13 Connolly Street, Boulcott, Lower Hutt
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kindercare Learning Centre Ltd (Boulcott) is one of eight learning services in the Wellington region, owned and operated by Kindercare Learning Centres Ltd, a national organisation. The centre is licensed for up to 70 children, including 25 up to two years of age. Of the 91 children enrolled, 11 are Māori and five are of Pacific heritage.
The purpose-built centre caters for children in age specific rooms that access shared outdoor spaces. Kindercare provides an overarching philosophy, policies and procedures and a framework to monitor health and safety. An area manager works in partnership with the centre director to support the operation of the centre.
The centre philosophy is based on three key values identified in the organisations overarching philosophy, ‘Safe, Loved and Learning’.
Since the March 2015 ERO report there have been changes to staffing, including leadership. The previous ERO report identified areas requiring further development. These included: integration of bicultural perspectives in practice and guiding documentation; parent and child contribution to learning; and programme planning and evaluation processes. Some progress is evident.
This review was part of a cluster of two reviews in the Kindercare Learning Centres.
Infants and toddlers are sensitively and responsively cared for by staff. Good two-way information sharing between home and centre is evident. Opportunities for teachers and parents to work together to support children's social and emotional development is well supported by management.
Older children have opportunities to engage with a wide range of resources and experiences that allow them to follow their interests. A combination of teacher-directed and child-initiated learning is evident and their independence is promoted. Literacy and numeracy activities are integrated throughout the daily programme. Leaders have identified that strengthening the
transition-to-school process continues to be a focus. ERO's evaluation confirms this direction.
Group planning guides the provision of a wide range of engaging activities. The service has taken steps to gather parent aspirations. Overall, curriculum planning and assessment practices require further work. To improve practice, consideration should be given to:
Some aspects of biculturalism are part of the programme. Teachers' use of te reo Māori and understanding of te ao Māori concepts are variable. Growing teacher knowledge and understanding, in order to implement a bicultural curriculum, is a priority.
It is timely that the service, in collaboration with whānau and families, review the philosophy to ensure that it reflects the learning that is valued within the context of this centre. As part of this review, leaders and teachers should take into consideration the extent in which the bicultural intent of Te Whāriki (2017), the early childhood curriculum, is enacted within this service. This was an area for development in the previous ERO report.
Promoting educational success for Māori learners remains a key next step for leaders and teachers. Planning for this development, should be done in partnership with whānau to further guide teaching practices. Additionally, leaders have identified that strengthening teaching practices that are responsive to Pacific children and their families is necessary, to improve learning outcomes for these children.
Understanding of self review and internal evaluation is a continuing development. Teachers regularly take part in centre wide and individual room reviews to reflect on the delivery of the curriculum. A next step is for staff to determine, through evaluation, the effectiveness of their teaching actions on outcomes for children to better inform decision making.
Governance and management systems are well established and provide a clear framework for centre operation. There is a strong focus on building leadership. A key next step is for Kindercare to strengthen guiding policies and procedures to better acknowledge te ao Māori. Clearer expectations and guidance for teachers to implement a Treaty-based curriculum is required to improve practice at centre level.
Leaders and teachers should continue to develop:
Kindercare Learning Centres Ltd should strengthen policies, procedures and other guiding documentation to establish clearer expectations and guidance for teachers about curriculum and the bicultural intent of Te Whāriki (2017) and these should align with the relevant licensing criteria.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centre Ltd (Boulcott) 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 Kindercare Learning Centre Ltd (Boulcott)will be in three years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
7 May 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.
| Location | Lower Hutt | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 60092 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 70 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 91 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 53, Girls 38 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups | 11 60 5 15 | |
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 | 1:7 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | March 2018 | ||
| Date of this report | 7 May 2018 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | March 2015 | |
| Education Review | September 2012 | ||
| Education Review | April 2009 | ||
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.
Kindercare Learning Centre Ltd (Boulcott) located in Lower Hutt, is part of a national network that provides education and care for children from birth to five years of age. It is one of seven early childhood education and care centres in the Wellington region, owned and operated by Kindercare Learning Centres Ltd. This is one of two reviews undertaken at the same time, of Kindercare centres in Wellington.
The service owners have a clear philosophy, policies and procedures and a framework for monitoring health and safety. An area manager works in partnership with the centre director to support the effective operation of the centre.
The centre director oversees centre operation and administration, supported by senior teachers. All teachers are registered and reflect the diversity of the community that uses the service.
With staff, the centre director implements the service’s philosophy of ‘Safe, Loved and Learning’.
The centre philosophy is based on Kindercare values and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. These values are clearly reflected in centre practices.
Children learn in a positive, affirming environment. A high level of respect and genuine interest in, and care for, children's growth and development is evident. Relationships among children, teachers and parents are warm and supportive. Teachers in the infant and toddler area work in a nurturing and responsive manner.
Staff appropriately plan and assess the impact of resources and activities provided for children to extend their interests in the daily programme. There is an increasing focus on bicultural perspectives within the programme.
Children have opportunities to hear te reo Māori and learn about tikanga in ways that are respectful of Māori culture. Teachers continue to grow their bicultural practices and understanding of te ao Māori.
Staff continue to develop a shared understandings about programme planning. This ongoing development enables children to be more actively involved in a wide range of activities and have resources that reflect their current interests. Learning areas around the centre are attractively presented to encourage children’s curiosity and participation.
Children are well supported to transition into the centre, and between rooms.
Parents are well informed about their children’s interests and participation through individual portfolios and daily journals. Teachers help parents to better understand the centre programme and how they can continue to support children’s learning at home.
The Kindercare organisation is making increasing use of technologies to communicate with parents and involve them more in their children’s learning and the life of the centre.
The centre director makes good use of staff strengths and builds on their developing skills and capabilities to benefit children's learning and care. There is a culture of reflective practice.
Self review is collaborative and well documented. Teachers effectively use reflection to improve learning and teaching. They receive constructive and purposeful feedback from centre leaders.
The centre is introducing an online e-portfolio and reporting system to enhance opportunities to engage with parents and whānau. The centre director has identified, and ERO's evaluation confirms, that this development should include further strengthening of:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centre Ltd (Boulcott) 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:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
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 Kindercare Learning Centre Ltd (Boulcott) will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
31 March 2015
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 |
Lower Hutt |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
60092 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education and Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
70 children, including 25 aged up to 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
84 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 48, Girls 36 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
9 59 8 8 |
|
|
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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
31 March 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2009 |
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.