16 Winchester Street, Lyttelton
View on mapBusy C's Preschool Lyttelton
Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton
1 ERO’s Judgements
Akarangi | 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Busy C’s Preschool Lyttelton are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
|
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakawhanake Sustaining Whakawhanake Sustaining |
2 Context of the Service
Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton is a small community-focused and privately owned early childhood service. All kaiako are qualified and registered. A small number of Māori children attend the service. Since the last review leaders have continued to build on existing good practice by strengthening appraisal and refining aspects of the strategic and annual plan.
3 Summary of findings
Tamariki are well supported as confident and competent learners in a rich play-based curriculum. They benefit from a broad and responsive programme that clearly aligns with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and is consistent with the philosophy and valued learning priorities.
Kaiako intentionally build warm and responsive relationships with tamariki and their parents. The slow-paced curriculum in the under-two’s area is highly responsive to the needs and preferences of infants and toddlers. A strong sense of wellbeing and belonging is evident.
Manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are fostered and extended to include the wider community. Tamariki are encouraged to work together and show kindness to each other in their daily practices. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori is meaningfully integrated into the daily curriculum.
Leaders and kaiako are highly inclusive and actively promote a mana enhancing culture for tamariki and their whānau. They treat tamariki with respect and dignity. Parents and whānau are well supported and have multiple opportunities to contribute to their tamaiti learning.
Assessment information provides children with feedback that acknowledges their learning and celebrates their success. Kaiako successfully integrate the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki through tamariki assessment documentation. Learning and progress is identified over time in relation to these outcomes.
Leaders are actively engaged with the local Kahui Ako and wider learning community. Effective evaluative leadership, both internally and in the wider education sector is evident. This results in improved outcomes for tamariki. Leaders and kaiako are using evaluation to look closely at groups of children and identify what is and is not working and for whom.
4 Improvement actions
Busy C’s Preschool Lyttelton will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
-
continue to use internal evaluation to identify and respond to possible inequities.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Busy C’s Preschool Lyttelton 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
25 October 2022
6 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Busy C’s Preschool Lyttelton |
Profile Number |
70561 |
Location |
Christchurch |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 9 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
Service roll |
41 |
Review team on site |
May 2022 |
Date of this report |
25 October 2022 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2019; Education Review, May 2013 |
Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton - 13/03/2019
1 Evaluation of Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton
How well placed is Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton is a small, well established and privately owned early learning service. In 2017 the preschool relocated to a new site on a former primary school property. A new head teacher was appointed in 2016. All kaiako are fully qualified and registered teachers. They provide care and early childhood education for children from birth to school age.
Since the 2013 ERO review, leaders and kaiako, with the support of external expertise, have made sound progress in developing the quality of assessment, planning, internal evaluation and bicultural practices.
The preschool's philosophy is underpinned by valued learning outcomes for tamariki that reflect bicultural concepts and Te Whāriki 2017 The Early Childhood Education Curriculum. Leaders and kaiako value Māori as tangata whenua, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and ako (sharing of knowledge). The preschool is an enviroschool which promotes sustainable practices and learning about the natural world.
The Review Findings
Leaders and kaiako foster respectful relationships and a positive sense of belonging and wellbeing for tamariki (children), parents and whānau. The home language, culture and identity of families are valued and respected. Kaiako primary-care practices provide continuity of care and communication with individual tamariki and families. Personalised processes support successful transitions into and within the preschool, and onto school.
Tamariki benefit from the provision of a rich bicultural curriculum within the preschool and local area. Te ao Māori is highly valued and well integrated within a localised curriculum that reflects the cultural narrative of the area and carefully considered partnerships with the community.
Kaiako have high expectations for all tamariki, who are seen as capable and competent learners. Social learning and leadership skills are fostered through ako and tuakana teina relationships where tamariki are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and to care for others and the environment. Tamariki with additional needs are well supported within an inclusive and caring culture. Infants and toddlers benefit from continuity of care and flexible, predictable, child-led and well-paced routines and curriculum.
Kaiako establish learning-focused partnerships with tamariki. They are responsive to the individual interests, strengths and capabilities of tamariki. Kaiako promote a thoughtful balance between knowledge building, dispositional learning and links to the primary school key competencies. Tamariki are actively involved in a wide range of authentic learning experiences that capture their imagination and provoke their curiosity and creativity. Literacy, numeracy and the arts are well integrated in ways that are meaningful for tamariki. Parents are well informed through purposeful learning displays and well written learning records that detail the progress tamariki make in relation to valued learning.
Strong pedagogical leadership and targeted professional development are having a positive impact on bicultural practices, assessment, planning and evaluation. The individual skills and knowledge of staff are valued and well used. Emphasis is given to developing reflective practices that build on leadership and teacher capabilities. There is a systematic approach to collaborative internal evaluation that results in ongoing improvement and positive outcomes for children.
Key Next Steps
Leaders and kaiako, with the support of external expertise, have developed a number of new processes to support the effective operation of the service. The key next steps are to:
-
strengthen appraisal practices to more closely align with the Education Council requirements
-
further refine aspects of strategic and annual planning to make centre priorities more explicit.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton 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.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
13 March 2019
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
Location |
Christchurch |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
70561 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 9 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
40 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 16 ; Girls 24 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
December 2018 |
||
Date of this report |
13 March 2019 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2013 |
|
Education Review |
March 2010 |
||
Education Review |
April 2007 |
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.
Busy C's Preschool Lyttelton - 17/05/2013
1 Evaluation of the Service
How well placed is the service to promote positive outcomes for children?
Children’s wellbeing and sense of belonging are strongly supported at the centre. Improving aspects of planning, assessment and self review would put the centre in a stronger position to extend and promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Context
Busy C’s Preschool is located in the grounds of a primary school in Lyttelton. Infants to school-age children from a wide geographical area attend the centre. Children and their teachers regularly use the facilities in the adjoining school grounds. Teachers use the local harbour environment to extend children’s learning experiences and enjoyment in their local area. They provide a strong programme of support for children’s transition to school.
The service provider and staff have responded sensitively and proactively to the needs of the children and their families following the Canterbury earthquakes. Parents speak highly of the care and support their children receive at the centre.
The centre will be affected by the planned merger of the two Lyttelton schools at the end of 2013. It has been advised by the Ministry of Education (MOE) that it can remain on its current site until 2016. Since the on-site stage of the review, the centre has met the documentation requirements of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
The 2010 ERO Education Review report identified assessment and self review as areas requiring further development. Although progress has been made regarding some aspects of self review and assessment, these remain areas for ongoing improvement.
Review Findings
Teachers’ relationships with children are respectful, warm and nurturing. Children are encouraged to participate in the programme in ways that build creativity and cooperation.
Teachers take care of and have responsibility for particular children. This primary-caregiver approach provides continuity that contributes to the confidence and sense of security children show.
The programme is planned around children’s interests and provides them with a range of interesting and worthwhile experiences that benefit their learning. These include:
- learning about and caring for the environment in sustainable ways
- opportunities to explore and make discoveries in the centre and the local area
- using literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills in their play
- integrating te reo and tikanga Māori so that children hear and use the Māori language often.
Teachers recognise and value children’s different strengths, needs and capabilities. They use children’s home languages during the programme and together with children are learning sign language to recognise its importance as an official language of New Zealand and to support a child with hearing loss. The supervisor and staff have a close relationship with external agencies to provide further support for children with special needs.
Teachers have made good use of a review of the outdoor area to make changes to better meet children’s learning needs.
Parents are kept well informed about their children’s involvement in learning activities. Their views about the centre are welcomed and responded to positively.
The supervisor provides teachers with good support and direction for ongoing improvements to the centre programme and practices. She has worked effectively with teachers to maintain positive relationships with the community. Teachers have good opportunities to share leadership and use their strengths and interests to extend children’s learning experiences.
The service provider works closely with the supervisor and staff to support programme developments and the operation of the centre.
Key Next Steps
The service provider and staff should now review how well the indoor areas are planned and used to promote children’s learning. In particular, this review should investigate how well all aspects of the philosophy are evident in the centre programme and practices.
Although some progress has been made with assessment and planning, teachers have yet to develop consistent practices in identifying children’s learning or the specific ways they will extend this learning. Children’s learning would also benefit from increased opportunities for parents and children to contribute to records of learning.
In order to sustain and extend current improvements, the service provider and staff need to continue to strengthen the quality of self review. The centre now needs to develop:
clearer expectations, guidelines and procedures to guide the review of all aspects of the centre’s performance
long and short-term plans that identify goals, priorities and indicators of success for ongoing improvements to teaching and learning.
Staff have a range of opportunities to provide feedback about the centre programme and operations. As a good employer, the service provider intends to give staff regular opportunities to comment anonymously on their working environment and relationships.
2 Legal Requirements
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the management of Busy C's Preschool completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they select ‘have’ or ‘have not’ taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
- administration
- health, safety and welfare
- personnel management
- financial and property management.
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.
3 Next Review
When is ERO likely to review the early childhood service again?
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Southern Region
17 May 2013
Information about the Early Childhood Service
Location |
Lyttelton |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
70561 |
||
Licence type |
Education and Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
||
Number licensed for |
34 children, including up to 10 aged under two |
||
Service roll |
50 |
||
Gender composition |
Girls 28; Boys 22 |
||
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Māori European Asian |
41 4 3 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
March 2013 |
||
Date of this report |
17 May 2013 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
March 2010 April 2007 September 2004 |
General Information about Early Childhood Reviews
About ERO Reviews
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
Review focus
ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:
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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.
Review Coverage
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.