Hillpark Preschool (2021) Limited

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 Hillpark Preschool (2021) Limited are as follows:

2 Context of the Service

Hillpark Preschool (2021) Limited is co-owned and managed by two experienced early childhood teachers. The teaching team of seven operate within a purpose-built, over-two’s setting. Children attending the centre come from a wide range of ethnicities and include a small number identifying as Māori. This is the centre’s first Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a play-based curriculum where they are responded to as confident and competent learners. Their choices are respected, and they are included in decisions about their learning. Positive relationships between children and teachers support their communication and developing social competence. The language-rich environment provides them with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development both indoors and out. Children display curiosity within their learning environment.

Teachers actively engage with parents and whānau. They have regular opportunities to participate and contribute to their child’s learning and development. The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children have opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The home languages and cultures of all children are valued and acknowledged but yet to be consistently embedded into assessment practices. Information and guidance is sought, when necessary, from agencies/services to enable teachers to work effectively with children and their parents. Transitions into the service and beyond are sensitively managed.

High relational trust among leaders and teachers promotes team unity and reciprocal communication. Ongoing self-review fosters consistent positive outcomes for teaching and learning. Leaders agree they are yet to embed their collective capability to do and use internal evaluation. A commitment to continuous learning and development enables ongoing reflection to improve practice. Leaders and teachers are guided by suitable systems and processes that maintain management and governance of the service.  

4 Improvement actions

Hillpark Preschool (2021) Limited will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

• Develop a localised curriculum in consultation with parents and whānau to reflect the valued priorities for children’s learning and strategic goals for the service.

• Reflect the languages and cultures of all children in assessment practices to reflect their home contexts and uphold and enhance their learner identities.

• Forefront evaluative questions within the internal evaluation framework to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of improvement actions designed to achieve equitable outcomes for all children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Hillpark Preschool (2021) 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:

• 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

16 August 2022 

6 About the Early Childhood Service