14 B Wales Street, Rangiora
View on mapERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management, and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
My Preschool Limited, previously known as BestStart Wales Street, is a privately owned and operated early childhood service. Almost a third of children Identify as Māori and a small number are of Pacific heritage. This is the service’s first ERO review under new ownership.
Teachers engage with children in meaningful, positive interactions that enhance their learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum provides them with a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their learning and development.
The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor play. This includes quiet spaces, areas for physically active play, and space for a range of individual and group learning experiences.
A philosophy guides the service operation. Leaders take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate procedures and practices are implemented to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of children.
Next steps include:
continue to increase the visibility of the languages, cultures, and Identities of all children in the learning environment and in their learning documentation
continue to develop the bicultural curriculum to reflect local iwi history and culture.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Kathy Lye
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
9 March 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
My Preschool Limited |
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Profile Number |
65019 |
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Location |
Rangiora |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
44 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
40 |
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Review team on site |
November 2022 |
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Date of this report |
9 March 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, October 2019; |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
discussions with those involved in the service
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ABC Rangiora North is Well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ABC Rangiora North operates under the BestStart Educare Ltd management structure. BestStart (previously known as Kidicorp Ltd) is a large national organisation that owns early childhood education centres across New Zealand.
Since the 2013 ERO review, there have been some changes in staffing. During the last year, the manager has led two centres, working part time in each of them. She has recently returned full time to this centre in her manager's role. A new professional services manager was appointed at the beginning of 2016. The business manager has remained a consistent support to the centre during this time. Most staff are qualified and registered early childhood teachers.
Centre managers have been responsive to the recommendations from the previous ERO report. They have identified that while some good progress has been made they need to continue to refine group planning, and strengthen self-review and bicultural practices.
This centre has two separate learning areas to cater for the specific care and education needs of children from birth to school age. Significant improvements have been made to resourcing, equipment and the indoor and outside play areas.
The centre manager and staff are involved in the local learning cluster with other early childhood centres and schools, including the High School. The focus is on supporting the education of children in their community.
Managers and teachers foster positive, respectful and inclusive relationships with children and families. Families are warmly welcomed and well supported to develop a good sense of belonging. Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in their children's learning and to be part of the centre community. The individual cultures and beliefs of families are respected and valued.
Teachers are attentive and responsive to the interests, strengths and capabilities of individual children. They help children make a positive transition into the centre, and between areas, through well-paced, personalised processes.
Careful consideration is given to the presentation of the environment to encourage exploration that is meaningful and enjoyable for children. Teachers follow children's interests and provide a wide range of interesting activities, including natural resources, to provoke children’s curiosity and involvement in the learning programme.
Teachers support children's confidence to work independently, and to play well with and to care for others. Children have many opportunities to learn about the natural world and be involved in physical play in the spacious outdoor areas. Teachers make purposeful links to the community to enhance the curriculum offered to children.
The specific needs of children under two years old are well supported by nurturing and caring staff and competent leadership in the nursery area. Children benefit from respectful and responsive interactions and routines.
Parents and whānau are well informed about children’s current learning interests and participation in the programme through attractive and informative wall displays, children’s individual profile books and online learning stories.
The teaching team has recently reviewed the centre philosophy to reflect teachers' shared teaching and learning values and beliefs, including an increasing focus on bicultural perspectives and practices.
The centre is well led and managed. The centre manager, business manager and professional services manager are knowledgeable and experienced. They work in partnership to implement BestStart systems effectively, including quality assurance, health and safety and strategic planning.
Managers have high expectations and specific strategies to build on teacher capability, reflective practices, and leadership skills. They lead systematic and collaborative self-review processes to inform centre priorities and teaching and learning. Regular and targeted professional development and mentoring is provided to staff to help build reflective and evaluative practices.
There is a strong shared focus on continuous improvement and promoting positive outcomes for children and families.
The management team has identified, and ERO's evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps are to
continue to strengthen teachers' confidence and use of indepth evaluative inquiry
refine and further develop planning and evaluation for individuals and groups of children
increase bicultural perspectives in key documentation and centre practices.
ERO identified that the transition to school processes and practices could be strengthened.
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Rangiora North 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.
The next ERO review of ABC Rangiora North will be in three years.
Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
30 June 2016
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.
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Location |
Rangiora, North Canterbury |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
65019 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
44 children, including up to 12 aged under two |
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|
Service roll |
61 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 33; Girls 28 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā African Indian British |
7 48 3 2 1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
June 2016 |
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Date of this report |
30 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
May 2013 |
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Education Review |
January 2010 |
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Education Review |
February 2004 |
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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.
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.