- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Melodies Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Melodies Preschool is a small, privately-owned service catering for children from two to five years of age. The centre has one large room and two smaller rooms for specialist activities such as music and art. There is also a well-equipped outdoor area. Children learn and play in mixed age groups.
Most teachers are qualified and fully registered early childhood teachers. The owner/manager is also part of the teaching staff.
The manager and teachers have addressed the recommendations outlined in the 2013 ERO report. The goals in the strategic plan lay a clear foundation for staff to build on. Internal evaluation, assessment and programme planning are closely aligned with learning and teaching for ongoing improvement.
Children are settled, happy and well engaged in their learning. They have a wide range of resources that effectively support their interests and strengthen their problem-solving skills. Positive relationships between children and with teachers are highly evident. Children confidently seek answers to their questions and readily share what they know with others. They willingly help others in their play and warmly welcome new children to the centre. Teachers respectfully encourage and support children to safely take risks in their learning to build their confidence.
Children are able to hear and use basic te reo Māori through conversations, literacy, numeracy and waiata. The manager and teachers have identified that a review of their bicultural programme is their major focus for 2017. This should include a review of the ways the centre can make Pacific children's language and culture evident in the programme.
Teachers provide meaningful opportunities to extend children's interests through the performing and visual arts, numeracy, literacy and science. They use a range of questions to provoke curiosity and stimulate children's inquiring minds. Drama, dance and gymnastics are effectively used to support the development of social and physical skills. Songs, rhymes, waiata and movement enrich children's learning in literacy and numeracy.
The needs of children and parents are well managed when children transition into the centre and on to school. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the programme and provide feedback. The manager and teachers respond positively to parent feedback particularly in making decisions about programme planning and assessment. Parents are well informed about children's wellbeing and learning. Further increasing parent contributions to assessment is a focus for the manager and teachers.
Since the 2013 review, teachers have been given increased leadership responsibilities and opportunities. They use their individual strengths and interests to improve learning outcomes for children.
Centre-wide professional learning and development (PLD) is appropriately linked to the centre's priorities. Teachers have strengthened processes and practices related to planning, assessment and appraisal.
The centre's strategic direction effectively sets the future direction for the centre. Internal evaluation is well planned and focused on ongoing improvement. The appraisal process is linked to the centre's strategic goals and encourages professional reflection and peer feedback.
The manager and ERO agree that priority should be given to:
developing a bicultural programme and making children’s cultural backgrounds more evident in the centre
using an external appraiser where appropriate, as part of the centre's appraisal process
further strengthening internal evaluation in relation to outcomes for children and next steps for ongoing improvement.
Before the review, the staff and management of Melodies 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:
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.
The next ERO review of Melodies Preschool will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern / Te Waipounamu
1 March 2017
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 |
Lincoln |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45697 |
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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 |
30 children |
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Service roll |
46 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 29; Girls 17 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā Samoan |
43 3 |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
January 2017 |
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Date of this report |
1 March 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report |
Education Review |
January 2013 |
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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.