BestStart Dannemora

Education institution number:
25377
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
81
Telephone:
Address:

15-19 Siedeberg Drive, East Tamaki, Auckland

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ABC Dannemora - 12/04/2018

1 Evaluation of ABC Dannemora

How well placed is ABC Dannemora to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

ABC Dannemora offers all-day and sessional early childhood education and care for a maximum of 105 children, including 25 up to the age of two years. Children from three months to five years are catered for in five age-related learning areas.

The centre's philosophy promotes a strong sense of belonging and whanaungatanga. It expresses the belief that children are unique, competent and empowered to make choices within an environment that inspires them to explore and create. A commitment to the bicultural partnership with Māori and strong partnerships with whānau supports an inclusive and culturally respectful environment.

The 2014 ERO report noted areas of good practice, including children's interactions and relationships with each other and adults. The report commented on teachers' commitment to ensuring success for Māori children as Māori. Leaders and teachers continue to build on these good practices. ERO also noted that self review and programme planning needed improving. There has been a positive response to these recommendations.

The centre is part of the BestStart Education and Care organisation, which provides an overarching governance and management framework, as well as personnel to support individual centres.

This review was part of a cluster of seven education and care service reviews in the BestStart organisation.

The Review Findings

The centre's philosophy is fully enacted in programmes. Children and whānau feel a strong sense of belonging to the centre. They are welcomed, and supported to transition into, through and out of the centre. Families who are new to the area and to New Zealand benefit from teachers' inclusive and culturally appropriate practices.

Children settle quickly into the programme and are supported through nurturing and affirming relationships. Teachers focus on building social competence and caring for children's wellbeing and learning needs. There are high expectations that children will manage self-care routines and respect each other.

Infants form attachments quickly and settle well within a strong primary care approach. Warm and nurturing relationships support children to use their home languages confidently with each other and with teachers. Children choose to play freely indoors and outdoors, and enjoy conversations that enable them to explore their ideas. Their perspectives are valued and used to inform teachers' planning.

The curriculum is highly responsive to families' cultures and children's interests and needs. The impact of teachers' professional learning is evident in the rich, responsive programmes for children. Teachers value and use children's feedback and ideas to plan and extend learning through play.

There is an ongoing focus on bicultural and multicultural learning as part of the curriculum. Te reo and tikanga Māori are seen and heard, and children respond positively to karakia and waiata. Support from BestStart and external cultural expertise is helping teachers to enhance the programme.

Leaders and teachers promote the centre's clear vision and philosophy. Teachers use quality indicators to make the philosophy visible for parents, and build strong partnerships with parents and whānau to support children's learning.

Good systems that promote stability and strengthen evaluation are helping the staff to sustain high quality performance. Positive, effective leadership has contributed to respectful relationships, a cohesive team and a strong focus on continual improvement. There is a collaborative approach to decision making and strategic development.

BestStart has recently developed a strategic plan to guide the organisation's future direction. Managers are working to increase coherence and alignment between organisational and individual centres' annual and strategic planning. The teacher appraisal process has been redeveloped with a focus on lifting teacher practice through individual inquiry. Managers will continue to provide targeted support to ensure these documents become familiar to teachers, and contribute to improved consistency in the quality of programmes across centres.

To support the provision of a broader curriculum in the outdoors, it would be worthwhile for managers and teachers to review and improve the design and layout of these learning environments.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders have identified appropriate next steps that include:

  • continuing to grow leadership capacity
  • prioritising the implementation of Te Whāriki 2017, with a focus on developing a localised curriculum
  • implementing more formalised approaches to 'teaching as inquiry'. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Dannemora 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of ABC Dannemora will be in four years.

Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

12 April 2018

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 

Location

Dannemora, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25377

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

105 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Service roll

144

Gender composition

Boys      51%

Girls       49%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Asian
Indian
Samoan
other Asian
other

  2%
  6%
33%
24%
  3%
24%
  8%

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

January 2018

Date of this report

12 April 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2014

Education Review

June 2011

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.

ABC Dannemora - 18/09/2014

1 Evaluation of ABC Dannemora

How well placed is ABC Dannemora to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

ABC Dannemora, located in East Tamaki, Auckland, is licensed for a maximum of 105 children including 25 up to the age of two years. Children from three months to five years are catered for in five age-related rooms. This large centre is purpose built and offers all day education and care. Children and staff reflect Dannemora’s multi-cultural community.

In 2011 the centre changed ownership and now comes under the Kidicorp organisation which provides administrative and professional support. Since the change of ownership, roll and staff numbers have increased. The centre consists of the three previous licences merged into one service.

The day to day operations of the centre are overseen by the centre manager who is supported by Kidicorp management personnel. The management supports two head teachers as well as the mainly qualified teaching staff and the administrative and support staff.

The centre philosophy promotes children's growth as confident and competent learners. It emphasises their commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and to the bi-cultural heritage of New Zealand.

Since opening in 2008 the centre has had one previous ERO report in 2011. The centre manager responded positively to the recommendations made for ongoing improvement.

The Review Findings

Children are settled and play confidently and cooperatively with others, or independently. They are articulate and teachers focus on building children's vocabulary in the context of their play. Children's literacy and numeracy skills are enhanced through the environment and centre activities. There is clear evidence that the aims of the centre philosophy are reflected throughout all of the rooms.

Affectionate relationships between adults, babies and toddlers are evident. Children's independence is encouraged and routines are respectful. Teachers are responsive to children's changing needs and preferences. The environments for infants and toddlers are appealing and invite exploration. Teachers place a strong emphasis on supporting young children to explore to try age-appropriate challenges in their play.

Teachers are committed to ensuring success for Māori children as Māori. Significant progress has been made with increasing staff understanding of Māori language, values, beliefs and history. Teachers have enhanced the centre’s partnership with whānau Māori. Children and teachers are learning to present their mihi.

Children experience Māori values, as identified in Tātiako - Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners (Ministry of Education 2011). They sing waiata, have opportunities to visit a local marae and learn about taonga from families. Children have opportunities to perform kapa haka.

Teachers continue to explore ways to support and extend children's dispositions and interests. Assessment records increasingly reflect children's progress over time and are becoming a valuable record of each child’s learning journey.

The Be School Ready programme is integrated throughout the centre and supports children's transition into and across the centre and to school. Learning experiences that promote relevant early literacy, numeracy and social skills are preparing children to successfully transition to school.

Teachers participate in relevant professional learning and development (PLD) that aligns to the centre’s philosophy. An outcome of this PLD is the development of stronger relationships between the centre, parents and children. Staff provide opportunities for parents to contribute to the learning programme and to attend parent evenings and events.

Centre leadership is effective. The manager, with support from Kidicorp personnel, deliberately promotes and supports the leadership of the centre. Staff are offered opportunities to participate in Kidicorp leadership courses. Teachers are collaborative and support each other for the benefit of children’s education and care.

Self review processes have been improving. Teachers have developed a systematic and useful process to guide the reviews. Teachers reflect on programme planning and assessment and they participate in spontaneous and centre-wide areas for review. Parents, children and staff have input into the reviews and changes are implemented as a result of the outcomes.

Key Next Steps

ERO, the centre manager and Kidicorp personnel agree that the key next steps for improvement include:

  • enhancing the usefulness of self review through developing indicators of good practice
  • using these indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum initiatives and outcomes for children
  • refocusing programme planning from highlighting activities to emphasising individual children’s interests and learning dispositions.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Dannemora 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of ABC Dannemora will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

12 September 2014

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

Location

East Tamaki, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25377

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

105 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Service roll

142

Gender composition

Girls 54% Boys 46%

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Indian

Chinese

Southeast Asian

Pacific

other

6%

23%

20%

15%

11%

7%

18%

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:9

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

July 2014

Date of this report

12 September 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2011

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.