181 Swanson Road, Henderson, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Rainbow Bears Preschool is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Rainbow Bears Preschool is a privately-owned education and care centre. The service provides for children from birth to five years of age.
The centre operates in a large renovated house. An upstairs section caters for infants and toddlers. The extensive indoor and outdoor areas on the ground floor cater for children from two to five years of age. Children and their families come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. Many children speak more than one language.
The long-serving centre director leads a team of nine qualified and registered teachers and two unqualified staff, including a centre chef. Several teachers have been with Rainbow Bears for many years.
The 2016 ERO report noted many positive aspects of practice and these have been maintained. Good progress has been made in areas identified as requiring further development.
Children at Rainbow Bears Preschool experience calm and unhurried routines which offer a balance between free play and semi-structured play. They settle easily into a peaceful environment where they make independent play choices. Children experience an environment that is thoughtfully and widely resourced, including equipment that reflects Māori and Pacific cultures.
The small group size benefits infants and toddlers, and these children receive high quality care and education. Teachers are attuned to the needs and routines of individual children. They provide a rich environment that supports young children with their language development and acquisition.
Children are very well supported by teachers to develop social competence. Ministry of Education tools and resources are used to extend bicultural understanding and the values within the Treaty of Waitangi. Children's sense of wellbeing and belonging is promoted through the use of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Tapasā frameworks to strengthen the curriculum.
Leaders and teachers work in partnership with whānau and outside agencies to improve and enhance the learning for children with additional learning needs. The centre has a strong focus on inclusive practices that enables children to participate and engage with the curriculum.
Programme planning is based on teachers' observations of children's interests, learning dispositions and relevant early childhood theories. Teachers thoughtfully respond by establishing an environment that encourages children to think, explore and discover. Leaders and teachers work well together as a team. An internal evaluation process is well established and encourages teachers to reflect on and modify their practice. This process has helped identify current strategic goals.
Management of the centre is efficient and highly effective. The centre director promotes a shared decision-making approach to the centre's strategic direction. Leaders value staff contribution and provide staff with purposeful, professional development for the growth of their practice.
ERO and the centre director agree that next steps for the centre are to:
include reference to children's cultures and identity more explicitly in portfolios
review the centre philosophy to reflect new learning
continue with internal evaluation to foster leadership capabilities, specifically around assessment and planning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Rainbow Bears 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 - Te Tai Raki
27 February 2020
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 |
Henderson, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20027 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
61 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 31 Girls 30 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
21 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2019 |
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Date of this report |
27 February 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2013 |
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Education Review |
November 2009 |
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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:
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.
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.
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Rainbow Bears Preschool in Henderson, West Auckland provides care and education for children from birth to school age. Licensed for 50 children, including 12 up to two years of age, the centre operates from a large, renovated house. The upstairs part of the centre caters for infants and toddlers, and includes a spacious outdoor area. The extensive indoor and outdoor areas on the lower floor cater for children from two to five years. A well-equipped side building includes the centre's main office, and a well-resourced learning space for the 4 year old readiness for school programme.
The centre's curriculum provides programmes for older children that balance free play alongside structured learning times. For about an hour each day, children in the downstairs area break into three age-related groups for structured learning with particular teachers.
Children and families experience a centre that is culturally diverse. Some staff reflect children's cultures and communicate with families in their home languages. The centre philosophy shows respect for the Treaty of Waitangi and aims to promote Māori language, culture and identity. It focuses on child-centred teaching and learning practices and values parents' role in their children's learning.
The director has owned and operated the centre for the past 19 years and many teachers and staff have worked at the centre for a number of years. The 2013 ERO report noted that improvements had been made to the centre's curriculum and in the way teachers celebrated children's language, culture and identity. It identified next steps that included the need for teachers to plan for children's individual interests and for leaders to further improve the teacher appraisal process.
Since 2013 the director has upgraded the indoor and outdoor environments. In addition, the purchase of a van enables staff to take small groups of children on interest-related trips, and older children to visit local primary schools as part of their transition to school programme.
Children are well cared for by their teachers and other adults in the centre. Along with parents, they are warmly welcomed as they arrive and choose to play on their own or in a group with other children. Teachers interact positively with children, chatting with them about and encouraging their play. For most of the day children are free to choose from activities and resources teachers provide, and in areas of play that interest them.
The upstairs area for babies and toddlers is very well staffed. Teachers provide a gentle, calm and nurturing environment for these younger children. They follow children's home routines and respond well to their care needs and wellbeing. Teachers work consistently with and alongside these younger children, supporting them with language development and as they engage in play. These good practices encourage children to settle and to develop a good sense of belonging in their centre.
Children have access to good quality resources and equipment including some that reflects Māori and Pacific culture and identity. Leaders and teachers make good use of Ministry of Education tools and resources to extend their bicultural understanding and to acknowledge the principles and values of the Treaty of Waitangi. Some teachers are particularly strong in promoting te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.
Teachers are increasingly planning programmes based on children's individual interests and personalities. Leaders agree that a useful next step is for teachers to more specifically develop, document and evaluate the impact of planned strategies to extend the learning of each child. This approach would help to assure teachers that all children are engaged in good quality learning, that includes using literacy and numeracy skills in the context of play.
Centre leaders promote a shared decision making approach to the centre's strategic direction that is having a positive impact on staff morale. Leaders appreciate teachers' work and provide them with meaningful professional learning opportunities.
The director/owner of the centre is committed to continually improving the centre and promoting positive outcomes for children and their families. She has a good understanding of self-review and has recently revised the teacher appraisal system so that it better reflects teachers' goals and promotes reflection. Parent views about the centre are sought and valued. The director/owner has good systems and policies in place to ensure the health and safety of children and staff in the centre.
ERO and centre leaders agree that continued next steps for the centre include teachers and leaders:
evaluating the extent to which good quality early childhood theories are evident in teaching practice
strengthening the links between teachers' planning for individual children and the programme in action.
Before the review, the staff and management of Rainbow Bears 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.
The next ERO review of Rainbow Bears Preschool will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
4 May 2016
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 |
Henderson, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20027 |
||
|
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 |
88 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 45 Boys 43 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Fijian Indian Samoan Iraqi Filipino South African Tongan Burmese Indian Moroccan Chinese Niue other |
16 19 10 8 6 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 12 |
|
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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 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
4 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2007 |
||
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.
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.