161 Greers Road, Burnside, Christchurch
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 (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 The Rabbit Patch Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
The Rabbit Patch Preschool is one of two early childhood services which are privately owned and managed. This service provides education and care for infants, toddlers and young children to school age. Most kaiako are certificated. A resident artist (Atelierista) supports creative arts. Families attending the centre represent a range of cultures.
Kaiako collaboratively design and implement a broad curriculum that is strongly underpinned by
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the service’s philosophy. This gives prominence to the Reggio Emilia approach as well as the Māori values of ako (learning from one another), manaakitanga (caring), whakawhanaungatanga (respectful relationships), kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the environment), and mana tangata (valuing te āo Māori). Children benefit from extensive opportunities to engage in rich, creative and bicultural experiences. To further enrich the curriculum, planning is in place to deepen understandings of Te Titiri o Waitangi and the cultural narrative of the area; and extend ways to promote educational success for children of Pacific Heritage.
Children, including infants and toddlers, are seen as competent, full of potential and active in construction of their own knowledge. Infants and toddlers are nurtured to learn within a calm and intentional environment.
Kaiako enable children to question, test theories and extend their thinking in language-rich settings. They intentionally layer the foundations for their learning, inspiring curiosity and exploration. Kaiako are caring and responsive to the interests and needs of all children. Children with additional learning needs are well supported by implementing detailed individual planning, developed in collaboration with parents/whānau, and external expertise when necessary. This provides them with equitable opportunities to succeed.
Deep levels of assessment enhance children’s mana and identity as learners. The importance of whānau, culture and home languages are acknowledged in the process. Kaiako are skilled at recording children’s discoveries. They intentionally add depth and complexity to children’s learning outcomes in partnership with parents and whānau.
Leaders have high expectations of the team. Well established induction and mentoring processes build kaiako capability and leadership capacity to deliver an authentic responsive curriculum. Leaders and kaiako are strong advocates for promoting excellent and equitable outcomes for children. Reflection, inquiry and knowledge building are actively promoted to realise the service’s values, beliefs and priorities for children’s learning. Emergent reviews are thorough and inform improvements to practice. Strategic, annual planning, and long-term internal evaluation, are not yet well aligned to provide a cohesive approach to development.
The Rabbit Patch Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of The Rabbit Patch 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.
ERO found an area of non-compliance. Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance in the service relating to:
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
1 November 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | The Rabbit Patch Preschool |
| Profile Number | 70426 |
| Location | Christchurch |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 15 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
90 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 6, NZ European/Pākehā 46, Chinese 15, Korean 6, Other ethnic |
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Review team on site |
June 2021 |
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Date of this report |
1 November 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, July 2017; Education Review, December 2013. |
How well placed is The Rabbit Patch Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
The Rabbit Patch Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Rabbit Patch Preschool is one of three locally owned and managed centres that share the same management structure. Each centre is strongly inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. This includes making extensive use of the environment to entice investigation and extend children's learning. Teachers are learners alongside children. They play a key role in listening to children, observing them and documenting their work.
This centre provides education and care for infants, toddlers and young children to school age in two separate home-like buildings on the same site. Each area is organised to meet the needs and follow the interests of the age groups attending. The preschool has a dedicated creative arts, or Atelier, space.
The preschool provides a spacious, well resourced ‘kiwi back yard’ to foster learning. An on-site cook prepares home-made meals.
Most staff are qualified and certified early childhood teachers. A number of the staff have been at the centre for a long time. The owners employ a resident artist (atelierista) to work specifically with children in the creative arts. The centres are supported by a pedagogical leader who works across all three Rabbit Patch centres.
Managers and teachers have made sustained progress in addressing the key next steps from the 2013 ERO report. The teacher appraisal system and self-review processes have been strengthened. Children have easy access to their Play, Explore, Discover (PED) portfolios which allow them to revisit and contribute to their learning. Parents have a range of opportunities to contribute to their child's learning.
This review was part of the cluster of three Rabbit Patch centres.
Children are purposefully engaged in a wide range of learning experiences. They have many opportunities to follow their interests with and alongside teachers and children.
Children experience respectful, caring relationships with each other and their teachers. They confidently express their ideas in group experiences. Children investigate deeply into long-term projects that build their knowledge and skills.
Teachers inspire learning by creating curiosity in children. They use an effective range of approaches to extend children’s thinking and learning. Teachers foster oral language development by asking thought-provoking questions and genuinely listening to what children say.
Teachers promote creativity through providing an inviting environment where children's self-expression is appreciated and valued. They carefully integrate literacy, creative and expressive arts in meaningful ways throughout the centre. Teachers are increasing the use of te reo and tikanga Māori in the learning programme.
Infants and toddlers benefit from calm, nurturing interactions with their teachers. They have easy access to a wide range of thoughtfully presented resources and equipment and their own spacious outdoor area. Transition from the nursery to the preschool is well planned and carefully based on the needs of each child.
Parents are well informed about their child’s learning and participation at the centre. They are regularly encouraged to share their knowledge and skills as part of the learning programme.
The centre manager has high expectations of teachers and encourages them to take leadership roles in the centre. Teachers comprehensively document children’s learning and involvement in the centre.
The service-wide management team works well together. Managers have a strong commitment to achieving the Rabbit Patch vision. They implement an appropriate range of management systems and practices across the centres, including a thorough teacher appraisal process. Managers clearly communicate their high expectations of teachers to benefit children's learning and wellbeing.
Managers provide ongoing support to teachers by regularly observing their practice and giving relevant feedback. They present targeted internal professional development opportunities to assist teachers in their roles.
Managers have developed a useful strategic objective to enhance Māori learners achieving success as Māori. ERO recommends that managers regularly evaluate how effectively this objective is evident in centre practices and key service and centre documentation.
Managers and teachers should also:
Before the review, the staff and management of The Rabbit Patch 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 The Rabbit Patch Preschool will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)
27 July 2017
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 |
Christchurch |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
70426 |
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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 |
49 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
59 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 31; Boys 28 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
April 2017 |
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Date of this report |
27 July 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2013 |
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Education Review |
February 2010 |
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Education Review |
December 2006 |
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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:
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.