25 Walters Road, Takanini, Auckland
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.
Takanini Early Learning Centre, previously known as Kids Count, Takanini is licensed for 50 children over two years of age. Most children are of Māori heritage, and there are smaller numbers of children from Pacific nations. The centre offers sessional and full-time care, education and programmes.
The centre's philosophy values the bicultural heritage of New Zealand, focuses on the right of every child to reach their potential and has a commitment to working in partnership with parents. Most of the children enrolled use the centre's free transport service and attend sessions for 20 hours a week.
Staffing continues to be stable. A long serving staff member became the centre manager in 2015. The centre employs nine staff. They include five qualified teachers, three of whom are fully certificated. The centre operates two age related rooms, one for the two to three year olds and one for the four year olds. Each room is led by a head teacher.
Takanini Early Learning Centre operates under the umbrella of the Evolve Education Group. Evolve organisation provides a policy and management framework and a range of support systems, to meet the needs of each service. Daily centre operations are delegated to the centre manager. Occasional cluster meetings with other Evolve centres provide a support network for centre leaders.
The centre manager and staff have made some progress in the development areas identified in the 2014 ERO report. These include implementing more robust self review, improving annual planning and continuing to build learning partnerships with parents and whānau.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews of services in the Evolve Education Group.
Children enjoy opportunities to learn alongside their peers and with adults. They share warm relationships with teachers, settle quickly, and develop social skills through friendships. Children are encouraged to learn self-management through routines and positive guidance.
Teachers provide a variety of activities for children to learn early literacy and mathematics skills. The environment reflects a bicultural curriculum and the languages and cultures of the children. Teachers should continue to review how teaching practices could extend children's learning and language development.
Teachers are developing a shared understanding of a child-centred curriculum. They work collaboratively as a team to support children's wellbeing. Teachers know children well and access external assistance to ensure that children with special needs and their families are appropriately supported. Programme planning is based on observations of children's interests and strengths. Records of children's learning are variable in quality. Teachers should continue to develop their reflective practice to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning.
Teachers have recently developed internal evaluation processes that are influencing the strategic direction of the centre. Staff are continuing to strengthen parent and whānau participation in children's learning. Teachers should continue to deepen internal evaluation to improve outcomes for children and build individual children's capacity to lead their own learning. They should review the transition to school programme to build on children's dispositions for learning and provide more opportunities to challenge children's thinking.
The centre manager has established a teacher appraisal process that meets Education Council requirements and is aligned to the strategic plan. There is good mentoring support in place to assist provisionally certificated teachers to progress to full certification. External mentoring for staff would be beneficial for continuing to develop their leadership capability.
The Evolve Education Group is in a phase of continuing growth and development. A strategic vision and plan have been developed and provide a starting point for each centre's strategic planning. The organisation has a strong commitment to consultation with the community of each centre, to the professional development of staff and to the integration of bicultural practices throughout the service.
This ERO review finds that improved networking and support from within the Evolve Education Group should support staff to progress and sustain these early developments.
Managers agree that next steps for centre include:
professional development for teachers to support the implementation of an effective internal evaluation process
curriculum leadership that enables teachers to deepen and embed quality teaching practice.
Evolve leaders recognise that they need to place a stronger focus on the quality of teaching in order to improve outcomes for children. They plan to clarify leadership roles and review systems for teachers' performance management.
Before the review, the staff and management of Takanini 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 Takanini Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
31 August 2017
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 |
Takanini, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25428 |
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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 |
50 children over two years of age |
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Service roll |
66 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 37; Boys 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
24 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
July 2017 |
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Date of this report |
31 August 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
November 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
October 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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
This is one of four Kids Count centres based in South Auckland. Kids Count Limited provides organisational policy and procedural guidelines for its centres. The centre uses additional Ministry of Education funding to implement a 'wrap around' service. This support includes transport for most children to attend the centre, providing assistance to families who traditionally have had difficulty in accessing early childhood education. A family liaison officer connects with families, promotes adult education, and provides support for wider family situations.
Kids Count – Takanini offers full-time and sessional education and care for up to 50 children between the ages of two and five years. Most children attend for the 20 hours that are offered free. The centre consists of a diverse and multicultural community. Most of the children enrolled are Māori and/or are Pacific.
The centre was last reviewed by ERO in October 2011. Since then, teachers have improved assessment and planning process and have developed an environment that invites children to explore and learn. The centre owner continues to be fully involved in the daily operation of the centre. Along with staff, she has engaged in professional development to improve outcomes for children. Health and safety issues noted in the 2011 ERO review have now been addressed.
Teachers know children and their families well. They are responsive to children’s ideas and are supportive of their play. Respectful relationships, nurturing interactions, and the influence ofTe Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, underpin learning programmes for children. The centre has a particular focus on supporting children’s transition to school.
Children are confident, capable and they communicate well. They are engaged, caring and sociable learners who are eager to learn, play cooperatively, and seek out the company of their teachers and peers. Children make choices about their play and are encouraged to develop their creative and physical skills. They enjoy opportunities to learn early concepts about science, literacy and mathematics in the well-resourced centre environment.
Teachers help to stimulate and sustain the play of the mixed ages of children attending. The centre has a relaxed atmosphere and an inclusive and welcoming tone. Routines are well managed. Displays and resources reflect the multicultural backgrounds of the children. Children have good access to outside learning experiences and, in addition, are able to enjoy time playing with their siblings.
Teachers notice children’s interests and use these as a basis for their planning. Group planning is displayed for parents’ information and teachers encourage them to contribute. Children’s assessment portfolios have rich information about the child’s learning and development. Teachers could further develop their evaluation of the effectiveness of planning strategies in enriching children’s thinking and in increasing the complexity of their play.
The centre owner has a strong commitment to providing a good quality service and ongoing improvements in teaching and learning. The centre is managed effectively and has efficient administration systems. Centre managers are supportive of teachers, and are aware of their strengths and leadership abilities. Teachers work as a collegial, cohesive team. Centre managers are aware that self-review processes could be strengthened and better documented.
Managers, staff and the family liaison officer actively encourage parents’ partnership in the centre. Staff engage families in regular discussions about their child’s progress and development. Pacific languages and cultures are valued and supported. Cultural diversity is acknowledged and celebrated. Te reo and tikanga Māori are embedded in centre practices and staff promote success for Māori children.
The centre manager and ERO agree that next steps could include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kids Count - Takanini 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.
The next ERO review of Kids Count - Takanini will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
7 November 2014
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 |
Takanini, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25428 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
97 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 61 Girls 36 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Cook Island Māori Indian Samoan Cambodian Fijian Tongan |
46 15 14 11 5 3 2 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 |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
October 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
7 November 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2011 |
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.