21 Titoki Street, Stoke, Nelson
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ACE Titoki is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ACE Titoki in Nelson is one of two early learning services governed and managed by Ahorangi Limited. The centre is licensed to provide full-day care and education for 29 children, including 10 children under two years. At the time of this review, the majority of children attending this centre were under three years old. The centre has dedicated learning and play spaces for children under two, and for older children. Most children transition to ACE Nayland which is the other centre owned by Ahorangi Limited.
The centre philosophy is based on a whānau model of care. There is an evident focus on free movement and extending children's knowledge of the world around them. 'Loose parts play' is part of the philosophical approach to learning, with the intention of providing opportunities for teachers to develop children's language skills.
There has been significant restructuring of leadership and key staffing changes in the centre since the last ERO review. The centre is governed by the owners, who have specialised skills and expertise in early childhood education and the developmental needs of children. Most staff are qualified early childhood teachers. A recently appointed centre manager works across the two centres with head teachers, to manage day-to-day operations. The owners often work closely alongside this team.
Since the last ERO review, the centre has made progress in relation to the following aspects identified for improvement:
quality of planning and aspects of curriculum
the range of equipment available for children
the quality of connections and interactions with whānau.
Consistent routines enable children to feel secure, as well as fostering a sense of belonging. A whānau model of care is sensitively used and adapted to meet the needs of individual children and their families. Parent aspirations are sought and incorporated into children's care. Cultural needs of children are also discussed with whānau and thoughtfully incorporated into care. Transitions into and out of the centre are well managed.
Resources are well positioned and intelligently used to foster curiosity, interest and appropriate challenge. 'Loose parts play' is a feature of the learning environment and teachers encourage children to use everyday materials in innovative ways. This play is also used as an intentional opportunity to promote interactions between children and encourage language development.
Leaders manage professional support and development well. It is focused on centre and individual teacher priorities. There is a commitment to the understanding and implementation of Te Whāriki 2017. Teachers are well supported by a strong appraisal process that includes self-reflection, mentoring and constructive feedback from leaders.
There is a strong commitment by owners and leaders to equity and ethical practices for children and whānau. Thoughtful consideration is given to staff ratios. Care is subsidised by the owners in some instances, and practical parent/whānau support is provided by leaders and teachers.
The centre owners have identified the need to build relationships and cohesiveness for the new leadership team. ERO has identified the following aspects of leadership that would strengthen the effectiveness of the new team. These are to:
provide targeted professional learning for new leaders
develop a shared understanding of role expectations for leaders
implement quality action planning to prioritise tasks for leadership, identify specific outcomes, and provide clear timeframes and responsibilities.
Internal evaluation requires strengthening. Leaders, in particular, need to develop their knowledge of targeted internal evaluation for improvement and to manage change effectively. Teachers need to be supported by leaders to grow their understandings of effective evaluative practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of ACE Titoki 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 ACE Titoki will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
29 June 2018
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 |
Nelson |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
65129 |
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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 |
29 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
38 |
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Gender composition |
Girls: 14 Boys: 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
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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 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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|
Review team on site |
May 2018 |
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Date of this report |
29 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report |
Education Review |
May 2014 |
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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 |
First Steps Educare is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
First Steps Educare is a small centre. It has facilities for children to school age but caters mainly for children up to two years old. The children are cared for in one group. The centre has one indoor area with an attached sleep room and two outdoor areas that provide different play experiences.
Most teachers are fully qualified and experienced. The centre maintains teacher-to-child ratios that are better than the minimum requirements for early childhood centres.
The owners purchased First Steps Educare during 2013. This centre is one of two centres that they own in Stoke. The other centre is new and opened in 2013. It caters for children over two years old to school age.
Teachers build positive and affirming relationships with all children. They place a high priority on children being happy, settled and confident in the centre environment. They build good relationships with the families. Information from parents is used to help teachers respond to children in ways that promote their emotional wellbeing.
Teachers observe children carefully and make good use of their knowledge of each child to respond to their preferences, interests and temperament. They offer children choices, provide additional resources and talk to children about their play.
Teachers work well together. They share responsibilities and communicate effectively. They keep each other well informed to ensure good supervision of children and regularly discuss the ways that they could better support children in the programme.
Managers and teachers are beginning to build useful learning partnerships with parents. They are making good use of their daily contact with parents and using the internet to share learning stories and information about children’s interests and home and centre experiences. They often include information about parents' goals and aspirations for their children in their planning.
Managers have put in place useful plans for the future to improve the quality of teaching and learning outcomes for children. The plan makes good use of self review to set goals for the continuing development of the centre, particularly the curriculum, teaching and learning. The managers make sure that teachers’ professional development is focused on achieving the centre’s goals. Teacher appraisal is also linked closely to these goals.
Managers are providing considerable professional development, support and constructive comment to teachers. It is focused on helping teachers to improve their teaching practice, skills and knowledge, and their understanding and use of Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum.
The managers identified and ERO confirmed that the key next steps for improving teaching and learning include continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps Educare 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:
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 First Steps Educare will be in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region
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 |
Stoke, Nelson |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
65129 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education and Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
29 children, including up to 15 aged under two |
||
|
Service roll |
39 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 24 Girls 15 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Tongan Chinese |
7 29 1 1 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
8 April 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
April 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 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.