23 Mauranui Avenue, Epsom, Auckland
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
BestStart Newmarket is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
BestStart Newmarket is licensed to provide full-day education and care for up to 49 children, including 15 aged under two years. Infants and toddlers have their own separate indoor and outdoor play space. The roll includes children from a range of diverse cultures.
The centre is part of the BestStart charitable trust. The organisation has re-branded all its early learning services. BestStart provides an overarching governance and management framework to support operations and curriculum delivery in individual centres. Business Managers (BM) and Professional Services Managers (PSM) facilitate staff professional development and provide strategic guidance.
The curriculum is underpinned by the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, bicultural practices and partnerships with parents/whānau. These values and principles are integrated with the philosophy of Reggio Emilia. Emphasis is placed on providing a welcoming environment that caters for individual children's needs and encourages them to engage with challenges.
ERO’s 2016 report noted children's culture and language and identity were valued alongside the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa. Respectful and caring relationships between teachers and children supported independence and self-management. Areas for development included aligning key documentation, strengthening learning stories and deepening reflection in internal evaluation. The centre has made good progress in these areas. Since the report a new centre manager appointed.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the BestStart Upper North Island region.
Children’s sense of wellbeing and belonging is affirmed in a learning environment where their language, culture and identity is valued and promoted. Children are warmly welcomed by staff on arrival. Positive, respectful relationships and strong connections with teachers and peers help children to settle quickly.
Children are friendly and confident learners. They are supported by teachers to develop independence. Children play cooperatively with their peers for sustained periods of time. They have opportunities to explore and be physically active in a well-resourced environment that encourages imagination and creativity.
Teachers’ sensitive, nurturing and respectful interactions with infants, toddlers and whānau result in a calm, settled environment and promote a strong sense of belonging. Routines are unhurried, allowing children opportunities to learn and explore their environment. Children's individual needs and communication styles are well catered for. Infants early language attempts are well supported by teachers.
Teachers and leaders have an ongoing commitment to developing bicultural practices. They model te reo and tikanga Māori. Children are encouraged to support each other in tuakana/teina relationships. The programme supports children to learn about their own and other cultures and languages. Cultural events are celebrated. Parents/whānau are involved in the life of the centre.
Teachers work collaboratively to ensure positive outcomes for children. They encourage parents to be involved in the learning programme and keep them well informed of their child’s progress. Teachers are aware of children’s interests and respond positively and respectfully to their questions and ideas. They use intentional, deliberate teaching approaches to develop children’s specific skills and knowledge.
Good systems for internal evaluation guide teaching practice, which results in improved practices that promote positive outcomes for children. Professional learning and development is focused on building teacher capabilities and has impacted positively on teaching practices. The service provides opportunities for emergent leadership within the team.
National, regional and centre operations are guided by strategic and annual plans, and a shared vision which monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement. These are linked to BestStart strategic goals, which promote a sense of belonging to a wider learning community and support more widespread collaboration amongst teaching teams. Professional learning and development have a focus for building capabilities and has impacted positively on teaching practices. The service provides opportunities for leadership within the team.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps for the centre's development include continuing to strengthen:
teachers' professional capability to support children to co-construct and take ownership for their learning
internal evaluation by deepening data analysis of data and reviewing the effectiveness of post evaluation changes
partnerships with whānau in planning, assessment and evaluation of programmes.
Agreed next steps for the organisation are to continue to strengthen:
bicultural understanding and practice
risk analysis management systems, processes and procedures for excursions
Before the review, the staff and management of BestStart Newmarket 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
8 May 2020
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 |
Epsom, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20584 |
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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 |
49 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 years |
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Service roll |
46 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 28 Boys 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
January 2020 |
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Date of this report |
8 May 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2016 |
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Education Review |
April 2013 |
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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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
First Steps Newmarket is licensed for up to 49 children, including 15 up to two years of age. The centre is part of the BestStart Education and Care Centres organisation, which provides an overarching governance and management framework as well as personnel to support individual centres.
The centre provides for children in two rooms; Atawhai for toddlers, and Arahi for children up to school age. A centre manager and a head teacher provide leadership in the centre and are supported by the BestStart professional services and business managers. Registered teachers in each room are supported by unqualified staff, and the centre also employs a cook and administrator.
Centre staff responded positively to the 2013 ERO report. Teachers have improved their planning and assessment processes, their self review and their teaching practices.
The centre is welcoming to all children and their parents/ whānau. It offers a fresh and inviting environment where children have easy access to good quality resources and equipment. Children can select their play activities and have good opportunities for physical challenge.
Teachers' good support for toddlers' care and education is particularly noticeable. Teachers are responsive, warm and caring in their interactions with children. Toddlers have ample opportunity to mix with the older children where tuakana teina relationships are developed. Children’s transitions across the two age groups are well managed.
Children are valued as capable and competent communicators and learners, and are well supported to develop social competencies. Teachers support them to develop independence and self-management skills. Children collaborate in self-directed learning and group times and during imaginative play. They enjoy each other's company, show a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging, and exhibit persistence and concentration.
Teachers listen carefully to children and engage them in meaningful conversations to foster their language and learning. Children's cultural and language backgrounds are recognised and valued. Teachers make use of outings to connect with children's interests and the local environment.
Parents are included as partners in their children's education and care. Good information is shared in a variety of ways. Digital applications are being used and have the potential to further build depth in partnerships and links with families.
Individual assessment portfolios reflect the child's learning. Narratives and photographs illustrate how teachers have responded to individual children's interests. They identify teachers' strategies and capture children's growth and learning. Teachers should continue to build the narrative nature of learning stories so that they can better show parents how they have responded to children's interests.
Teachers' commitment to bicultural practice is strongly visible in the environment. There is very good recognition of local features and Māori history. Teachers are continuing to build their confidence in using te reo and tikanga Māori. They are ensuring that individual children's culture, language and identity are evident in the assessment and planning records.
The centre manager has led the development of a strong team culture and a sense of whānau. Her leadership is based on respectful and trusting relationships. Individual strengths and shared leadership are valued. Internal evaluation is directed towards improvement for children and is informed by current early childhood research and theory. Managers recognise the need to deepen the evaluative nature of centre self review and appraisal processes through ongoing reflection and dialogue.
The centre's philosophy is reflected in practice. BestStart have useful systems and policies that underpin centre organisation and these are developed and maintained to reflect current best practice and legislation. A next step could be to review centre plans so that strategic, annual and quality education and internal audit process goals align in a more manageable way.
Managers and teachers should now consolidate and build on recent improvements and good practice. Next steps could include:
strengthening the narrative nature of children's learning stories
aligning key centre documents that support the centre's strategic direction
deepening reflection and review in internal evaluation.
Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps Newmarket 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 First Steps Newmarket will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
27 June 2016
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 |
Epsom, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20584 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
49 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
47 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 28 Boys 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Japanese Indian Fijian Korean other |
4 15 5 5 4 3 2 9 |
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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 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
April 2016 |
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Date of this report |
27 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2013 |
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Previously reviewed as: ABC St Marks |
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Supplementary Review |
November 2009 |
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Supplementary Review |
October 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.