159 A Russell Road, Manurewa, 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 The Treasure Cove 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 |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
The Treasure Cove Early Learning Centre is one of three services under the same ownership. A centre manager leads a team of six qualified staff, three teachers in training, six support staff and a chef. A quarter of the children attending are Māori, and there are a small number of Pacific learners. Most children are from a diverse multi-cultural community.
Children have many opportunities to experiment and invent. They make their own choices, show independence, and take leadership of their own learning. The stimulating home-like environments are rich in natural resources. Leaders and teachers are intentional in creating thoughtful learning environments that promote children’s exploration and discovery. These practices result in children demonstrating critical thinking and problem-solving skills in their learning.
There is a strong sense of connection and belonging at the centre. Teachers nurture children’s developing social competence and emotional wellbeing. They value children’s ideas and respond sensitively to their needs. Continuity in staffing and consistent caregiving have sustained strong relationships between teachers, children and families.
Effective transition into, and from the service supports and responds to each child, their parents, and whānau. A well-planned programme for older children supports their transition to school.
Teachers use te reo Māori through kupu, karakia, waiata and in creative arts. They seek advice and guidance from local iwi on how to appropriately incorporate tikanga Māori into their practice. Leaders and teachers are considering how they could work in collaboration with whānau and local iwi to provide a more responsive localised curriculum that reflects their community.
Teachers skilfully use the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to guide assessment, planning, and evaluation. They have identified the need to strengthen how well their practices respond to the languages and cultures of multicultural learners.
Leaders proactively support teachers to critically reflect on their daily practice through a systematic professional growth cycle. Effective use of a robust internal evaluation process enables leaders to support change and ongoing improvement. A coherent leadership approach guides regular professional learning and development opportunities for teachers. This contributes to ongoing and sustained improvements in teaching and operational practices.
The Treasure Cove Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of The Treasure Cove 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
8 December 2021
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
The Treasure Cove Early Learning Centre |
|
Profile Number |
25046 |
|
Location |
Manurewa, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 25 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable) |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
74 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 18, NZ European/Pākehā 33, Indian 8, Samoan 8, other Pacific 5, other ethnic groups 2 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
8 December 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, May 2018 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Treasure Cove Early Learning Centre is a well-established privately owned service. It is licensed to provide full-day education and care for up to 80 children, including up to 25 under two years old. Children learn in three age-related groups in two adjacent buildings. Children enrolled are from a diverse multi-cultural community. Most children are Māori, Pākehā or Samoan with small numbers from other Pacific, Indian and Asian groups.
The owner works collaboratively with the centre manager, who is supported by a team leader in each of the learning areas. They have established a sound management framework and strongly support the ongoing professional development of staff. Teachers reflect community diversity and celebrate families' cultural heritage. The manager, team leaders and six other staff are registered teachers. Many teachers are long-term staff members at the centre.
In 2013, ERO endorsed many positive aspects of the service including the quality of management systems, support for children's learning, provision for infants and skilful teaching teams. The service continues to develop the 'heart-centred' aspect of its philosophy, which supports teaching and learning approaches that strongly promote a sense of wellbeing and belonging for all. Centre leaders and teachers have responded positively to ERO’s 2013 suggestions for improvements, especially in relation to enhancing personnel management systems.
Children are happy and confident in the centre. They have trusting relationships with teachers and consistently engage in play that interests them. Toddlers and older children enthusiastically play in small groups, explore the outdoors, and often enjoy books. They interact and have fun with teachers and their peers. Children benefit from opportunities to engage with nature that reflect the value placed on 'nature's gifts' and promote many creative and imaginative play experiences. Their independence is fostered through opportunities to make choices and develop self-help skills.
Infants are nurtured very well. The caring teaching approaches and high adult-to-child ratios enable infants to quickly develop a sense of belonging in the centre. Capable teachers, who respect the competence of these very young children, enable them to explore independently, undertake physical challenges and develop relationships with others. Infants interact confidently with adults and are able to make choices about their play as they develop their mobility.
Teachers in all areas know children well. They consistently support play and encourage children to follow their interests. Teachers are responsive to children with additional learning needs and those with English as an additional language. They are committed to bicultural practices that promote te reo and tikanga Māori. Teachers support children effectively to transition into the centre and on to school.
Some good examples of teachers using children's interests to extend play or develop an ongoing project are evident. These good models could be useful in strengthening the team's focus on exploration goals. Strategies for the care and wellbeing of children are strongly embedded. There are now opportunities for teachers to develop further strategies to enhance the complexity of children's play.
Teachers discuss children's interests formally and informally, and plan their responses to overarching interests for each group of children. An increased focus on individual children's interests will help to develop continuity in learning stories. Teachers are beginning to use Te Whāriki 2017, the revised early childhood curriculum, to support planning. They value the ways in which Te Whāriki aligns with the centre's philosophy, which includes 'freedom of play as the engine for learning'. Teachers regularly evaluate programmes and recognise that they could be more explicit about learning outcomes for children.
Parents and whānau are an integral part of the centre's community and are encouraged to be active partners in children's learning. They are invited to centre events and excursions, to participate in surveys and reviews, and to contribute to cultural celebrations. Inclusive systems and open communication enable families to share their values and aspirations, photos and information about home experiences. Parents respond positively to the digital programme that allows extended family members to receive and comment on children's learning stories and photos.
The centre is well managed. The centre manager and team leaders operate the centre efficiently through a sound policy framework and appropriate health and safety systems. They work collaboratively with the owner to develop and monitor the centre's strategic direction. The strategic plan appropriately informs teachers' professional development, internal evaluation and appraisal goals. Internal evaluation is well established.
A well-defined appraisal process supports teachers to reflect on their practices and share learning. The teams communicate and collaborate well and contribute effectively to the overall running of the centre. A distributed leadership model provides further opportunities for development and responsibility.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps for development should include:
continuing to strengthen the planning focus on the Exploration strand of Te Whāriki 2017, and on the interests of individual children
continuing to develop responsive relationships and connections with the languages and cultures of centre families
enhancing the focus on significant learning outcomes for children in all aspects of evaluation, self review and reflection.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Treasure Cove 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 The Treasure Cove Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
28 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 |
Manurewa, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25046 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
71 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 33 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
18 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
March 2018 |
||
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Date of this report |
28 May 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2013 |
|
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.