BestStart St Albans

Education institution number:
70521
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
59
Telephone:
Address:

60 Champion Street, St Albans, Christchurch

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ABC St Albans - 06/03/2018

1 Evaluation of ABC St Albans

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ABC St Albans is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

ABC St Albans operates under the BestStart Educare Ltd management structure. BestStart is a large national organisation that owns a significant number of early childhood education centres across New Zealand. A professional services manager and a business manager work with the centre manager to manage the day-to-day operation of the centre.

ABC St Albans is licensed to provide care and education for up to 50 children, including 15 children under the age of two years. The centre serves a diverse range of cultures from its immediate local area. Most staff are certified and qualified early childhood teachers.

Since the previous ERO review in 2015 there have been significant changes to centre management and to the teaching team. Managers have been responsive to many of the recommendations from the ERO report. This includes improving the understanding and use of strategic planning and internal evaluation as they align to the recently developed vision and philosophy. The report identified the need to strengthen planning and assessment practices, ensuring a bicultural focus. This is still an area which the centre is developing.

The Review Findings

Managers and teachers have collaboratively developed a clear vision and philosophy recently. It reflects their shared values and ways of working with children to support their wellbeing and learning. They are making appropriate progress in implementing this vision throughout centre operations.

The centre vision and philosophy are highly evident in curriculum practices. Managers and teachers foster care and respect for one another and for children. They actively promote inclusive relationships which value parent and child opinions, ideas and contributions.

Teachers promote a child-led curriculum that encourages children's curiosity, engagement and participation in learning. The well-presented learning environment provides opportunities for children to freely explore, discover, and take safe risks with confidence. This includes the provision of a broad range of interesting learning experiences and carefully considered resourcing and activities.

Wide curriculum coverage gives emphasis to literacy, science, physical play and sustainable practices such as gardening. The transition to school programme is well integrated to benefit all children in the preschool. Children are well supported to take responsibility for themselves, develop friendships with others and to care for the environment.

The specific needs of infants and toddlers are well met by the experienced and nurturing staff. Teachers are responsive to the individual needs and preferences of children and families. A calm environment, created by a responsive curriculum and adaptive practice, supports children's sense of wellbeing and learning.

Personalised transition processes into the centre help children and families to develop the positive relationships and sense of belonging, which are central to the centre's values.

The professional services manager, the business manager and the centre manager provide a cohesive leadership team. They work collaboratively to manage change and build leadership and teacher capability. These initiatives are well supported by individualised mentoring and appraisal processes aligned to targeted professional development.

BestStart provides a high level of professional support to ensure the effective operation of the service. Managers place a strong emphasis on accountability and continuous improvement at all levels of the service. They make good use of a systematic, evidence based approach to internal evaluation to inform and address centre priorities and to provide positive outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Managers have identified, and ERO's evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps are to:

  • further develop assessment and programme planning processes
  • establish professional partnerships in learning with parents and /or whānau
  • consolidate the new approach to strategic planning documentation, including the monitoring and reporting of centre priorities
  • continue to develop appraisal processes to align to the (2017) code of professional standards.

Managers and teachers need to give prominence to te ao Māori in all aspects of service documentation and practices to reflect their commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of ABC St Albans 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 St Albans will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

6 March 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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

70521

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

65

Gender composition

Boys 33: Girls 32

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Pacific
Indian
Other ethnicities

10
31
1
17
6

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

6 March 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

January 2010

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 St Albans - 07/05/2015

1 Evaluation of ABC St Albans

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ABC St Albans is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

ABC St Albans has had to cope with significant changes and challenges since the 2010 review, including moving into temporary accommodation after the Canterbury earthquakes. The centre is now relocated in a renovated homely villa. These challenges and changes have been well managed.

The centre provides care and education for children aged from 6 weeks. Many families travel some distance to attend the centre. Strong partnerships exist with whānau.

Since the last ERO review, all ABC centres have been purchased by Kidicorp Ltd which provides governance and direction for ongoing improvement.

The Review Findings

The well-considered centre philosophy provides detailed guidance for teachers in their interactions with children and whānau.

The caring and stable staff provide a warm and welcoming environment for parents and children.

Nurturing and respectful relationships, along with responsive and inclusive practices, encourage children’s sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Children benefit from a well-organised, purposefully resourced learning environment with a spacious outdoor environment.

The child-centred curriculum integrates a bicultural aspect that regularly includes children's ideas and views. Experiences and activities are strongly influenced by children’s interests. The programme is responsive to individual needs including promoting children’s engagement in learning.

Teachers work well in partnership with parents. Inclusive and respectful relations with parents, including families from diverse cultures and backgrounds, are valued. Regular communication keeps parents well informed about their child’s learning and centre activities.

Supportive transition processes assist children into and across the centre and on to school. Parents are regularly kept well informed about this process.

Good-quality care-giving and teaching practices help to make sure the needs of children who are under two are promptly responded to and their learning is actively fostered. The needs of these younger children are well met with good opportunities provided for them to lead their learning.

Managers are developing a reflective culture with a strong focus on improvement. Managers and teachers work well together and communicate effectively.

Kidicorp has many systems that are helping centres to improve learning outcomes for children. These include:

  • a review process to identify what is going well and next steps for centre improvement
  • support to centre mangers for the day-to-day operation of their centres from the regular visits of the organisation’s education and business managers
  • effective systems and processes for ensuring that children have safe and healthy learning environments.

Key Next Steps

The centre managers have identified that they now need to:

  • strengthen assessment practices, ensuring a bicultural focus
  • further develop programme planning and include more bicultural experiences
  • continue to build on teachers’ understandings and use of in-depth self review
  • make better use of evaluation in planning and self review
  • ensure that strategic plans are well supported by appropriate actions, and progress towards goals is monitored effectively.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of ABC St Albans 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 St Albans will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

7 May 2015

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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

70521

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

71

Gender composition

Boys 36; Girls 35

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Cook Island

Asian

Other European

14

39

1

13

4

Percentage of qualified teachers

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 2011

Date of this report

7 May 2015

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

January 2010

 

Education Review

December 2006

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.