Katere Road, Waiwhakaiho, New Plymouth
View on mapAkarangi | 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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Rising Stars Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Rising Stars Preschool provides early childhood education and care, operating in an indoor sports building that is shared with other businesses. Two directors are responsible for the governance of the centre. The teaching team consists of trained teachers working alongside sports co-ordinators.
Children explore, experiment, problem solve and express themselves in a calm and well-resourced environment. Leaders and kaiako purposefully seek the views and aspirations of whānau to develop and maintain respectful and reciprocal relationships. Transition processes are responsive to children’s needs. The sporting environment provides children with the opportunity to build on their physical wellbeing. Children’s sense of belonging is well promoted.
The programme effectively responds to children’s interests and ideas. Child-led learning experiences encourage sustained interactions and participation. Learning focused partnerships, scaffolding of children’s learning and identifying learning progression over time supports children’s sense of confidence. Assessment for learning does not yet indicate that Kaiako have fully developed their knowledge and understanding of the local and cultural context in which Pacific and Māori children live.
Leaders and kaiako identify and remove barriers to children’s participation. Transport is provided to and from the service and flexibility is available in enrolment agreements. Children learn in an environment where additional support is sought if needed.
Positive outcomes for children are promoted through leaders’ and kaiako relational trust and improvement focus. Network relationships in the wider early childhood community support leaders. Collective and individual access to professional learning allows leaders and kaiako to take responsibility for their ongoing teaching development. Indicators of best practice specifically for priority learners are yet to be used to inform outcomes for all children.
Leaders and kaiako promote a shared understanding of the services philosophy, vision and goals for children. A positive working environment facilitates a low turnover of kaiako and is conducive to the building and sustaining of quality adult- child relationships. Structural conditions further support quality education and care for children. Effective systems and processes are leading to ongoing improvement for children.
Rising Stars Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Rising Stars 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:
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
28 May 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Rising Stars Preschool |
| Profile Number | 45895 |
| Location | Fitzroy, New Plymouth |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
60 children, with no children under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
50 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 8, NZ European/Pākehā 31, Filipino 4, Other ethnic groups 7 |
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Review team on site |
April 2021 |
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Date of this report |
28 May 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, November 2016; Education Review, March 2014. |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Rising Stars Preschool is a full day childcare centre licensed for 50 children over the age of two years. Two-thirds of the children attending the centre are boys.
Alongside education and care provision, children participate in a sports coaching programme. This programme is designed to expose children to a range of sporting skills, and help them to develop confidence and a sense of wellbeing. The revised centre philosophy makes visible this sporting emphasis, as well as supporting children's holistic development in partnership with families and whānau.
Most teachers are qualified and registered. The coaches are successful local sports people.
The March 2014 ERO review found significant development was needed, particularly in relation to: assessment and planning processes; self review and internal evaluation; promoting educational success as Māori; transition to school procedures; the centre philosophy; and policy development. Since that time the centre has received targeted support through a Ministry of Education funded programme, Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities (SELO). Overall, the centre has made good gains and continues to positively respond to the key next steps identified in the previous ERO report.
The programme is stimulating. Children are active, independent learners, engaging in the wide range of opportunities made available for them. They sustain their play in the spacious physical environment. The sporting concept is now more purposefully integrated into the centre programme.
Teaching practices effectively support children's involvement, fun and engagement in learning. Examples include observing, questioning and building on children's prior knowledge, skills and experiences. Children and families develop a sense of belonging to the centre.
The centre's transition procedures are based on current best practice. These work well to support children and families as they move on to school.
Some bicultural elements are evident in practice. These include prompts, artefacts, waiata, appropriate tikanga Māori practices and some spoken te reo Māori. A policy outlining how the centre commits to the Treaty of Waitangi is in place. An acknowledged next step is for leaders and teachers to consider, then respond to, what success for Māori children as Māori means in this centre.
Processes that assist in developing teacher practice have been improved. This includes the development and implementation of a centre appraisal process. However, some aspects continue to require further strengthening. In particular:
the quality of teacher goals
provision for more regular constructive feedback
more reflection and evaluation of how well each of the Practising Teacher Criteria is being met.
Managers have appropriate plans in place for an external appraiser to be part of the centre manager's performance management process. ERO and managers agree that there would also be benefit from accessing ongoing professional leadership support and mentoring, to assist in development.
Assessment practices have been strengthened. There are more ways families can share information about their child's interests and strengths to inform the daily programme. Revised planning processes assist teachers to improve their response to children's learning. Leaders have identified additional ways they can deepen these processes to more clearly evaluate the impact of teaching on learning outcomes.
Teachers work together collaboratively. They are encouraged to share their strengths and contribute to centre developments. An established process for review and inquiry is now in place. This is used to make changes and improvements to teaching and learning. Areas to further develop include:
using indicators of success
evaluation, to identify the impact of teaching on improving learning outcomes.
Policies and procedures have been further developed to assist the centre to meet legislative requirements and better support operations. Strategic and annual planning identifies the service's priorities to improve teaching and learning. Including details to show how the annual actions and monitoring of progress will be achieved, is a next step.
ERO and managers agree that the following areas should be further strengthened:
self review and internal evaluation
ongoing support for leadership and management
practices that promote Māori children's success as Māori
aspects of the appraisal process.
Before the review, the staff and management of Rising Stars 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.
In order to improve practice the centre should appoint a privacy officer and develop procedures to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act 1993.
The next ERO review of Rising Stars Preschool will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
21 November 2016
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 |
New Plymouth |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45895 |
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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 |
50 children, aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
60 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 41, Girls 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnic groups |
18 35 7 |
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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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2016 |
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Date of this report |
21 November 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
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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.