10 Quarry Road, Watlington, Timaru
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 Timaru Christian Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Timaru Christian Preschool is a privately owned centre that provides all day education and care. The centre is located within the Timaru Christian School grounds. The service roll includes a small number of Māori and Pacific children. Since the 2019 ERO review the service has developed their assessment, planning, and evaluation, appraisal, and internal evaluation capabilities to evaluate their practice and improve outcomes for children.
Children are supported to develop caring and nurturing relationships with their peers and adults in a
play-based Christian curriculum underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers successfully facilitate inclusive opportunities for children to play and learn together to develop pro-social skills such as patience and kindness. Children have ample opportunities to make choices, mastery and growing independence.
Leaders and teachers know children and their whānau well. Relationships with parents are valued and teachers provide pastoral care as needed. Learning priorities are well established and used to identify learning and progress for children. Teachers work collaboratively with parents and whānau to design bespoke learning pathways that reflect and celebrate children’s culture, language and identity and extend their learning. Evaluating children’s assessment in terms of the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki is not yet consistently implemented.
Leaders and teachers continue to build their capability and integrate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into all aspects of the service curriculum, including routines, rituals, and regular events. There is a need to strengthen connections with local tangata whenua to ensure the tikanga practice in the service reflects local iwi perspectives.
Effective leadership is provided to the teaching team. A culture of trust support robust professional conversations and continuous improvement to promote positive outcomes for children. A useful internal evaluation framework guides a meaningful process. Gathering a wider range of evidence which is well analysed should better support leaders and teachers in their evaluative thinking and reasoning.
The service is well governed and managed. Clear policies and procedures, contribute to effective implementation of health and safety practices. A strategic plan clearly identifies the service’s priorities and associated goals towards achieving its vision.
Timaru Christian Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Timaru Christian 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:
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 | Te Tai Tini
21 September 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Timaru Christian Preschool |
|
Profile Number |
46180 |
|
Location |
Timaru |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
35 children |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
|
Service roll |
38 |
|
Review team on site |
19 May 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
21 September 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, January 2019; Education Review, October 2015 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Timaru Christian Preschool is a privately owned centre that provides all day education and care for up to 45 children over the age of two years. The centre is located within the Timaru Christian School grounds. There have been some outdoor property developments, including the development of bush, orchard and vegetable areas.
Since the 2015 ERO review, there have been a number of staff changes. The centre supervisor and most teachers are qualified early childhood teachers. The supervisor has oversight of the day-to-day running of the centre and works collaboratively with the owners to oversee centre operations.
The 2015 ERO report identified that this centre required further development, especially in areas related to governance and management. Since this report, the owners, supervisor and teachers have received significant external professional development and support and made good progress against ERO's recommendations. Improvements are evident in strategic and annual planning, governance and management and appraisal practices and in the quality of assessment and planning for individual children.
The centre's philosophy, which has a strong emphasis on family and community, is evident in the programme. Teachers work to ensure the programme is underpinned by Te Whāriki, The Early Childhood Curriculum, and the special Christian character. There is a strong focus on children's spiritual, physical, social and emotional development.
Children experience caring, respectful relationships with each other and with their teachers. These relationships strongly support their sense of belonging and wellbeing. Teachers use specific approaches to welcome, involve and support children and their families, especially those from different cultural backgrounds. Teachers provide an inclusive environment, where children's cultural backgrounds are celebrated.
Children benefit from a wide range of activities and inviting resources. The environment is thoughtfully presented and well used to extend children's play, further enriching their learning experiences and exploration. Quiet areas have been planned for children to sit and read. Children's independence, responsibility and self-help skills are encouraged and supported by their teachers within familiar routines. A spacious outdoor area fosters physical challenges, creative and dramatic play. Children have opportunities to learn about respect for creation and care for the environment through planting, caring and preparation of the vegetables, herbs and fruit grown at the centre.
Professional development has resulted in improved planning and assessment systems for individual children. Planning and assessment now has a focus on learning and identifying learning progressions, over a period of time. The introduction of an online tool to strengthen communication enables parents to receive and respond regularly to information shared about their children's outcomes in the programme.
The owners and centre supervisor have significantly strengthened management and governance documents and practices. There are clearer roles and responsibilities, with effective collaboration and appropriate reporting between the owners and centre supervisor. There are well-considered strategic goals, strategic and annual planning systems, and a sound policy and procedure framework.
Effective practices are in place that contribute to ongoing centre improvements. Regular internal evaluation and sound appraisal processes enable teachers to identify improvements needed and to enhance children's experiences at the centre. Leaders ensure that teachers are provided with relevant professional development.
ERO and the centre leaders agree that the next steps are to strengthen aspects of recently improved systems and practices. This includes:
developing the appraisal process to meet Education Council requirements to include two planned observations and an annual summary report attesting that standards have been met
improving the internal evaluation process, to deepen all teachers' understandings and participation, including the use of evaluative questions and wider stakeholder voice
making children's home language, cultural identity, and their parents' aspirations more explicit in children's assessment and planning records
making teaching strategies and evaluation more visible in planning and assessment, particularly for groups.
Before the review, the staff and management of Timaru Christian 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.
review personnel policy and procedures to align to best practices.
The next ERO review of Timaru Christian Preschool will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
18 January 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 |
Timaru |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46180 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children aged over 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
35 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys: 17 Girls: 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
October 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
18 January 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report
|
Education Review |
October 2015 |
|
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Timaru Christian Preschool is in the early stages of developing an effective management and leadership framework. Teachers have participated in professional development provided by the Ministry of Education. They have yet to fully use the knowledge gained to put in place systems and practices to promote ongoing improvement for high quality learning and teaching for all children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Timaru Christian Preschool is a small, privately-owned centre providing care and education for up to 45 children from two years old to school age. The preschool is located in two refurbished classrooms on the same site as TimaruChristianPrimary School. It has been operating since April 2013. This is the preschool’s first ERO Review.
The centre’s philosophy is strongly focused on Christian principles and building partnerships with families. All teachers are qualified early childhood teachers. The supervision of children is above the minimum requirements.
Children are warmly welcomed into the inclusive, calm environment of the preschool. They play together cooperatively. Children have many opportunities to choose activities from a range of equipment and resources in spacious indoor and outdoor areas.
Children experience positive, respectful interactions with their teachers. They are encouraged to be independent and to develop their self-help skills. Teachers include several aspects of literacy, numeracy and bicultural practices in the learning programme.
Teachers identify children’s interests in child assessment and make good links between the home and preschool. Children with diverse needs are well supported. Where needed, the centre seeks external advice to assist parents and children.
Teachers are strongly focused on building partnerships with parents and supporting the needs of families. They provide parents with a range of opportunities to contribute their ideas and views.
Transitions into the preschool and to school are flexible. Teachers have a positive relationship with the on-site school.
The managers and ERO agree on the need to give high priority to developing and implementing effective management practices to improve the performance of the preschool. This includes building the capability of managers and teachers to improve the outcomes of learning and teaching. The managers need to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Timaru Christian 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:
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to governance and management. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following area:
ERO recommends that the service consults with the Ministry of Education and develop plans to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Timaru Christian Preschool will be within two years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
14 October 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 |
Timaru |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46180 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children, two years and over |
||
|
Service roll |
35 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 23; Girls 12 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
0 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
August 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
14 October 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report |
No previous ERO reports |
|
|
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.