40 Ballance Street, Kawerau
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Nga Ririki Early Learning Centre operates under the direct governance of the CNI Early Education Services Trust. The centre is located in Kawerau and is licensed to cater for 38 children from two years to school age, and a maximum of 15 up to two years. Most of the children identify as Māori. The centre hours are from 7.45am to 5 .00pm, Monday-Friday.
Since the 2013 ERO report the centre has made significant progress in addressing the areas identified for development in that report. The centre philosophy has been reviewed and is now integral to operations. Teaching practices have been enriched and embedded in learning programmes, and appraisal processes have been enhanced. Teachers have increased their confidence to integrate te reo and tikanga Māori into learning programmes in meaningful ways.
The centre philosophy, or kaupapa, is based on the Māori concepts of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, whakamana and wairuatanga. The centre values the relationships with whānau to build strong foundations for children's learning and education by showing kindness, hospitality and support to tamariki, whānau, and the wider community .Opportunities are provided for tamariki to make decisions, set their own learning goals, develop a sense of self and identity, and take increasing responsibility for their care and learning. Their wairua is supported by building on the knowledge they bring to the centre and by making connections to home. Nga Ririki Early Learning Centre has an organisational culture where first and foremost children are valued for who they are and what they bring to the centre.
The centre is well-supported by the CNI Early Education Services Trust. The trust’s strategic direction sets out the service’s vision, expected educational outcomes, and values. It also defines the strategies for delivering the principles and strands of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, and for respecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The trust works positively to provide equitable opportunities to families by extending its hours of opening.
Strong reciprocal relationships with children and their whānau encourage active engagement across all areas of centre programmes. The knowledge that children and families bring with them is highly valued by teachers. Children are respected as unique learners, and accepted and celebrated for who they are. There is sensitivity to children's physical and emotional wellbeing, and teachers are skilled at using positive guidance strategies to support social development. Parents appreciate the time given by teachers and outside agencies to work with them on strategies to support children's development, particularly those with special learning or behavioural challenges. 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 Māori. Children and their families are warmly welcomed into a positive and exciting environment where they enjoy respectful and trusting relationships with centre staff and one another.
Children learn through play in a learner centred programme and environment. They play and explore, in the safe but challenging indoor and outdoor areas, using their imagination and creativity in pursuing their interests. Teachers spend time with children noticing, recognising, and responding intentionally to extend learning opportunities for them. Open-ended questions are used to prompt children's thinking. High quality resources are readily accessible and used by children to solve problems and experiment in their play. Teachers encourage children to solve problems by themselves and work and interact cooperatively with others. Oral language, literacy, mathematics, science and nature are naturally integrated into the learning programme. Children are developing independence and being supported to make choices and take increasing responsibility for their own learning and wellbeing.
Infants and toddlers benefit from learning and playing in a separate secure environment. Highly responsive care-giving supports their need for strong and secure attachments. Children have easy access to spaces that are very well resourced and encourage exploration. Teachers maintain a calm, slow respectful pace for children who are not yet able to sit by themselves, and for those who are crawling and learning to walk. Toddlers have opportunities to visit and interact with the older children's environment when they choose to, which fosters valuable tuakana/teina relationships. This calm, unrushed approach is effectively meeting the learning and development needs of the younger children.
Centre programmes and learning opportunities are strongly based on the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. There is a real emphasis on bicultural practices. Planning includes children's individual interests and responds to children's fascination with a chosen subject. Teachers value and make effective use of their knowledge about the local environment that families and children bring. Planning is evidence based using formative assessment practices that responds to individuals and groups of children.
Assessment processes support children as successful learners. Children's interests, learning and progress are recorded in attractive individual portfolios as well as an online application. This information identifies children's learning and they are keen to talk about and share their successes. Parents and whānau value this information. They are involved in learning and supporting their children in partnership with teachers.
Children and their families are well supported to make successful transitions within the centre and to school. A team approach is used with the whānau at the centre of the process, and is tailored to the individual child. Procedures are intentional, planned and unhurried. They include visits, liaison with schools, and ongoing support for parents. Children move confidently from one educational setting to another and this enables them to actively and confidently take part in the new learning environment.
The centre manager provides strong collaborative leadership to the teaching team. She models effective teaching practice and has up-to-date knowledge of current ECE theory and best practice. She empowers teachers to use their strengths and take on leadership roles. Self review is integral to centre life, and leaders and teachers are reflective practitioners who continually look for ways to improve their practice and learning opportunities for children. Effective appraisal procedures and feedback to staff are enhancing the teaching practice ERO observed in the centre.
Teachers have been involved in effective professional development and learning that is enhancing their knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching young children. The Trust provides extensive support for the teaching team through professional development and the knowledgeable mentoring and support of professional leaders. This support is embedding a commitment by the teaching team to the beliefs and values about children's learning and development outlined in the centre philosophy.
To further develop a bicultural approach and teachers' cultural competence in assessment.
Before the review, the staff and management of Nga Ririki 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:
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 Nga Ririki Early Learning Centre will be in four years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
19 October 2016
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 |
Kawerau |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30233 |
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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 |
38 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
41 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 24 Girls 17 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Fijian |
33 7 1 |
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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 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2016 |
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Date of this report |
19 October 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2013 |
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Education Review |
February 2010 |
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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.
Ngā Ririki Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.
Ngā Ririki Early Learning Centre is located in Kawerau and caters for children from birth to school age. It operates under the ownership, governance and management of the Central North Island Early Learning Services Trust (CNIELS). At the time of the ERO review there were 34 children enrolled, including 11 children under two years of age. The centre aims to work in partnership with parents and whānau to enhance children’s early learning and provides culturally responsive care for whānau and families.
The centre has a memorandum of understanding with Kawerau College and caters for children of parents in the Teen Parent Unit (TPU). The TPU was closed for the school year and no children from the unit were present during the onsite ERO review.
Since the 2010 ERO review, the centre has been relicensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The centre manager and assistant manager were appointed in 2011 and were previously teachers in the centre. In addition, three new teachers have joined the teaching team.
Several teachers have recently completed and upgraded their qualifications. Teachers have participated in professional development through the Education Leadership Project. There has been a focus on adding depth to assessment and planning, and building children’s social skills. This professional development has contributed to the good progress made in addressing the areas for improvement identified in the previous ERO report, related to assessment and planning.
Central North Island Early Learning Services [CNIELS] Trust is providing effective governance and management for Ngā Ririki Early Learning Centre. The vision, philosophy and strategic planning of CNIELS provide clear direction for the service. Professional leaders visit regularly and provide useful mentoring and guidance for the new centre manager and other staff. The trust has also accessed and implemented relevant professional development for teachers. There is generous provision for non-contact teacher time and teacher ratios to ensure that a high-quality service is maintained.
Self review is well embedded and informs centre development and improvement. Centre finances are well managed by CNIELS and the centre benefits from this good management and the equity funding they receive.
The centre manager and assistant manager have a shared vision for, and commitment to, the provision of a high-quality service for teachers, families and children. Both are reflective practitioners and model wise centre practice. They have worked constructively with dedicated teachers to form a positive team culture through a time of change. The centre manager sets clear expectations for teaching practice, roles and responsibilities. This has led to an increased focus on improving outcomes for children and further involvement of whānau in the learning partnership.
Centre leaders encourage teachers to develop their leadership skills and take responsibility for day-to-day operations. Leaders are committed to providing a service that reflects bicultural approaches and practices.
The centre’s curriculum is well designed, inclusive and promotes positive outcomes for babies, toddlers and young children. It is responsive to children’s interests which provide the basis for teacher planning. Recent self review has resulted in well-planned transitions into and within the centre, and on to school. These are promoting a settled and calm process. Particular strengths of the curriculum identified by ERO are:
Children’s learning is documented and displayed in individual profile books that contribute to their identity as confident and competent learners. They can revisit and share their learning with teachers, other children and whānau.
Teachers participate in relevant and ongoing professional development and reflection to keep up-to-date with current theory and practice. They promote children as active decision makers and engage alongside them to promote and foster their learning. Staff have established positive and inclusive relationships based on attitudes of caring and acceptance that benefit children and their families, particularly children with special needs. Teachers make effective use of information and communication technologies for research and to complement children’s learning. Teachers model te reo me ona tikanga Māori practices, reflecting their understanding of te Ao Māori.
Centre leaders and teachers have identified, and ERO agrees, that the important next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Ngā Ririki 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:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.Click here to enter text.
ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
4 February 2013
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Location |
Kawerau |
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|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30233 |
||
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Licence type |
Education and Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
34 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 24 Boys 10 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other |
24 8 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Exceeds minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:6 |
Exceeds minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2012 |
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Date of this report |
4 February 2013 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review Education Review Review Type |
February 2010 June 2007 |
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO's education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. ERO evaluates how well placed the service is to make and sustain improvements for the benefit of all children at the service. To reach these findings ERO considers:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.