10 Graham Street, Pukekohe
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
The Flying Turtles Preschool is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Flying Turtles Preschool is in Pukekohe and licensed for 50 children. The preschool offers both full and part-day education and care for children from four years old to school age. Children come from a range of ethnic backgrounds, including five who identify as Māori.
Through their vision and philosophy, teachers aim to develop caring, respectful relationships with all children, families, the environment and local community.
Flying Turtles Preschool is one of three early learning centres governed by the director who supports supervisors and managers to oversee teaching practices. Leadership provides an overarching governance and management framework for enacting the strategic direction.
Since ERO's December 2015 evaluation, management and teachers have undertaken professional development to further their knowledge of appraisal practice and deepen their understanding of tikanga Māori.
Children’s learning is effectively promoted through responsive and respectful teaching. Relationships are positive and affirming between teachers and children. A wide range of learning opportunities are accessible to all learners. Children lead their learning through a flexible and inclusive curriculum where teachers foster independence. Planning, assessment and evaluation identifies children’s current skills and knowledge, and shows progress over time. This should be strengthened to add complexity to children's learning outcomes. Positive transitions into and out of the centre support children's confidence and sense of belonging.
Teachers effectively model appropriate language to promote children’s oral development. Literacy, numeracy and science are integrated into the programme. Positive and engaging interactions between teachers and children support social competence. The outside learning environment supports risk taking and problem solving and cater for a range of interests and skill development.
Teachers promote te reo me ngā tikanga Māori and build on children’s knowledge of te ao Māori. The centre's vision and strategic planning identify a commitment to further improve the bicultural curriculum. Children benefit from a curriculum that provides the opportunity to explore, inquire and follow their own interests.
The appraisal system enhances teacher capability and capacity. A culture of collaboration is fostered through effective consultation that promotes positive partnerships between parents and teachers. Children with additional learning needs are fully involved in the learning environment through inclusive teaching practices. All children are valued and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning. Leaders have established a reflective learning environment.
Effective governance promotes positive learning outcomes for all children. Clear policies, procedures and systems effectively guide daily operation. The centre vision and philosophy are enacted and promote quality teaching practice. Leadership opportunities for teachers are provided. Internal evaluation includes a strategic approach to change management leading to improvement. Children experience an environment where high-quality learning opportunities are underpinned by effective governance and management.
For ongoing improvement, the centre needs to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Flying Turtles 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
7 November 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 |
Pukekohe |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45498 |
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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, aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Gender composition |
Female 25 Male 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other |
5 37 5 |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2019 |
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Date of this report |
7 November 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
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Education Review |
October 2012 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Flying Turtles Preschool is located in Pukekohe and provides full day care and education for up to 50 children from four to six years old. The centre is one of three operated by the owner. The other two centres which are nearby cater for younger children. As a group, the centres have made strong links with the community, and teachers have established positive relationships with families who often transition their children between the centres.
The owner administers the service and employs a centre manager to oversee the teaching practices in all three centres. They work with the supervisor of each centre to form the management team. At Flying Turtles, most teachers are fully registered and have been in the centre since it opened in 2010. They have recently reviewed the centre philosophy and confirmed their commitment to prepare children for lifelong learning.
The centre was first reviewed in 2012. At that time ERO identified the quality of learning experiences, the environment and caring relationships as strengths of the service. Teachers supported learning well and children were highly engaged in play. These strengths continue to be features of the programme and teachers have implemented their plan to improve self-review. They continue to develop their skills in te reo and knowledge of tikanga Māori.
Children are enthusiastic, independent learners. They quickly connect with teachers and friends on arrival and promptly engage in areas of interest. Children work well in collaborative groups often sustaining their play for prolonged periods. They confidently participate in interactive experiences on the mat and capably talk about their learning. Children benefit from literacy and numeracy experiences that are integrated in playful contexts and encourage them to write and use letters and numbers for real purposes. Opportunities children have to engage in ongoing projects, research and inquiry provide them with sound preparation for school.
Teachers have high expectations that children will be independent learners. They trust children to make choices and investigate their own creative ideas. There are also good examples of teachers supporting children's learning with open questions and prompts for further exploration. Teachers value children's contributions, often documenting their narratives and brainstorming with them to develop projects.
Teachers develop rich, interesting programmes that include many excursions, specialist activities such as swimming and dancing and celebrations of cultural events. Older children participate in more formalised literacy learning opportunities as part of a broad, play based programme.
Teachers are currently reviewing their planning to focus more on children's individualised learning interests. This initiative should enable teachers to strengthen links between learning stories and enhance their assessment of each child’s progress. The programme reflects aspects of biculturalism through resources, displays, use of waiata and some integrated te reo Māori.
Managers and teachers have established a very attractive and accessible learning environment. Good quality resources and physical play equipment invite children to engage in challenging tasks and work cooperatively with others. Spacious play areas support meaningful learning and enable children to develop imaginative scenarios that foster their thinking, language development and social skills.
Parents speak highly of the centre. They emphasise the quality of the programme, their relationships with teachers and the opportunities for their children to become independent. They also appreciate how well their children are prepared for school. Families are kept very well informed about centre events and their children’s learning, and are consulted during reviews of policy and practices. Parents are increasingly using digital tools to access and comment on records of their children's learning and to communicate with teachers.
The owner is an experienced manager who leads an effective management team. A clear strategic plan underpins annual operations and teachers’ appraisal goals. Self-review processes are sound and are focused on positive outcomes for children. Managers have a strong commitment to developing staff through ongoing professional development and by distributing leadership opportunities. Leaders continue to forge relationships with the community and actively engage with many schools to enhance the quality of transitions for children. Managers have attended training to improve the effectiveness of the centre appraisal process and procedures for endorsing teachers’ practising certificates.
Centre leaders acknowledge that next steps for centre development should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Flying Turtles 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.
In order to improve current practices centre managers should ensure arrangements for sleeping or resting children meet licensing requirements.
The next ERO review of Flying Turtles Preschool will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
11 December 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 |
Pukekohe |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45498 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
55 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 32 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
October 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
11 December 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2012 |
|
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.