72 Waimate North Road, Kerikeri
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 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 Springbank Pre School are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
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Ngā Akatoro Domains |
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Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding |
Springbank Pre School is a well-established service in the grounds of Springbank School. It is governed by the same board as Springbank School and Springbank Headstart. The principal of Springbank School has management oversight of the service and provides support for centre leaders. A small number of children enrolled are Māori.
Children benefit from a curriculum that is guided by their interests and development needs. They play well together and are encouraged by teachers to sustain their play. Children’s engagement with teachers and their sense of belonging support them as curious, and confident learners.
Children up to two years of age have formed secure attachments with teachers in a calm environment. Consistent caregiving ensures their individual requirements are responded to with sensitivity and respect.
Teachers’ good support for children’s learning includes:
the provision of open-ended and sensory experiences to promote children’s exploration
respectful interactions and intentional questions to encourage children’s inquiry
practices that support children to develop their creativity and oral language
integrating literacy and numeracy into children’s self-directed play.
The service’s local curriculum and natural science are part of children’s daily experiences. A commitment to bicultural practice is evident in the way young children hear te reo Māori as a natural part of the curriculum. Karakia, phrases and waiata are used confidently and modelled by teachers. Successful transitions are supported by effective partnerships between families, service, and the local school.
Teachers recognise and respond to children’s individual interests in curriculum planning and documented assessment. They now need to record children’s learning in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Whānau voice needs to be woven throughout planning and assessment, including making children’s languages and cultures more visible.
A process of internal evaluation is well documented. An increased evaluative focus would help teachers to more clearly determine how the curriculum and their teaching approaches are contributing to children’s learning. A professional growth cycle for teachers is at the early stages of implementation. Leaders now need to mentor teachers to further strengthen their teaching practices and grow their leadership capabilities.
The manager and centre leaders work collaboratively to guide and develop centre practices. Their collective approaches have resulted in embedded practices and systems that are consistent with the service’s philosophy, vision, goals for learning and policy frameworks.
Springbank Pre School will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Strengthen how teachers respond to and document children’s learning, including the extent to which children’s languages and cultures are evident in assessment records.
For leaders to mentor teachers’ professional development through embedding a professional growth cycle.
Before the review, the staff and management of Springbank Pre School 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.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following
non-compliance:
Parents/caregivers have given prior written approval to their child’s participation and of the proposed ratio for regular excursions at the time of enrolment (HS17).
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
9 November 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Springbank Pre School |
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Profile Number |
10409 |
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Location |
Kerikeri |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
60 |
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Review team on site |
August 2022 |
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Date of this report |
9 November 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, March 2019 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Springbank Pre School is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Springbank Pre School is a well-established early childhood centre operating in the grounds of Springbank School. It provides education and care for 50 children, including a maximum of 15 children aged up to two years. The preschool is divided into two areas, each with its own playground and teaching team. The majority of children attending the preschool move on to Springbank Headstart, an early childhood centre for children aged from four-and-a-half to six years, which also operates as part of the wider Springbank school campus.
The centre is governed by Springbank Preschool Ltd, a family owned company. The principal of the Springbank School is the manager. He has oversight of the centre and provides support for centre leaders. The centre has seven qualified early childhood teachers and two support staff.
There have been significant changes in the centre since the 2015 ERO report. In addition to an extension of the building to cater for children under the age of two, there have been changes in the teaching and leadership teams.
The centre has maintained the positive features noted in the 2015 ERO report. Good progress has been made in addressing most of the key next steps identified in the 2015 ERO report. The centre continues to work on displaying the evolving programme planning in ways that engage children, parents and teachers.
Children have access to a wide variety of curriculum experiences. They make choices about what they want to do and are able to play uninterrupted for extended periods. They are familiar with the expectations of mat times and meal times. Children are confident in this environment. They play cooperatively and develop respectful, caring relationships with their peers and teachers. They are well supported to develop as competent learners.
Infants and toddlers benefit from an individualised approach to their care and learning. Designated teachers support each child's settling and transitions, and undertake personal care tasks for that child. These very young children are well supported to explore the environment and to develop at their own pace. The well-paced transition of two-year-olds to join the older children allows them time to build their confidence in their new environment.
The programme for older children is responsive to their interests, parents' aspirations and teachers' ideas. It is underpinned by a framework of annual events and celebrations. There are rich opportunities for children to explore their local surroundings and participate in excursions into the wider community. Regular forest walks in the school grounds reinforce children's developing understanding of the natural world. Parents and whānau are encouraged to become involved in the programme and their contributions are appreciated.
Teachers provide very good support for children's learning. Noteworthy aspects of teachers' practice include:
knowing children well, respecting their individual preferences, and fostering their independence and self-help skills
reinforcing links with children's families and wider community
consistently respectful interactions with children and very good support for their oral language development
working collaboratively to ensure children are well supported and their emotional and physical needs met
seamlessly integrating te reo and tikanga Māori in their daily practice.
The centre is an integral part of the wider school campus. Well-articulated, shared values underpin the culture of both the school and preschool. There is an emphasis on providing a strong family oriented environment and developing children's capability, character and confidence. These qualities are evident in day-to-day centre operations and set the tone for how children learn.
The manager and centre leaders work collaboratively to guide and develop centre practices. They listen to teachers' ideas and provide opportunities for teachers to contribute and take leadership in their areas of interest. Centre operations are underpinned by a sound framework of policies, systems and processes. Some of these centre documents and processes have been recently introduced or modified and are still to be fully embedded.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps include:
strengthening the focus on outcomes for children, particularly in the implementation of internal evaluation processes
ensuring that programme planning is more visible in the environment, to further promote parent and child contributions, and opportunities for children to revisit and lead their own learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Springbank Pre School 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
29 March 2019
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.
|
Location |
Kerikeri |
||
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10409 |
||
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
57 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 33 Girls 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
February 2019 |
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Date of this report |
29 March 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
April 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
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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 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.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Springbank Pre School provides full day education and care for up to 40 children from two to five years of age. It is one of two licensed early childhood centres that operate on the same site, shared with Springbank School. The centre operates under the governance of the Springbank School Board of Trustees. The same administrative and management systems serve both centres. Recently there has been a significant change in staff in the preschool. The head teacher places priority on building a professional teaching team.
The centre’s philosophy, inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, promotes child-centred learning and learning through active exploration. The philosophy aims for children to be supported to learn through ‘reciprocal relationships with people, places and things’. Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities to explore and use the grounds and facilities of the adjoining school.
Positive features noted ERO’s 2012 report remain evident. For example, children continue to enjoy good relationships with each other and teachers regard children as capable learners. The ERO report also endorsed the centre’s priorities to enhance bicultural and multicultural practices, and to continue strengthening partnerships with parents and whānau. Good progress has been made to improve the outdoor environment and further develop planning and assessment of children’s learning.
The centre’s philosophy is evident in teaching practice and children’s play. Children benefit from individualised and responsive teaching. Teachers are skilled at encouraging children’s exploration and engagement in learning. They support children to make independent choices and plan their play.
Teachers’ inclusive approaches ensure that all children participate in the programme. Children enjoy positive respectful relationships with adults and each other. They are listened to and valued by teachers. As a result, children confidently begin conversations and engage in cooperative play with their peers and adults.
Children’s transitions into and from the preschool are well supported. They have good opportunities to familiarise themselves with new staff and settings. This gives them confidence as they take their next steps in their education journey.
The centre’s curriculum is responsive to children’s interests and strengths. Good planning and assessment practices underpin the programme. Planning approaches are flexible, and individualised. Teachers cater for diversity and children’s emerging interests. Planning is well documented and evaluated. Parents’ contributions to planning for their child’s learning are a feature of the preschool.
The learning environment is well resourced. Teachers adapt and change it in response to children’s evolving interests. Children have ready access to an outdoor area. This area has been developed to offer children choice from a variety of engaging activities.
Maori children’s cultural identity is affirmed and their sense of belonging and connectedness is well supported. Te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated into the programme, environment and centre practices. Teachers are committed to continuing to build upon their current good practice to foster success for Maori children. They are supporting children to learn about our bicultural society.
Effective leadership is contributing to the good quality care and education for children in the centre. The knowledgeable and professional head teacher’s practice reflects the centre philosophy. She is encouraging the new teaching team to collaboratively use their complementary skills and interests in the centre programme.
The board continues to provide appropriate administrative, personnel and support systems to underpin centre operations. Review of these processes is aided by regular management meetings with campus managers. Teacher performance is annually appraised by the school principal. He acknowledges the value of including the head teacher more in the appraisal of teachers in the preschool.
Teachers benefit from professional relationships with staff from across the campus. Relevant professional learning supports them to reflect on and develop their practice. Self review is a feature of teachers’ daily practice. Consideration is given to how their practices, programmes and resources can be modified to offer better outcomes for children’s learning.
ERO and centre managers agree that key next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Springbank Pre School 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.
To improve practice, safe fall should be provided for all activities that children engage in where they are more than one metre off the ground.
The next ERO review of Springbank Pre School will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
17 April 2015
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.
|
Location |
Kerikeri, Northland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10409 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
41 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 21 Girls 20 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Japanese |
4 36 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
February 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
17 April 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
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:
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.