Meadowbank Plunket Preschool

Education institution number:
20105
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
16
Telephone:
Address:

7 Meadowbank Road, Meadowbank, Auckland

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Meadowbank Plunket Preschool - 22/02/2018

1 Evaluation of Meadowbank Plunket Preschool

How well placed is Meadowbank Plunket Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Meadowbank Plunket Preschool is a community-based not-for-profit centre that operates as part of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society (RNZPS). It is licensed for 20 children between two and five years of age. Children can attend six hour days or full days.

The vision for the centre is to encourage and support children to become independent learners. Underpinning this vision is a focus on partnerships with whānau. Children are viewed as individual and unique learners.

Since the centre's 2014 ERO review, there have been significant changes at the governance level. An early childhood national manager and national board have been appointed. The fully qualified centre manager has been in the role throughout this period. She is supported by two qualified teachers plus one unqualified teacher.

The 2014 ERO report identified the need to strengthen bicultural practices, embed internal evaluation processes and access further professional development for staff. Very good progress has been made in these areas.

The Review Findings

Children are confident and independent learners. They have a strong sense of belonging and ownership of their environment. Children settle quickly when arriving for their day. They engage in activities that interest them, and are very well supported by teachers. Children are encouraged to follow their curiosities and develop their own working theories about the world. The newly developed outside area provides opportunities for creative, imaginative and physical challenge for children.

Teachers genuinely listen to children. They engage children in conversations that help them to develop their understanding, oral language and communication skills. Leaders and teachers work in partnership with parents and whānau of children to enhance their wellbeing and learning.

Teachers provide a high quality curriculum that is well designed and responsive to individual children's interests, strengths and abilities. They recognise the value and importance of children learning through play. Children are provided with a variety of ways to be creative and imaginative in order to enhance learning and independence. Learning in core curriculum areas, such as mathematics, is enriched through meaningful and interesting opportunities. Children have access to a range of high quality resources to encourage and extend their learning.

Children and teachers have fun as part of the learning process. Teachers empower children to take responsibility for their wellbeing and that of others and their environment. Assessment information is used well to plan individual children's learning pathways.

Centre leadership is effective and efficient. The head teacher has a strong commitment to continuous improvement. She promotes a shared understanding of the centre's philosophy, vision and goals among the teaching team. Internal evaluation is used well to consider implications for teaching practices, and promote positive outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Teachers have identified appropriate next steps to maintain the high quality programme provided for children. These include involving children in setting learning goals and continuing to strengthen bicultural practice.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Meadowbank Plunket 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 Meadowbank Plunket Preschool will be in four years.

Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

22 February 2018 

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 

Location

Meadowbank, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20105

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

20 children over 2 years of age

Service roll

29

Gender composition

Girls       17
Boys      12

Ethnic composition

Pākehā
Chinese
Indian
other Asian
other European

19
  3
  1
  4
  2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

November 2017

Date of this report

22 February 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2014

Education Review

April 2011

Education Review

March 2008

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.

Meadowbank Plunket Preschool - 14/05/2014

1 Evaluation of Meadowbank Plunket Preschool

How well placed is Meadowbank Plunket Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Meadowbank Plunket Preschool is a small community based early childhood centre, behind the Meadowbank Plunket rooms in Auckland. It is licensed for 20 children between two and five years of age.

The preschool is one of seven licensed early childhood centres across the country that operate as part of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society (RNZPS). It is governed by a management committee and employs three qualified teachers, including the manager, one unqualified teacher, an administrator and a cook. The small group size and excellent ratios mean that teachers are able to establish and maintain close relationships with children and provide them with one-to-one support.

The vision for the centre is: Together the best start for every child – Ma te mahi ngatahi, e puawai ai a tatou tamariki. Positive relationships with families underpin all aspects of the preschool’s work.

The Review Findings

Children are secure and comfortable in the preschool. They are confident in their play, both alone and with others, and have good socialisation skills. As part of this review ERO looked specifically at how well children up to the age of three years were catered for, particularly in terms of the communication and exploration strands of the curriculum. This review finds that the programme caters very well for younger children.

Teachers believe that learning is most meaningful to children when it is of interest to them. They provide children with good scope to explore and ask questions. Children’s curiosity is nurtured through teachers' interest in science and the use of technologies to support learning. It would now be beneficial for teachers to plan more deliberately to enrich the programme, based on what they know about children’s current interests.

The manager has worked with staff to improve the quality of assessment and planning. New software enables teachers to share digital assessment records, photographs and video clips on-line. This facility has the potential to expand the partnership between the families and teachers as more information is shared.

The manager is future focused. Since the 2011 ERO review she has improved systems, significantly increased enrolments, rewritten policies and led changes to the environment. She is meeting more frequently with staff to help them progress their appraisal goals. The recent appointment of a new teacher provides a good opportunity for the teachers to develop shared understandings and approaches to the curriculum and to the role of the teacher in the programme.

This is a period of change for the preschool. The RNZPS has recently restructured and has appointed personnel to manage and oversee its different divisions. The centre is now overseen by a Regional Resource Development Manager. The functions that the management committee of parents and Plunket members performed are now largely undertaken by RNZPS staff. This suggests that the management committee’s role may change and that an alternative structure could be more beneficial to support the preschool’s ongoing improvement.

Key Next Steps

Next steps for preschool development, some of which had already been identified by the centre, include:

  • better reflecting the bicultural heritage of New Zealand in the programme
  • defining the roles and responsibilities of the preschool and RNZPS managers
  • developing a vision that reflects the perspectives of all stakeholders and explores the values and future reality of the preschool
  • rewriting the strategic plan to reflect and help achieve the collective vision for the preschool
  • deepening self review so that it helps staff and management to gauge the effectiveness of their practices
  • valuing and budgeting for professional development to ensure that teaching staff remain up-to-date with current knowledge.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Meadowbank Plunket 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 Meadowbank Plunket Preschool will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

14 May 2014

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

Location

Meadowbank, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20105

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

20 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

37

Gender composition

Girls 19 Boys 18

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Asian

Samoan

other

2

24

6

2

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2014

Date of this report

14 May 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

April 2011

 

Education Review

March 2008

 

Education Review

April 2005

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.