Little Monkeys Preschool

ERO’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.

ERO’s Judgement

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Little Monkeys Preschool is one of two centre based services in Palmerston North. The all day education and care service’s latest license was issued in April 2018.  The owner/manager leads a teaching team of seven.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau aspirations and life contexts. It supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.

Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

• ensuring six monthly fire evacuations are forwarded to Fire and Emergency NZ.
  [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS4]

Next ERO Review

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

30 April 2021   

Information About the Service

General Information about Assurance Reviews

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.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

• having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
• previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
• that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
• that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
• where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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:

• curriculum
• premises and facilities
• health and safety practices
• governance, management and administration.

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:

• 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 certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

• discussions with those involved in the service
• consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
• observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

1 Evaluation of Little Monkeys Preschool

How well placed is Little Monkeys Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Little Monkeys Preschool is a privately owned, all-day early learning service in Palmerston North. It is one of two centres that are jointly owned and managed.

Infants and toddlers have staff and learning spaces separate to those of older children. The centre is licensed for 32 children, including 15 aged up to two years. Of the total roll of 40, 11 children are Māori, and four of Pacific heritage.

There have been changes to the leadership structure of the centre since the June 2014 ERo report. The manager oversees two team leaders, who support teaching staff. Qualified teachers work alongside teachers in training.

The centre's vision and philosophy emphasise children's individuality, connections with whānau and community and sustainable practices. The learning environment makes use of natural and recycled materials.

The previous ERO report identified areas for development. These included aspects of internal evaluation, leadership and mentoring, the bicultural curriculum, and partnership with parents. Progress is evident in these areas.

The Review Findings

Children confidently engage in a rich, mostly child-led curriculum. Teachers work responsively alongside children, supporting them in play. They give children opportunities to lead and foster their social competence and self-help skills. Literacy is effectively woven into teaching interactions. Teachers skilfully encourage physical exploration and challenge to promote learning. Events and excursions, based on children’s interests, extend the programme.

Infants and toddlers lead their learning in a calm environment. Teachers are warmly responsive to their cues and non-verbal communication. They effectively support oral language. Consistent routines and staffing promote children’s sense of wellbeing. Teachers work at children’s level and invite their engagement. Respectful practice is evident. 

A range of thoughtful strategies promote children's and families' sense of belonging when first enrolling at the centre. Transitions between age groups are flexible and responsive to children's needs. Teachers work collaboratively within the team and with whānau to plan for these transitions. Useful learning and wellbeing information is shared. A range of strategies and initiatives support children and families as they transition from the centre to school.

Teachers work alongside families and external agencies to support children with additional learning needs. Plans and monitoring for these children are well considered.

Children regularly see, hear and experience elements of te ao Māori. Events and visual displays support this valuable learning. Teachers are exploring kaupapa Māori concepts with children and within programme documentation. Leaders and teachers have identified the bicultural curriculum as an ongoing improvement focus. ERO's evaluation affirms this direction.

ERO and leaders agree that a next step for the centre is to develop and implement targeted, culturally responsive strategies for the promotion of educational success for Māori and Pacific children. They should continue to engage with relevant research and professional learning opportunities in this area.

Teachers plan strategies and activities based on close observation of individual children’s emerging interests, strengths and needs. Clear links are made between planned learning outcomes and the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. Plans are regularly revisited and evaluated, with a focus on children’s engagement. Leaders should now support teachers to consistently focus assessment, planning and evaluation on children's progress. Assessments should clearly show how intentional teaching strategies have resulted in new learning.

A key next step for the centre is for teachers to further develop their positive relationships with parents and whānau into purposeful learning partnerships. As these develop, teachers should consider how well they respond to children’s language, culture and identity.

A useful framework guides internal evaluations. Teachers prioritise actions for change, share responsibility for these actions and monitor their impact. More robust data-gathering would strengthen the analysis aspect of this process.

Management implements clear, useful support systems for appraisal and teacher certification. Observations of practice occur. Teachers are highly reflective. A focus on improvement and positive outcomes for children is evident. The process should now be strengthened through the use of:

• setting more specific, challenging goals to grow teacher practice

• targeting evidence to show clear progress against goals and the Practising Teacher Criteria

• Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.

The new management system is effective. Team leaders are well supported to take on areas of responsibility in their leadership role. More experienced teachers support those with provisional certification and teachers in training to take active roles in the centre. 

Key Next Steps

ERO and leaders agree that the centre's priorities are to develop:

• assessment, planning and evaluation, to clearly link teaching strategies with children's progress

• learning-based partnerships with parents, including the gathering of information about what families want for their children

• strategies for promoting the educational success of Māori and Pacific children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Monkeys 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:

• 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Little Monkeys Preschool will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

23 August 2017 

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.