Jumpstart Preschool

Education institution number:
50114
Service type:
Education & Care Service
Total roll:
55
Telephone:
Address:

10 Barrett Road, Whalers Gate, New Plymouth

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Jumpstart 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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Jumpstart Preschool are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakaū Embedding

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Jumpstart Preschool is one of four privately owned Jumpstart early childhood services in New Plymouth. The centre caters for children aged over two years. Many children transition from the closely located Jumpstart Nursery. A principal leads a team of qualified and unqualified kaiako.

3 Summary of finding

Children effectively lead their own learning in a play-based curriculum consistent with Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum. They have opportunities to revisit learning experiences, interests, impulses and ideas. Kaiako scaffold children’s learning giving them feedback on efforts, challenges and successes. Curriculum experiences are varied and support the mixed age group setting. Excursions out into the community enrich children’s learning and understanding of the wider community. Children show independence as capable and competent learners. Children’s social and emotional competency and sense of security is intentionally planned for and supported in a responsive curriculum.

Strong reciprocal and respectful relationships with children, parents, whānau and the wider community are well embedded. Transitions in, to and across the Jumpstart services are thoughtfully, and flexibly managed. Leaders and Kaiako are responsive to children’s and whānau identified needs. Assessment for learning practices actively involve parents and whānau, consider their aspirations and guide children’s learning. Children and whānau feel a great sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Whanaungatanga and tuakana teina strongly underpin relationships. Te reo me nga tikanga Māori are integrated into daily teaching practice and documentation. All children’s language, cultures and identities are not yet consistently responded to within assessment for learning.

Relational trust successfully enables collaboration and an openness to continuous improvement. Teacher inquiries are linked to internal evaluation and strategic goals. This approach creates a collective understanding to support decision making. A professional learning community across the Jumpstart services provides support, challenges and professional learning opportunities. Mentoring and coaching builds knowledge and capability to support children’s ongoing learning.

Organisation wide internal evaluation has led to some positive changes in practice. Leaders and kaiako are increasingly responsive to individual centre identified priorities. Ongoing monitoring of the implementation of improvement actions and evaluating the impact for all children and their whānau is yet to be carried out.

4 Improvement actions

Jumpstart Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • build teacher capability in assessment, planning and evaluation to better respond to children’s language, culture and identity.
  • monitor the implementation of improvement actions and evaluate their impact for all children and their whānau.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Jumpstart 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:

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

  • when children leave the premises on a regular excursion assessment and management of the risk is undertaken and adult/child ratios are determined accordingly [HS17].

Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

5 November 2021

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name Jumpstart Preschool
Profile Number 50114
Location New Plymouth

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children aged over 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers)

80-99%

Service roll

65

Ethnic composition

Māori 17, NZ European/Pākehā 30, other ethnic groups 18.

Review team on site

August 2021

Date of this report

5 November 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, September 2017; Education Review, August 2014.

Jumpstart Preschool - 26/09/2017

1 Evaluation of Jumpstart Preschool

How well placed is Jumpstart 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

Jumpstart Preschool Barrett Road is one of three locally owned and operated private early childhood education and care services operating under the Jumpstart umbrella, in New Plymouth. The centre is licensed for 50 children aged over two years. Of the 76 children enrolled, 13 are Māori. Four children are identified as having additional learning needs.

The Jumpstart managing director supports the centre leaders (principals) and administrator in the day to day operation and ensures the strategic priorities are progressed. She works closely with and provides ongoing professional support to the principal and teachers.

The philosophy highlights 'Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia o tatou mahi, let the uniqueness of the child guide our work'. The centres values encompass 'the knowledge, skills and attitudes children bring to the experiences, the significance of place, links to home and the community and every child feeling valued, respected, safe and loved'.

The August 2014, ERO evaluation identified strengthening success for Māori learners, consistency of high quality teaching practices, self-review and assessment processes as next steps. The centre, in association with the umbrella organisation, has successfully responded to these areas.

This review was part of a cluster of three reviews in Jumpstart preschools.

The Review Findings

The improvement-focused centre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

Children are taught in an inclusive environment that fosters calm and peaceful interactions. They have opportunities to be independent, collaborative and to lead their learning. Teachers provide effective support for learning and the respectful care of children.

Reciprocal relationships with children, parents and whānau are a strength. Community participation and involvement is high, with families' contributions invited, responded to and valued.

Children actively engage in learning experiences. They are well supported to develop their social and self-management skills. Children's perseverance and ideas in play are reinforced through conversations with others.

A wide range of high quality resources invites children's investigation and participation. Nature is celebrated both indoors and outdoors. An appreciation for papatūānuku is encouraged.

Māori children, parents and whānau experience respectful relationships. These are underpinned by whānaungatanga and ngā hononga. Leaders are focused on continuing to strengthen practices that contribute to success for Māori.

Commitment to is evident. Te ao Māori values and beliefs are strongly reflected through interactions, the environment and within the learning programme. Children confidently contribute to te reo Māori experiences.Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Children's interests and parent aspirations inform and guide the well-planned curriculum. Literacy, mathematics, science and creativity are well integrated into experiences.

A more individualised assessment and planning approach and focus on development of children's specific learning dispositions has been developed. An online programme that illustrates and celebrates individual learning has been successfully introduced. It includes recognition of progress over time and two-way communication between families and teachers. 'My Learning Journey' reports and associated parent conferences provide opportunities for parents and teachers to share children's learning.

A well-considered transition process supports children and their families into the centre and on to schools. This includes providing a range of information, visits and the sharing of learning records.

Teachers and leaders work effectively as teams and across the organisation to promote positive outcomes for children. Sharing ideas about effective teaching, learning and care practices in regular meetings develops consistency and improves capability.

Centre-wide professional learning has positively contributed to the development of a curriculum that promotes children's learning. A comprehensive appraisal process supports improvement for teachers and leaders. There are clear links to the Practising Teacher Criteria and a focus on regular inquiry into their practice. Greater use of formal observations of practice and ensuring cultural competency dimensions are integrated into this process is a next step.

Self review, ongoing inquiry, planning reflections and appraisal, provide insight into the effectiveness of teaching practices. Leaders foster collaborative review that leads to positive change and improvement. Professional learning is building teachers internal evaluation capacity. Deeper analysis and sense-making of evidence collected as part of this process would strengthen teachers' ability to evaluate the effectiveness of their practice on outcomes for children.

Well considered strategic planning goals are developed by the managing director in consultation with the centre leaders. These are influenced by parent, whanau, community and teacher input. Parent and staff surveys affirm practices and identify possible areas for further strengthening.

Effective management and leadership support the centres operation and build capability to promote positive outcomes for children. Quality assurance and well-developed communication processes foster successful leadership, teaching, awareness of service and legislative expectations and high quality practices.

Key Next Step

Management should build effective internal evaluation capacity and capability across the organisation in order to evaluate how effectively the curriculum improves outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Jumpstart 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 Jumpstart Preschool will be in four years.

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

26 September 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

New Plymouth

Ministry of Education profile number

50114

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, aged over 2

Service roll

76

Gender composition

Boys 41, Girls 35

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

13

63

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

July 2017

Date of this report

26 September 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

August 2014

Education Review

September 2011

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.