10 Stenhope Crescent, Corstorphine, Dunedin
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Tino-E-Tasi Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tino-E-Tasi Preschool is located in Dunedin. It is licensed to provide all-day education and care for 17 children, including up to five aged under two years. The centre owners have two other centres in the South Island. They manage the administrative side of the service, and support the newly appointed centre manager who oversees the daily operational management of the service.
Most children attending the service are from Pacific heritage. Infants and toddlers have a separate area where they are free to explore. Children are encouraged to play together in mixed age groups and there is easy access for them between the two play spaces.
The philosophy strongly values respectful relationships within the Samoan cultural framework of alofa - love, fa'aaloalo - respect and tautua - service. The programme is guided by Te Whāriki the early childhood curriculum, and gagana and aganu'u Samoa are woven in alongside Christian values.
The teaching team includes three qualified teachers and one teacher aide. The centre manager is also the curriculum leader and mentor for staff.
The service owners and staff have made significant progress in addressing the areas for improvement and compliance actions noted in the 2017 ERO report.
Children benefit from the mixed age grouping that encourages tuakana/teina learning. Strong friendships are evident amongst the children. When centre routines allow, siblings play together. There are opportunities for children to choose where they will play and the resources they will use.
The provision of good teacher to child ratios positively impacts on the strong sense of belonging children and their families' experience. Children under two benefit from sensitive, consistent caregiving, and from secure attachments with their caregivers.
The learning environment is attractively presented. Teachers could review and develop their use of the indoor and outdoor learning spaces to motivate children to engage in imaginative play and exploration. Increasing children's access to a wider variety of good quality resources would support this review.
Centre leaders are committed to the ongoing development of teaching practice, including strengthening gagana and aganu'u Samoa. Some teachers are skilled in their knowledge and use of te reo Māori. Consideration should now be given to how kaupapa Māori and fa'a Samoa can be woven through the programme.
Parents report their appreciation of the changes that have occurred in the programme. They have noticed a positive change in their children's behaviour and learning, and attribute this to the new centre team. Teachers are strengthening partnerships with parents, by including parents' aspirations for their children's learning in curriculum programme planning and evaluation processes.
Teachers are beginning to implement a new programme planning system. They should ensure that their planned programme aligns more with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children would benefit from a programme that more consistently gives them time to act on their own ideas, and develop knowledge and skills in areas that interest them.
Children's portfolios of learning contain numerous group learning stories. Teachers should document more individual learning stories, showing how each child's learning develops over time.
Centre leaders are improvement focused. They have developed a framework of relevant policies and procedures and a strategic plan. To build greater alignment between strategic goals, internal evaluation, teachers' appraisal goals and the teaching programme, teaching and learning should be prioritised in the strategic plan.
Key next steps include:
developing a shared understanding about effective teaching and learning based on Te Whāriki
implementing planning and evaluation processes that better recognise and respond to each child's learning journey
providing a well-resourced environment to extend children's learning
strengthening internal evaluation to more deliberately review and develop centre operations.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tino-E-Tasi 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services
Northern Region
28 February 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.
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Location |
Corstorphine, Dunedin |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
80032 |
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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 |
17 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
14 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 9 Girls 5 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2018 |
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Date of this report |
28 February 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2017 |
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Supplementary Review |
August 2013 |
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Supplementary Review |
April 2011 |
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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:
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Although some progress has been made under new ownership, ERO continues to have concerns about governance and management practices. Ongoing external support is essential to continue and sustain improvements in all areas of centre operations.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tino-E-Tasi Preschool is one of two privately owned centres operating under the same name. They promote Samoan language and culture. The centre employs a qualified teacher who is returning from a break in teaching service, two provisionally registered teachers, one trainee teacher and an administrator.
In the past year the centre has experienced significant change with new ownership, ongoing staff turnover and a reorganisation of staff roles. The supervisor's position is currently vacant. The owner/director is keen to improve the sustainability of the centre by establishing a new strategic plan and restructuring staff roles and responsibilities.
Tino-E-Tasi Preschool has had a long history of supplementary ERO reviews, despite extensive support from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and other providers. Since the 2013 ERO review the centre has received external support to help address concerns in relation to curriculum, governance and management. The centre was placed on a full license in 2014. Some good progress is evident in aspects of teaching and learning. However, ongoing staff turnover and leadership changes have hindered improvement. ERO continues to have concerns relating to a lack of progress in governance and management. The MoE has offered to facilitate professional learning and development.
Children settle quickly and have respectful interactions with adults. They are engaged in programme experiences and know routines well. Infants and toddlers have opportunities for uninterrupted play and explore the environment freely. They have good access to equipment and resources.
A shared leadership model has recently been established to improve the use of teachers' strengths and grow the collective capability of the team. Samoan language is strongly evident in the environment and in teaching practices. Joint leadership in curriculum and Samoan language and culture could help to build a shared team vision. The curriculum leaders have a growing understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, as well as tikanga and te reo Māori. Including Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, in teachers' appraisals could support teachers to evaluate how well they promote bicultural practices.
Teachers have attended professional development that has helped them to improve teaching practices and their understanding of internal evaluation. They have strengthened their provision for literacy and mathematics as a result of consultation with parents.
Teachers agree that next steps to support improved teaching and learning should include external networking and professional support to:
review the centre philosophy and the programme for children up to two years of age
ensure the learning environment is well resourced to challenge and extend children's learning.
The centre director has extensive management experience and is developing an understanding of centre governance and management. He agrees that the improvements needed include the development of:
robust systems to monitor the implementation of health and safety procedures and manage risk analysis for excursions
performance appraisals for all staff that supports improved practice and shared understandings about effective teaching and bicultural practices
policies and procedures to reflect legal requirements, particularly in relation to employment practices and police vetting
emerging shared leadership and reflective professional practice
strategic planning and internal evaluation to guide improvement
financial planning and management, including sharing annual audit reports with the community.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tino-E-Tasi 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.
ERO found significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to:
governance and management, including financial management, personnel and employment practices and risk analysis for excursions
internal evaluation
policies, procedures and provision for health and safety.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS31,17,18; GMA6,7,7A; Education (ECS) Regulations 2008, 47(1a,c(i),e).
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Tino-E-Tasi Preschool. ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.
The next ERO review of Tino-E-Tasi Preschool will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
3 February 2017
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 |
Corstorphine, Dunedin |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
80032 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
16 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
15 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 5 Girls 10 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Cook Islands Māori Tongan |
3 2 6 2 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 |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
3 February 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Supplementary Review |
August 2013 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
April 2011 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
March 2010 |
||
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.