Premier Preschool Johnsonville - 22/01/2015

• On this page:

• 1 Evaluation of Premier Preschool
• 2 Information about the Early Childhood Service
• 3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

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

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

Background

Premier Preschool is located on the grounds of Johnsonville Primary School, Wellington. The centre provides education and care five days a week for up to 20 children aged over three. At the time of the review 19 children were enrolled.

It is a long-established owner-operated preschool serving a diverse multicultural community. The centre philosophy emphasises the growth of children's dispositions for learning, such as independence, curiosity, emotional resilience and risk-taking.

Centre staff responded positively to the April 2012 ERO report. Externally facilitated professional learning and development in assessment, appraisal and strategic planning is ongoing.

The Review Findings

Relationships among children, teachers and parents are positive, caring and supportive. Teachers use effective strategies to engage children in purposeful and sustained play. They are actively involved in children's learning, through meaningful, respectful conversations that promote children's thinking, problem-solving and exploration. Assessment, as developed and recorded through individual plans, shows children’s progress and continuity of learning.

Planning and assessment are responsive to children’s interests, strengths and diverse cultures. Literacy, mathematics and science are meaningfully integrated into the programme. Children, whose first language is not English, are well supported. Learning journals provide a pictorial record of experiences, participation and development, with a mix of individual and group stories. Parents are warmly welcomed into the centre. They appreciate the opportunity to interact with teachers, network with other families, and contribute to their child's learning and progress.

Children play and have fun in a rich, interesting environment, use their creativity and imagination, and develop a sense of responsibility. Outdoor areas, including the school fields, provide many opportunities for children to participate in more physically active play. Indoor areas are attractive, well set out, and a range of appropriate equipment and materials is made available. All children have the opportunity to hear and use te reo Māori and enjoy waiata throughout the sessions.

Close ties with the primary school provides children with access to its grounds, library and computer facilities. Regular visits support well-considered transition processes.

The owner provides effective professional leadership as head teacher and models high quality teaching practice. She is well supported by external expertise in actively guiding ongoing improvement. The newly-refined appraisal system provides a robust framework to support teacher development. Governance processes and reflective self review support centre operation.

Key Next Steps

Staff use sound processes to review many aspects of centre operation. They have identified, and ERO agrees, that key next steps in ongoing development include:

• reviewing the balance between structured activities and child-initiated play
• continuing to review and align important aspects of centre operation, including strategic planning, professional development, appraisal, assessment and curriculum.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

Joyce Gebbie

National Manager Review Services Central Region

22 January 2015

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.