82 Forfar Street, St Albans, Christchurch
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 Forfar Nursery and Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Forfar Nursery and Preschool is governed and managed by a parent committee and the leadership team. The centre manager has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the service. Almost all of the teaching staff are fully qualified. Since the June 2016 ERO review, the service has made good progress towards meeting the key next steps for improvement.
Leaders and kaiako establish and maintain responsive, respectful interactions and relationships with children, parents, whānau and the wider education community. They purposefully support children’s developing social competence and emotional wellbeing.
Assessment and planning for learning practices require further development to contribute to a curriculum that effectively responds to children’s language, culture, and identity. Leaders and kaiako are beginning to use the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, as the basis of assessment for learning.
Kaiako give priority to oral language development including integrating some te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into the learning programme. They also use New Zealand Sign Language in meaningful ways to promote children’s non-verbal communication.
Infants and toddlers benefit from nurturing and consistent routines, with attentive teachers that promote their sense of belonging. Children are well supported as they settle into the nursery and later transition into the preschool room.
The collaborative leadership team has built a trusting and professional team that promotes opportunities for staff to reflect on practice and learn together. Leaders and kaiako take collective responsibility for the wellbeing and learning of all children.
Deliberate, systematic internal evaluation is in the early stages of development. Leaders are establishing the conditions, capabilities and capacity to use internal evaluation for improvement.
Those responsible for governance and management have clear roles and responsibilities. The cohesive, parent-led governance committee allocate resources in ways that align with the service’s vision, values and priorities.
Forfar Nursery and Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Forfar Nursery and 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:
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
12 March 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Forfar Nursery and Preschool |
| Profile Number | 70361 |
| Location | Christchurch |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
47 children, including up to 15 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
66 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 7, NZ European/Pākehā 49, other ethnic groups 10. |
|
Review team on site |
November 2020 |
|
Date of this report |
12 March 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2016; Education Review, April 2013. |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Forfar Nursery and Preschool is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Forfar Nursery and Preschool is located in a large renovated house which is divided into two areas to accommodate a nursery and a preschool. The centre is operated by a community-based service and is managed by a centre manager and two head teachers. Almost all the teachers are ECE qualified, with one teacher currently in training.
The centre's philosophy states in part, that children should be able to create, explore, make friends and have fun in a home-like environment.
The centre has met all the 2013 ERO review recommendations. The philosophy clearly supports Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum. The centre's procedures and practices link closely to the values and vision.
Children happily play together and are highly engaged in their activities. They have a good range of learning experiences in their natural outdoor environment including caring for their vegetable gardens. Teachers intentionally promote and encourage healthy eating and physical activity with the children.
Teachers readily respond to children's interests and needs. They plan collaboratively and openly share effective practice and ideas. They know the children well and provide a range of stimulating and challenging resources to effectively extend their thinking. Well planned, flexible transitions support children's smooth movement through the centre and on to school.
Children have meaningful experiences of te reo and tikanga Māori through waiata and karakia. The staff and children are very welcoming and supportive of each other. Bicultural practices are fully included in the programme and in the environment.
Teachers and parents work in partnership to meet the needs of the children. Teachers are nurturing and caring. Infants and toddlers are well cared for in a calm and friendly environment. Teachers provide a range of resources and opportunities to support younger children to develop their social confidence and physical skills. Children with specific learning needs are catered for in a sensitive and caring manner.
Parents' views are strongly valued. Their ideas are regularly sought and used in the planning and assessment of children's learning. Teachers value this partnership and arrange different events to consolidate this positive and purposeful connection with families.
The centre is very well governed and managed. The centre leaders have developed good systems and guidelines to ensure the sustainability of effective practices. Both centre leaders and teachers have high expectations for learning and teaching. The appraisal process includes a strong emphasis on teachers' self reflection and research-based professional knowledge. The self-review process is well focused on identifying strengths and ensuring ongoing improvement.
The centre leaders have identified, and ERO agrees that the next steps to further improve outcomes for children are to:
link the centre's values to bicultural values in documentation
further embed and strengthen the appraisal process by linking teachers' goals to the centre's strategic plan and include a formal observation with written feedback
strengthen the evaluative aspects of the centre's self-review process.
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.
The next ERO review of Forfar Nursery and Preschoolwill be in four years.
Lesley Patterson Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
21 June 2016
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 |
Christchurch |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
70361 |
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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 |
47 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
77 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 40; Girls 37 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Asian Other |
11 53 1 1 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 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
May 2016 |
||
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Date of this report |
21 June 2016 |
||
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
April 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2010 |
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|
Education Review |
February 2007 |
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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:
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.
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.