31 Kelvin Road, Remuera, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ABC Kelvin Road provides full day education and care for children from the local Remuera community. The centre is licensed for 30 children including eight up to two years of age. The centre operates in a well-converted house set in a large outdoor space.
The centre is part of the BestStart organisation, which provides a strong management framework. It also provides a range of support services and personnel, including a professional services manager (PSM) and a business manager (BM) to support the smooth operation of the centre. The centre is led by a centre manager, a head teacher and a small team of teachers and caregivers. The head teacher is new to the centre. The centre manager plans to review the centre's philosophy statement to gain all teachers' input to this document that guides teaching and learning.
ERO's 2014 report commented on the many changes in centre leadership since its 2012 purchase by BestStart. Teachers were working well together, sustaining routines, making children and their families welcome and providing good care. The ERO report suggested a review of the philosophy to help teachers develop shared understandings of effective teaching and learning. It also suggested strengthening the planning cycle. These aspects of the centre are still under development
This review was part of a cluster of seven reviews in the BestStart.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the centre. Teachers have established effective strategies for getting to know children and families. They share friendly and open conversations when children arrive and leave. Teachers have also initiated more formal conversations with parents during the year to discuss their children's progress and share ideas for future learning.
Children enjoy friendly and close connections with their peers. Tuakana/teina relationships, where older and younger children support and learn from each other, are evident in the playground. Small groups of children choose to play together for much of the day. They share lively conversations and pursue interests together.
The centre walls are used effectively to illustrate children's participation in ongoing explorations and interests. There is good evidence of exciting visits outside the centre and children's creative responses to these occasions.
The centre manager and teachers are making a concerted effort to build teamwork and to share professional knowledge. The recent appointment of the new head teacher should have a positive effect on strengthening professional practice and sharing leadership roles within the team.
Infants and toddlers enjoy times during the day when they are integrated with the older children. They also have time in their own secluded playroom that provides opportunities for them to explore, uninterrupted.
Teachers are also building their understanding and knowledge of te ao Māori and te reo me ōna tikanga Māori. While these initiatives are in the early stages, some teachers are beginning to use words and phrases in te reo Māori with the children.
Transitions into and through the centre are well managed. An internal evaluation focus on children's entry into the centre as young infants has led to changes to the ways in which teachers help children to settle. Children are carefully supported when they leave the infant/toddler room to join the older children. Sound relationships with the adjacent school have had the effect of reassuring parents, and supporting a smooth next step for children in their learning journey.
Teachers keep parents informed on a daily basis about happenings in the centre using an online portal. They also provide a story each month for each child, about their interests. While these stories are well described by the photographs accompanying the stories, there is often a lack of detail about children's learning progress, and limited links that might provide this information. The centre manager has identified the need for teachers to continue to strengthen both assessment and planning processes.
Work has started on upgrading the outdoor area, and will continue to be a priority for BestStart in the coming months. Teachers are considering ways of using the indoor spaces more effectively. An upgrade of equipment and resources would also benefit children.
Governance systems are effective in guiding centre operations. A sound policy base is implemented through procedures determined by centre staff. Good systems are in place to ensure that staff follow routines and health and safety checks. The Professional Services Manager (PSM) shares regular reports that identify strengths and any improvements needed.
The BestStart PSM team has focused on improving assessment, planning and evaluation of programmes. The team is also working with teachers to strengthen their understanding of inquiry-based learning for children.
BestStart continues to provide good support for centres through professional development opportunities, management documentation and a range of quality assurance processes. PSMs and BMs maintain positive relationships with centre personnel and have high expectations for centre performance. The challenge for PSMs is to use their current focus on teaching as inquiry and newly developed mentoring processes to help centre managers and teachers achieve the high quality practices that BestStart values. Recent work to establish goal-focused strategic plans in each centre should also help to facilitate meaningful improvements in teaching and learning.
The centre manager has identified next steps for building a strong team. These include working with teachers to continue:
Managers and teachers should also:
ERO suggests that BestStart personnel continue to support teachers to provide high quality education to extend and elaborate children's learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Kelvin Road 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:
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.
The next ERO review of ABC Kelvin Road will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
20 September 2017
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.
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Location |
Remuera, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20468 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
35 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 23 Boys 12 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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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 |
August 2017 |
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Date of this report |
20 September 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
February 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2007 |
||
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:
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.
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:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
With the imminent appointment of a permanent centre manager, and ongoing support from Kidicorp managers, ABC Kelvin Road should be well placed to better promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ABC Kelvin Road in Remuera provides education and care for children from birth to 5 years. Kidicorp took over ownership of ABC Kelvin Road at the end of 2012.
At the time of the ERO report in 2011 a centre manager had been recently appointed. Since that time the centre has had two further managers and the position is currently vacant. Kidicorp has appointed an acting, part-time centre manager to support staff until a permanent manager is employed. Following a number of staff changes, the teaching team is now stable. The centre will be better positioned to improve practice once a permanent, effective centre manager is employed.
Kidicorp managers are working with centre personnel to implement Kidicorp’s operational and curriculum expectations. While progress is evident, it is too early for ERO to evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of this support.
Teachers work well together and have worked hard at trying to keep consistent routines for children. They welcome children and their families, and provide good care for children. Teachers are affectionate and promote children's wellbeing. Children appear to be well settled.
There is a separate space for the care of children who are under the age of two years. These infants and toddlers also have some access to the main learning environment with the older children. The new teaching team now need to review the centre philosophy to develop a shared understanding of effective teaching and learning practices.
The head teacher is the longest serving staff member and was at the centre at the time of the last ERO review. She is supported by the Kidicorp management team to develop her leadership capability. In her capacity as assistant manager, she has worked to maintain the learning component of the programme during this period of change. Teachers now need to continue to develop and implement a programme that provides increased challenge for children, especially in the outdoors.
The appointment of a centre manager is an immediate priority for Kidicorp management. A permanent centre manager, together with the staff team, will be able to plan strategically for centre development and the professional growth of teachers.
To promote positive learning outcomes for children teachers need to:
increase their programme response to identified next steps for each child's learning
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Kelvin Road 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.
The next ERO review of ABC Kelvin Road will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
21 May 2014
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.
|
Location |
Remuera, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20468 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
33 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 18 Boys 15 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian Samoan |
1 26 5 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
21 May 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2004 |
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:
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.
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:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.