The Rose Centre Community Pre-School

1 Evaluation of The Rose Centre Community Pre-School

How well placed is The Rose Centre Community Pre-School to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

The Rose Centre Community Pre-School is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

The Rose Centre Community Pre-School is a well-established service that provides an education and care service for up to 21 children from 18 months of age up to five years old. The centre is governed and managed by a board of trustees. All teachers are fully qualified and registered.

The centre's philosophy views children as capable, confident learners who learn best through active exploration. It shows a commitment to providing an inclusive environment and a programme that fosters independence, problem solving, challenges and respect.

The centre is a member of the Devonport-Takapuna Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL).

ERO’s 2016 report acknowledged positive features which have been sustained. The report recommended areas of improvement that included strengthening assessment practices, self review processes and bicultural practices. Teachers have made very good progress in these areas. The report also recommended strengthening systems, policies and procedures, and accessing external professional development to strengthen leadership and management practices. Good progress has been made in these areas.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from a calm environment that is welcoming and inclusive. They settle well and have a strong sense of belonging. Children engage quickly in play, actively explore the environment and independently make choices about what they will do. They use a range of strategies and skills to play and learn alongside others.

The learning environment is attractive and stimulating. Play areas are well defined, and children can easily access resources and play equipment. Children's art work and pepehā are celebrated and displayed throughout the centre. Since the 2016 ERO review, the outdoor environment has undergone a significant upgrade and improvement. Children make the most of the increased opportunities for physical challenge, problem solving, collaboration and sustained play.

Teachers have respectful, responsive relationships and interactions with children. They take time to genuinely listen to children, fostering their language development and conversational skills. Teachers use effective strategies and language to scaffold children's learning and actions. They actively foster children's enjoyment of books and stories.

The centre's programme is increasingly bicultural. Teachers promote te reo Māori and te ao Māori as a living and relevant language and culture for all children. Very good progress has been made to integrate te reo Māori and te ao Māori into everyday practices to affirm the identity, language and culture of Māori children in the centre. Teachers acknowledge a next step is to develop culturally responsive assessment practices.

There is a strong sense of community through the centre's positive relationships and partnerships with parents, whānau, the local community and local early education providers. Strong relationships with parents and the neighbouring school support children's transitions into the centre and on to school.

The board is very supportive of professional learning opportunities for staff. The centre leader has accessed professional learning about strategic planning. Teachers have deepened and improved the quality of their inquiries and critical reflections about their practice and its impact on children's learning. The use of external expertise has also strengthened the language of assessment in children's learning stories.

Significant improvements in management systems, organisation and documentation include a newly developed strategic plan that sets the future direction and strategic priorities for the centre. The new appraisal system is strongly focused on growing professional practice. A planned cycle for policy review is in place. The centre leader and teachers have strengthened internal evaluation practices with the support of external expertise.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and teachers should undertake an in-depth, centre-wide internal evaluation to ensure all aspects of the programme reflect Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, related to child-led learning.

Next steps include continuing to strengthen:

• the language of assessment in children's learning stories to identify and analyse children's aptitudes for learning

• programme evaluation by recording how effectively teaching practice has impacted on learning outcomes for children

• internal evaluation through collating multiple perspectives and sources, setting indicators of effective practice and using in-depth processes of evaluation focused on outcomes for children

• a shared understanding of effective teaching practice, which extends children's learning into more complex play.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of The Rose Centre Community 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:

• 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region - Te Tai Raki

25 June 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

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.

1 Evaluation of The Rose Centre Community Pre-School

How well placed is The Rose Centre Community Pre-School to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

The Rose Centre Community Pre-School is a well-established service in Belmont, on Auckland's North Shore. It comes under the ownership and management of the Rose Community Centre. The Rose Community Centre Board of Trustees govern and manage the early childhood centre.

The centre is situated close to a local primary school. This centre is licensed for children from babies up to school age, and offers sessional and full day hours.

The licensee, centre manager and teachers are all new appointments since the last ERO report in 2013. The centre manager works collaboratively with the board of trustees to provide support and guidance for her team of fully qualified ECE teachers. Team building and professional development programmes have had a positive impact on the programme.

The 2013 ERO report identified strengths within the learning programme that gave children a strong sense of belonging. These aspects have been maintained by the new teaching team.

The centre’s philosophy clearly outlines the intentions of the centre to provide an environment that promotes exploration and learning. The teaching team together with board members are working at developing an outdoor playground that will meet the aspirations in their philosophy.

The Review Findings

Positive relationships between teachers, children and their parents and whānau are clearly evident. Adults' interactions with children are sensitive and responsive. Children are happy and settle quickly when they arrive. Friendships among children promote imaginative and collaborative play, and the children participate in sustained play for long periods, either independently or with teachers. They have a good sense of ownership of their learning and belonging in the centre.

The environment is welcoming and attractive and, together with the resources, invites explorations and encourages children’s imaginative play. Teachers take advantage of opportunities to promote numeracy and literacy within the context of children’s play. The outdoor environment promotes physical challenges and explorations. Teachers are aware of the need to renew some of the outdoor equipment and replenish both indoor and outdoor resources. A greater variety of good quality resources would challenge children more fully in their play.

Teachers work well together and demonstrate a professional understanding of their role. They take a collaborative approach to facilitating smooth transitions for children into and beyond the centre. Teachers create stimulating mat-times for children in which they encourage children to contribute to the wider group. Teachers introduce a variety of activities to acknowledge and address specific interests of children, and include te reo Māori and waiata.

The programme is inclusive of all children. Teachers’ knowledge of children’s backgrounds contributes to children settling well and being responsive to the programme. Parents are encouraged to share their child’s experiences from home. Teachers share information with families and whānau about the child’s time in the centre in a variety of appropriate ways, including online programme 'Story Park'.

Some good management systems are in place to support the operation of the centre. The board could strengthen systems through ongoing professional development around their governance and management roles.

The board members agree with ERO that they need to consider ways to either include parents at board level or establish a management committee so that the affairs of the centre are separate from the general meeting of the Rose Community Centre. This would allow more dedicated time and planning for the centre affairs.

Key Next Steps

The licensee and centre manager are very reflective about how the centre can continue to improve. They agree that in order to improve outcomes for children they should:

• strengthen assessment practices to ensure that children's progress is more clearly recorded and to show learning and development over time.

• strengthen self-review processes to guide centre improvements, teaching practices and strategic directions more effectively

• strengthen bicultural practices by building teachers' knowledge of and confidence in te reo and tikanga Māori

The board and centre manager could further strengthen systems, policies and procedures to guide improvements and promote positive outcomes for all children. These include:

• developing an annual action plan to guide centre to achieve its goals

• providing external professional support to strengthen the centre’s leadership and management capability

• reviewing appraisal process to better reflect centre's goals, philosophy, job description and Educational Council requirements.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of The Rose Centre Community 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:

• 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 The Rose Centre Community Pre-School will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

23 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

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.