5-7 Montel Avenue, Henderson, 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.
Bright Eyes Early Childhood Centre has served children and families in its West Auckland location for 33 years. The centre is licensed to provide education and care for 63 children, including 20 up to two years of age.
The centre operates from two restored bungalows that sit side by side. The Tui Room, in one of the bungalows, caters for infants and toddlers up to two and a half years of age. The Kea and Pukeko Rooms are in the adjacent bungalow, and cater for the older children. The Pukeko Room caters specifically for children who are over 4 years of age.
Centre leaders promote mixed age play, and children are grouped by age for a short part of their day. Both bungalows have their own spacious outdoor areas, including a challenging bike track for older children.
The centre philosophy and practices are influenced by Reggio Emilia. This means that there is a focus on promoting high levels of respect for children and for the centre environments.
The centre is privately owned by a group of people interested in providing a high quality early learning service. An early childhood management specialist provides governance and management support for the owners and supervisors. The two supervisors, and most teachers, have worked at the centre for many years and are well known to children and families.
Since the 2014 ERO review, teachers have strengthened their conversations with children so that they challenge their thinking. They have also increased the bicultural and multicultural dimensions of the programme.
Children experience very good quality education and care. Highly skilled teachers work as a collaborative team to plan and enact a responsive and child-centred curriculum.
Teachers follow children's lead in the programme and adapt their practice to suit children's emerging interests and preferences. They work respectfully with children, engaging them meaningfully in conversation about their play. As a result of being respected as capable and competent learners, children learn to problem solve, to take supported risks, and be resilient.
Babies and toddlers experience calm, nurturing practices. Teachers support younger children to explore and be curious in the varied centre environments. They ensure that children have good connections to the whole teaching team.
The youngest babies have their own comfortable and secure space, where they play and eat together with their dedicated teachers. Teachers are highly responsive to children's care needs, following home routines, and parent preferences. These good practices promote the wellbeing and confidence of the youngest children.
Older children are highly engaged in their play and learning. They show care for their friends and take responsibility for younger children. The indoor environments are very well resourced, and used deliberately by teachers as the third teacher. Children and adults appreciate and make good use of the resources and environment. The outdoor spaces of the Kea and Pukeko rooms are also inviting and appropriately challenging for older children.
The very good management of children's transitions into, through, and beyond the centre, is a significant feature of its success. Teachers work alongside parents to assess children's readiness for moving to a new room. The transition to school programme focuses strongly on developing children's dispositions for learning.
The centre's strategic vision is to create a unique, homely environment based on the core value of respect. Natural materials and open-ended resources reflect the centre's vision and focus, and stimulate children's imagination and creativity. Literacy, numeracy, and science are integrated seamlessly into the context of children's play. A bicultural dimension is also naturally blended through the environment and teachers' practice. Children's diverse cultures are all valued and celebrated.
The supervisors are very good leaders and positive role models for the teaching team. They have high expectations of themselves and teachers to be learners who continually grow and improve their practice. Their respectful and collaborative approach to leadership results in a strong, stable team and trusting relationships. This good practice extends to the positive ways that teachers engage with parents and whānau. As a result, children, parents, and staff are comfortable and at ease in the centre.
The centre is very well governed. The strategic plan, developed collaboratively with staff, provides a strong framework for the centre's future direction. Owners and leaders have a good understanding of how internal evaluation can help them to identify and shape ongoing improvement.
The centre's useful appraisal process requires teachers to critically reflect on and improve their practice. It is well aligned to teachers' professional learning and to the centre's strategic goals.
The centre's cohesive systems for evaluation and reflection are further strengthened by regular written reports to the owners. These reports help the owners to resource strategically in order to sustain and continue to improve outcomes for children.
Key next steps identified by owners and leaders include:
strengthening the connections between the Tui, and Kea and Pukeko rooms, particularly to increase opportunities for teachers to share professional practice, and for children to experience mixed age play with all age groups
redesigning the outdoor environment in the Tui area so that younger children experience an interesting and more comfortable learning space.
Before the review, the staff and management of Bright Eyes Early Childhood Centre 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 Bright Eyes Early Childhood Centre will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
24 January 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 |
Henderson, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20022 |
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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 |
63 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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|
Service roll |
67 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 41 Girls 26 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
November 2017 |
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Date of this report |
24 January 2018 |
||
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2008 |
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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 |
Bright Eyes Early Childhood Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Bright Eyes Early Childhood Centre has been serving the Henderson, West Auckland community for over 30 years and provides full day education and care for 63 children. The centre operates from two neighbouring sites, one for children from three months to three years, and the other for children up to school age. A significant number of the teachers are qualified. Ratios of children to teachers are favourable, particularly for the youngest children.
The centre has two owners who have appointed an external management service for the day-to-day management of the centre. They oversee the well qualified and experienced staff. A visiting manager supports the two centre supervisors who have responsibility for daily programmes. Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed by teachers and centre parents.
Since the 2011 ERO review, the two centres have become one. Previous ERO reviews of the two centres identified good practices, including supportive relationships for children and with families. The ERO reports recommended that the centres strengthen their self review, partnership with families and goal setting. The management service has provided useful advice, guidance and professional development in these areas.
Children and teachers in the centre come from a number of cultures.
The centre’s philosophy provides an over-arching aspirational statement about teaching and learning. In addition, teachers for each age group have developed a philosophy that outlines their beliefs and values about teaching. These statements form the foundation for the programme. Teachers have also taken inspiration from aspects of Reggio Emilia philosophy, particularly with regard to environments throughout the centre. The centre continues to provide good quality care and education for children.
Children in both parts of the centre are affectionately welcomed at the start of the day. Teachers recognise the importance of building responsive relationships with children and families. They spend time developing conversations with children and families and sharing information.
Children choose their own activities and interests from the extensive range of resources and items of interest in playrooms. They are supported to feel secure and to trust in the adults around them. Teachers care for and value children. They respond well to children’s need for a sense of wellbeing and belonging. The centre environment is settled and calm.
Teachers encourage children’s involvement in discovery and learning. They provoke children’s interest in the environment. Teachers arrange natural resources beautifully and provide children with easy access to playthings. This helps to create an environment in which children are engaged, learning and busy.
The youngest children have a safe space in which to play. They have an appropriate range of toys and books and have plenty of opportunities to practise their developing mobility and language skills. Teachers respect children’s routines and stay close to where children are playing. The toddlers are encouraged to develop independence in their play and to make choices about indoor and outdoor adventures. Children respond positively to the interesting activities and experiences teachers provide. They are settled and happy.
The two older groups have programmes that provide a good foundation of early literacy, science and numeracy activities as part of play. Children nearing five are encouraged to work well in groups and to take independent care of the environment and their belongings. Children enjoy the challenges of the programme and are able to explain their ideas confidently to adults.
Teachers acknowledge Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a guiding document and include te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in programmes. Children demonstrate their familiarity with te reo Māori and sing waiata with enthusiasm. Teachers acknowledge the need to continue building bicultural and multicultural influences in programmes.
Teachers engaged in a professional development course that has helped them to develop and implement regular self-review processes. Teachers make changes to the programme as a result of self review. They are well positioned to continue to grow the centre’s good quality provisions for children.
ERO and managers identified that the next steps for the centre are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Bright Eyes Early Childhood Centre 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 Bright Eyes Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
29 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 |
Henderson, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20022 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
63 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
74 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 41 Girls 33 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Indian Tuvaluan Tongan Asian other |
15 35 6 5 3 2 2 6 |
|
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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 |
April 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
29 May 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2005 |
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.