BestStart Dilworth Avenue

Education institution number:
10141
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
68
Telephone:
Address:

7 Dilworth Avenue, Remuera, Auckland

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Small World - 01/09/2016

1 Evaluation of Small World

How well placed is Small World 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

Small World is located in Remuera, Auckland. It is an attractive purpose-built education and care centre providing an all-day service for up to 80 children from three months to school age. Five rooms cater for the different ages of children. This is the first ERO review of Small World as a merged licence.

The centre is part of the national BestStart Education and Care Centres organisation, which provides an overarching governance and management framework as well as personnel to support individual centres. A centre manager and two head teachers provide leadership within the centre. They are supported by the BestStart professional services manager and the business manager.

At the time of the 2013 ERO reviews most staff were new to the centre and the managers were focused on developing the teaching teams and building relationships with parents. ERO identified the need to strengthen planning for groups and individuals and to improve self review. Since 2013 the centre has undergone further leadership and staff changes.

The centre philosophy is based on Te Whāriki, the Early Childhood Curriculum and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. It is based on the belief that children learn through play and that learning and development are fostered through children's dispositions and interests and by teachers extending children's experiences.

The programme is enhanced by three external providers who support children's physical development, imagination and language, and social competence.

The Review Findings

Children and their families benefit from positive and supportive relationships with teachers. Families are warmly welcomed and teachers take time to settle children into the programme. The pace is unhurried and relaxed. The cultures of the children are well supported in the centre's programme and all children are able to learn about aspects of Māori culture. Where possible teachers use children's home languages.

Teachers in the infant/toddler rooms communicate daily with parents and follow children's individual routines. They interact with children in ways that respect them as capable and competent learners. Oral language development is well supported through positive interactions. Older children play cooperatively in small groups and engage in creative and imaginative play. They ask questions and work together well to solve problems. They are confident to share their knowledge and ideas and spend time in focused activities of their choice. Children of all ages have opportunities to engage in a wide variety of challenging activities.

Teachers are making better use of the centre environment to engage children. They make informed decisions about the resources children can access and how they are presented. Teachers provide open-ended activities that allow children to direct their own play. Teachers model ways to use equipment and encourage children’s participation in activities.

Good progress is being made to plan programmes for groups and individuals based on teachers' knowledge of the children. Teachers know the children well and capably assess their learning. Parents value the use of electronic communications to share information about children's learning. 

Teachers regularly seek input from parents. They use this information well to make improvements to centre practices. Teachers review centre procedures, and BestStart ensures that policies are current and relevant. Centre leaders could now consider how they might encourage a more evaluative approach to self review by focusing on the evaluative questions that the review sets out to answer.

The centre manager is an effective leader. She provides good support to improve teacher practice. BestStart has high professional expectations of teachers and there is an effective teacher appraisal system in place. Professional learning and development is linked to strategic and appraisal goals. Leadership opportunities are provided and staff are supported to develop relevant skills.

Small World is well governed and managed. BestStart has useful systems for monitoring service operations. These systems include holding regular management meetings and using the internal audit process (QEC), to identify challenges and develop plans for improvement. Centre managers use these tools to guide and support on-going improvement. The centre's strategic plan is well thought through. It is informed through parent consultation and internal audit processes.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre managers agree that the children at the centre would benefit from:

  • continuing to improve the quality of planning, assessment and evaluation of the programme to support the learning of groups and individuals
  • using care routines to maximize learning opportunities of infants and toddlers
  • making self-review processes more evaluative. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Small World 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 Small World will be in three years. 

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

1 September 2016 

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

Remuera, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

10141

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

82 children, including up to 17 aged under 2

Service roll

89

Gender composition

Boys      49
Girls       40

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Chinese
Indian
British
Latin American
Australian
Korean
Pacific
Middle Eastern
other European

  1
40
27
  5
  3
  3
  2
  2
  2
  1
  3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

July 2016

Date of this report

1 September 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2013

Education Review

March 2010

Education Review

May 2007

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. 

Small World - 19/06/2013

1 Evaluation of the Service

How well placed is the service to promote positive outcomes for children?

With ongoing support, the service is well placed to sustain and continue building on current good practices.

Context

Small World Tahi is located in Remuera, Auckland. It is an attractive purpose-built education and care centre catering for children up to two and a half years of age. Children learn in three separate learning spaces, according to age groups. Small World Rua, in the same complex, caters for older children.

Since the 2010 ERO review the centre has been purchased by Kidicorp, who provide the centre with management systems and leadership support. Managers’ current goals are to establish a collaborative professional teaching team and to strengthen partnerships with families. At the time of this ERO review most staff were new to the centre.

ERO’s previous review identified the centre as high quality. The ERO report included areas for development and review, such as improving programme management processes and involving families in contributing to children’s assessment records. The recently appointed centre leaders are committed to supporting staff to improve practices in these areas.

Review Findings

Children are well supported to develop feelings of security and belonging through carefully managed settling procedures, small group sizes and low adult-to-child ratios. Teachers help children to play positively together and to learn social skills. Adults respond respectfully to infant and toddler cues and communication.

Children receive good support for language development. Their learning is fostered by responsive adults who value children’s ideas and decision making. Some teachers are particularly skilled at engaging in conversations with children and extending their thinking abilities. Children engage in activities of their own choosing.

The Tahi centre has an inviting outdoor area that is easily accessible from the indoor rooms. A suitable range of resources and equipment is available to capture children’s interest.

Individual child assessment diaries and portfolios provide a good record of children’s time at the centre. Learning displays increasingly reflect children’s individual interests.

Centre managers have identified the need to refine planning and assessment processes to increase and add greater complexity to children’s learning. It would also be useful to find ways to include parents’ goals and aspirations for their children in developing assessment practices.

Teachers work well as a team. Regular staff meetings and spontaneous self review are beginning to guide centre improvements. The team is currently reviewing the centre philosophy and has involved parents in this process. Kidicorp managers visit the centre regularly and provide good professional learning opportunities and support for staff.

Some teachers use te reo Māori as part of their conversations with children during the course of the day. Others are building their confidence and understanding about how to implement bicultural programmes. Managers have appropriate plans to develop teachers’ confidence and understanding of te ao Māori.

Kidicorp management systems and policies are beginning to guide centre practices effectively. Regular discussion amongst staff often results in thoughtful improvements to learning programmes in each room. The leadership team has developed a strategic plan to improve all aspects of centre operations. It would be useful to link teachers’ professional development to specific centre priorities as well as to personal appraisal goals.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre leaders agree that the key next steps for centre development are to:

  • strengthen teaching practices so that staff engage children more consistently in language that promotes their learning
  • refine documentation so that it clearly shows teachers’ planning for individual and group interests
  • improve self review and critique in all aspects of centre operations so that the findings can be used to inform centre-wide planning.

2 Legal Requirements

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the management of Small World Tahi 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:

  • administration
  • health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial and property management.

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.

3 Next Review

When is ERO likely to review the early childhood service again?

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

19 June 2013

Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Remuera, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

10141

Licence type

All Day Education and Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998

Number licensed for

32 children, including up to 17 aged under 2

Service roll

34

Gender composition

Girls 18

Boys 16

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā

Asian

Indian

25

8

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Exceeds minimum requirements

 

Over 2

Not applicable

 

Review team on site

April 2013

Date of this report

19 June 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

March 2010

May 2007

March 2004

General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

About ERO Reviews

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

Review focus

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:

  • 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 self review and partnerships with parents and whānau.

Review Coverage

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.