39 MacDonald Street, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga
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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.
Topkids Mount is situated in Mount Manganui in the Western Bay of Plenty. It is an all-day education and care centre licensed for 105 children including up to 16 aged under two years. It operates three age-based rooms catering for infants, toddlers and young children. At the time of this review there were 99 children enrolled, mostly of Māori and Pākehā descent and including a small number of other nationalities.
Since the last ERO review in 2015 the governing organisation has changed its name from Kidicorp to BestStart Educare Limited and has become a not-for-profit organisation. A professional service manager and business manager provide support for the centre. The centre operates under the Central North Island Waikato regional management team within BestStart.
The philosophy of the centre places priority on providing a secure, safe, happy environment where children learn through their interests and at their own pace. Children and their families are respected and reciprocal relationships are valued.
The centre has responded positively to the next steps identified in the 2015 ERO report. Processes for intentional teaching practices have been developed. Staffing has remained relatively consistent with minimal changes. Some teachers are long serving.
This review was part of a cluster of four reviews in the BestStart Educare Limited Central North Island region.
Children, their families and teachers enjoy trusting, respectful and reciprocal relationships. Positive relationships are integral to learning and foster children's sense of belonging and emotional wellbeing. Inclusive practices promote equitable opportunities for children who require additional learning support. There is an established centre culture where children develop close friendships, their communication skills and social competencies.
Children experience a meaningful and well-designed play-based curriculum. Transitions into, within the centre and on to school are responsive to children's wellbeing. Children participate in rich curriculum experiences that include trips into the local community and opportunities to participate in optional activities such as swimming lessons. Literacy, mathematics and other curriculum areas are integrated into a well-prepared environment that supports children to actively explore and investigate.
Credit-based, holistic assessment practices support children to develop their confidence and view themselves as capable learners. Planning is individualised, based on children's interests and strengths and shows their successes and progress in learning.
Intentional teaching practices promote positive outcomes for children. Centre strengths include:
teachers engaging children in learning conversations that purposefully extend their creative thinking and support dispositional learning
personalised care for infants and toddlers where teachers tune into their non-verbal communication and cues
interactions that empower children to take on leadership, self regulate, problem solve, inquire and research
ongoing opportunities for children to extend and revisit their learning.
The centre has strong leadership. Internal evaluation processes focus on improving outcomes for children's learning and wellbeing. Te reo and tikanga and te ao Māori are more visible in the environment, as a result. However, leadership and teachers recognise this is an area for continued development.
BestStart's vison is to make a positive difference in the lives of children. Governance and management have developed clear strategic goals with guidelines and expectations for centre practice and curriculum. Regional leadership and management support centre leaders and teachers to enact the vision and goals of the service. There are comprehensive, well-established systems and practices to monitor, evaluate and plan for improvement across the organisation.
The centre should continue to develop:
assessment and planning practices that are highly responsive to children's language, culture and identity, particularly for Māori tamariki
a strategic approach to implementing Te Whāriki, Early childhood curriculum.
Before the review, the staff and management of Topkids Mount 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 Topkids Mount will be in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
26 October 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.
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Location |
Tauranga |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30028 |
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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 |
105 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
99 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 50 Girls 49 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
34 |
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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 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2018 |
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Date of this report |
26 October 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
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Education Review |
September 2012 |
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Education Review |
September 2009 |
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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.
Topkids Mount Maunganui receives comprehensive governance and management from Best Start Educare Centres (formerly Kidicorp), a charitable trust. BestStart education and care centres have a shared vision, purpose and values designed to provide positive outcomes for children. This centre's philosophy is based on building strong and reciprocal relationships, fostering respect and trust amongst family and whānau. The individuality of babies, toddlers and young children is recognised and valued in a supportive nurturing environment for education and care.
Topkids Mount Maunganui is a purpose-built centre catering for children from 3 months to five years. There are three age-appropriate rooms providing education and care. Toptots under 2 years, Topkids 2 to 3 years and Kindykids 3 to 4 years. Each room has a designated head teacher and teachers who know the children well and are familiar with their routines.
The centre is licensed for 120 including 22 under the age of two. The current roll is 116 with children from a wide number of cultural groups. The centre operates from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
The centre manager has been leading the centre for one year and she is responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the centre. The majority of the teachers employed by the centre are fully qualified and two teachers are in training. Support staff, including the office administrator and the cook, contribute to children's wellbeing and the smooth running of the centre. Children receive nutritious morning and afternoon teas, and lunches.
Since the 2012 ERO review there have been significant upgrades of the centre's environments for learning. Teachers are receiving ongoing professional development, led by the professional services manager in collaboration with the centre manager. The focus has been on biculturalism and noticing, recognising and responding to children's learning and play. The principles of ‘Be School Ready,’ independence, communication and transition are being increasingly integrated across the centre programme.
The centre has a positive reporting history with ERO.
Best Start Educare Centre has well-developed systems to support centre operations, and to promote development. Business and professional services managers provide strong and effective support and guidance to the centre manager. The centre’s strategic plan implements the key focus areas set by the company in its strategic plan. Currently these are about learning environments and leadership. The trust places high priority on the professional learning and development of its staff.
Professional leadership is strong and effective. Leaders introduce and share current theory and research about best practice. The professional services manager liaises regularly with the centre manager and provides evaluative reports for each of the three teaching teams. These reports provide clear direction for the centre manager who works collaboratively with her teachers to bring about development in the identified areas. More recently there has been focused development on biculturalism and teaching and assessment practices to improve learning outcomes for children. Collectively, leaders provide well-informed leadership for teachers and support staff.
Professional learning is valued, and accessible for all staff. Teachers are benefiting from relevant and ongoing professional learning that is closely aligned with the centre's developing appraisal process. Teaching staff develop specific and measurable goals, and there is an expectation that they will inquire into the effectiveness of their practice and document evidence of their progress. There are ongoing opportunities for teachers to meet with their appraiser to share evidence and good practice. When fully implemented the appraisal process is likely to bring about high levels of professional growth for leaders, teachers and support staff.
Teachers are committed to the development of trusting and reciprocal relationships. These are well developed and highly evident in the life of the centre. Parent voice is valued. The centre manager along with head teachers are engaging parents in their children's learning, in a variety of ways. A key strategy has been the use of digital technology, which enables parents to have immediate access to information about their child’s daily involvement learning and development.
Teachers know children and their families well. They are vigilant and responsive to children's care needs, and respond to the cues, and non-verbal language of babies, toddlers and young children. Practice is respectful of individual differences.
The centre manager with support from the professional services manager is working collaboratively with head teachers and teaching staff to develop a more learner-centred curriculum. Parents’ aspirations have been sought and this has led to a strong dispositional focus in the curriculum. Features of the curriculum that support children are:
The programme and learning environments closely reflect and align with principles and dispositions of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
The next steps are for leaders to work collaboratively with teaching staff, to identify and consistently implement more intentional teaching practices to deepen and extend children's learning and thinking.
Before the review, the staff and management of Topkids Mount 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 Topkids Mount will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
22 December 2015
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 |
Mount Maunganui |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30028 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
120 children, including up to 22 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
116 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 53% Girls 47% |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Pacific Other European Other |
23% 70% 1% 1% 3% 2% |
|
|
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 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2015 |
||
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Date of this report |
22 December 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2009 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2006 |
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.