Donald Street Preschool

1 Evaluation of Donald Street Preschool

How well placed is Donald Street Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Donald Street Preschool is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Donald Street Preschool is located in Karori, a suburb of Wellington. The centre provides education and care five days a week, for up to 22 children over two years old. It is a small, family-orientated service. At the time of this review 21 children were enrolled.

The centre vision emphasises the 'encouragement of young children to become confident and competent learners and communicators.'

In 2017, the centre experienced a period of disruption, relocating while refurbishment of the centre was undertaken. The centre has now returned to the rebuilt premises.

The owners and centre staff have responded positively to the findings of the February 2016 ERO report. A focus since the last review has been on planning, assessment and evaluation, including how to strengthen cultural responsiveness. Strengthened strategic planning is evident.

The Review Findings

A clear vision for children's learning guides centre practice. The centre philosophy was revised in 2018 to align with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. This is clearly evident in practice.

Children learn in an attractive, purposeful and respectful learning environment that promotes their engagement in learning. Relationships among children, teachers and parents are positive, caring and supportive. Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Strong transition to school processes and links with local schools are well established.

Children experience a localised and meaningful curriculum. Literacy, numeracy and science are highly valued and strongly promoted within learning experiences. The building of children’s leadership skills and sense of responsibility for each other’s wellbeing and learning are integral to the curriculum.

Teachers look for and provide authentic opportunities to effectively support and extend learning. They question, provide resources and support for play, redirect and engage children where required and encourage children's conversations.

There is a culture of strong collaboration and respect. Teachers know the learners and their whānau well. Centre leaders provide many opportunities for children and whānau to contribute to and lead elements of the curriculum in action.

A range of effective strategies are in place to share children's learning and involvement with whānau. These also encourage and support children to revisit and extend past learning experiences. Well-presented assessment information capture and celebrate children’s learning and shared experiences during their time at the centre. These follow and capture how children’s interests are used to extend and add depth to learning over time.

There is a strong commitment to a bicultural curriculum. Teachers have strengthened their understanding of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and focus on authentic integration of this in the curriculum. Other cultures are also valued and have aspects of their culture and celebrations integrated into centre experiences in authentic ways.

Leaders are strongly improvement focused. They are highly supportive of staff and have in-depth knowledge of the centre's day-to-day operation. They have been proactive in upgrading the centre and the policy framework. Annual appraisals are completed. Strengthening the appraisal and attestation processes have been identified as an area of focus for 2019.

Leaders hold very high expectations of staff performance and the provision of learning opportunities for children. They provide regular opportunities for teachers to participate in professional learning. These support teachers to extend their knowledge of the curriculum and deepen their understanding of how to effectively support children’s learning in action.

Review is regular and in-depth. Its purpose is well understood and informs and guides improvements to teacher practice, the curriculum, centre initiatives and decision making. A next step is to use evaluation to inform how well teachers' practice reflects the overall centre vision.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps are to:

• revisit the appraisal process to further strengthen this through more frequent and targeted observations of teacher practice. These observations should capture progress and identify further areas for development. The introduction of an appraisal summary document that identifies progress towards teachers' appraisal goals and attests whether the teacher has met the Teacher Professional Standards is also desirable
   
• continue to build teachers' capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of centre practices.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Donald Street 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 Donald Street Preschool will be in four years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Southern Region

30 January 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		Wellington
Ministry of Education profile number		60067
Licence type		Education & Care Service
Licensed under		Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for		22 children over two years of age
Service roll		21
Gender composition		Girls 11, Boys 10
Ethnic composition		Māori Pākehā Chinese Other ethnic groups	4 11 3 3
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates		80% +
Reported ratios of staff to children	Over 2	1:6	Better than minimum requirements
Review team on site		December 2018
Date of this report		30 January 2019
Most recent ERO report(s)		Education Review	February 2016
		Education Review	March 2013
		Education Review	March 2010

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.