1132 Cameron Road, Gate Pa, Tauranga
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 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 Gate Pa Preschool and Childcare are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Gate Pa Preschool is privately owned. It provides full-day education and care in two rooms. This service serves a large number of Māori learners and a small number of Pacific learners. Through their philosophy it aims to promote relationships, respectful practices, and wellbeing.
Children benefit from a curriculum that is responsive to their interests. Well-resourced learning spaces encourage children’s exploration and participation within a calm, settled environment. Opportunities to learn about the wider community are promoted. Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are well integrated into daily teaching practices. Māori can see, hear, and feel their culture in the learning environment. The youngest learners are supported to develop their language and social and emotional competence through respectful teaching practices. Children’s learning is enhanced by a curriculum that responds to individual choice.
Strong relationships between teachers, children and their families support the enactment of the centre’s philosophy. Children with additional learning needs benefit from teachers working alongside parents. Teachers consistently integrate the languages and cultures of Māori, and those of other heritages, into assessment. How teachers respond to children’s interests, ways of learning and parents’ aspirations is not yet visible through written assessment, planning and evaluation information.
A child-centred programme is enhanced by collaboration and relational trust between leaders and teachers. Children’s learning is enriched by teachers’ participation in relevant professional learning. Leaders mentor and guide teachers, and they facilitate an ongoing, shared understanding of the service’s goals and priorities for children’s learning. Further monitoring of the impact of changes in teaching over time, against centre priorities, is required. Internal evaluation is yet to identify what is and what is not working to support individuals and groups of children.
Gate Pa Preschool and Childcare will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
More visibly respond to parent aspirations through documented assessment to strengthen learning-focused partnerships and promote children’s progress.
Continue to build teacher capability and understanding of effective internal evaluation processes that include indicators of quality, ongoing monitoring, and clearer identification of outcomes for learners.
Before the review, the staff and management of Gate Pa Preschool and Childcare 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.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Ensuring that checks to equipment, premises and facilities include all items required by the licensing criterion (HS12).
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
7 June 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Gate Pa Preschool and Childcare |
|
Profile Number |
46017 |
|
Location |
Gate Pa, Tauranga |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
39 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
7 June 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, September 2019 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Gate Pa Preschool and Childcare is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Gate Pa Preschool and Childcare is a privately-owned centre located in Gate Pa, Tauranga. The centre provides all-day education and care in a mixed-age setting for children up to the age of six years. The centre roll is licensed for 30 children with 10 up to the age of two. The current roll is 39 children 12 of whom identify as Māori. The teaching team includes the owner/manager, 2IC and team leader. Over 80% of teachers are qualified.
The centre philosophy emphasises respect “for ourselves; each other; children and whanau; and the environment”. They believe that nurturing relationships are vital, and the uniqueness of each age is acknowledged in teaching practices. The service's philosophy, vision, and mission statement are embedded in the life of the centre.
Management have responded well to the key next steps identified in the 2015 ERO review related to the use of self-review and maintaining high trust relationships. Staff have recently completed a two-year research project based around effective dialogues for two-year-olds in a mixed-age setting.
Infants, toddlers and young children experience positive and affirming interactions with their teachers. Teachers are responsive to children’s feelings, interests and ideas. They use a range of effective strategies to notice, recognise and respond to children’s play and exploration. Children demonstrate trust in adults and have confidence to contribute and cooperate as a member of a group. In the context of play children are well supported by teachers to enjoy books, verbally express their ideas, and use maths concepts and numbers for increasingly complex purposes.
The well-planned curriculum effectively promotes positive learning outcomes for all children. Areas of play are well resourced, and children are empowered to engage in sustained and uninterrupted play and learning. Teachers integrate aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori into the daily programme and a range of resources supports this integration and affirms Māori children in their language culture and identity. A high level of parent whānau participation contributes to children's sense of belonging and confidence that they and their families are valued. Children benefit from many opportunities to follow their interests and experience challenging learning activities.
Babies and toddlers in the under-two room benefit from routines that are highly responsive to individual preferences and needs. There is a calm and settled pace that gives children time and space to lead their own learning in a rich curriculum. Tuakana/teina relationships provide opportunities for children to talk, play and build relationships with each other. A well-considered and inclusive approach supports children and their whānau with additional needs. Teachers know and respond to specific learning and behaviour needs. Effective plans and strategies are developed alongside parents and external agencies to support children requiring additional support.
The centre owner/manager, supported by the second-in-command and team leader, is providing effective professional leadership. She has in-depth knowledge of the early childhood curriculum and fosters a culture of professional reflection and learning among teachers. Effective internal evaluation is contributing to ongoing improvement to the quality of education and responsiveness to centre stakeholders. Self-review is well understood and leads to evidence-based decision making. A clear vision and high expectations for the education and care for children is evident. Leaders and teachers work in partnership with parents and whānau contributing to a shared understanding and positive outcomes for children across the centre.
ERO and centre management agree that a key next step is to strengthen the consistency of individual portfolios to show learning and progress over time.
Before the review, the staff and management of Gate Pa Preschool and Childcare 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
9 September 2019
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.
|
Location |
Gate Pa, Tauranga |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46017 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
39 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Male 20 Female 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
12 |
|
|
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 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
9 September 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2015 |
|
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 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.
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.
Gate Pa Preschool is a privately owned, newly established centre located in Gate Pa Tauranga. It is licensed for 30 children, including 10 aged under two years. At the time of this ERO review, the centre had been in operation for two years, and there were 30 children on the roll, including four who identify as Māori.
Children learn and play in a homelike and stimulating environment that provides infants, toddlers and young children with rich opportunities to explore and investigate their world. The centre manager and teachers actively welcome and support children and their families who come from diverse backgrounds. A significant feature of the centre is the way in which staff respond effectively to children with complex educational needs.
The centre has a highly committed and competent teaching team who ensure that the needs of all children and their families are well catered for. The knowledgeable and experienced centre manager has been in the process of employing two new teachers after the departure of two staff members at the end of 2014.
The centre philosophy believes in building children’s sense of respect for themselves, their peers, whānau and community, and their environment. Caring and respectful relationships are at the heart of all centre interactions.
The centre owner/manager, supported by her team, has established highly effective systems and processes that guide and support all centre operations including financial management. The service’s philosophy underpins centre values and beliefs, and reflects a commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Self review is effective in promoting ongoing centre improvement.
Centre staff place the well being of children, parents and whānau at the heart of all centre interactions, activities and events. They have developed an inclusive culture in which children from diverse backgrounds are lovingly cared for, accepted, and have a strong sense of belonging. A working strategic and annual plan provides clear direction for policy review, centre operations and management.
The centre manager models effective teaching practice and provides ongoing professional development for teachers. She encourages staff to use their initiative and take on leadership roles. She also recognises and acknowledges the skills and experiences of parents/whānau and the wider community, and invites them to contribute to children’s experiences. A particular strength of the centre leaders is their knowledge and skills in managing children with high learning needs.
The curriculum emerges from children’s ideas, interests and the contribution from teachers and whānau. The learning environment is rich and stimulating, providing opportunities for exploration, problem solving, experimentation, creativity and risk taking. Activities are presented attractively to invite infants, toddlers and young children into play. Te Ao Māori is well integrated across the curriculum and teachers are exploring local historical contexts and events, and the surrounding natural environment, to enhance further learning opportunities for children.
There are very effective systems and processes that support children’s assessment and teacher planning. The centre manager identified through self review that a next step is to focus more on the recording of children’s progress and development over time. The experienced and knowledgeable teaching team continue to enhance their professional practice through professional learning and development, good quality reflection and evaluation, and effective communication.
Children are encouraged to be independent and take responsibility for leading their learning and play. Teachers follow children into play and enter into their imaginary world. They listen to children and support them in sustaining their play and revisiting their learning. Literacy and numeracy are well integrated into children’s play throughout the indoor and outdoor environments. Teachers encourage and support children to use their words and non-verbal skills to resolve problems, find solutions, and negotiate outcomes. Children are confident communicators who willingly engage in conversations with adults, each other and visitors to the centre.
Children are nurtured in their transitions within the centre as well as onto school. Infants and toddlers enjoy tuakana/teina relationships and have the opportunity to learn in a quiet, low-stress environment. They receive nurturing and comfort from adults who are sensitive to children’s rhythms and needs. Children demonstrate caring relationships with each other and especially with children who have high needs.
The next steps for centre staff are to continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Gate Pa Preshool and Childcare completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they select ‘have’ or ‘have not’ 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.
The next ERO review of Gate Pa Preshool and Childcare will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
30 March 2015
|
Location |
Tauranga |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46017 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
30 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 18 Boys 12 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Cook Island Indian |
4 24 1 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
30 March 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
No previous ERO reports |
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.