Kidz & Crayonz Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
45940
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
22
Telephone:
Address:

20 Kirkella Crescent, Mangere, Auckland

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Kidz & Crayonz Early Learning Centre

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Kidz & Crayonz Early Learning Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Kidz & Crayonz Early Learning Centre provides for children in a mixed aged setting. The majority of children attending are of Pacific heritage. The owner oversees daily operations of the service supported by a qualified centre supervisor, three qualified teachers and two other staff. Previously known as Little Feet Childcare Ltd, this is the first ERO review under new management.

3 Summary of findings

Children participate in an inclusive curriculum alongside their peers. This is enabled by teachers’ responsive practices with children. Teachers are readily available for conversations, comfort and care. The service’s philosophy is evident in action, with teachers ensuring the values are reflected in providing equitable and affirming learning environments for all children. Teachers and parents are engaging in conversations about curriculum design and planning.

Children’s home languages are used authentically and intentionally within the daily curriculum to support children’s sense of belonging and wellbeing. The cultural diversity of children and their whānau is reflected and celebrated in the daily curriculum and environment. Children’s cultures are starting to be evident in documentation about children’s learning.

Teachers have identified children who need additional support, and they work sensitively with parents and external agencies to encourage and support them to improve outcomes for these children.

Intentional teaching practices ensure infants and toddlers enjoy positive outcomes by supporting them to confidently integrate and engage in the mixed age setting. Teachers are now ready to extend the curriculum with a focus on:

  • providing a more challenging environment

  • supporting older children to actively explore and access opportunities to develop and physically engage in strengthening their foundational skills.

Teachers know the children and their whānau well. This is reflected in assessments of children’s learning. Teachers’ analysis of children’s learning shows how they strengthen children’s learning dispositions and the learning that occurs within an experience. Assessment practices do not yet sufficiently identify:

  • children’s next learning steps

  • teachers’ role in extending learning

  • responding to parents’ comments/voices

  • children and their families’ cultures.

A process is in place for reviewing practices that involves staff and seeks feedback from parents and whānau. This supports outcomes for children through teacher growth and providing an environment that encourages learning. Internal evaluation processes, to some extent, consider how effectively the service is providing for the strengths, interests and needs of all children and how their learning is progressing.

A professional growth cycle is being established with an aim to support teachers’ professional growth. The supervisor provides mentoring support for teachers. Building leadership and mentoring capability to effectively embed this improvement practice has been identified.

4 Improvement actions

Kidz & Crayonz Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Improve, extend and embed curriculum evaluation, planning and assessment for learning processes. These practices should make clear teachers’ responses and roles in adding complexity to children’s learning, reflecting children’s cultures and recording children’s progress over time.

  • Embed the professional growth cycle with a focus on improving the curriculum and teachers’ and leaders’ practice.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kidz & Crayonz Early Learning 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.

6 Actions for Compliance

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • A procedure outlining the service’s response to injury, illness and incidents, including the review and implementation of practices as required (HS27).

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

5 October 2022

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Kidz & Crayonz Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

45940

Location

Mangere, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 5 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

33

Review team on site

June 2022

Date of this report

5 October 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, July 2019
Education Review, January 2016

Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd - 19/07/2019

1 Evaluation of Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd

How well placed is Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Little Feet Childcare Centre in Mangere provides education and care for children up to school age. The majority of the children enrolled have Pacific heritage. The service has not had children up to the age of two years enrolled for the past three months. The indoor layout of the building allows for mixed-age grouping.

The service is one of three centres owned by two directors, who oversees the operational and administrative aspects of all the centres. The directors are supported by the centre supervisor who manages day-to-day operations and guides staff in providing learning programmes for children. Teachers reflect the ethnically diverse community they serve. Three of the teaching staff are registered teachers.

The centre’s philosophy has a strong emphasis placed on children being socially competent with their culture, language and identity highly valued. The programme is embedded in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and is reflective of the dual cultural heritages of Aotearoa New Zealand.

ERO's 2016 report identified some positive features of the centre. These include provision of good and trusting positive relationships with children and families, children having a strong sense of belonging. These have been maintained. Since the last ERO review there has been a new centre leader and staff changes. The centre licence has been increased to 40 children.

The Review Findings

Children are provided with an environment that is welcoming, caring and accepting of their cultural and diverse differences. Positive and inclusive teaching practices affirm and build on the strengths children bring to their play. As a result, children are confident, socially competent and are well supported to be independent. Children are provided with opportunities to initiate their own play and engage in conversations with each other. They play well with their friends and independently.

The learning environment is attractive and well resourced. The areas of play have contributed to children’s engagement in the programme. Routines provide a useful and flexible approach to the day. Children tidying up their work and play gives them little opportunity to return and continue with what they are working on. Teachers need to review 'clean-up- time' before children have morning tea.

Children with Māori and Pacific heritages learn about and can see their cultures reflected and valued in the programme. Teachers provide a programme that celebrates children’s identity and cultures. It is important for teachers to continue to build on their knowledge about Pacific children's heritages. This could include using 'Tapasa' document as a guide. Children have opportunities to explore literacy and mathematics naturally through the learning experiences teachers provide.

Teachers are committed to promoting a smooth transition for children and their whānau in to the centre and on to school. The centre leaders are re-establishing relationships with the local surrounding schools due to most of the staff being new.

Teachers’ respectful relationships with children and their whānau is a strength of the centre. Teachers are a collegial team and are developing ways that could build on parent/whānau contributions to their children's learning. They encourage and support parents and whānau to share their culture, skills and knowledge with children and teachers. Parents appreciate teachers sharing information about important events.

The service provider continues to operate under a sound organisational structure to maintain good practice and guide improvements. Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated. The centre philosophy is well understood and provides a good sense of direction and is evident in daily practice.

Service leaders are improvement focused and support staff well. Professional development attended by teachers has positively impacted on the programme and teaching and learning. Internal evaluation is becoming established. Teachers are developing confidence in understanding the process to improving positive outcomes for all children and to build on their professional knowledge. They agree that continued professional learning would further strengthen their practice and the programme.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps for improvement include:

  • developing a shared understanding of assessment, planning and evaluation that includes teaching strategies that respond to and increase the depth and complexity of child-led-learning

  • teachers analysing children's assessment information to understand children's learning pathways

  • systematically evaluating teaching practices and the impact on outcomes for children

  • continuing to strengthen internal evaluation to be more evaluative, collaborative and documented over time.

Next steps for centre leaders to further improve outcomes for children include:

  • increasing their knowledge of working with Pacific children and their families by exploring the Tapasā resource

  • developing a more collaborative and evaluative process of internal evaluation

  • continuing to strengthen staff appraisal processes by including more evidence of teacher inquiry, targeted observations and teachers' evaluations of their practice and the impact on outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have not 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

19 July 2019

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

Mangere, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45940

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 5 aged under 2

Service roll

27

Gender composition

Girls 15 Boys 12

Ethnic composition

Māori
Samoan
Niue
Tonga
other ethnic groups

6
8
5
4
4

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

June 2019

Date of this report

19 July 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

January 2016

Education Review (as Incredible Angels Early Childcare Learning Centre)

December 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

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.

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.

Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd - 15/01/2016

1 Evaluation of Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd

How well placed is Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd 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

Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd (previously known as Incredible Angels) in Mangere, is one of two centres that are owned and operated by the same management group. The centre is licensed to provide education and care for 32 children, including five children under the age of two years.

The roll has increased since the new owners took over in December 2014. The centre roll consists mainly of children from the local area who are of Pacific Island and Māori heritages. The purpose-built centre has two separate buildings catering for two different age groups.

The centre owner/manager oversees the operation and administrative aspects of the two centres. At this centre she is supported by an experienced supervisor who is the professional leader. Teaching staff are all registered teachers.

The centre’s philosophy is enacted in the programme with a strong emphasis on children developing social skills and their culture, language and identity are highly valued. The programme is embedded in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and is reflective of the dual cultural heritages of Aotearoa New Zealand.

This is the centre’s first ERO review under the new management and name.

The Review Findings

Positive relationships between staff, parents and whānau have resulted in children having a strong sense of belonging in the centre. Children settle quickly into the programme choosing activities to explore. These experiences keep them engaged for a sustained period. Routines in the daily programme support children to use their initiative to lead their own learning though play. Children engage in interesting and imaginative conversations with each other and adults.

Teachers use a primary caregiving approach to support infants and toddlers settle into the centre. The learning environment helps to promote play that encourages children to be creative. The outdoor playground is shared between infants and toddlers. It is timely for teachers to review how well the curriculum for this age group responds to individual children’s interests, needs, and developmental abilities.

The programme is holistic, inclusive of all children and provides meaningful learning experiences. Teachers plan and implement a curriculum that reflects Te Whāriki, the centre philosophy, and prioritises Māori language, culture and values. Teachers are committed to further developing their bicultural practices.

Programme documentation shows how children’s interests guide the programme. These are attractively displayed. Children’s portfolios are valued and often added to by families. They clearly show children’s experiences at the centre.

Transition through the centre is monitored closely by teachers, and is based around children’s readiness. Transition to school is focused around children being socially competent, able to recognise their name and personal items, and able to do things for themselves.

Partnerships between parents and teachers are strong to support children’s learning and development. Parents are appreciative about the programme and contribute to their children’s learning programmes. They value the culturally diverse and inclusive programme.

Parents appreciate how teachers are building positive networking relationships with the community. The manager and teachers are proactive in encouraging families to participate in children’s early learning experiences. This has resulted in an increase to the centre roll.

Professional leadership enables the centre to maintain its focus on providing good quality early childhood education and care. Positive working relationships, mentoring and collaboration between management and staff help to create a culture of trust and respect.

Teachers are becoming more reflective when using self-review processes to improve their teaching practices and learning outcomes for children. Recent self review has resulted in children being more engaged in the learning programme.

The managers are actively committed to their governance role. They support the professional leader and teachers well. Managers could now look at ways to use self review to make strategic decisions about the centre’s future direction.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre managers agree that next steps could include teachers:

  • using open-ended questions to extend children’s thinking
  • documenting and following up parent and whānau aspirations
  • reviewing the effectiveness of teaching strategies on children’s learning
  • developingassessment and planning processes to show how children’s individual interests are extended over time.

Managers could strengthen systems, policies and procedures to guide centre improvements by:

  • developing an annual plan that links to a strategic plan and monitor how well annual and long term goals are achieved
  • providing external professional learning to strengthen leadership capability
  • reviewing the staff appraisal policy and implementing a robust appraisal process
  • regularly reviewing policies and documenting practices and procedures.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd 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.

In order to improve current practice managers must report to parents and the local community about how they have spent the centre’s Equity Funding to promote positive outcomes for children.[Early Childhood Funding Handbook – Charter 10, Equity Funding Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Little Feet Childcare Centre Ltd will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

15 January 2016

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Mangere, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45940

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

32 children, including up to 5 aged under 2

Service roll

32

Gender composition

Boys 16 Girls 16

Ethnic composition

Māori

Samoan

Tongan

Niue

Cook Island Māori

Indian

5

14

7

3

2

1

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

November 2015

Date of this report

15 January 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review (as Incredible Angels Early Childcare Learning Centre)

December 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.

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.