74 Seymour Road, Sunnyvale-Auckland, Auckland
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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 on Seymour is licensed for 40 children over two years of age. It provides a broad range of education and care options for parents including sessions and full time care. Most children come from the local, multicultural community. About 40 percent of children enrolled are of Māori heritage. Children play as a mixed-age group.
The centre is part of the national BestStart Education and Care Centres organisation, which provides an overarching governance and management framework as well as personnel to support individual centres. A manager provides leadership and is supported by a professional services manager (PSM) and a business manager as well as other BestStart management services.
Most of the teachers are qualified, with one currently undertaking a qualification in early childhood education. There have been a number of staff changes since the 2014 ERO report. The manager has been in her position for six months.
The philosophy is based on inclusion, responsive relationships and fostering a sense of social competence for individual tamariki. Teachers plan to build and extend each child's learning. The philosophy values Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a founding document and welcomes and celebrates cultural diversity.
The 2014 ERO report noted good teamwork between teachers and settled children involved in active play. The report encouraged teachers to improve and clearly document self review. This included a review of the centre philosophy, strategic and annual plans and the ways children's play is extended and challenged through inquiry. Progress has been made in all of these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the BestStart Educare Limited organisation.
Children's education and care is well supported by teachers who respond positively to them. They settle well and join in active play easily. Parents are welcomed, and are confident to talk about their child with teachers.
Teachers focus on children's oral language. They read frequently to children, using open questions to prompt children's understanding and use of language. Children talk confidently with peers and teachers.
Children are very independent and enjoy playing together outdoors. There are many examples of tuakana/teina relationships where older children support younger children in their play.
The environment is set up thoughtfully to engage children. They have long periods of uninterrupted time to explore and investigate during the day. Teachers promote children's decision-making especially around meal times.
Teachers have a strong focus on te ao Māori, the Māori world, and the use of te reo me ona tikanga Māori. These aspects are becoming integral to the ways teachers support children's learning. Some children are confident to use te reo Māori in conversations with their peers and teachers. Two skilled teachers lead the centre's growing understanding and use of te Reo Māori.
Teachers provide an environment that is inclusive and supports all children to feel competent and confident. They work with the whānau of children who have English as an additional language. They value and respect the cultures of the families that attend the centre.
Teachers are beginning to share professional practice. The new centre manager leads the team well, empowers teachers and shares leadership responsibilities. Consistency of good practice across the centre still needs to be improved. The new strategies teachers are exploring are beginning to make a difference to teachers' understanding of their work with children.
Performance management systems are effective. Professional learning and development is relevant and new learning is incorporated into teacher practice. Ongoing mentoring and coaching is used successfully to build teacher capacity. A new appraisal process encourages teachers to inquire more into the impact of their teaching practice.
Governance systems guide centre operations effectively. Good systems are in place to ensure that staff follow routines and health and safety checks. The PSM shares regular reports that identify strengths and any improvements needed.
The BestStart PSM team have focused on improving assessment, planning and evaluation of programmes. They are working with teachers to strengthen their understanding of inquiry-based learning for children.
ERO and managers agree that next steps include:
teachers establishing behavioural expectations and boundaries with children
continuing to build teachers evaluative capacity, and consistency of practice
leaders and teachers continuing to strengthen assessment and planning processes.
Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps on Seymour 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 on Seymour will be in three years.
Violet Tu'uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
26 June 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 |
Sunnyvale, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20289 |
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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 |
40 children, over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
48 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 25 Boys 23 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
19 |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2017 |
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Date of this report |
26 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
May 2014 |
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Education Review |
April 2011 |
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Education Review |
April 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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
First Steps on Seymour, in Sunnyvale, is licensed to provide early childhood education for up to 40 children between two and five years of age. The centre philosophy values an environment that is warm, respectful and stimulating and children as happy and active learners. It also acknowledges Maori as tangata whenua and the importance of building partnerships within the multicultural community as a key to children’s learning. Centre staff demonstrate a commitment to this philosophy.
The centre operates under the governance and management framework of Kidicorp. A professional services manager (PSM) provides regular professional advice and support for teachers. Since the 2011 ERO report there has been steady progress towards improving the areas identified for development. In recent months a new PSM and centre manager have been appointed. The centre manager is working with the PSM to provide teachers with professional learning and development focused on improving provision for all children. The centre runs mixed-age programmes and staff work flexibly across the whole group. The teaching team comprises six staff, four of whom are qualified teachers.
Children are friendly and engage in play with each other and with adults. The learning environment is well organised and allows children to access resources and equipment independently. Children are settled and enjoy making choices about their involvement in the programme. A variety of indoor and outdoor spaces and play areas have been set up to encourage children’s interactions and explorations. Teachers engage respectfully with children to promote happy, active and involved play. Teachers follow children’s interests and are caring and warm in their interactions with children. Children’s contributions are valued.
Teachers work well together as a team to implement curriculum changes. They are learning to document children’s ongoing progress more clearly and to show how interests are followed up and extended. Consequently, children’s individual portfolios reflect their learning and development through skills, knowledge and set learning goals.
Teachers benefit from professional learning and development provided by the centre manager and the PSMs. Through their planning they respond to children’s diverse interests and build on their explorations. Staff are responsive to children’s cultures, languages and identities. In the last six months they have worked on strategies to deepen children’s learning and enhance their development.
Staff support children’s transition into school by liaising with local schools and having representatives speak at parent evenings. They also gather parents’ aspirations and contributions for their children’s learning to increase parent input into planning and are working with families to implement strategies that sustain children’s attendance during the winter months.
Teachers have liaised with the local Māori community and marae, and are working towards improving their use of te reo Māori throughout the programme. Children learn about local Māori landmarks. Teachers are continuing to strengthen bicultural practices that support Māori to succeed as confident and competent Māori learners.
Kidicorp provides strong governance for the centre. There have been recent upgrades to the outdoor environment including more specific physical challenges for the two and three year old children and there is good resourcing to support quality outcomes for children.
The centre manager is a reflective leader. In consultation with staff, and the PSMs, she has identified areas of good practice and prioritised future development for review. In the last six months the PSM, centre manager and teaching team have implemented improved self-review processes to better align staff development processes to centre strategic goals. Staff now collaboratively monitor their implementation of professional learning and development and their progress towards staff goals. As a result, they are able to more clearly identify progress towards their goals and discuss ways to improve and adapt their practice.
Good induction processes have supported the seamless transition of new managers into their roles. Teacher appraisals have been reviewed and aligned with registered teacher criteria and the code of conduct. Quality assurance tools are specific to staff roles and the age groups of the children they work with.
The PSMs, centre manager and ERO agree the next steps for the centre should be to improve, and clearly document, self review including:
Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps on Seymour 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 on Seymour will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
16 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 |
Sunnyvale, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20289 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
65 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 27 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Indian Fijian Tongan Filipino Niue |
10 35 8 6 2 2 1 1 |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
March 2014 |
||
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Date of this report |
16 May 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
April 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.