St Georges Preschool

Education institution number:
45630
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
25
Telephone:
Address:

5A Landscape Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland

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St Georges Preschool - 06/07/2020

1 Evaluation of St Georges Preschool

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

St Georges Preschool requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

Aspects of curriculum and health and safety systems require improvement.

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

Background

St Georges Preschool provides education and care for children up to five years of age. The centre has a culturally diverse roll. There are separate areas for younger and older children in the purpose-built centre.

The centre's philosophy emphasises the provision of a warm and nurturing environment for children. It aims to provide children with opportunities to make decisions, take responsibility, explore and experiment.

The preschool is governed by the Anglican Trust for Women and Children (ATWC). A centre manager, responsible for two centres under the ATWC, and an experienced supervisor lead a team of qualified and non-qualified teachers. Teachers are reflective of the centre's culturally diverse community.

ERO's 2016 report affirmed the supportive culture and respectful interactions in the centre. These effective practices have been sustained. ERO recommended that teachers improve the opportunities for challenge, social competence and biculturalism in the programme for children. Providing challenging opportunities for children remains an area of focus. Since the last review the outdoor learning environment for infants and toddlers has been extended.

The Review Findings

Children are settled in a calm and secure learning environment. They play well with each other and form positive, trusting relationships with their peers and with adults. Children choose from a range of activities and are keen to learn. They are familiar with and actively participate in centre routines. Children would benefit from more challenging experiences to support their thinking, curiosity and creativity.

Infants and toddlers experience sensitive and supportive care and enjoy the occasional mixed-play activities. Children with additional learning needs are well supported.

Teachers' interactions with children are positive. They are welcoming and approachable. Teachers provide parents/whānau with regular information about their child's participation in the programme.

Parents/whānau appreciate the support from teachers in an environment that promotes whakawhanaungatanga. Children benefit from a focus on te reo me ona tikanga Māori. They are familiar and confident with karakia and waiata.

The centre's philosophy should be reviewed to place a stronger focus on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and current theories about children's learning. Teaching approaches could be more responsive to individual children's cultures, dispositions and interests.

A process for the appraisal of teachers has been established. The implementation of this process needs to clearly align with the Teaching Standards. Long and short-term improvement goals have been developed. Progress towards these goals could now be evaluated. Policy review could be more closely monitored so that all policies are regularly reviewed.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps include:

  • teachers increasing the extent to which the curriculum and teaching practices recognise and respond to children's interests and learning dispositions

  • all staff using internal evaluation processes to review and improve curriculum, health and safety and governance systems.

Leaders and teachers could benefit from professional development to help them make these improvements.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of St Georges 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.

To improve current practices, the Child Protection policy needs to be regularly reviewed.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety. To meet requirements, the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:

  • all non-registered teachers are police vetted every three years

  • sleep records consistently show the time each child sleeps, and checks made by adults during that time

  • excursion records include adult:child ratios and excursions are approved by the person responsible

  • administration of medication is consistently recorded in the medication register.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7A, HS9, HS17, HS28.

Development Plan Recommendation

ERO recommends the Ministry of Education follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region - Te Tai Raki

6 July 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

Papatoetoe, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45630

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 years

Service roll

32

Gender composition

Girls 25 Boys 7

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Indian
Pacific
other ethnic groups

6
5
10
6
5

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2020

Date of this report

6 July 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2016

Education Review

April 2013

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.

St Georges Preschool - 29/06/2016

1 Evaluation of St Georges Preschool

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

St Georges Preschool in Papatoetoe is licensed to provide all day care and education for 50 children, including up to 12 children under two years of age. Infants and toddlers are cared for in their own indoor play space and share the outdoor play areas with older children. Older children also have access to shared play areas. A feature of the outdoor environment is a large climbing frame that provides added physical challenges for older children.

The preschool is one of two early childhood services and social support services that are owned and governed by the Anglican Trust for Women and Children (ATWC). A centre manager and the recently appointed supervisor lead a team of five qualified teachers. The teachers speak a variety of languages and reflect the diverse cultures of the community.

The philosophy of the preschool recognises each child as unique and promotes a safe and nurturing environment in which children have opportunities to explore and experiment. A focus on building children's strengths and interests and supporting their learning underpins the preschool philosophy.

ERO's 2013 report affirmed the positive relationships and sense of belonging that children and families have in the centre. It recognised children's ability to sustain play and the attractive, well resourced learning environment. These positive aspects have been maintained and enhanced.

Areas agreed for continued development were assessment documentation, programme planning and curriculum review. Good progress has been made in each of these areas.

The Review Findings

The centre's philosophy is very evident in practice. The caring and supportive culture recognises the needs of all families and their cultures. Parents who spoke with ERO expressed deep satisfaction with the care and education of their children. They appreciated the caring, inclusive and responsive teachers.

Infants and toddlers have an attractive environment with plenty of space for movement and exploration. They have formed secure attachments with teachers that support their wellbeing and belonging. The unhurried pace of their programme allows these young children time and space to direct their own learning. Teachers' interactions are sensitive, gentle and respectful.

Overall, older children play together cooperatively for long periods of time. The environment is well set up to promote their participation in play. Children have good opportunities for physical challenge and uninterrupted play. They are provided with lots of choices and very good quality resources that provoke their interests and invite exploration.

Teachers warmly welcome children and their families. Teachers are developing effective ways to share information with parents about their children's learning and to make learning more visible in the environment. Teachers have reviewed the use of te reo Māori in the programme and would like to continue to build their own capability in this area.

Teachers interact respectfully with and listen carefully to children. Children's participation in the programme is captured in portfolios, and in numerous photos and displays throughout play spaces. This enables children and their whānau to revisit their experiences and learning. Individual development plans include children's ideas, and their strengths and interests. There are strong and evident links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

A notable feature of the programme is the integration of science in the context of children's play. Interesting provocations, and attractive and informative displays about the natural world and scientific concepts support children's investigation and experimentation. Teachers should consider increasing the integration of literacy and mathematics into the programme.

Leaders have a strong commitment to the philosophy, vision and goals of the service. The centre manager helps to build leadership capability by encouraging teachers to take on responsibilities such as leading internal evaluation topics. Ongoing, systematic review helps to improve teacher practice and outcomes for children. Targeted professional learning and development would support ongoing leadership development.

The ATWC Trust actively supports the centre. Strategic and annual plans are well developed and used effectively as part of the centre's internal evaluation. Teachers are well supported to develop their professional practice. Continuous improvements to the appraisal process are helping to meet the requirements of the Education Council, increase rigour and build teacher capability.

Key Next Steps

The centre manager agrees that priorities for centre development should include:

  • supporting children to have deeper conversations that challenge their thinking and encourage problem solving

  • specifying teaching strategies and learning outcomes in planning and evaluation

  • extending complexity and challenge in children's play

  • reviewing policies and procedures for promoting children's social competence

  • promoting bicultural practice and providing a strong foundation for Māori children to have ongoing success in education.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

29 June 2016

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

Papatoetoe, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45630

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2

Service roll

51

Gender composition

Boys 26 Girls 25

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Indian

Samoan

Fijian Indian

other

12

14

13

3

3

6

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

April 2016

Date of this report

29 June 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

April 2013

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.