Swannanoa Preschool

Education institution number:
70466
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
135
Telephone:
Address:

1303 Tram Road R D 6, Rangiora

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Swannanoa Preschool

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 Swannanoa Preschool are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 
Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Swannanoa Preschool is a purpose-built, community-based, not-for-profit, early learning centre. A centre manager reports to the parent-led governing board. A small number of children of Māori or Pacific heritages attend. Since the 2019 ERO review, some progress has been made in relation to internal evaluation.

3 Summary of findings

Children play and learn within a responsive, rich broad curriculum. The philosophy emphasises the values of community and sustainability, supported by four kaupapa Māori values including whanaungatanga (relationships) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship). These are evident in practice. The Enviroschools approach is well integrated into the curriculum and children have many opportunities to learn about caring for Papatuanuku. A wide range of age-appropriate experiences and resources are used to challenge and extend children’s thinking and learning.

The cultural narrative and retelling of local pūrākau (stories) of mana whenua (Ngāi Tūāhuriri) are well established. The outdoor environments extend the bicultural curriculum and reflect the service’s location. Teachers are continuing to build the capability and capacity to integrate te reo Māori across the curriculum.

A key teacher supports transitions for infants and toddlers that promote emotional and social wellbeing. Children with additional learning requirements are well supported with individual learning plans and planned strategies implemented to help them be successful learners within the curriculum. Whānau have a range of opportunities to contribute to their child’s learning. 

The learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are used to plan individual learning. Evidence is gathered about children’s interests and capabilities. Planning and assessment documentation could better show: 

  • children’s learning progress over time 
  • the cultures, languages, and identity of children, including Pacific children 
  • evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching strategies 
  • how individuals and groups of children are learning in relation to the service’s priorities for learning. 

Leaders and teachers work collaboratively to build professional practice. Self-review is used to inform change by reflecting on existing practice. A useful framework guides internal evaluation processes. However, leaders and teachers are yet to effectively monitor and evaluate the impact of changes made on outcomes for identified individuals and groups of children.

The service’s operational systems and processes are well established. The parent-led board is well informed about day-to-day operations. However, reporting requires strengthening to better show children’s progress in relation the service's priorities for learning.

4 Improvement actions

Swannanoa Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Consistently document children’s developing capabilities and learning progress overtime in relation to the Te Whāriki learning outcomes and service’s priorities for learning.
  • Continue to build capability to meaningfully use te reo Māori in increasingly complex ways across the curriculum. 
  • Refine the monitoring and evaluation steps within the internal evaluation cycle to clearly show the effectiveness and impact of changes made to identified individuals and groups of learners.
  • Strengthen reporting to governance to better show all children’s progress in relation to the service’s priorities for learning.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Swannanoa Preschool 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.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

10 January 2024  

6 About the Early Childhood Service 

Early Childhood Service NameSwannanoa Preschool
Profile Number70466
LocationRangiora 
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for 110 children, including up to 25 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers 100%
Service roll155
Review team on siteOctober 2023
Date of this report10 January 2024
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review, August 2019; Education Review, September 2015

Swannanoa Preschool - 08/08/2019

1 Evaluation of Swannanoa Preschool

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Swannanoa Preschool is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Swannanoa Preschool is a community-based, not-for-profit, purpose-built early learning centre located in rural Canterbury in the Swannanoa school grounds.

The centre is governed by a parent-led committee. A manager oversees day-to-day operation. The assistant manager has oversight of the curriculum, and learning and teaching. Team Leaders lead teams in the various rooms. All teachers are qualified and certificated. It is licensed for 100 children, including up to 25 aged under-two, and operates five days a week from 9.00am until 3.00pm. Children learn and play in four different rooms depending on age and readiness.

The preschool philosophy states that desired outcomes for children are:

  • social and communication skills
  • language acquisition, literacy and numeracy skills
  • curiosity and creativity
  • resilience, self-regulation, confidence, awareness of their own identity, culture and language
  • respect and care for the environment.

Leaders and teachers have continued to improve and embed the key next steps identified in the September 2015 ERO report. The team is future focused and currently growing leadership capability amongst staff.

The centre belongs to the Puketaraki Kāhui Ako| Community of Learning (COL).

The Review Findings

Children take part in rich learning experiences based on the principles and outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They are encouraged to make choices and become independent learners. Teachers' commitment to bicultural practices is supporting them to grow in their knowledge and understanding of New Zealand's bicultural heritage. Authentic learning experiences such as those presented around environmental sustainability are also a strong focus in the programme.

Children benefit from strongly respectful, caring relationships. Teachers have developed a culture of inclusion and trust. Parents are welcomed, and teachers draw on their expertise as valued partners in their child's learning. Children are settled and show a strong sense of ownership and belonging.

Children and teachers take ownership of, and pride in, the environment. The indoor and outdoor design, and purposeful, considered way teachers set up activities each day, provide children with challenge, variety and interest.

Infants and toddlers benefit from a well-planned programme and playing and learning in a calm, slow-paced environment. Their oral language is promoted. Age-appropriate resources are easy for them to access. Teachers carry out caregiving routines in a responsive, positive and respectful manner by knowing children's non-verbal cues and needs well.

The aspirations of parents of Māori children are sought, valued and used in planning. The skills of some whānau are used to help teachers and children grow their understanding of te ao Māori.

Planning for children's learning is appropriately based on their interests and goals, and parents' aspirations. Records of assessment clearly outline children's progress and teacher's planning to support children's next steps.

Teachers are reflective about their practice. This results in positive changes for children. There is a useful process to guide internal evaluation practice. Leaders and teachers can further strengthen internal evaluation practices by ensuring the focus is on how well their programmes and practices are contributing to improved outcomes for children.

A strong, capable, professional team leads this high performing centre. Leaders have successfully fostered links with the wider community through local schools, the COL and external agencies to further enhance the learning programme.

Staff wellbeing is well supported by the leaders and governing committee. Teachers are highly valued. They benefit from the supportive environment.

The centre is effectively governed and managed. Useful guidelines and systems are in place to support shared understanding of expectations for high quality practice. Refining the format of the strategic plan will more clearly identify strategic and day-to-day business.

Key Next Steps

The priority for this centre is to continue to build understanding and implementation of effective internal evaluation as a tool for improvement.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Swannanoa 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

8 August 2019

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

LocationSwannanoa
Ministry of Education profile number70466
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for100 children, including up to 25 aged under 2
Service roll154
Gender compositionGirls 74, Boys 80
Ethnic compositionMāori 
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnicities
13 
135
6

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:2Better than minimum requirements
Over 21:7Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteJune 2019
Date of this report8 August 2019

Most recent ERO reports

 

Education ReviewSeptember 2015
Education ReviewMarch 2014

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.

Swannanoa Preschool - 08/09/2015

1 Evaluation of Swannanoa Preschool

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Swannanoa Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children

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

Background

The preschool is a community-based, not for profit, early childhood education and care centre. It is governed by a parent-elected board. The centre manager guides the day-to-day operation of the centre. Team leaders in each area are responsible for the curriculum. The ratio of teachers to children is higher than the minimum requirement. Most staff are qualified teachers.

The preschool is very spacious, attractively presented and well resourced. It caters for the learning and wellbeing of children from birth to five years old, in three separate learning areas. This includes two whānau groupings of children aged two to five years of age and an under two-year-old area.

Staff embrace parent, whānau and community involvement in the life of the centre, learning programme, and environment, for example, the communal garden and centre library. The preschool is located on the local school grounds and has established strong links with the school.

The preschool has been very responsive to the recommendations from the previous ERO review in March 2014. Very good use has been made of professional development to: clarify governance and management responsibilities and systems; improve teaching practices and curriculum documentation; review and develop a shared centre philosophy; improve self-review processes.

The Review Findings

The preschool philosophy reflects the learning priorities, and beliefs of its community. These are strongly evident in the way staff warmly welcome children and families, foster respectful and inclusive, relationships and nurture children's sense of belonging.

Teachers are responsive to children's interests, strengths and abilities. They encourage children to be independent, have respect for themselves, and show kindness and care for others. Well-presented learning areas inspire children's curiosity, exploration and creativity. Literacy and numeracy activities are naturally integrated into play-based learning experiences.

Children's oral language and communication skills are well supported and nurtured. Teachers are responsive to children's verbal and non-verbal communication. They value and encourage children's ideas and spend time talking with children to develop language and deeper levels of discussion.

Increasing use of a range of technologies are helping children to inquire into their thinking and express their ideas.

Teachers work collaboratively with parents and whānau. They actively seek parent and whānau views, aspirations, and expectations for their children's learning. Parents and whānau are well informed of children's interests and participation in the programmes through purposefully presented learning stories and wall displays.

The individual needs and preference of infants and toddlers are well supported. The teaching team are caring, consistent and sensitive to children's needs. Teachers work closely with families to provide interactions and care routines that are respectful, predictable and well paced.

Infants and toddlers have many opportunities to explore the natural environment and participate in physical and creative experiences with and alongside others.

Teachers encourage a sense of continuity with children's learning. Transitions into the preschool and between rooms are collaborative, personalised and responsive to the individual child and family needs. Children are well supported to make a positive transition to school.

The preschool acknowledges Maori as tangata whenua and is committed to the ongoing development of Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based partnerships. Teachers are increasingly integrating bicultural perspectives in ways that are respectful of te ao Maori within the programme, practices and the environment.

The preschool has a strong focus on providing positive outcomes for all children. Teachers respect the diversity and abilities of children and encourage them to participate and succeed in their learning. The board provides funding to support children with additional needs, for example, a speech therapist to support oral language.

The board and centre manager work well together. They have established useful systems to sustain and extend on the effective management of the service. Centre leaders build on the capability of others, increasing teacher expertise and leadership skills.

There is a strong focus on promoting improvement at all levels of the service. Extensive professional development and strong leadership has enabled the teaching team to work to build consistency and align to clear expectations. This includes significant progress in the development of reflective teaching practices, self review and appraisal processes.

Key Next Steps

The board, manager, and leadership team have worked hard to establish new management and curriculum processes to provide positive outcomes for children and families. The key next steps are to continue to review and embed:

  • strategic and annual action planning to help manage key service priorities over time
  • self review understandings and practices across the teaching team
  • appraisal and performance management processes
  • assessment, programme planning and evaluation
  • bicultural and te ao Maori perspectives, understandings and practices.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

8 September 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

LocationRangiora
Ministry of Education profile number70466
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for100 children, including up to 20 aged under two
Service roll153
Gender compositionGirls 83; Boys 70
Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Other Ethnicities

2%

96%

2%

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:3Better than minimum requirements
Over 21:7Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteAugust 2015
Date of this report8 September 2015
Most recent ERO report(s)Education ReviewMarch 2014
Education ReviewOctober 2010
Education ReviewMay 2007

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.