207 O'Roarkes Road, Rangiora
View on mapAkarangi | 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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Fernside Preschool Limited are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Fernside Preschool Limited is a family-owned service that provides education and care for children from birth to five years in two separate areas on a rural site with farm animals. The majority of children and their families come from the surrounding districts. Most staff are registered early childhood teachers. The owners and assistant manager form the centre’s management team.
A rich and inclusive curriculum fosters a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging for children. Building positive relationships is a priority for the teaching team. Each child has a key teacher who knows them and their family well. Teachers are becoming increasingly intentional about recognising each child’s unique learning abilities and design a responsive curriculum based on this knowledge.
The daily programme of experiences provides a calm, slow-paced environment where children make independent choices about their play and learning. Infants, toddlers, and young children experience minimum scheduled interruptions to encourage active exploration and independent decision making.
The indoor and outdoor environments are thoughtfully designed to foster children’s curiosity and promote risk-taking. The farm setting provides unique opportunities for children to learn about the natural world and responsibly care for animals.
Respectful learning-partnerships with parents’ support children’s developing social competence and emotional wellbeing. The principles and strands from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are effectively integrated into the daily programme. Developing a deeper understanding of the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki to strengthen the development of the service’s local curriculum is a key priority for sustaining curriculum development.
Teachers extend children’s language development using multiple languages and some New Zealand Sign language. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori is increasingly integrated in the day-to-day teaching practice.
Assessment for learning practices actively involve children, parents and whānau and takes account of their perspectives and aspirations. Teachers are becoming more consistent in using assessment information and a wide range of teaching strategies to respond effectively to the diverse ways children learn.
Leaders and teachers engage in review and internal evaluation. They participate in relevant professional learning opportunities and draw on research-based knowledge to support children’s learning and development. Trusting relationships among leaders and teachers support collaboration, and openness to change. Leaders use well considered approaches to organisational change and delivery of the service through extensive conversations with their community.
Fernside Preschool Limited will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. Continue to embed:
Before the review, the staff and management of Fernside Preschool Limited 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
6 October 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Fernside Preschool Limited |
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Profile Number |
70166 |
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Location |
Christchurch |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
62 children, including up to 11 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
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Service roll |
108 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 2, NZ European/Pākehā 96, Other 10. |
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Review team on site |
June 2021 |
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Date of this report |
6 October 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018; Education Review, October 2014 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Fernside Preschool Limited is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fernside Preschool Limited is a family-owned, semi-rural service that provides education and care for children from 3 months to school age. Most teachers are qualified and certified in early childhood education. One of the owners is also the centre manager. The co-owners and head teachers make up the centre management team.
The service is part of the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning.
The centre management team and staff have addressed all the areas for improvement outlined in the 2014 ERO report. Leaders and teachers have ensured that changes to the mat time are now more beneficial to children's learning and interactions. The centre owners have extended the non- contact time for head teachers to enable them to carry out their leadership responsibilities more efficiently. The centre management team has clearly outlined how it will work with the staff to achieve the centre's long-term goals.
Children experience welcoming, positive and caring interactions. They are actively involved in a calm, unhurried learning environment. Teachers support children well to be confident communicators. One-to-one and responsive interactions are highly evident to support the security, wellbeing and development of infant children.
Children confidently choose from a range of stimulating and challenging activities. They have time to develop their problem solving skills and learn from observing others. They have good opportunities to experience their natural, spacious outdoor environment and key places in the wider community.
Teachers prepare a thoughtfully-planned environment to carefully build children's confidence and independence. They have a strong sense of collective responsibility for children's wellbeing, learning and physical development. Children have appropriate levels of challenge to support this. The programme also provides opportunities for older children to play and learn with younger children.
Teachers confidently use te reo Māori throughout the day. They plan different experiences to build children's respect and awareness of their own and others' home cultural backgrounds. This culturally-responsive approach further develops individual children's confidence and feeling of inclusion.
Children with additional needs are also well supported.
Teachers proactively use professional development to extend their practice and improve outcomes for children. They collaboratively plan activities to meet children's needs and interests particularly when learning as part of a group. They effectively use internal evaluation to identify strengths and what needs to be improved and promptly act on findings.
Leaders and teachers provide a range of ways, including the use of technology, to effectively aid communication between home and centre. Parents are regularly invited to contribute ideas and feedback to enhance assessment and planning practices. Teachers appropriately respond to this feedback. Children enjoy the comments their parents make in their learning stories.
The centre management team has effectively established a number of useful operational systems, processes and procedures. Their internal evaluation is meaningful and well focused on outcomes for children and their progress over time. They are currently updating key policies and procedures. This includes the child protection policy and the appraisal process. These policies and processes have yet to be implemented and embedded in centre practice.
The centre owner and ERO agree, that the key next steps to improve outcomes for children are to:
strengthen planning and increase the consistency of practice across the centre
complete, implement and embed the updated appraisal process.
Before the review, the staff and management of Fernside Preschool Limited 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 and 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 Fernside Preschool Limitedwill be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
27 February 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 |
Fernside, Rangiora |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
70166 |
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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 |
62 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
113 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 51%; Girls 49% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
11% |
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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 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2017 |
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Date of this report |
27 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2014 |
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Education Review |
July 2011 |
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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.