150 Great South Road, Manurewa, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
St Andrews Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
St Andrews Preschool is a small well-established service operating within the grounds of St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Manurewa. It is licensed for 40 children and provides education and care for children from two years of age to school age.
The centre's Christian principles, philosophy and values underpin teaching practice and centre developments. The philosophy emphasises and embraces biculturalism and aims to develop children's love of learning. The preschool serves a multicultural community and offers families flexible enrolment options based on their children's needs.
The preschool is governed by the church. The board delegates centre operations to the head teacher and centre administrator who manage the centre and report to the board. The experienced head teacher leads a teaching team of four qualified teachers.
The 2016 ERO report noted strengths in the programme provided for children including the centre's values, parent involvement in learning and teachers' use of children's home languages. The centre responded well to recommendations made in the report. Bicultural practice, teachers' knowledge and capability in te reo and tikanga Māori, and teacher appraisal processes have all been strengthened.
St Andrews Preschool is a member of the Alfriston Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.
Children and their whānau are welcomed into the inclusive and well-resourced centre. Well-planned arrival routines allow parents to make contact with teachers each morning. Teachers' caring interactions promote children's wellbeing and foster their sense of belonging. Children are settled and comfortable in the centre environment and play well alongside each other.
Children benefit from a calm, unhurried pace and opportunities to learn through play. They experience extended periods of uninterrupted play that enable them to sustain their interest in activities and learning.
The learning programme is aligned to the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers authentically integrate biblical teaching, literacy and numeracy into play throughout the day. Leaders and teachers plan to strengthen programmes by adding more complexity to children's play and learning activities.
Transitions into the centre and onto school are very well planned and managed. The centre works with families to provide flexible transition and enrolment options to suit individual children's needs. This inclusive practice also supports children with additional learning needs.
Learning programmes provide children with opportunities to take increasing responsibility for their own wellbeing and development of self-management skills. This is designed to prepare children for when they transition to school.
Bicultural practices are strongly evident. Te reo Māori is interwoven through the programme. Teachers have a commitment to strengthening their knowledge and capability in te reo and tikanga Māori. Centre programmes and practices also develop children’s knowledge and appreciation of other cultures and languages. Children have opportunities to hear and use languages other than English. Bilingual children and their families are very well supported in the centre.
Children and teachers regularly make visits in the local community. Teachers provide for additional physical challenge for older children by using the school playground next to the centre. These visits help to build children's sense of belonging and to make connections with their local neighbourhood.
The centre continues to respond well to the needs of the culturally diverse community. Leaders and teachers have established strong relationships with parents and families. Learning partnerships are promoted through the provision of literacy and play resources for children and families to use at home.
The qualified teaching team is well led by the centre manager. Professional relationships and collaboration are evident. The organisational culture supports ongoing centre improvement and building teachers' practice through relevant professional development.
The management committee supports staff to gain additional teaching qualifications and professional learning opportunities to enhance children's learning outcomes. A new process for internal evaluation is being used to inquire into teaching practice and improve outcomes for children. Long-term and annual planning processes guide centre operations. Leaders agree they need to check that documentation of all safety practices and procedures is consistently completed to ensure licensing requirements are always met.
Key next steps include:
evaluating the impacts and progress of strategic and annual planning goals
evaluating the impacts of teaching practice on children's learning
continuing to assist teachers to be more intentional in responding to learning activities that will challenge and extend children.
Before the review, the staff and management of St Andrews 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.
To improve current practice, the service managers should check and ensure parental signatures are recorded on medication forms and accident reports.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
12 May 2020
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 |
Manurewa, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25437 |
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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 |
40 children over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
33 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 17 Boys 16 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
February 2020 |
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Date of this report |
12 May 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2013 |
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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.
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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.
St Andrews Preschool provides full day education and care for children from two and a half years old to school age. The service is licensed for 40 children. It is founded on Christian principles and a philosophy that embraces biculturalism and aims to develop children's love of learning.
The preschool caters for a multicultural community. Teachers celebrate this diversity and encourage children to respect the languages and culture of others. They provide specific support for children with identified special needs.
In early 2016 governance of the centre transferred from the Manukau Christian Charitable Trust to the St Andrews Presbyterian Church. An office administrator works closely with the head teacher to manage the centre and to report to the church board. Teachers are delegated responsibility for play areas and plan programmes collaboratively. Five of the large teaching team are certificated teachers, some of whom work part time.
In 2013 ERO endorsed many positive aspects of the service, including the support provided for children's learning, the quality of relationships, the well resourced environment and the extent to which teachers affirmed family cultures. These features continue to be strengths of the service. Centre leaders responded well to ERO’s suggestions to improve learning partnerships with families, children's portfolios and teachers’ use of self review.
Christian values and positive relationships underpin the welcoming centre environment. Children arrive eager to engage in play and connect with their friends. They are confident, independent learners who respond well to skilful teachers who support their interests. Children work purposefully in small groups, often solving problems, persisting with difficult tasks or creating imaginative scenarios together. They contribute well in conversations about their learning and use their understanding of mathematics concepts to develop complexity in their play. Children practise early literacy skills in the context of play. They are also familiar with karakia, waiata and basic reo Māori.
Teachers actively encourage children to extend their learning. They ask open-ended questions that prompt children to think, negotiate and explore new ideas for play. Teachers have high expectations that children will work cooperatively, sustain meaningful play and show respect for each other. They know children well and encourage them to use their home languages in the centre. Teachers have established an inviting environment that provides many learning challenges while supporting children's sense of belonging.
Programme are based on significant overarching topics and children's individual interests. Teachers’ current focus on oral literacy is a good example of how they have used topics to address a need in playful ways. They also explore ideas, resources and activities to support children's interests, often incorporating literacy and numeracy experiences. Teachers are becoming skilful in assessing children's learning and could now more formally document their evaluations of programme outcomes. Teachers integrate Christian teachings appropriately throughout the programme.
Leaders recognise the importance of learning through play. They have recently evaluated their ‘school readiness’ programme in consultation with parents, to ensure that it reflects the intentions of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. While the programme includes a range of appropriate experiences, teachers should continue to reflect on whether the more formal literacy tasks are meaningful for children.
Parents are valued partners in the centre. They are kept well informed about centre provisions, are consulted during policy reviews, and are invited to share cultural knowledge and home languages. Parents contribute their aspirations for children's learning as they set goals with teachers. Some comment frequently in children's portfolios and many participate in cultural celebrations and centre events. Parents who were interviewed by ERO appreciate the relationships they share with teachers and the opportunities provided for their children. Centre leaders are committed to providing well for families and maintaining strong links with their community.
The centre is very well managed. Managers prioritise positive outcomes for children and seek ongoing improvement in practices. They have developed an effective policy framework and management plans to guide the centre’s operation. Together with teachers, they have established robust internal review processes that enhance teaching practices, support ongoing teacher reflection and are responsive to any issues that arise. Leaders encourage teachers’ ongoing professional development, coach them with weekly mentoring sessions and provide opportunities for them to grow leadership capability.
The centre leaders agree that the next steps for centre development should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of St Andrews 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.
The next ERO review of St Andrews Preschool will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
29 June 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.
|
Location |
Manurewa, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25437 |
||
|
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 |
47 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 24 Girls 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Middle Eastern Samoan Chinese Indian Tongan Cook Island Māori |
6 5 11 8 6 6 3 2 |
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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 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
May 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
29 June 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2013 |
|
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.