Busy Bees McGarvey Road 1

Education institution number:
45306
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
50
Telephone:
Address:

101 McGarvey Road, Whakatane

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Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 - 10/04/2018

1 Evaluation of Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1

How well placed is Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 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 Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 is a full-day education and care service. In October 2017 the service changed ownership. It now operates under the company Provincial Education Ltd, which sets the vision for all its centres. The organisation goals state a commitment to honour the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and working in partnerships with parents/whānau. The management structure includes two company directors and two education managers who oversee the quality of education and care across 41 centres.

Centre leadership consists of a general manager who oversees centre operations, and a centre manager who leads professional practice for teaching and learning. The centre is purpose built and has two age-group rooms, which cater for infants and toddlers. Under the same leadership, located on the same grounds is another early childhood centre, licensed for children aged up to six years.

Since the 2014 ERO review there have been some staff changes. The long-serving centre manager in collaboration with teachers has strengthened systems for internal evaluation. The centre's philosophy is to create a warm, loving and safe environment that complements the home and reflects the community's unique natural surroundings.

The Review Findings

Trusting relationships among children, teachers and parents strongly support learning. They are based on genuine care and are responsive to children's wellbeing. Infants and toddlers are warmly welcomed into a spacious and interesting learning environment. Children enjoy close and positive relationships with teachers. Reciprocal relationships support Infants and toddlers to have a strong sense of security and belonging within the centre.

Young infants learn in a calm, quiet environment. Teachers treat children with high levels of respect and are skilled at tuning in and responding to their communication cues. Teachers work closely with parents to ensure infants receive personalised and responsive care. Routines are consistent with home and specifically tailored to meet individual needs. Infants enjoy learning through the extensive one-on-one social interactions with familiar adults.

Toddlers enjoy learning through their interests, strengths and social interactions. Teachers use effective strategies that develop toddlers' communication and self-care skills. They encourage toddlers to make decisions, have choice and set their own challenges.

Infants and toddlers confidently explore and investigate. Intentional teaching strategies promote children's language and social competence. Literacy, mathematics and concepts about the natural world are interwoven through play. Te ao Māori practices are developing. Children are familiar with basic te reo phases and participate in karakia and waiata. A unique aspect of the programme is children's access to the centre's swimming pool. That provides additional learning opportunities and supports children to develop early water skills. Trips outside the centre further extend children's knowledge and are well attended by parents. Infants and toddlers are very well supported to develop as capable, confident learners.

Teachers and centre families have established collaborative partnerships. These are based on genuine attitudes of acceptance, respect and willingness to listen. On-line assessment portfolios have increased opportunities for parents to be involved in their child's learning. Practices for individual planning and showing progress over time is particularly strong in the infant room. Assessment and planning practices are integral to supporting learning and transitions between rooms. Individual-child portfolios celebrate their success and learning over time.

The centre has effective professional leadership. Internal evaluation practices builds capacity within the service to promote and sustain positive outcomes for children. A new appraisal process has been developed and assessment, practices have been strengthened. Teachers have time to plan and work on agreed areas for centre development and improvement.

The company has focused on building relationships with staff. Managers have introduced the organisation's vision and guidelines for teacher practice. The next priority identified by management is to develop reliable practices for monitoring, reporting, and evaluating the quality of education and care.

Key Next Steps

Priority next steps for centre leaders and teachers are to:

  • develop culturally responsive assessment practices, particularly for Māori children
  • use internal evaluation processes to embed the improved programme and planning process.

The next step for management is to:

  • develop robust quality assurance systems, processes and practices for identifying, monitoring and reporting on strategic priorities. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 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 Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

10 April 2018 

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

Whakatane

Ministry of Education profile number

45306

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Service roll

64

Gender composition

Boys      34
Girls       30

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other

10
50
  4

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:5

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

10 April 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

December 2014

Education Review

June 2011

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.

Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 - 01/12/2014

1 Evaluation of Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1

How well placed is Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 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 Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 is a privately owned, purpose built, full education and care centre and is one of four licences under the same ownership located in Whakatane and Edgecumbe. The centre caters for children from birth to two and a half in two age-based rooms. It is licensed for 30 children including up to 25 who are under 2. The current roll of 62 children includes 36 who identify as Māori. The centre is one of two licenses on the same premises.

Since the 2011 ERO review, the premises have been extended and refurbished to include an administration area and an additional space for toddlers. Following an extensive self review of centre operations by the owners, a business manager was appointed in 2012. This was part of a re-structuring of centre leaders’ roles and responsibilities in order to establish a more collaborative and consultative approach to leadership.

The owners reviewed the centre philosophy and identified the core values of respect, adventure, passion and whānau/family. These values now underpin all aspects of centre culture and development.

The centre warmly welcomes parents and whānau and has maintained strong community links through sponsorship of organisations and support of community events.

The Review Findings

There is a high level of coordination across all four licences in terms of governance and management. The newly appointed business manager has facilitated a number of improvements including:

  • the alignment of centre systems into a common framework that links to the overall strategic plan
  • a review of human resource processes such as staff appraisal
  • review of all policies and practices, and the establishment of an ongoing cycle of self-review
  • improved communication and consultation between the individual centres, and growth of centre leadership capability
  • stronger financial and reporting structures to ensure funding accountability.

Centre leaders are engaging in professional development to strengthen their leadership of teaching and learning. They are using teacher appraisal goals to plan centre-wide teacher professional development. The owners, manager and leaders support the training and ongoing development of teachers who are working towards their qualifications. Leaders are aware of the importance of emergent self review, and have identified the need to strengthen self-review processes.

In response to identified teaching and learning needs, an external advisor is currently working with leaders and teachers to improve children’s engagement in the areas of play in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. This provides teachers with a planning framework to guide their observations of children’s learning and development. Teachers use this and other assessment information to enhance their response to individuals and groups of children. Learning stories and monthly observations identify and document children’s ongoing interests, strengths and learning.

Warm, caring relationships, aligned to the centre's core values, support children’s education and care. Teachers know infants and toddlers and their families well and provide them with a safe emotional environment. Teachers notice and respond to children’s efforts to communicate and develop their early language skills. Children are developing independence through an appropriate range of learning activities including exploration, sensory play, early literacy and mathematics, and construction. Responsive care routines provide infants and toddlers with a sense of security and belonging. Children benefit from a strong focus on the natural environment including interactions with animals.

Teachers model the use of te reo Māori, waiata, pepeha and karakia. Aspirations of parents are sought on entry into the centre and at transition between the rooms. Effective communication is enhanced through termly celebrations of learning with parents. The use of external agencies, such as Group Special Education, supports children with identified learning needs.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre personnel agree that, in order to further raise educational outcomes for children, the areas for further improvement and development are to:

  • strengthen self-review processes and the usefulness of findings to improve outcomes for children
  • improve the quality of teaching practice through implementing and embedding the appraisal process and continuing to provide appropriate professional learning and development opportunities for all staff
  • review, upgrade and extend centre resources (including for numeracy and literacy) in both the indoor and outdoor environments
  • increase engagement and information sharing with parents/whānau.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 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.

ERO identified an area of non-compliance.

  • The centre owners need to ensure that all furniture and fixtures that could topple and cause injury or damage are secured in the event of an earthquake. [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood and Care Centres 2008, HS6]

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Little Orchard Preschool - McGarvey Road 1 will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region

1 December 2014

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

Whakatane

Ministry of Education profile number

45306

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Service roll

62

Gender composition

Girls 34

Boys 28

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Samoan

Asian

Other

36

21

1

1

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:6

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2014

Date of this report

1 December 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2011

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.