and practices. Well-considered strategic priorities and plans contribute to ongoing improvement. Parent and staff voice is gathered to inform change. Leaders work closely with relevant organisations in the community to best serve children and their families.
Wanaka Pre-School Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Wanaka Pre-School Early Childhood Centre 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
11 March 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Wanaka Pre-School Early Childhood Centre |
|
Profile Number |
83036 |
|
Location |
Wanaka |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
65 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
55 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 42, Other ethnic groups 8 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
11 March 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review, April 2018; Education Review, March 2015. |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Wanaka Pre-School Early Childhood Centre is a non-profit service governed by a parent committee. It runs a whole day session from 8.30am to 3.30pm for children aged one to five years. Children play and learn in two rooms, with one to three year olds in the Korimako room and the older children in the Kereru room.
Centre documents state that social skills, curiosity and positive self-esteem are valued outcomes for children. Sustainability, respect for the environment and active parent involvement are also stated values.
Since the last ERO review in 2015, there have been changes to the leadership structure of the centre which is now led by a fulltime centre manager and part-time professional leader. There have also been a number of changes in staffing. More than 80% of teachers are fully qualified early learning teachers.
Leaders and teachers have made good progress in addressing the recommendations from the last ERO review. These included improving aspects of assessment and planning and the quality of reporting to the parent committee.
The centre's curriculum effectively enacts its vision and values. Children benefit from positive, warm and respectful interactions with teachers. These interactions encourage and support children's ability to problem-solve, make sense of the world and develop social and self-management skills.
Sustainable practices and respect for the environment are evident both in learning programmes and operational practices. Good use is made of natural and recycled materials to support children's learning. Children benefit from regular outings into the local environment and community.
Aspects of New Zealand's bicultural heritage are visible and well integrated in the learning environment and programme in the Kereru room and in caregiving practices in the Korimako room.
Parents are welcome to participate in their children's learning and care in the centre. They are regularly consulted about changes and practices in the centre and are encouraged to contribute their skills and ideas to learning programmes and plans.
Teachers have had a focus on purposeful use of the preschool environment to support children's learning. This has resulted in changes aimed at involving children more in making decisions about, and designing their own, learning environment. The spacious indoor and outdoor areas are well resourced and provide variety and challenge, as well as encouraging exploration and creativity.
Leaders and teachers have reviewed and are in the process of strengthening the way they assess and plan for all children's learning. They are increasingly paying careful attention to children's interests, dispositions and developing ideas about the world and using these to plan strategies and activities to extend their learning. Teachers are increasingly reflective and are inquiring collaboratively and individually into what works to promote positive outcomes for children.
Teachers work closely with children's families and external specialists to develop responsive plans and strategies for supporting the learning of children with additional needs. The centre has had a particular strength in supporting children's oral language development.
Leaders and teachers have made changes to structures and practices in the Korimako room to improve the quality and consistency of care for one and two year olds. Children and their families are well-known by a 'key teacher' who has responsibility for supporting children's wellbeing and belonging needs. Daily routines and the learning environment have been thoughtfully set up to provide for challenge and exploration in a calm and unhurried atmosphere.
Centre leadership is committed to high standards of education and care for children. Leaders are effectively raising the quality of education and care for children by:
The parent governance committee is highly supportive of leaders' and teachers' development goals. The committee actively fundraises to ensure it can maintain its high quality learning environment and programmes, and to provide tailored support for children with additional needs.
The centre leadership and ERO agree that key next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Wanaka Pre-School Early Childhood Centre 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.
To improve current practice the service should include contingency planning in risk-management planning for excursions.
The next ERO review of Wanaka Pre-School Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
26 April 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 |
Wanaka |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
83036 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
65 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
59 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls: 32 Boys: 27 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
26 April 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 2008 |
||
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.