35 Middle Road, Ashburton
View on mapAkarangi | 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 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 Phoenix Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whāngai Establishing |
Phoenix Preschool is a community-based service located in a new purpose-built facility on the grounds of Ashburton College. A Kaiwhakahaere | Centre Manager reports to an elected Board. Most kaiako are qualified or in training. There are two age-based rooms for tamariki. Some tamariki of Māori whakapapa attend. Progress has been made in addressing the recommendations in ERO’s 2019 review report.
Tamariki experience a broad curriculum that is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They play and learn in purposefully designed and well-resourced environments that support their interests, skills, and abilities. Older tamariki are well supported to be confident and competent to explore and lead their learning. A calm and slow-paced rhythm responds to the individual needs of infants and toddlers. Tamariki and whānau wellbeing is fostered by a deliberate approach to transitions into through, and from the service.
There is evidence in documented assessment of tamariki learning in relation to the outcomes from Te Whāriki. Kaiako regularly plan to provide resources and experiences that are meaningful for the tamaiti. Parents of tamaiti actively contribute their ideas and wishes for their learning. However, documentation does not yet consistently show:
The kaiwhakahaere and kaiako are improvement focused and regularly engage in professional discussions to build cohesion and practices aligned to the service’s philosophy. A system for review and evaluation is in place. Some refinement and consolidation of the internal evaluation framework is needed to make internal evaluation practices manageable and coherent for leaders and teachers. Leadership and the board promote a shared vision and advocacy for tamariki and their whānau.
Phoenix Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Phoenix Preschool completed an ERO 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.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
28 May 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Phoenix Preschool |
| Profile Number | 70311 |
| Location | Ashburton |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 50 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 72 |
| Review team on site | February 2024 |
| Date of this report | 28 May 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, August 2019; Education Review, June 2016 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Phoenix Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Phoenix Preschool is a community-based service providing all-day education and care for infants, toddlers and preschool children. The preschool is licensed for up to 45 children, including 13 aged under two years. Located on the grounds of Ashburton College, Phoenix Preschool operates from 8:00am-4:30pm Monday to Friday. The preschool aims to provide a rich environment that enables children to lead their learning while experiencing the world around them.
The preschool has a governing body comprising parents and community members. It has two teaching rooms, each with spacious and well-equipped outdoor areas for learning and play. The manager of teaching and learning is also a leader of learning in the Pūkeko Room with the over two-year-old children. A leader of learning supports the teaching, learning and care of children in the under two years room (Kiwi Room). Almost all of the teachers in the service are either qualified early childhood teachers or in training.
The preschool has improved the aspects of appraisal and internal evaluation identified for improvement in ERO's June 2016 review report. Phoenix Preschool is an active member of the Hakatere Kāhui Ako.
A strong feature of the preschool curriculum is the positive, responsive relationships that staff build with children, parents and whānau. Children and adults are quickly made to feel welcome, respected and valued and to become familiar with all aspects of preschool life and learning. Information about the daily programme is available and the involvement of parents and whānau welcomed.
Children experience a thoughtful and responsive programme that meets their needs, strengths and interests. The spacious and well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments are prepared to offer multiple opportunities for them to learn a variety of social, physical and thinking skills and competencies. Teachers work collaboratively to ensure children are well supported and challenged across all aspects of the daily programme.
Leaders and teachers are developing a localised curriculum that is underpinned by the areas of learning outlined within Te Whāriki (The NZ curriculum for early childhood learning). They are increasingly incorporating aspects of te ao Māori in the daily programme and in their interactions and communication with parents, whānau and community.
Emphasis is placed on ensuring children’s wellbeing. Children and their whānau are well supported. Transitions into, through and out of the centre are well managed. Children with additional needs are well known and supported with their learning and care.
Routines for infants and toddlers are calm and unhurried. Each child has a key teacher who provides care that is nurturing and aligned to individual needs and experience at home. They are well supported to transition through to the Pūkeko room for older children.
The governors, leaders and teachers are improvement focused. They have established a positive organisational culture, where relational trust and collaborative ways of working support rapid improvement. Team leaders have created a culture of professional learning for staff with children as the key focus. Teacher development is well led and supported through clear strategic planning and improved teaching as inquiry and appraisal processes.
An innovative change in the service's management structure has resulted in focused leadership of teaching and learning. Teachers and leaders have engaged in a range of spontaneous evaluation that has informed change and improvement to many aspects of programmes and practices. Parent and staff opinion is regularly sought, valued and used to inform change and development.
To build consistency of practice across the preschool, governors, leaders and teachers need to ensure that:
Before the review, the staff and management of Phoenix 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
22 August 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.
| Location | Ashburton | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 70311 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 45 children, including up to 13 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 70 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 39, Girls 31 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnicities | 2 67 1 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | July 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 22 August 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | June 2016 | |
| Education Review | June 2012 | ||
| Education Review | September 2005 | ||
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:
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 |
Phoenix Preschool is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Phoenix Preschool is a community-based centre providing care and education for infants, toddlers and preschool children. All teachers are fully qualified in early childhood education. The majority of the staff are experienced and have worked at the centre for a number of years.
Since the 2012 ERO review, the centre has experienced significant changes. A new area has been specifically built for under two-year-old children. The manager of 12 years resigned in 2014. The head teacher was the acting manager until a new manager was appointed in March 2016. A new parent committee has also been elected.
During 2015, the acting manager and parent committee contracted an external advisor to help them review and improve centre operations. The philosophy was reviewed in consultation with children, parents and staff. New systems and practices for self review, strategic planning, staff appraisal and assessment and planning have been established. The committee has also put in place a framework for governing the centre.
The leaders, teachers and parents are enthusiastic about the new developments in centre operations. They work collaboratively and make effective use of individual skills to ensure the systems and practices result in improvements that benefit children and their learning.
Significant progress is being made in ensuring leaders, teachers and committee members have a good understanding of self review and take an active role in reviews. Strategic planning is closely aligned to self review, staff appraisal and professional development. The new framework for the committee is helping to clarify roles and responsibilities and the knowledge that members need to effectively govern the centre.
Children and teachers enjoy very positive relationships that focus on meaningful learning and have fun together. Teachers willingly share their interests to enrich the programme and children's learning. They have high expectations for children's learning and the ways children communicate and work together in the programme. Child assessment and planning is becoming more focused on processes that extend children's learning.
The environment challenges children to explore, develop new interests and extend their knowledge, skills and understandings. The outdoor environments in the preschool and the nursery are spacious and well resourced. They encourage children to extend their physical skills and confidence. Literacy, numeracy, science and imaginative play are actively promoted in the indoor and outdoor spaces. Children have a wide range of experiences within the centre and the wider community.
Infants and toddlers experience nurturing relationships with their teachers. The layout of the indoor spaces supports seamless transitions for two-year-old children to the preschool programme.
Teachers demonstrate a strong commitment to te reo and tikanga Māori through the regular use of te reo Māori in the programme, attendance at professional development and the inclusion of Māori resources and signage in the environment.
Parents are actively involved in the programme and the day-to-day operation of the centre. They make regular contributions to their children's learning stories. Teachers are using innovative ways to seek parent and child aspirations for what children should learn next.
The leaders and ERO agree that the key next steps to strengthen sustainability and build capacity include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Phoenix 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.
The next ERO review of Phoenix Preschool will be in three years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
2 June 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 | Ashburton | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 70311 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 37 children, including up to 10 aged under two | ||
| Service roll | 62 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 32; Girls 30 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Tongan Cook Island Māori | 8 52 1 1 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | May 2016 | ||
| Date of this report | 2 June 2016 | ||
| Most recent ERO reports | Education Review | June 2012 | |
| Education Review | September 2005 | ||
| Education Review | November 2002 | ||
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.