14 A Otara Road, Otara, Auckland
View on mapSt John The Evangelist Preschool
St John The Evangelist 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 Akarangi Quality 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 St John The Evangelist Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
2 Context of the Service
St John The Evangelist Preschool is a community-based service located in the grounds of St John Catholic Church. A board provides governance to a teaching team that includes a qualified centre manager, three qualified staff, a teacher aide and an administrator. Most of the children attending are of Samoan heritage. The philosophy is based on Christian values.
3 Summary of findings
Children experience a curriculum that recognises and affirms their languages and cultures. Christian beliefs and practices underpin the service’s faith-based curriculum.
Positive relationships are an integral part of teachers’ practice, supporting children’s sense of belonging and wellbeing. Children can make choices about their learning through calm, unhurried routines, where children’s play is valued and their independence promoted. Teachers’ interactions with children are responsive, gentle, and respectful.
Teachers consistently promote the use of te reo Māori and aspects of tikanga Māori. They support children’s learning about Māori as tangata whenua. Children’s sense of community is enhanced through service leaders having established close relationships with a marae, te kohanga reo and primary school, situated nearby.
Curriculum planning is based on children’s interests, and teachers support children’s learning through intentional, culturally responsive practice. Assessment records provide information that acknowledges children’s learning and recognises their efforts, challenges, and successes. Providing more opportunities for parents and whānau to contribute to children’s assessment and curriculum design is an area for development.
Teachers participate in regular and intentional professional learning to build their knowledge and capabilities. They receive regular feedback from leaders about their appraisal goals and improvements to practice. Internal evaluation could be strengthened by considering and recording what the impacts of improvement have been for children’s learning.
The board prioritises children, teachers, families, and the local community. A shared leadership approach promotes teachers’ professionalism, collaboration, and accountability. There is high relational trust between the board, leaders, and teachers.
4 Improvement actions
St John The Evangelist Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
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Establish learning-focused partnerships with parents and aiga through increased opportunities for parents to contribute to their child’s learning.
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Improve the extent to which assessment records show children’s learning progress over time in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
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Strengthen internal evaluation processes to show how improvement has impacted on positive outcomes for children.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of St John The Evangelist 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.
6 Actions for Compliance
The service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
-
Consistently monitoring children’s sleep and ensuring that children are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5 to 10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9).
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
15 September 2022
7 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
St John The Evangelist Preschool |
Profile Number |
25060 |
Location |
Otara, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
35 children over two years of age |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
Service roll |
27 |
Review team on site |
July 2022 |
Date of this report |
15 September 2022 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, May 2019 |
St John The Evangelist Preschool - 07/06/2017
1 Evaluation of St John The Evangelist Preschool
How well placed is St John The Evangelist Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
St John the Evangelist Preschool is a Catholic community-based service for up to 35 children between two and five years of age. The centre is located next to a Catholic Church, a marae and school. The service is governed by a charitable trust.
The centre's philosophy values children's home cultures, Catholic values and the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
After ERO’s 2014 review, trustees continued to work with an external provider to strengthen governance and management practices. However, the centre’s contract with the external provider was terminated in November 2016 and a new centre manager was appointed in 2017.
With external support, progress was made in response to the recommendations of the 2014 ERO report. However, significant support is needed to help the new board and managers to develop a planned approach to improving the centre’s performance.
The Review Findings
Relationships between teachers and children are positive. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging in the centre. Teachers provide good care for children and interact respectfully with them.
The programme does not provide sufficiently for the interests, strengths and abilities of individual children. The new centre manager recognises that planning and assessment should be developed to help teachers respond to children’s interests and learning in daily programmes. While teachers have attended professional development to help build their understanding of teaching and assessment practices there has been little improvement in their practice.
ERO's 2014 report recommended teachers focus on extending children’s learning through the appropriate provision of literacy and numeracy experiences. Teachers are still providing structured literacy and numeracy teaching that does not reflect children's current understandings or the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
At present the environment does not support children’s independent decision-making or provide learning challenges. Further review and development of the outdoor environments is planned to provide age-appropriate activities and challenges.
There is no clear link between the strategic plan and the actions of centre leaders. Strategic plans and policy frameworks need to reflect the Trust's intentions for the centre. Having effective planning and review systems would provide the manager with a good basis from which to promote more positive learning outcomes for children.
Internal evaluation systems do not result in improvements. Governance practices require significant improvement. Trustees need support to understand their roles and responsibilities and to ensure that:
-
policies and management systems are regularly reviewed and updated
-
teacher appraisal meets the requirements of the Education Council of NZ
-
professional learning and development builds leadership and strengthens teacher practice.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of St John The Evangelist 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.
Actions for compliance
ERO found significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to:
-
governance and management
-
curriculum, teaching practices and resourcing.
Education (ECE) Regulations 2008, 43(1a), 45a, 47(1a).
Recommendation to Ministry of Education
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of St John The Evangelist 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.
Next ERO Review
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of St John The Evangelist Preschool will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Steffan Brough
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
7 June 2017
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
Location |
Otara, Auckland |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
25060 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
35 children, over the age of 2 years |
||
Service roll |
35 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 24 Girls 11 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
1 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
Review team on site |
April 2017 |
||
Date of this report |
7 June 2017 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
December 2014 |
|
Education Review |
January 2011 |
||
Education Review |
November 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.
St John The Evangelist Preschool - 01/05/2019
ERO’s judgement
Regulatory standards |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
Health and safety |
Meeting |
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Background
St John The Evangelist Preschool is a non-profit, community-based service that is governed by the Auckland Catholic Preschool Trust. Most of the children attending are Samoan, Tongan or Māori. The centre manager leads a team of three qualified teachers. The service’s programme is bilingual and is based on Christian values and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Summary of review findings
ERO’s 2017 review identified areas of non-compliance relating to teaching practices, resourcing, self review, and governance and management. The service has made significant progress in these areas.
Children access a range of experiences and resources to enhance and extend their learning in the recently renovated indoor and outdoor environments. Children have opportunities to understand and respect each other, and to develop confidence in their own culture and an understanding about the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Curriculum planning and assessment show children’s interests and record their learning. Teachers have an understanding of, and knowledge about early childhood education theories and practices. An annual plan and self review guide service operations and improvements.
Next ERO Review
The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
1 May 2019
Information about the service
Early Childhood Service Name |
St John The Evangelist Preschool |
||
Profile Number |
25060 |
||
Location |
Otara, Auckland |
||
Service type |
Education and care service |
||
Number licensed for |
35 children over two years of age |
||
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:7 - Better than regulatory standards |
|
Service roll |
28 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 14 Girls 14 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori 5 Samoan 16 Tongan 6 other ethnic groups 1 |
||
Review team on site |
March 2019 |
||
Date of this report |
1 May 2019 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2017 |
|
Education Review |
December 2014 |
General Information about Assurance Reviews
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include:
-
the Licensing Criteria for Home-based Education and Care Services 2008
-
the Licensing Criteria for Hospital-based Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
ERO undertakes an Assurance Review process in any service:
-
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
-
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
-
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
-
that have been re-licensed due to a change of ownership
-
where an Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.
As part of an Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
-
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
As part of an Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
-
discussions with those involved in the service
-
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
-
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.