Clendon Christian Preschool

Education institution number:
46327
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
61
Telephone:
Address:

79 Maplesden Drive, Clendon, Auckland

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Clendon Christian Preschool

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 ​Clendon Christian Preschool​ are as follows: 

Outcome Indicators 

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) 

​​Whāngai Establishing​

Ngā Akatoro Domains 

 
Learning Conditions 
Organisational Conditions 

Whāngai Establishing​ 

Whāngai Establishing​ 

2 Context of the Service 

Clendon Christian Preschool is one of five childcare centres governed by the Manukau Christian Charitable Trust. A general manager and an education advisor work closely with the head teacher and team leaders in four age-based rooms. Over half of the children enrolled have Pacific heritages, and a further quarter are Māori.  

3 Summary of findings 

Children confidently communicate with their teachers and their peers. They make independent play choices within the flow of daily curriculum routines. Children have opportunities to express their feelings and needs. The care routines for infants and toddlers are respected and valued. These practices demonstrate that the service’s philosophy is enacted and visible in the curriculum. 

The centre environment reflects aspects of te ao Māori (the Māori world), including basic Māori words and some bicultural resources. Pacific children experience numerous opportunities to learn about their languages and cultures through participating in language weeks and centre events.  

The learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum provide the basis for assessment of children’s learning. Teachers analyse information about children’s learning and interests to plan for their children’s future learning. Parent participation is encouraged and is evident in assessment, curriculum planning and internal evaluation documentation. Building partnerships with parents and whānau that focus on children’s learning and their learning goals is an area for growth. 

There is an established system for internal evaluation. Leaders’ and teachers' collective engagement in internal evaluation processes is not yet evident. 

Those responsible for governance and management ensure that: 

  • the selection and recruitment of staff are based on the service’s values and needs 
  • the wellbeing of children, families and staff are prioritised 
  • there are regular opportunities for leaders and teachers to build on their knowledge through professional learning and development. 

Leaders and teachers are yet to show how these approaches are having an impact on children’s learning. 

4 Improvement actions 

​Clendon Christian Preschool​ will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning: 

Build teachers’ shared knowledge and understanding of how to: 

  • use the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki to inform assessment, planning and evaluation of children’s learning 
  • develop learning-focused partnerships with families to support the sharing of information about children’s progress and learning over time 
  • undertake internal evaluation that focuses on the impact of improved teaching practices on outcomes for learners. 

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements 

Before the review, the staff and management of ​Clendon Christian Preschool​ completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios) 
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices. 

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. 

6 Action for Compliance  

​During the onsite part of the review, the service provided​ ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance: 

  • Ensuring adults providing education and care are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry out each type of drill with children (as appropriate) on at least a three-monthly basis (HS8). 

Patricia Davey 
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)  

​14 December 2023​ 

 7 About the Early Childhood Service  

Early Childhood Service NameClendon Christian Preschool
Profile Number46327
Location​Clendon, Auckland
Service type  Education and care service​ 
Number licensed for  80 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 
Percentage of qualified teachers  ​100%​ 
Service roll 78 
Review team on site September 2023  
Date of this report ​14 December 2023​
Most recent ERO report(s) ​Education Review​, ​September 2019​; ​Education Review​, ​November 2015​

Clendon Christian Preschool - 25/09/2019

1 Evaluation of Clendon Christian Preschool

How well placed is Clendon Christian Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Clendon Christian Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Clendon Christian Preschool is part of the Manukau Christian Charitable Trust and operates under the trust's vision and policies. The preschool is licensed for 80 children, including 10 up to two years of age. Māori children make up 25 percent of the roll and almost 75 percent have Pacific heritage, with Samoan being the largest group.

The preschool's vision is 'love God, love people, love learning' and its promise is to prepare children to read and write. Children are separated by age into four rooms and all of them have access to a three-tiered outdoor environment, with a small two-tiered sandpit.

Since the 2015 ERO review, there have been significant staff and leadership changes, including the appointment of three new team leaders. The 'Amazing Ants' programme for children from four-and-a-half to six years of age has also been developed.

The 2015 ERO report identified positive aspects such as warm trusting relationships, and teachers valuing children's cultural identity. These aspects continue to be evident. Areas for improvement included strategic planning, appraisals, programme planning and evaluation. There has been some progress in addressing strategic planning and appraisals. There is a need to continue building shared understandings about assessment, programme planning and evaluation.

The Review Findings

Children experience respectful relationships with teachers and their peers. They are familiar with the predictable routines in their room and with their teachers' expectations for their learning. Children have opportunities to hear and use te reo Māori and other home languages, including Samoan. Children with additional learning needs are well supported and experience positive outcomes.

Parents are encouraged to be involved in and contribute to the centre's programme. They share their aspirations for their children's learning. Parents who spoke with ERO, expressed their appreciation of the preschool's support for their children's settling in and transition to school. They acknowledged the commitment and care shown by teachers towards their children. Teachers have established intergenerational relationships with some families.

Teachers' inclusive and responsive practices support success for all children. Having a teacher dedicated to work with children under two years of age, fosters the formation of strong relationships and trust. Teachers engage with children in small groups and respond to their involvement in the programme. They place an emphasis on developing children's oral language and skills.

Teachers prepare the environments to foster children's literacy, numeracy and social skills. The centre layout presents some challenges for supervision. Staff decide where to place themselves, and how and when children access different spaces. Teachers should review the variety of resources provided and consider adding more natural resources.

Centre leaders and teachers should review the extent to which the structured programme for older children aligns with relevant early childhood education theories and practices in relation to literacy learning. They should establish strategies for promoting child-initiated complex play and fostering creative exploration throughout the programme. Increasing opportunities for children to make independent choices about their learning activities would support them to become self-managing learners.

Teachers have worked to increase the visibility of children's learning and links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in their assessment and planning. They plan activities based on observations of children's interests, record children's participation in the programme and set individual goals for them. Teachers have identified that there is a need to continue improving assessment of learning and programme planning.

The preschool has a clear vision, philosophy, and strategic direction. Policies and procedures guide the service's operations. Teachers enact the Christian-based philosophy underpinned by aroha, whanaungatanga, and manaakitanga. The strategic plan is monitored regularly, and its impact is recorded. Internal evaluation is collaborative and documented, and evidence is presented to support the decisions made. Leaders have considered both Te Whāriki and the Ministry of Education's Tapasā resource, in their curriculum review and decision making.

The preschool is implementing a new appraisal system that encourages teachers to reflect on their practice and try new approaches to support progress towards their goals. Adding regular documented observations to the appraisal process would ensure that it meets requirements and supports teachers' professional growth.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps include further developing:

  • assessment, programme planning and evaluation that focuses on children's learning and the effectiveness of teaching strategies in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki
  • internal evaluation, by establishing a shared understanding of the use of quality indicators related to best practice in early childhood, and evaluating the impact of teaching strategies on outcomes for children.

Recommendation

ERO recommends that leaders access external professional advisory support for teachers to:

  • increase the extent to which the programme for older children reflects the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, and relevant theory and practices in early childhood education.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Clendon Christian 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:

  • 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.

To improve current practice, teachers and leaders are taking steps to record:

  • parental approval for adult:child ratios for excursions on parent permission slips
  • relevant emergency drills on a three-monthly basis.

Since the on-site phase of the ERO review, centre managers have amended several policies to ensure that they align with current requirements, including those of the Children's Act 2014.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

25 September 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

LocationClendon, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number46327
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for80 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Service roll86
Gender compositionGirls 45 Boys 41
Ethnic compositionMāori
Samoan 
Tongan 
Cook Island Māori
Niuean
other ethnic groups
22
28
17
11

4
Percentage of qualified teachers80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:1Better than minimum requirements
Over 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteJuly 2019
Date of this report25 September 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education ReviewNovember 2015

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.

Clendon Christian Preschool - 05/11/2015

1 Evaluation of Clendon Christian Preschool

How well placed is Clendon Christian Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

This is the first ERO report for Clendon Christian Preschool. The centre, located in Clendon, was established in 2013 in a new and purpose built complex. It provides full and part-time early childhood education and care for up to 80 children, including up to 10 children under two years of age. Staff are multicultural and reflect the culturally diverse community they serve. Staff are able to communicate with children and families in most home languages when needed.

The centre is part of the Manukau Christian Charitable Trust group of early childhood centres that are located across Auckland. The group provides governance and management support, with the option for centres to make some adjustments to suit their specific contexts.

The manager for all the centres, including Clendon Christian Preschool, has a clear vision for the centre that is underpinned by Christian beliefs and values. In conjunction with the head teacher for the centre, he has responsibility for management and administration systems, and has developed its policies and procedures. He works collaboratively with staff to review and refine the centre’s systems and processes. The head teacher takes key responsibility for areas relating to children’s learning, teacher and leadership capability, and building partnerships with parents, whānau and the community

The centre’s philosophy and vision are strongly focused on Christian values and beliefs, and on providing a holistic, high quality service for children and their families. A significant feature of the centre is the high level of commitment that staff have to building meaningful, respectful and caring relationships with children and families. Seven teachers are qualified, with three having full registration.

The Review Findings

Children are happy and settled in the centre. They have warm and trusting relationships with adults and a strong sense of belonging in the centre. Children enjoy programmes that provide good opportunities for them to access a wide range of play areas. They settle themselves to play and make deliberate choices about resources they need. Children interact well with their peers and show good negotiation skills. They have opportunities to learn te reo and tikanga Māori, Samoan and other Pacific languages. Children are developing good social skills and are encouraged to persevere, problem solve and take on new challenges in their learning.

Teachers know children and their families well. They interact with children in caring and nurturing ways and skilfully engage children in play that prompts them to collaborate and investigate ideas. Teachers respect and value children's languages, culture and identity. They are committed to recognising the special interests of Māori and Pacific children and ensure the environment reflects the languages and values of these and other cultures. Teachers are reflective and are building their capability through centre wide self review, professional learning, and observations and feedback about their practice.

Teachers review and improve how they plan learning programmes so that they are more responsive to children’s emerging interests and strengths. They also have an increased awareness of capturing and extending children’s individual interests. This approach enables teachers to plan activities and provide opportunities that are relevant for children. Teachers have started to evaluate learning programmes and are supporting children’s transitions to school. Teachers make children’s learning visible in the environment. They have started to focus more on how children’s learning stories connect to planning and on improving the way that children’s learning development is documented over time.

A notable strength in the centre is the relationships and partnerships that teachers have with parents, whānau and the community. Teachers provide many opportunities for families to participate in the programme, contribute to reviews and to be aware of their children’s progress. ‘Fun, food and fellowship’ is the mantra that drives this strong community focused commitment. Parents also have input into learning stories, the learning environment and their children’s portfolios. They appreciate the welcoming and inclusive culture in the centre and the quality of education and care provided for their children.

The learning environment is attractive, inviting and well-resourced and has a wide range of play areas. Teachers and children have started to make plans to transform the outdoor grass area into a stimulating new play area.

Centre leaders have a collaborative leadership style and work as a cohesive team. All staff are encouraged to contribute to decision making about the centre. Centre leaders access relevant professional learning and development to build teacher capability. They have a strengths-based approach to teacher development and are keen to support teachers to develop their leadership capability.

The centre vision focuses on the holistic wellbeing and development of the child, the whānau and the community. Comprehensive and thoughtful consultation processes have been undertaken to develop a philosophy that is focused on valuing diversity, caring for people and building meaningful partnerships. Sound governance and management practices are evident. Strategic and annual plans are well developed, well aligned, and identify key priorities for future development. 

Key Next Steps

The centre manager and leaders agree that next steps for centre development include:

  • developing success indicators for the centre’s strategic goals, in collaboration with parents, whānau, staff and the community, to increase the clarity about what needs to be achieved and so that progress against planned goals can be better measured
  • continuing to access external expertise to improve the teacher appraisal system
  • specifying children’s learning outcomes and the teaching strategies that will be used in programme planning
  • strengthening teachers’ evaluation of learning programmes and the effectiveness of their practice on improving outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Clendon Christian 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:

  • 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 Clendon Christian Preschool will be in three years. 

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

5 November 2015

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

Clendon, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

46327

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

56

Gender composition

Boys      32
Girls       24

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Samoan
Tongan
Cook Island Māori
Fijian
African

23
  2
21
  5
  2
  2
  1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2015

Date of this report

5 November 2015

Most recent ERO report(s) 

No previous ERO reports

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.