Kindercare Learning Centres - Riccarton

1 Evaluation of Kindercare Learning Centres - Clyde (201)

How well placed is Kindercare Learning Centres - Clyde (201) to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Kindercare Learning Centres - Clyde (201) is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Kindercare Learning Centres - Clyde (201) is located in Ilam, Christchurch. They offer all day sessions, five days a week for up to 50 children with a maximum of 14 aged up to two years. The centre is divided into three learning areas to cater for the specific needs of infants, toddlers and children aged three and a half to school age.

The children share a spacious, well-resourced outdoor play space. Families at the centre represent an increasingly diverse local community. There has been continuity of leadership and staffing since the 2017 ERO review and most staff are qualified early learning teachers.

The vision, values, philosophy and strategic goals of this service are those of Kindercare Learning Centres Limited. Together these underpin the philosophy on which each centre and the organisation base their practices. An area manager works in partnership with the experienced centre manager to support the operation of the service.

The service's philosophy, underpinned by Te Whāriki (2017) the Early Childhood Curriculum, states that they provide ' early childhood care and education that values, appreciates and respects each child and focuses on developing their full potential, in an environment of love'. There are eight core values which fall under the descriptors of 'Safe, Loved and Learning'.

The June 2017 ERO report identified that strengthening bicultural practices, transitions to school and embedding assessment, planning and evaluation processes were key next steps for development. Progress has been made and is ongoing in all of these areas.

This review was part of a cluster of six Kindercare Learning Centres in the Christchurch area.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from warm caring relationships. They know their teachers well and trust them to respectfully support their learning and play. Children learn through environments and programmes which actively develop physical challenge, sensory integration and exploration. A broad range of learning activities allow for integration of literacy and mathematics that further enhance a sense of curiosity and wonder. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging and show confidence when articulating their learning and play. They take increasing responsibility for themselves and others.

Teachers know the children well and seek ways to strengthen connections to their language, culture and identity. Parents are encouraged to share their cultural traditions to enhance learning. Some teachers are multilingual and able to support families who have English as a second language. This contributes to positive outcomes and relationships. Embedding teachers' knowledge and confidence in bicultural practices to further enrich curriculum programmes is a next step.

Individualised and respectful care for infants and toddlers is provided. Children are challenged to explore and become fully engaged in a wide range of activities. The teaching team has benefited from specialised professional learning that has prompted reflective and responsive practices to better meet the needs of children.

The curriculum responds to children's individual needs and interests. Programmes are delivered at their own learning pace. Teachers use a range of assessment practices that demonstrate an understanding of what each child knows, is interested in and can do.

Leaders and teachers are working proactively to further develop learning partnerships with parents and whānau. They have consulted parents and whānau and provided them with opportunities to influence the development of the centre’s vision and values. A range of communication tools is used to ensure parents are kept well informed about their child's day and learning. Leaders and teachers provide support to parents who need information interpreted.

Leaders support teachers to critically reflect on their practice and have developed effective systems to build the capability and collective capacity of staff. Emergent leadership is encouraged and there are frequent opportunities for professional learning and development for teachers.

The Kindercare organisation provides support for centre leaders and families through regular visits by area managers. There are effective processes for: ensuring that children have safe and healthy learning environments; appraisal; mentoring and well targeted professional development opportunities.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders and ERO agree that the key next steps for further developing the conditions for promoting positive outcomes for children include:

• strengthening the bicultural curriculum and strategies that respond to the cultural context of Māori and Pacific children, and reflect this in planning and assessment
• further developing strategic planning, internal evaluation and assessment processes so that progress towards identified goals and outcomes for children are clear
• continue to identify and develop opportunities for parent feedback for learning that reflect the aspirations of the centre’s diverse community.

Next Steps for the Organisation

Key next steps for the Kindercare organisation include continuing to:

• build understandings and practices to better promote success for Māori, and reflect a commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand
• support leaders to use strategic planning and internal evaluation effectively to monitor and show progress towards improved outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centres - Clyde (201) 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

26 May 2020

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

• Very well placed

• Well placed

• Requires further development

• Not well placed

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.