69 Buckland Street, Putaruru
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.
Buckland Street Childcare Centre is a privately owned all-day education and care service, located in expansive facilities in central Putaruru. The centre is licensed for 60 children, including a maximum of 16 under two years of age. The current roll is 81, and 14 children are identified as Māori.
In May 2016, the centre was purchased by new owners, Provincial Childcare Holdings Ltd (PCH) who provide a team of personnel with oversight of governance matters and professional leadership. A new centre manager with responsibility for daily operations was appointed in 2016. Team leaders in the two age-specific rooms are responsible for planning, assessment and evaluation of the programme. The centre retains a high proportion of qualified staff, several of whom are of Māori descent.
The centre philosophy places an emphasis on holistic learning within an environment that is inclusive, respectful and welcoming. Children's identity, language and culture are to be acknowledged, respected and celebrated. Healthy living and eating is promoted. Children are encouraged to care for their natural environment.
The new owners have responded effectively to recommendations in the 2014 ERO report. Performance management, induction and mentoring systems for staff have been strengthened. Bicultural practices continue to be developed, and transitions into, within, and from the centre have been reviewed and improved.
Children and their families/whānau are made to feel welcome and valued at the centre. Relationships between teachers and children are affirming, encouraging and supportive. Teachers make consistent use of effective strategies to positively guide children's behaviour and to promote social play. A next step is for routines for older children to be reviewed to more deliberately promote their self-management skills. Children with additional needs are well supported and respectfully included in the programme. Centre leaders are committed to building effective partnerships with outside agencies to support these children. Children are settled and confident to approach adults for help. Regular shared celebrations foster the development of children's strong sense of wellbeing and belonging.
Children's language, identity and culture is acknowledged. Teachers have undertaken professional development in aspects of culturally responsive practice and this is evident in the increasingly natural use of te reo Māori, respect for tikanga, and the deliberate fostering of children's awareness of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa. Māori children see their culture and language affirmed by adults they respect.
Children up-to-two years of age play and learn in a calm and settled environment. Infants and toddlers experience high levels of nurture and care through familiar routines and regular communication with parents. Teachers in this area have participated in recent professional development related to best practice for very young children. Infants and toddlers benefit from high levels of care and respect, as they explore and develop in a safe and stimulating environment.
The centre programme provides children with a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences in the spacious indoor and outside environments. The programme is a mixture of teacher-led and child-initiated play within set routines. The outdoor play areas provide extensive opportunities for children to explore, find adventure and experience physical challenge. Children have direct involvement in growing, harvesting and eating vegetables and fruit. Early literacy skills are integrated into songs, puppetry, the sharing of stories and writing. Children's creativity is encouraged and they have opportunities for dramatic and role play. Particular areas of the curriculum for strengthening are aspects of literacy, mathematical and science concepts, and language.
Teachers demonstrate a good knowledge of children's learning and development, and document this through learning stories shared through individual profile books and online portfolios. There are examples where teachers have added complexity to the learning of individual children, but this is not consistently evident. Well-planned transitions provide support and guidance for children and their parents as they move into, within, and from the centre. This includes visits to local schools and new entrant teachers visiting the centre to share information.
The centre manager provides effective leadership for the efficient day-to-day operation of the centre. She has long-established and positive relationships with staff and the local community. The manager works collaboratively with team leaders and teachers to oversee programme planning and assessment. The next step is for centre leaders to participate in professional development to strengthen their shared understanding of current best practice in teaching and learning across the centre. This should include setting expectations for teachers about curriculum implementation and the presentation of the environment that responds to the needs, particularly, of older children.
The PCH management team is well qualified and experienced, and is providing highly effective professional leadership and informed guidance for centre staff. Performance management systems and processes have been significantly strengthened, and are focussed on continual improvements in teaching practice. Provisionally certificated teachers receive extensive induction and mentoring programmes of support. Self review is well documented and places the centre in a good position to sustain and further improve the quality of provision of education and care for children.
PCH demonstrates a commitment to making good quality education and care affordable to families. Fees for children to attend the centre have been reduced, and parents/whānau are given relevant advice and guidance concerning support that is available for them. PCH has retained the existing name and respects the unique community character of the centre. Relevant strategic and annual plans have been developed and shared with the community, and financial resources made available to increase resourcing levels and to support staff development. PCH is providing practical and effective support to children and families to participate in a well-resourced early childhood education and care service.
PCH has identified the need to continue to support the centre manager and team leaders as they seek to further develop teachers' understanding and implementation of intentional planning, assessment and teaching.
Before the review, the staff and management of Buckland St Childcare 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 Buckland St Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
10 March 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 |
Putaruru |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30238 |
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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 |
60 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
81 |
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Gender composition |
45 Girls 36 Boys |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other Dutch Tongan |
14 57 6 2 2 |
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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 |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
January 2017 |
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Date of this report |
10 March 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
January 2014 |
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Education Review |
February 2011 |
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Education Review |
May 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:
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.
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.
Buckland Street Childcare Centre (2010) How well placed isto 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.
Buckland Street Childcare Centre (2010) is a privately owned childcare centre located in Putaruru, now licensed under the Ministry of Education, Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. It provides education and care services for children from approximately two and a half to five years of age, and is commonly known as the Buckland Street Preschool. The preschool operates as a combined early childhood service with an infants and toddlers centre on the same site. The number of children enrolled has increased this year. Currently there are 71 children enrolled in the preschool, of whom 11 are identified as Māori.
Since the last ERO review, there have been significant leadership appointments that include the office manager, and new head teacher. The owner has formed a combined management team comprising these new leaders, the head teacher of the infants and toddlers section, and herself. The centre has maintained a high proportion of qualified staff. Detailed strategic and annual plans have been developed.
The service has a positive reporting history with ERO. The previous ERO review in February 2011 identified areas for development in relation to the centre’s philosophy, self review and curriculum. The combined management team, with the support of staff, has made considerable progress in these areas.
The revised philosophy expresses the intention to provide a safe and inclusive environment that acknowledges Aotearoa/New Zealands’ dual cultural heritage. The philosophy also includes an emphasis on awareness of the natural world and sustainability, promoting children’s physical wellbeing and encouraging them to become lifelong learners through exploration and play.
Buckland Street Childcare Centre (2010) is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for all children. Staff have established close, respectful and inclusive relationships with children and their families that foster a sense of belonging and wellbeing. Key teachers support children through transitions into and between the two services.
Teachers take time to listen to children, notice their current interests and respond with learning conversations to support and extend play. They have established an effective planning and assessment process that is focussed on developing dispositional learning, as well as skills and social competencies. Increasingly, children are given the opportunities and access to resources that enable them to initiate and engage in their own play. Individual learning journals are well presented, informative and shared frequently with children and their families/whānau.
Strengths of the centre’s curriculum and environment include:
The full potential of the programme is likely to be realised by further review and development of the building and physical learning environment.
Self review is systematic, ongoing and well documented. The process has been effectively used to inform centre improvement, especially in the areas of transition to school. Children and their families/whānau are well supported as they prepare to start school. Staff contribute to, and receive useful feedback from, community liaison meetings with local schools. These interactions allow teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of the support they have given each child and their family/whānau. While teachers organise a ‘STAR’ area for four-year old-children, ERO and centre management agree that there is a need to further review this programme and environment to support children's learning as they prepare for school.
The combined management team is working effectively and collaboratively to strengthen the quality of this early childhood service. They have been involved in the development of administrative and communication systems to support more efficient operations. Robust reporting and self-review processes ensure the owner is well informed and confident that the centre is meeting its regulatory requirements. Professional development opportunities for staff are financially supported and aligned with the overall vision, direction and philosophy of the centre. Several staff have undertaken the ‘Incredible Years Teacher’ programme aimed at strengthening the positive guidance approach to managing children’s behaviour. Members of the management team are relatively new in their leadership roles. There would be benefit in continuing to build their professional knowledge and confidence as leaders of teaching and curriculum.
ERO and management agree that priorities for strategic development and professional learning include:
building teachers knowledge and confidence to work more effectively within the context of an emergent and child-initiated curriculum
performance management and teacher registration processes.
Before the review, the staff and management of Buckland Street Childcare Centre (2010) completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they 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.
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Buckland Street Childcare Centre (2010) will be in three years .
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
14 January 2014
|
Location |
Putaruru |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30238 |
|
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
44 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
71 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 40 Girls 31 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 11 NZ European/Pākehā 56 Other 4 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
|
|
Review team on site |
October 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
14 January 2014 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review February 2011 |
|
|
Education Review May 2008 |
||
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.