Coastlands 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

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Coastlands Preschool provides all-day education and care for children from birth to six years of age. The purpose-built facility has three, age-based learning areas. The centre manager and assistant manager are responsible for operation and leadership. This is the first review since the centre’s license was amended.

Summary of Review Findings

Positive and meaningful relationships are evident among children and teachers. The service curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development. Parents’ aspirations and children’s interests inform individualised learning plans. Teachers seek information and guidance from external agencies to support children with additional learning and development needs. Processes for internal evaluation help improve the quality of education and care for children.

Actions for Compliance

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

• heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment are secured that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage (HS6)
• record of evidence of parental acknowledgement that medicine has been given to children (HS28).

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

14 December 2020

Information About the Service

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.

1 Evaluation of Coastlands Preschool

How well placed is Coastlands Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Coastlands Preschool is a privately owned and operated centre in Whakatane. It is purpose built and provides care and education for children from two years to school age from 7.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. The current roll is 87 including 20 children who identify as Māori. Ratios of staff to children are one adult to eight children, which exceeds minimum requirements.

Staffing has remained constant with most teachers holding recognised Early Childhood Education qualifications. At the time of the 2014 ERO review the centre was known as Coastlands Early Childhood Centre. Children are catered for in two separate age-based rooms and outdoor play areas. The open-plan, indoor spaces and large outdoor areas reflect aspects of the local environment and children's current interests.

The centre’s philosophy promotes 'high-quality education to support children's holistic development'. Teachers value each child as an individual and a major focus is to prepare children for a successful transition in, across and out of the centre. Many aspects of the philosophy are clearly evident throughout the daily programme.

Since the 2014 ERO review the centre has employed an administration support person, enhanced the outdoor area, and has addressed some areas identified in the 2014 ERO report related to self-review. At the time of this ERO review, managers and teachers are committed to providing a stable, caring environment for children, and maintaining a collaborative team of staff.

The Review Findings

Teachers strongly promote children's sense of belonging and security through genuine caring. Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the centre. Relationships with children and their families are positive and respectful.

Staff are highly responsive to the wellbeing of children. Teachers deliberately plan to provide children with learning experiences and interesting activities. A feature of the centre is the strong transition processes for children into and within the centre, and to school. Children play well together and alongside one another. They have many opportunities for sustained play.

The centre is committed to integrating aspects of tikanga Māori into the daily programme. The range of resources available includes books, puzzles and music to support this integration. Teachers are aware of the importance of the Māori dimension to enable children to develop an appreciation of their bi-cultural heritage.

There is a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences including the integration of oral language, literacy and mathematics. An extensive outdoor environment and trips to local facilities enhance children's learning experiences. The curriculum would be strengthened by leaders and teachers accessing professional learning and development about the effective emergent child-led curriculum and learning.

Teachers invite families to contribute information about children’s home experiences, their culture and goals for their children. Teachers effectively communicate important information to parents about children’s daily needs and wellbeing. Portfolios are attractive records of individual children’s learning and include references to children’s learning, interests and dispositions. Parent and community contribution to the programme is encouraged, highly evident and is a strong feature of the centre. Children benefit from a strong sense of belonging.

The centre manager is providing professional leadership for teachers. She is well respected and has built a cohesive and reflective teaching team. The centre manager and senior teachers are strongly dedicated to the vision and goals for the centre. They have a strong commitment to teaching and learning, plan collaboratively and are focused on individual children's learning and behaviour needs. Staff communicate effectively and are supportive of one another and the local community. Children benefit from a consistent and cohesive approach to their learning and care. The centre manager is focused on continuing to develop her leadership of curriculum development and teaching practices.

There are some sound governance practices in places, including appropriate policies and procedures, and a focus on the provision of resources. These include high-quality outdoor environments, low teacher/children ratios, and a high percentage of qualified teachers. Children have access to a well-resourced and planned learning environment. Management agrees there is a need to provide stronger professional leadership in reviewing and re- developing the strategic plan, staff appraisal processes, and self-review practices.

Key Next Steps

Management and ERO agree that the next steps are to strengthen:

• professional leadership for reviewing and redeveloping the strategic plan, staff appraisal processes and self-review practices

• the centre manager's leadership of curriculum development and teaching practices. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Coastlands 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.

To improve current practice, the early childhood service management should ensure that that all staff have annual appraisals that are based on the Practicing Teacher Criteria established by the Education Council for the issue and renewal of practicing certificates.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty

1 June 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 

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.