Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach

Education institution number:
45699
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
44
Telephone:
Address:

43 Edinburgh Street, Waihi Beach

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Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

The service caters for children in two aged-based environments. The owner is responsible for governance and works alongside teachers. Of the children attending, a quarter identify as Māori, and a small number are from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds. This is the service’s first ERO review under new ownership.

Summary of Review Findings

The curriculum supports children’s social and emotional competencies. It is language-rich and offers a range of experiences and opportunities to extend and enhance learning. Teachers providing education and care engage in meaningful and positive interactions. Children’s preferences are respected and they are involved in decisions about their learning.

Assessment, planning, and evaluation inform a centre curriculum underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The centre curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to be involved in decision-making about their child’s learning.

Emergency management practices require strengthening for ongoing maintenance of licensing criteria.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • strengthening the extent to which information documented about children learning reflects their home identity, language and culture

  • continuing to develop the local curriculum to reflect the things that are important to children and their families, kaiako and the wider community.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

25 November 2022

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach

Profile Number

45699

Location

Waihi Beach

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 8 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

45

Review team on site

October 2022

Date of this report

25 November 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, September 2016
Education Review, September 2013

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation

  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’

  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence

  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership

  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service

  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems

  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach - 16/09/2016

1 Evaluation of Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach

How well placed is Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach to 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.

Background

Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach is an education and care centre located in the Coromandel coastal town of Waihi Beach. It caters for 25 children with a maximum of eight children up to two years who have a separate environment and designated teachers. It provides an all day service from 7.30 am until 5.15 pm from Monday to Friday.

The centre is privately owned by a highly experienced and knowledgeable early childhood educator who teaches and leads the teaching team. Since the ERO review in 2013 a new head teacher has been appointed and there has been very few staff changes.

The centre philosophy is centred on the belief that children learn in a creative environment that is safe and stimulating. It is supported by trained and experienced teachers who acknowledge that each child is unique, and requires acceptance and respect in order to develop to their full potential. Central to the philosophy is that each child's cultural heritage is recognised and valued.

Considerable progress has been made in addressing the areas for development identified in the 2013 ERO report. Bicultural practices are now an integral part of centre life. Self review has been broadened and is resulting in continuous improvement. Planning and assessment practices are providing rich information about the learning progress of each child and how complexity is being added to their progress overtime.

The Review Findings

Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

Children learn successfully through play and are well supported to follow their interests, solve problems and take responsible risks. They are well settled and highly engaged in a range of interesting and meaningful learning activities. Teachers know children and their families very well and warm trusting relationships exist between teachers and children. Time and care is taken by management and teachers to provide a stimulating indoor and outdoor environment. High quality equipment and resources encourages creativity, problem solving and experimentation. Children are encouraged to be self managing and take increasing responsibility for their own learning and wellbeing. Children benefit from opportunities to explore oral language, literacy, mathematics, science and nature, which are naturally integrated into the programmes. Quality time is spent noticing, recognising and responding to children's play and extending learning opportunities. Children have fun and demonstrate high levels of confidence, interest and engagement in centre life and programmes.

Infants and toddlers learn and play in a separate secure environment that caters for their learning and development needs. Highly responsive caregiving supports children's need for strong and secure attachments. Children have easy access to spaces that are very well resourced and exploration is encouraged. Children benefit from teachers who maintain a calm, slow respectful pace in which younger children have time to lead their learning. There are comfortable, safe spaces that cater for children who are not yet able to sit by themselves and for those that are crawling or learning to walk.

Children and families are warmly welcomed into an inclusive and supportive environment. Strong reciprocal relationships with children and their whānau encourage active engagement across all areas of centre programmes, and nurture a strong sense of belonging. Whanaungatanga is an integral part of centre life, and the knowledge that children and whānau bring with them is highly valued by teachers. Children are respected as unique learners and are accepted and celebrated for who they are. Teachers are skilled at using positive guidance strategies to support social development and are sensitive to children's physical and emotional wellbeing.

Teachers are culturally responsive and support the culture and identity of each child. Bicultural practices are an essential part of centre life. Te reo and tikanga Māori concepts are well integrated into the programme in authentic ways. Māori children are achieving success as Maori.

Centre programmes and learning opportunities are strongly based on Te Whāriki with an increasing emphasis on the natural world. Individual interests and emerging ideas guides programme planning. An important part of planning is the wealth of knowledge that children and their families bring to the centre and share with others. Natural resources and the environment are used throughout the programme with regular bush and beach walks, and sustainability practices such as growing vegetables and worm farming.

Children's interests, learning and progress are documented in attractive individual portfolio books that record children's identity as successful learners. Parents highly value the opportunities these provide for them and their extended families to share with children, and respond with ideas and information to encourage further learning.

Children and their families are well supported to make a successful transition when they are ready to move from the under two area to the main centre or when they begin school. Transition processes include visits, liaison with schools, the whā club, sharing of information and support for parents. A feature of the transition process is the regular visits by groups of children and their teachers to the local school. Children are able to develop strong relationships that support a confident and seamless move to school.

Centre staff are continuing to strengthen sustainability practices and working towards becoming an enviro centre. The supervisor and head teacher provide high quality collaborative leadership for the teaching team. They are very good role models and share up to date and relevant knowledge of current theory and best practice. They empower teachers to use their strengths and take on leadership roles.

Self review is ongoing and effectively used to bring about continual improvements. Effective appraisal practices and feedback to staff are further enhancing the high quality teaching practice observed. The team share a commitment to beliefs and values about children's learning and development outlined in the centre philosophy. This is resulting in an organisational culture where children are first and foremost valued for who they are and what they bring to the centre.

Effective professional development is promoting enthusiasm and increased confidence and ability in teaching practice. Recently, teachers have worked on transition practices, strategies to support younger children, recording information on children's learning and progress and fostering bicultural practices. This development is further enhancing high quality teaching practice.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach will be in four years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty

16 September 2016

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Waihi Beach, Bay of Plenty

Ministry of Education profile number

45699

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2

Service roll

36

Gender composition

Girls 21 Boys 15

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Indian

11

24

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2016

Date of this report

16 September 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2013

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.

Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach - 09/09/2013

1 Evaluation of Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach

How well placed is Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach to 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.

Background

Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach is an all-day education and care centre located in the Coromandel coastal town of Waihi Beach and has been operating for two years. It caters for up to 25 children aged two and over and is licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The centre is privately owned and operates under the same management structure as KiwiKidz Educare Waihi. The owner, who is an experienced early childhood educator, has a strong vision for centre development and is focused on ‘providing quality education and care in a warm, creative, stimulating environment’. She works at the centre two days per week alongside a new manager and teaching staff.

The KiwiKidz philosophy is that ‘children will learn in a creative environment that is safe, stimulating and supported by trained, experienced teachers’.

Recent developments have focused on establishing the centre as part of the local Waihi Beach community, nurturing a relationship with the local school, increasing the number of children attending, and involving parents and families in centre activities.

This is the first ERO review of the service.

The Review Findings

Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach has made rapid progress in establishing a presence in the Waihi Beach community.

Teachers have established positive, sensitive and responsive relationships with children. They skilfully observe children’s play to identify each child’s interests and strengths, which they use to plan the programme of education and care. Interactions among teachers and children are focused on extending children’s ideas and language in a safe and supportive environment. Children’s behaviour is managed sensitively and unobtrusively. This positive approach is contributing to the productive and inclusive atmosphere evident in the centre.

The centre is planned to invite children’s curiosity and stimulate their interests. An effective combination of new and familiar activities enables children to experience success and challenge themselves within safe and well-monitored boundaries. Children choose from a wide range of experiences and have the opportunity to follow an interest either independently or alongside their peers. The indoor environment is open and organised to allow children to access the equipment they need to explore their ideas. The owner has ensured that resources and equipment that supports children’s ideas are plentiful and of high quality. Routines are used as opportunities to promote meaningful learning and develop children’s independence and self-care skills.

There are many opportunities for children to experience early literacy and mathematical learning in contexts that are relevant, interesting and meaningful to each individual. The current focus on sustainable practice and environmental education is highly evident in the centre. This focus is reflected in the extensive use of natural materials and planned activities that develop children’s awareness of the importance of the local natural environment.

The centre has established an inclusive culture of consultation and review involving parents, children and staff. Teachers communicate closely with parents and families, who have many opportunities to be well informed and involved in their child’s education and care. Attractive individual child portfolios provide parents with a significant record of their child’s developing interests, successes, challenges and celebrations while at the centre.

Management and teachers are enthusiastic and supportive of promoting a bicultural perspective in the centre, and this is evident throughout the programme, teaching interactions and environmental developments.

Centre review processes are well developed, clearly documented and provide a sound foundation for ongoing centre improvement. Policies are systematically reviewed and the framework for ongoing review is well understood and effectively implemented.

Key Next Steps

Self review: Current self-review processes are clearly defined, inclusive of parents and staff, and well managed. The next step for the centre is to include consideration of current research in self review. This is likely to broaden the depth of review and provide increasingly relevant information when reviewing an aspect of centre operations.

Bicultural practice: The promotion of bicultural practices has been a successful focus for recent centre development. This development could be further enhanced by including consideration of local Māori history and tradition when planning the programme.

Assessment and planning: Individual child portfolios provide an attractive record of children’s developing interests and involvement with learning. The next step to further enhance these documents is to consider the way they show how each child’s learning is progressing and how complexity is being added over time.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Kiwikidz Educare - At the Beach will be in three years. 

Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region

9 September 2013 

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service 

Location

Waihi Beach

Ministry of Education profile number

45699

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

34

Gender composition

Boys 17
Girls 17

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Chinese

  7
26
  1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

July 2013

Date of this report

9 September 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

No previous ERO reports

 

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.