Omanu Preschool

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 Omanu Preschool are as follows:

2 Context of the Service

Omanu Preschool is a privately owned service. Children learn in a purpose-built, mixed-age environment. The service is governed by the owner and a manager who leads and supports the teaching team, and centre operation. This is the service’s first Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

3 Summary of findings

Children benefit from a responsive programme consistent with Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. The environment is effectively designed through the context of the child, their family and the community. Authentic connections with the community enrich the meaningful local curriculum and children’s learning. Aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated into daily teaching practices. Children experience an environment that promotes excitement for learning, wellbeing and fun.

Strong relationships between teachers, children and families reflect the centre’s philosophy. Transitions are tailored to individual needs and supported by children’s involvement with their local school. What children know and what teachers know about children’s learning are shared regularly with parents. Children’s efforts, challenges, and successes are documented over time. The service is yet to consistently integrate the languages and cultures of Māori and those of other heritages into assessment practices. Respectful, reciprocal interactions between teachers, children and their families promote positive learning outcomes.

Collaboration and relational trust effectively enable teachers to grow their practice to promote positive learning outcomes for children. Leader’s mentor and guide their learning community and facilitate an ongoing, shared understanding of the service’s goals and priorities for children’s learning. Teachers are well supported to improve teaching and learning and implement a child-centred programme. The learning and well-being of children are the primary considerations in decision making. Leaders have developed a useful system of internal evaluation to support centre improvement. They are yet to embed outcomes for children as part of evaluation practices.

4 Improvement actions

Omanu Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

• strengthen a consistent and shared understanding of culturally responsive assessment practices to further enhance success for Māori learners

• further develop teaching practices and documentation about children’s learning to reflect the cultural context in which they live

• deepen evaluation practices to systematically monitor and evaluate what is working well and for which learners in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Omanu 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.

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

25 August 2022 

6 About the Early Childhood Service