Kauri Seeds Preschool

Education institution number:
45454
Service type:
Education & Care Service
Total roll:
36
Telephone:
Address:

24 King George Avenue, Epsom, Auckland

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Red Kite Preschool

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Red Kite Preschool is one of two services under the same ownership. One of the qualified owners provides curriculum and governance support to a team of five qualified teachers and two staff. There are two indoor and outdoor areas for different age groups of children to play and explore.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture, and encourages children to understand and respect each other. There is a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning.

Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development – both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

Service leaders need to regularly monitor and review systems and processes to ensure regulatory requirements are maintained.

Actions for Compliance

During the onsite visit the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it had addressed the following non-compliances:

  • Ensuring there is a first aid kit that is easily recognisable and readily accessible to adults (PF28).

  • Having a record of special excursions that includes evidence of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios (HS17).

  • Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

  • Ensuring attendance records for 7 years meet the requirements of the ECE Funding Handbook, including having evidence that a parent/guardian of each child has regularly examined and confirmed the attendance record (GMA11).

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • Ensuring the procedure for the changing of nappies is implemented safely (HS3).

  • Identifying designated assembly areas for evacuation purposes outside the building (HS5).

  • Having evidence of the review of the emergency plan on at least an annual basis and implementation of improved practices as required (HS7).

  • Maintaining a record of how evaluation of emergency drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS8).

  • Maintaining a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep ensuring that children: do not have access to food or liquids while in bed; are checked for breathing; and recording the time each child attending the service sleeps and checks made by adults during that time (HS9).

  • Ensuring that equipment, premises and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children that meet the requirements of this criterion (HS12).

  • Verifying that water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14).

  • Maintaining a record of parent acknowledgement that they have been notified of serious injuries, illnesses and incidents that occur at the service (HS27).

  • Having a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medicine that includes the name and amount of medicine given, date and time medicine was administered and by whom, and evidence of parental acknowledgement that medicine was administered (HS28).

  • Providing information to parents about any planned reviews and consultation (GMA3).

  • Having evidence that parents and kaiako contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents (GMA4).

  • Implementing processes for human resource management, specifically selection and appointment procedures (GMA7).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

8 August 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Red Kite Preschool

Profile Number

45454

Location

Epsom, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

37 children, including up to 6 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

36

Review team on site

June 2022

Date of this report

8 August 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku | Assurance Review, September 2019
Education Review, August 2015

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 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 Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based 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-licenced due to a change of ownership

  • where an Akanuku | 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 Akanuku | 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 Akanuku | 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.

Red Kite Preschool - 06/09/2019

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards
ERO’s judgement

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

Red Kite Preschool in Epsom offers all-day care and education for up to 35 infants and toddlers. The centre was bought by new owners in 2018. Two-thirds of the children attending are of Chinese descent. There are four qualified teachers, including the manager.

Summary of Review Findings

Teachers plan and implement a programme that is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The programme acknowledges the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. It encourages children to be confident in their own culture and develop respect for other cultures.

Children experience positive, respectful interactions with adults. The curriculum is responsive, promotes children’s independence, and supports their learning and development. Leaders and teachers regularly communicate with parents to share information about children’s learning and encourage their involvement in decision-making.

The service is effectively managed. An ongoing process of self review keeps the service focused on improving outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • clearly identifying teaching strategies for extending the complexity of older children’s play
  • reflecting children’s language and culture in their assessment portfolios

  • making responses to children’s interests and dispositions, and to parents’ aspirations, more visible in assessment, planning and evaluation.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

6 September 2019

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Red Kite Preschool

Profile Number

45454

Location

Epsom, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 years

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Reported ratio of adults to children under 2

1:3 - Better than regulatory standards

Reported ratio of adults to children over 2

1:8 - Better than regulatory standards.

Service roll

26

Gender composition

Boys 14

Girls 12

Ethnic composition

Māori 2
NZ European/Pākehā 1
Chinese 18
other ethnic groups 5

Review team on site

July 2019

Date of this report

6 September 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review August 2015
Education Review September 2012

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 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 centre-based 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-licenced 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.

Morning Star Preschool - 12/08/2015

1 Evaluation of Morning Star Preschool

How well placed is Morning Star 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

Morning Star Preschool is a privately owned centre in Epsom catering for up to 30 children over the age of two years. The service offers full day care and education. The majority of children attending are of New Zealand European or Chinese decent.

The centre maintains a stable staff. Its management committee employs a centre manager, two senior teachers and a team of three teaching staff. Four staff are qualified teachers and two are in training. Three teachers are also fully registered, and another is in the process of obtaining her provisional registration.

The centre’s philosophy emphasises the importance of play in children’s learning. It seeks to promote a positive learning environment that values people, caring and nurturing relationships, and strong connections between families and teachers as educators. Children’s development is viewed holistically, with strong focus on literacy and numeracy.

The teaching team has established sound relationships with parents. There is a clear commitment to supporting the Mandarin language and Chinese culture, while also affirming and promoting both the English and Māori language and culture.

Since the 2012 ERO review teachers have continued to work together to build teaching capability and to use self review to improve the environment. They continue to respond to a next step noted in the 2012 ERO report outlining the benefits of further working with parents to develop shared understandings of the intent of the centre’s curriculum and its connection to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

The Review Findings

Children are supported by teachers to play and explore in an orderly and attractive learning environment. Children show a sense of belonging and benefit from the positive way is which their language, culture, and identity is affirmed by teachers. A prominent feature is the use of the Mandarin language by both children and teachers, with children also provided with good opportunities to develop their literacy skills in English.

Teachers have good relationships with children and are available to provide for their interests and needs. Clear routines are evident within the daily programme. Teachers could now reflect further on how they facilitate learning. A focus on a more child-centred approach would extend authentic learning opportunities for children. The inclusion of more opportunities for uninterrupted, child initiated play would allow children to engage more deeply in sustained, focused play while promoting increasingly complex learning and social interactions.

Teachers’ planning is individualised to each child. It is a shared process that enables all teachers to contribute, and shows predicted next steps in learning for each child. Children’s individual portfolios attractively present their learning journey. These are available to parents to make comments on and to add further information about their children’s accomplishments.

The head teacher has purposefully built relationships with a local primary school, and there are opportunities for centre staff and children to visit and familiarise with the school. This is helping to foster a smooth transition to school process for children and their families.

Leaders encourage teachers to develop their strengths and capabilities. A new appraisal process to promote ongoing improvement in teaching and learning is under development in preparation for full implementation. Teachers could now be encouraged to develop more of a collaborative inquiry approach to enable them to reflect together on the effectiveness of their teaching practices. Shared professional development opportunities could also enhance the development of centre practices.

Key Next Steps

The centre leaders and ERO agree that the next steps are to continue:

  • developing approaches that respond more to children’s interests and provide open-ended learning opportunities
  • reviewing the programme to ensure that child-led learning is recognised and valued, and that there are opportunities for children to develop complex play
  • developing the teacher appraisal process to include external support and networking opportunities
  • to help parents to understand Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Morning Star 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Morning Star Preschool will be in three years.

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

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

Epsom, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45454

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

39

Gender composition

Boys 22
Girls 17

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Chinese
South African
others

1
15
18
2
3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

June 2015

Date of this report

12 August 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2012

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.