Carterton Preschool ERO (Education Review Office) quotes

Note: you can see the full 2016 ERO report here.

“ERO Report Carterton Preschool 05/06/2020 – The Review Findings

Children are very well supported to become self-directed learners. They are highly engaged in sustained learning activities and empowered to lead their own learning. They engage well with their peers and learning opportunities provided. They co-construct learning opportunities with teachers and other children.

A commitment to supporting the achievement of Māori children and the adoption of bicultural practices is highly evident. There is an authentic approach to acknowledging and integrating te ao Māori. Artefacts are authentically incorporated into the environment and the curriculum. The centre, in partnership with local iwi, continues to have an active involvement in the Mangatarere Stream restoration project. This supports aspects of Māori tikanga to be adopted and children to learn how to be kaitiaki of the local environment.

Teachers are very responsive to and inclusive of children’s diverse cultures, languages, and diverse learning needs. Leaders provide a high-quality environment for learning.

The centre’s philosophical values and other aspects of the philosophy are strongly promoted. Teachers are highly skilled in engaging with children and supporting their play. They initiate carefully considered conversations to support and extend learning. Support for children’s wellbeing is an ongoing focus. Behaviour is channelled in positive ways and children are supported to be inclusive of others. Resources are invitingly presented and promote investigation and exploration.

Carefully planned induction and transition processes support children and their families into and through the centre. A family group teacher in responsible for maintaining an ongoing relationship with and a flow of information to and from parents. Full reports capture and share detailed information about children at these transition points.

Assessment and planning for learning are highly developed and well implemented. This is strongly based on children’s interests, local events and matters of importance to whānau, families and children. Regular learning stories capture children’s progress and shows how teachers effectively are supporting this. The team leader has identified a need to continue to support teachers with their evaluation of how well their actions support positive outcomes for children.

Appraisal processes are strong and have been further strengthened through the inclusion of a robust teacher inquiry process. This process is research informed, regularly undertaken and findings are shared among other staff. Strategic and annual planning practices seek to move the service forward in targeted areas of its operations.

Strong, professional leadership is evident. Leaders are improvement focused and seek to sustain improvements in operations and to bring about improved outcomes for all children. They have established a strong and positive teaching team culture where consistent, high quality practice is supported and promoted. They seek opportunities to involve local iwi and community members and value them as expert partners in staff learning and centre activities.

Internal evaluation is effectively used to inform decision making and to understand the impact of changes on learners and their learning. Leaders continue to work to ensure the sustainability of this approach in extending understanding amongst staff.”