- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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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.
Hutt Hospital Childcare Centre is a community-based service situated on Hutt Valley District Health Board land, adjacent to Hutt hospital. A management committee of four parents and two staff provides governance. A manager is responsible for day-to-day operation.
The centre has a full day licence and caters for 24 children, including up to 8 children under 2 years of age, in a mixed age setting. Five of the seven staff employed are fully-registered teachers.
The philosophy focuses on the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of each child. Leaders and teachers believe in empowering children to become competent learners, making their own choices and developing a positive sense of self through play.
Children are secure in their surroundings. They express their ideas confidently, knowing that they are supported and their talk is encouraged, accepted and respected. Self management is fostered and children are empowered to take increased responsibility for their wellbeing and the routines of the centre.
Positive and respectful interactions between teachers and children are very evident. Nurturing relationships and a calm learning environment support children to explore and take risks. Their sense of belonging is nurtured as they transition through the centre and on to school.
The emergent curriculum emphasises free play, enabling teachers to notice, value and support children's interests as they arise. Teachers encourage challenge and extend learning. Children engage in sustained play. Literacy and numeracy skills are supported. Science was an area of focus at the time of this ERO review.
The indoor environment is well organised and promotes and celebrates children's learning. The centre is well resourced and children can easily access equipment that supports their learning and play. Programme plans are displayed and added to, reflecting the emergent curriculum.
Planning for children's learning has been strengthened since the 2014 ERO review. Planning and assessment are clearly linked to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Learning stories celebrate the interactions and activities of the children and keep parents well informed. Portfolios and e-portfolios document ongoing observations of children and their learning experiences, building a picture of what each child knows, is interested in and can do. Some learning stories include possibilities for future learning. This practice should be extended centre-wide.
Teachers are building their confidence and competence in te reo Māori. Further development should promote increased authentic integration in everyday practice. The centre has employed a speaker of te reo Māori to work with teachers and children to support this ongoing development.
Children up to two years of age are well supported with consistent caregiving fostering secure and trusting relationships. Unhurried care routines enable children the space and time to explore and learn. Teachers scaffold their learning well.
Parents and whānau are welcomed and well informed about their children's learning and routines in a range of ways. A next step is for centre staff and leaders to further develop partnerships with their parent community.
Leaders show a strong commitment to the philosophy and vision for the centre. Supporting teachers and promoting their involvement in the operation of the centre are priorities for the manager. Leaders and teachers engage in collaborative inquiry to further develop their practice. They are well supported to participate in a wide range of professional learning and development opportunities.
Implementation of the teachers' appraisal process requires further improvement. This should include:
clear identification of outcomes and targets
provision of rigorous feedback that promotes ongoing development of teachers' practice
documentation of key aspects of the appraisal process and ensuring that practice aligns with policy
development of a shared understanding of high quality evidence that meets the requirements relating to the Practising Teacher Criteria.
The centre's management committee must oversee an appropriate, rigorous appraisal process that supports the manager's practice and ongoing development.
Leaders and teachers regularly use self review to reflect on centre processes and practices. Research guides the development of quality indicators. Self-review outcomes are used for decision making about improvement. Ensuring that evaluation includes a clear focus on outcomes for children should strengthen the well-established review cycle at this centre.
The management committee is focused on children's development and wellbeing. A comprehensive strategic plan guides ongoing centre development. Strategic goals are linked to areas for improvement identified in the 2014 ERO report. Establishing timeframes for implementation of goals and systematically monitoring progress at management committee meetings is likely to strengthen decision making and build committee members' involvement in management.
To support ongoing improvement to teaching and learning, centre leaders and teachers should continue to develop the appraisal process and partnerships with parents, and ensure that evaluation includes a clear focus on outcomes for children.
To support ongoing development of the governance role, the management committee should document progress towards meeting the strategic goals and ensure that the governance manual aligns with the constitution.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hutt Hospital Childcare Centre Inc 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 Hutt Hospital Childcare Centre Inc will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
30 January 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 |
Lower Hutt |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60256 |
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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 |
24 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
21 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 17, Girls 4 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan |
1 19 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 |
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 |
December 2016 |
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Date of this report |
30 January 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
March 2014 |
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Supplementary Review |
February 2011 |
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Education Review |
November 2011 |
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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.
