2568 State Highway 26, Morrinsville
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Learning Curves Early Childhood Education Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Learning Curves Early Childhood Education Centre is located on the outskirts of Morrinsville. The centre is part of the Provincial Education Group Limited. It is licensed to provide all day education and care for 50 children, including 15 up to the age of two. At the time of this review, 66 children were enrolled, including 14 who identify as Māori. Currently the centre is operating two age-based rooms.
Since the February 2017 ERO report, there have been changes to the management and teaching team. However, a core group of staff have remained.
The centre's philosophy reviewed in 2019, states Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia oo tatou mahi| Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work. It also places priority on 'working in partnership with whānau and the community, responsiveness to children's unique learning cues, Aotearoa's bicultural heritage and acknowledging tangata whenua'.
Children actively participate in a programme that is very responsive to their learning and care. They make choices about learning. The outdoor environment provides children over two with opportunities for challenge and exploration in play. Teachers acknowledge children's interests and value parent and whānau aspirations. They have warm, respectful relationships with children and know their families well. Portfolios provide a record of children’s interests and engagement in programmes and these are easily accessible to all children and their families. An online platform supports the wider family’s engagement and contributions. Children up to the age of two years benefit from caring and nurturing relationships with their teachers. A calm and settled environment promotes children's well-being and sense of belonging.
Children are viewed as competent and capable learners. Teachers actively participate alongside children, encouraging confidence and contribution. They genuinely listen to children and foster oral language development through quality conversations. Literacy, mathematics and science are woven into interesting learning experiences. Teachers naturally integrate aspects of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into the programmes. Transition processes in, through and beyond the centre are flexible to meet individual children's needs. Children with identified special needs are appropriately catered for within the inclusive centre environment.
Leaders have a strong focus on improving the quality of education and care. The centre manager provides stability for children, whānau and teachers through a trusting, respectful and collaborative culture. There is a positive approach to building teachers' professional capability, including emergent leadership opportunities. Leaders strongly promote and model culturally responsive practices. They are developing, with teachers and whānau, a more localised curriculum that reflects children's backgrounds and places of significance for Māori.
Governance demonstrates a strong commitment to providing quality education and care. Sound policies, procedures and guidelines underpin day-to-day operations. Provincial Education Group personnel support the centre manager with delivery of good quality service, education and care to children and their families.
ERO and leaders agree that aspects of internal evaluation need strengthening. This includes: improved teacher consistency and understanding of the centre's assessment, planning and evaluation framework; and making agreed learning outcomes for children more visible in documentation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Curves Early Childhood Education Centre 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.
Darcy Te Hau
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
18 June 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 |
Morrinsville |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30281 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
66 |
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Gender composition |
Male 37 Female 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
14 |
|
|
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 |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2020 |
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Date of this report |
18 June 2020 |
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|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2017 |
|
|
Education Review |
July 2013 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 2010 |
||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Learning Curves Early Childhood Education Service is an all-day education and care service located on the outskirts of Morrinsville. The centre is licensed for 50 children, including up to 15 under 2 years of age. It is part of a group of 17 centres owned by Provincial Childcare.
Since the 2013 ERO review, the centre has been purchased by new owners. There has been considerable change to management and teaching staff in the last year.
The centre philosophy is underpinned by a culture of partnership, encompassing respectful, trusting relationships. Teachers aim to provide an environment that allows children to make their own choices, take risks and to solve problems. The owners value the autonomy of the centre to implement Provincial Childcare values. This enables the centre to be responsive to its community and capitalise on collaborative partnerships amongst teachers and parents.
The centre has responded positively to recommendations in the 2013 ERO report to revise the staff appraisal process and develop an effective annual plan.
Children learn and play in two separate age-based areas. They explore in spacious and motivating indoor and outdoor environments. Areas are well-designed, aesthetically pleasing and appropriately equipped to enhance the learning and care of children. Particular emphasis is placed on the natural world, with children involved in growing food to prepare and eat together. There are many opportunities for younger and older children to experience physical challenge and develop their skills. A weekly gymnastic programme enhances older children’s confidence to take risks and add complexity to their physical skills.
Children up to the age of two years benefit from high quality, nurturing and responsive care. They experiment with a wide variety of materials and equipment. Teachers prepare an imaginative and interesting range of experiences for them to investigate. They use rich language with children. Teachers give priority to spending unhurried time with children and promote children’s resilience through encouragement and affirmation of success. Familiar routines are maintained in the centre through regular sharing and conversations with whānau and parents. In a relatively short time, the new teaching team has established a culture of respect where very young children demonstrate high levels of belonging and wellbeing. Babies and toddlers are settled and confident learners.
Older children enjoy many opportunities to follow their interests and extend their learning, accessing a wide range of good quality equipment. They are developing early concepts of literacy and mathematics. A good variety of creative experiences is promoting children’s artistic expression. Children confidently share their ideas and opinions with teachers. They have many opportunities to solve problems, take leadership and make choices about their learning. The programme includes visits to the wider community. Regular celebrations include whānau and families, who share in children’s learning and success. Older children are confident and competent explorers who are well supported to take ownership of their learning.
Attractive and informative centre displays put the child at the centre of the learning. Children are able to revisit their learning with whānau and families. Digital portfolios are providing a good record of children’s participation and interests. They promote opportunities for whānau, families and other interested adults to share their ideas and aspirations with teachers. Individual portfolios are valued as an important literacy tool and are accessible for children to revisit learning and share with others.
A teacher with knowledge and understanding of te ao Māori is contributing to a growing understanding of bicultural practices. Early relationships are being established and fostered with local iwi. Children and teachers are enjoying learning and sharing waiata, poi, implementing tikanga practices such as karakia kai, and growing in confidence to use some te reo Māori in meaningful contexts. Teachers are developing their understanding of ways to write appropriate learning stories to reflect children’s cultures and Māori values. This is promoting success for Māori children and whānau.
The recently appointed centre manager sets clear and high expectations in regard to teaching and learning. There is a focus on fostering a collaborative team across the centre and building teachers' understanding of high quality practice. All staff have established positive and respectful relationships with each other, children, parents and management personnel. They have successfully maintained stability for children in the centre through a time of change.
The new owners are well supported by experienced operational, educational and business managers, all of whom regularly communicate with, and visit the centre. Provincial Childcare develops policies and procedures for all centres and regularly monitors their implementation. Learning Curves reviews these regularly, within their context, with opportunities for input from parents. The centre is effectively governed. It would now be useful for the owners to consider documenting an overarching vision for all the centres in the group.
Leaders have upgraded the appraisal system and staff are improving self-review processes. Both have been identified by the centre as areas for ongoing development to ensure continuing improvement of outcomes for children.
Centre leaders should give further consideration to review assessment, planning and evaluation practices. Priority should be given to strengthening the expectations for:
intentional planning and teaching to integrate early concepts of literacy and mathematics in all areas of the curriculum
the content and purpose of child-centred portfolios
flexible routines that empower children to persist in play and build their self-care skills.
Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Curves Early Childhood Education Centre 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 Learning Curves Early Childhood Education Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
23 February 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.
|
Location |
Morrinsville |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30281 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
74 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 38 Boys 36 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other |
3 68 3 |
|
|
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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
23 February 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
July 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 2007 |
||
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.