Parnell Infant & Toddler Centre
Education Review Office
Report 2008
The Education Review Office last reviewed Parnell Infant & Toddler Centre in 2008. The full report is available from the ERO website. The report's summary letter is included below.
1 October 2008
To the Parents and Community of the Parnell Infant and Toddler Centre
These are the findings of the Education Review Office's latest report on the Parnell Infant and Toddler Centre.
Parnell Infant and Toddler Centre is a newly established education and care service. It operates alongside and under the same management as the Parnell Early Childhood Centre. This service has been established within a refurbished area of the historic Queen Victoria School for Girls. The centre caters for infants and toddlers in two rooms, one for infants under twelve months, and the other for children up to eighteen months. The rooms are linked but are self-contained with sleeping, playing and bathroom facilities for both. Teachers have worked hard to transform former schoolrooms into attractive playing spaces for children.
Centre staff have made the decision to focus their programmes and philosophy of care on the teachings of Magda Gerber, which are based on a culture of respect for infants and toddlers and on an understanding of the child as powerful and self-motivating, with an innate capacity to develop naturally. While the teachers are still in the early stages of implementing the Magda Gerber style of programme, they have begun the staff discussions and debate that should lead to greater understanding of the principles of this method of teaching.
Children appear settled and content in the programme. The process of separating from parents is calm and unhurried. The practice of identifying a primary caregiver for each child ensures that children make a close identification with one of the teachers and are able to adjust to others from the comfort of these relationships. Children are encouraged to relate to other children by being placed close together to play. Children clearly understand the expectation that they will find their own interests in the environment and move freely between activities and toys.
The Magda Gerber approach to teaching stresses the need for children’s active involvement in all care activities and routines. Teachers are beginning to understand these expectations but are not yet engaging children enough in conversations that prompt them to take some of the responsibility for their own care. Self-review processes could be further improved to help teachers to make decisions about the effectiveness of their practices.
Teachers share their observations of children at regular staff meetings and develop planning from what they know about children’s interests and strengths. Well maintained portfolios for each child inform parents about the children’s development and participation. It is notable that teachers’ efforts to improve partnerships with parents are beginning to result in parents making regular contributions to these records of their children’s learning.
Regular management meetings are making a positive difference to the effectiveness of management processes. There is still a need to improve personnel management through the development of policies, procedures and a strategic plan that guides annual targets. The licensee should also develop self-review processes for all aspects of management.
This ERO report evaluates the quality of education provided for children, including the programme, interactions between adults and children and the impact of the environment on children’s learning. Self-review and management practices are also reviewed. Good practices are evident in all of these areas. ERO recommends that teachers further develop their understanding and implementation of practices based on Magda Gerber’s philosophy for early childhood education, and that centre managers develop strategic and annual planning.