408 Otumoetai Road, Otumoetai, Tauranga
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.
Fern Garden Preschool and Childcare Centre is one of four privately-owned services governed by the Chrysalis Group. Children from birth to school age learn and play in two age-based settings. Of the 58 children enrolled, five are Māori. A centre manager and head teacher lead the teaching team.
The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation. Children have a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their learning and development. Their preferences are respected. The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is acknowledged. Children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour is supported. Information from agencies enables adults to work effectively with children and their parents.
Children experience positive interactions with adults. A language-rich environment supports their learning. Parents and whānau have regular opportunities to be involved in decisions about their child’s learning.
The service is effectively governed and is managed in accordance with good practices.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
3 August 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Fern Garden Preschool and Childcare Centre |
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Profile Number |
40303 |
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Location |
Otumoetai, Tauranga |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
58 |
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Review team on site |
July 2022 |
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Date of this report |
3 August 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, July 2018; Education Review, June 2015 |
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.
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fern Garden Preschool & Childcare Centre is a privately owned education and care service located in the Tauranga suburb of Otumoetai. It is one of four centres owned by an umbrella organisation, the Chrysalis Group. The centre is licensed for 40 children including up to eight under the age of two. The current roll is 42, a small number of whom identify as Māori. Children learn and play in two age-based areas, one for infants and toddlers and one for those over the age of two. The centre is open five days a week from 7.30am to 5.30pm.
A centre manager is responsible for day-to-day management. She is well supported by curriculum and operations managers who provide support and guidance to all centres owned by the umbrella organisation. Eighty percent of teachers are fully qualified and registered early childhood educators.
The centre aims to create the atmosphere of a fern garden that is calm, unhurried and filled with imagination, discovery and fun. Teachers aim to work in close partnership with parents and inspire children to be life-long learners and guardians of the environment.
The centre has responded well to the recommendations of the previous ERO report. A major upgrade to buildings and furniture in 2017 has significantly improved the learning environment in both age-group spaces.
An effective curriculum provides many opportunities for children to learn through play. Children are supported to develop social and relationship skills through the use of a range of effective positive guidance strategies. Children's oral language development is facilitated by the provision of flexible, open-ended resources that allow for imaginative and fantasy play. Foundational mathematics and literacy skills development is naturally integrated into children's play. There are many opportunities for children to develop their understanding of themselves as kaitiaki of the environment. Children learn self-management skills and resilience in a number of different authentic and meaningful contexts. Children benefit from a well-enacted centre philosophy.
Teachers have respectful, warm and nurturing relationships with children. The atmosphere is settled and unhurried. Flexible routines promote sustained play. Teachers listen and respond to children's changing needs and preferences. ERO observed the following effective strategies being used:
open-ended questions to extend thinking and add complexity
taking a problem solving approach to enhancing relationships
making connections between prior experience and new learning
observing and being present.
Teachers use effective strategies to promote smooth transitions to school. A school readiness programme is available for those children who show an interest. This programme extends their self-management, early mathematics and literacy skills. A designated teacher works with the new entrant teachers of the local Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako to strengthen relationships. The centre is well resourced to enhance child-directed learning. Children are confident and well engaged.
Children under the age of two benefit from continuity of care from a small number of teachers who have primary responsibility for the under-two age group. Teachers respect children's rights to be informed and consulted about decisions that affect them. They work closely with parents to ensure that their response to children's care routines are reflective of those at home. Children with emerging special needs are carefully monitored. Teachers work closely with parents and outside agencies to respond to children.
Leaders' value and support teachers. They encourage and promote a positive team culture. Strategic planning identifies the service’s priorities and associated goals focused on ongoing improvement. Regular professional development includes a range of both individual and centre-wide opportunities. These are aligned to strategic priorities and build teacher capability. Teachers feel well supported and empowered to focus on positive outcomes for children.
Governance is effective. A clear vision and philosophy guide centre practice. This is supported by a robust policy framework, and effective organisational systems and processes. Internal evaluation at different levels of centre operation is evident and leads to ongoing development and improvement. A well-developed appraisal process supports teachers to critically reflect on and improve their practice. Governance enables centre leaders and teachers to enact the vision and philosophy of the centre.
There is now a need to continue to deepen teacher understanding of learning, and become more intentional in responding to children's specific development priorities.
Before the review, the staff and management of Fern Garden Preschool & Childcare 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:
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 Fern Garden Preschool & Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
16 July 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.
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Location |
Otumoetai, Tauranga |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40303 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
42 |
||
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Gender composition |
Girls 24 Boys 18 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
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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 |
May 2018 |
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Date of this report |
16 July 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
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Education Review |
April 2009 |
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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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fern Garden Preschool & Childcare Centre is a privately owned service located in a modified house in the Tauranga suburb of Otumoetai. The centre provides full-day education and care for up to 40 children including eight up to the age of two years. The owner/directors bought Fern Garden in 2011 and since then have opened three other early childhood education services in Auckland. All services operate under the ‘Chrysalis Group’. The structure of the Chrysalis organisation enables the centre to benefit from shared efficiencies in administration, professional development, and teacher and leadership networks. The owner/directors maintain close communication with the centre, which is managed on site by a designated centre manager.
The philosophy of Fern Garden articulates the intention to provide children with a service where ‘care is first and foremost, followed by learning that is calm and unhurried yet filled with discovery, imagination and fun’. Key underlying themes of ‘imagination, inspiration, innovation, partnership and sustainability’ are also evident in the service’s comprehensive philosophy statement.
Most of the teachers have recognised early childhood education qualifications. The centre consistently operates at higher qualification levels for staff than the minimum as set by the Ministry of Education (MoE). Two are fully registered teachers and three are currently working towards full teacher registration status. The service is committed to maintaining teacher-child ratios that also exceed minimal MoE requirements.
The centre environment is organised into two main aged-based groups. The facilities for older children consist of several indoor play areas, a large covered outside area and an outdoor playground that includes some mature native trees. The facilities for infants and toddlers are currently being redeveloped to improve the quality of the programme and environment. This is part of a wider investment plan by the centre owner to redevelop these facilities and improve the integration with the outside environment. The service has been the recipient of a national award for the development of an on-line initiative that enables parents to share information about their child’s learning outcomes and progress using innovative technology. The centre employs a full-time cook who prepares wholesome meals and snacks for the children.
The service has made good progress in regard to the ‘agreed priorities for review and development’ that were identified in the previous ERO report in 2012.
Centre leaders and teachers articulate a clear and well-defined philosophy based on continual improvement to the service for children and families. Together they have successfully raised the profile of the centre in the local community and established a stable team of dedicated teachers. Progress has also been made in managing children’s transitions to local primary schools.
Parents and families are warmly welcomed into the centre by teachers who give priority to providing children with quality education and care. Low staff turnover has enabled children to develop long-term relationships with teachers and increase their sense of belonging to the centre. As part of the drive for continual improvement, leaders and teachers are currently focused on reviewing and developing more effective and innovative ways to gather parents’ aspirations about children’s learning.
ERO observed children involved in play and exploration with and alongside peers and teachers. Teachers notice opportunities to become involved in play and engage children in learning conversations. Respectful, responsive relationships and interactions among teachers and children provide a sound foundation for teachers to extend children’s exploration and learning.
The child-initiated and child-centred programme enables children to engage in a wide range of activities and experiences that support their development as confident learners. Through programme planning processes teachers are able to provide a range of relevant activities that provide children with considerable choice about their level of involvement. Teachers have worked hard to promote te reo Māori within the programme, and the environment contains many prompts to support te reo in the centre. Practices such as karakia and regular waiata complement the culture of inclusion, acceptance and valuing what each child brings to the centre.
A wide range of equipment, resources and play spaces is well-organised to support children’s learning and development across all learning areas. A strength of the daily programme is the way children’s artistic creativity is fostered through the inclusion of a range of medium, equipment and focused teaching. The outdoor environment provides opportunities for active play and exploration.
Innovative assessment practices, including the use of a centre developed online assessment tool, enable the progress of each child’s learning to be closely tracked over time. Assessment processes also enable teachers to monitor programme coverage for individuals and assist teachers to share information with parents covering a wide range of skills, learning dispositions and competencies. Portfolios are accessible to children and families in an ongoing way, both electronically and in hard copy, enabling them to share and revisit learning. Parents are able to make contributions to these useful documents.
There are many useful opportunities for children to explore their ideas about early literacy and mathematical concepts, which are integrated into the learning programme throughout the day. A programme for older children provides four year olds with additional exposure to literacy and mathematical learning in the context of their play and ideas.
The following areas for review and development are likely to assist the way the service promotes positive outcomes for children:
Before the review, the staff and management of Fern Garden Preschool & Childcare 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.
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Fern Garden Preschool & Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
15 June 2015
|
Location |
Tauranga |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40303 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
52 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 29 Boys 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Fijian Indian Latin American Samoan South East Asian |
39 8 1 1 1 1 1 |
|
|
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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
15 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2009 |
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.