131 Atkinson Road, Titirangi, Auckland
View on mapAkarangi | 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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Shining Starz Early Learning Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Shining Starz Early Learning Centre offers all-day education and care for 30 children over two years of age. It operates from a converted house. The owner is a qualified teacher and leads a team of five qualified teachers and three unqualified staff.
Children readily engage in the programme. They confidently lead their learning through long periods of sustained play. Children take risks and build resilience through a good range of physical activities provided to them. They are inclusive of each other, move freely from one social group to another, and confidently join different group activities. Nurturing relationships between older and younger children are strongly evident.
There is a strong sense of connection and trust between adults and children. Teachers are attentive to individual children’s needs and strengths. They scaffold learning through the provision of suitable challenges and provide well for children’s different developmental stages. Children’s knowledge is enriched through frequent activities in the local community.
Teachers and leaders model and promote te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in their daily practice. Pacific heritages are embraced and included in the programme. Resources for play reflect children’s diverse cultural backgrounds.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported through an intentional and inclusive curriculum. Parents’ aspirations and expectations for their children are prioritised by teachers. Transition processes for children and their families are well considered and support children’s wellbeing and belonging in the centre environment.
Service leaders understand the importance of building teachers’ skills and knowledge based on their interests and strengths. Leaders mentor teachers to build their professional capabilities with a focus on continuous improvement. Internal evaluation focuses leaders and teachers on enhancing outcomes for children’s learning. Leaders recognise that greater alignment of strategic goals, annual planning and internal evaluation would support a more cohesive governance approach to the centre’s continuous improvement.
Strong leadership reinforces collaboration in the teaching team. Relational trust ensures the enactment of the service’s philosophy, policies, and procedures. The positive working environment supports staff retention and consistency of care for children.
Shining Starz Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Shining Starz 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.
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
16 November 2021
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Shining Starz Early Learning Centre |
|
Profile Number |
25425 |
|
Location |
Titirangi, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
30 children over the age of 2 years |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
30 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 1, NZ European/Pākehā 23, other ethnic groups 6 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
16 November 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, May 2018; |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Shining Starz Early Learning Centre offers all-day early childhood education and care, and is licensed for 30 children over two years of age. It operates in a converted house in a residential area.
The centre has been recently bought by a new owner who is an experienced director and also owns another centre. The owner manages daily centre operations. Building partnerships with parents and whānau has been a priority since taking over the centre.
The centre's philosophy emphasises respectful relationships, children's social competence and respect for the cultural diversity of the community. The philosophy acknowledges children as competent and capable, and values partnership with parents/whānau. The centre has demonstrated commitment to promoting a partnership with Māori and building relationships with the local school.
ERO's 2014 review of the centre identified the need to develop the quality of internal evaluation, create a deeper understanding of cultural values, promote stronger partnerships with whānau, and strengthen staff appraisal. The director and teachers have responded well in developing these areas.
The philosophy is well enacted in the centre. Children are confidently engaged in the programme and enthusiastically make choices about their play. They are articulate in conversations and use their imagination and creativity while enjoying playing indoors and outdoors. The newly upgraded outdoor area provides many opportunities for children to explore. Children build friendships and initiate their own learning.
The curriculum is responsive to children's interests and promotes their right to make their own decisions. Teachers provide opportunities to build on children's interests and use questions to engage children in conversation about their play and working theories. Children's learning is well documented and these records are made available for parents, whose ideas and feedback are valued.
Teachers use Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to plan for children's learning. The environment is calm, nurturing and respectful. There is very good provision for children with additional learning needs. Teachers provide good support for families as their children transition to school.
The centre's commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand is evident in an increasing effort to use te reo, waiata, and tikanga Māori. Children respond positively to te reo and tikanga practices in the centre. Pacific children have benefitted from positive relationships and the promotion of their cultural values. All children participate in and enjoy the diverse cultural celebrations.
The centre is well led and managed. The owner's commitment to providing quality early learning education and care is evident. She has established collaborative ways of working, and trusting relationships with staff and whānau. An updated performance management process has begun. Teachers have identified effective practices that will help them to document their development goals. Relevant internal and external professional learning opportunities are supporting teachers to evaluative their own practice and work collectively to improve positive outcomes for children.
The owner has an appropriate commitment to:
refining and embedding the long-term strategic and annual planning documentation, including an ongoing monitoring and evaluation process that links to positive learning outcomes for children
strengthening the visibility of bicultural and multicultural practices in the programme
embedding the implementation of a robust performance management process, that align with current best practice and Education Council requirements.
Before the review, the staff and management of Shining Starz 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 Shining Starz Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
7 May 2018
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 |
Titirangi, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25425 |
||
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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 |
30 children over 2 years of age |
||
|
Service roll |
38 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 25 Girls 13 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
April 2018 |
||
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Date of this report |
7 May 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2011 |
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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:
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.