Poppies Preschool St Martins

Education institution number:
70149
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
73
Telephone:
Address:

61 St Martins Road, St Martins, Christchurch

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Poppies Preschool St Martins

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 Poppies Preschool St Martins are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Poppies Preschool St Martins is one of four privately owned centres under the same ownership. A curriculum leader has oversight for teaching and learning across all services. Some Māori children and a small number of those of Pacific heritage attend. A centre manager has responsibility for daily operations. Progress has been made towards key next steps identified in ERO’s 2020 report, including internal evaluation, professional growth cycles, bicultural curriculum, and visibility of cultures, languages, and identity in assessment.

3 Summary of findings

Children are purposely supported to explore and refine their working theories within a responsive curriculum. Teachers use consistent teaching strategies to foster children’s developing oral language and social and emotional competence skills. Infants and toddlers are well supported in their learning by teachers who engage with them in warm and calm ways. Teachers work respectfully with parents, whānau, and external agencies to plan for children’s learning and development.

The bicultural curriculum is evident and embedding. There are regular opportunities for children to hear and use te reo Māori. There is a strong focus on incorporating local pakiwaitara | stories of the area. Some teachers confidently use te reo Māori with children. However, there is variable use of te reo Māori in assessment documentation.

A useful, organisation-wide assessment framework guides teachers’ documentation of children’s learning. The learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are used to show children's learning over time. Children’s cultures, languages, and identities are visible in assessment documentation. Parents and whānau regularly share their aspirations for their children’s learning. While iwi information is gathered, this is not well considered to inform planning for, and assessment of, learning for Māori children to experience success as a Māori learner. Leaders and teachers are yet to unpack Te Whāriki learning outcomes with parents and whānau.

A process of internal evaluation is used across the organisation. At the monitoring and evaluating stage of the process, leaders and teachers are yet to measure the impact of improvements made on outcomes for individuals and groups of learners. The process also needs strengthening to include an evaluative question and the use of measurable indicators of quality at all stages of the evaluation.

A positive environment facilitates low turnover of teachers and is conducive to building quality and maintaining adult child relationships. There is a range of suitable systems and processes to monitor and evaluate teachers’ professional growth, annual planning, and the governance and management of the organisation. Some policies require updating to ensure they align with current regulations and practice.  

4 Improvement actions

Poppies Preschool St Martins will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Unpack the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki with parents and whānau and use these to inform the service’s learning priorities.

  • Consult with whānau Māori regarding the aspirations of their iwi and hapū, and use this information to extend the curriculum to promote their tamaiti success as a Māori learner.

  • Build leaders’ and teachers’ capability to effectively do and use internal evaluation to know what is working or not and for whom.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Poppies Preschool St Martins completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

29 June 2023 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Poppies Preschool St Martins

Profile Number

70149

Location

Christchurch

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

86

Review team on site

April 2023

Date of this report

29 June 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2020; Education Review, June 2017

Poppies Preschool St Martins - 21/05/2020

1 Evaluation of Poppies Preschool St Martins

How well placed is Poppies Preschool St Martins to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Poppies Preschool St Martins is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Poppies Preschool St Martins, located in Christchurch, is licensed to provide all day education and care for up to 50 children, including 16 under two years of age. At the time of this review there were 80 children enrolled, including eight who identify as Māori.

The centre is one of four that operate under the umbrella of Peppertree Preschool Ltd. The governance structure and many systems and processes are shared. A core curriculum leader provides professional guidance to leaders and teachers across all centres. A recently appointed supervisor oversees the centre's day to day management.

The philosophy aims 'to provide a holistic approach in a safe, caring and stimulating environment that empowers tamariki to be active, investigative learners.'

The June 2017 ERO report identified a number of areas requiring improvement. These included teacher development, appraisal, assessment practices, bicultural curriculum, parent partnerships and the environment for children under two years. The owner and teachers have made progress towards meeting these next key steps.

The preschool is a member of the Te Mana Raupo Kāhui Ako|Community of Learners. This review was part of two early childhood centre reviews of the Peppertree Preschool services.

The Review Findings

Children are well supported and encouraged to make choices and decisions about their learning. Teachers strongly promote children's independence and self-management skills. Children explore their environment and the well planned activities at their own pace. Play is highly valued as the best way to learn. Teachers know each child well and respond thoughtfully and appropriately to their emerging preferences and interests.

Infants and toddlers experience a calm, safe setting that strongly supports their wellbeing, engagement and learning. Teachers interpret and respond sensitively to their subtle cues. Consistent practices reflect a shared, well-considered approach to care.

Thoughtfully planned, easily accessible indoor and outdoor environments invite children to explore nature, and imaginatively create and experience challenge. The use of natural materials, gardens and plantings provide a meaningful context for tamariki to learn about and care for the land|kaitiakitanga.

Teachers' planning is highly responsive to children's interests and stages of development. Te Whāriki: the Early Childhood Curriculum is used well to identify learning goals and dispositions for individuals and groups. Leaders have identified variability in the quality of learning stories and are working effectively with teachers to promote consistent practice. This should include:

  • describing how intentional teaching has improved children's learning outcomes

  • showing how parents' aspirations are used to guide and plan for each child's learning

  • acknowledgement and celebration of children's cultures.

The bicultural curriculum is increasingly evident in the learning environment. Te reo Māori is spoken by teachers and well understood by children. Making more intentional links to te ao Māori, local history and stories in planning and learning programmes should further strengthen the sense of identity of tamariki Māori and partnerships with whānau.

Teachers demonstrate highly inclusive practices. Children with additional learning needs are identified, planned for and well supported by the programme. Leaders and teachers work alongside family and whānau to access appropriate support from external agencies, when required. The significant focus on transitions responds to children's individual needs as they move into, through the service and onto school.

Teachers communicate effectively with parents in a range of ways. The service is expanding the use of an online assessment tool to share information, learning and centre happenings with whānau.

The supervisor, with support from the management team, has a well-considered approach to leadership and is promoting increased consistency of centre operations. Distributed leadership is encouraged. Teachers are collaborative and work well together. Leaders and teachers are improvement focused and use internal evaluation to support needed developments.

Developing a centre-wide shared understanding of evidence-based internal evaluation that includes measurable success indicators should better enable leaders and teachers to review the effectiveness of their own practice, and support positive learning outcomes for children.

Centre operations are underpinned by a framework of relevant policies and procedures. Managers and centre leaders have a clear focus on improvement. The updated appraisal process is clearly aligned to the standards of the teaching profession. Teachers inquire into and receive useful feedback about their practice. The appraisal policy requires updating to reflect current legislation and centre practice.

Key Next Steps

ERO, the service provider and leaders agree that the next steps for management include:

  • continuing to strengthen professional leadership

  • promoting consistent, high-quality teaching practice across the centres

  • increasing the involvement of Māori and Pacific families in decision making and their children’s learning

  • undertaking a comprehensive review to ensure that all policies are updated and reflect current centre practice.

The leaders and ERO agree that the next steps for Poppies Preschool St Martins include:

  • developing a localised bicultural curriculum

  • building professional leadership and staff capacity in internal evaluation

  • strengthening assessment and planning to clearly reflect children's language, culture and identity, and to show intentional teaching strategies and their impact.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Poppies Preschool St Martins 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

21 May 2020

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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

70149

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2

Service roll

80

Gender composition

Boys 41, Girls 39

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

8
66
6

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:9

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

January 2020

Date of this report

21 May 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

June 2017

Education Review

January 2015

Education Review

January 2012

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed

  • Well placed

  • Requires further development

  • Not well placed

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.