Wonder Kids, Stratford

Education institution number:
50527
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
30
Telephone:
Address:

19 Miranda Street, Stratford

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Wonder Kids, Stratford

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence. 

ERO’s judgements for Wonder Kids, Stratford are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 
Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whāngai Establishing

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

This is one of seven services under common ownership. A centre manager is responsible for daily operations supported by the team and a general manager. At the time of the review a small number of enrolled children were Māori. Some progress has been made on the key next steps in ERO’s 2022 report.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a responsive curriculum that is focused on their interests and provides choice. Teachers respond to younger children’s cues, respectfully supporting care routines and allowing them to make decisions. Children interact as a mixed-age group, providing natural opportunities for development of tuakana-teina (older-younger child) and sibling relationships. 

The curriculum gives children opportunities to learn about their, and others, cultures through celebrations, languages, and resources. Te reo Māori is visible and sometimes heard in the environment and woven into assessment of children’s learning. Children experience aspects of tikanga Māori.

Teachers and leaders are working to build their collaborative knowledge and strengthen consistency of documentation of children’s learning. Planning systems are being implemented to clearly show how children’s learning has progressed over time. Assessment of children’s learning celebrates their success and is reflective of their home contexts. Parents are given opportunities to share aspirations and contribute to the curriculum. Teachers know children and their families well, contributing to children’s sense of belonging. 

Internal evaluation and review are improvement focused and lead to some positive changes in teacher and service practices. Relational trust is being built within the team to improve participation in evaluation and understanding of the impact of their actions on outcomes for children. 

The service continues to grow its involvement in the wider community to support the operational sustainability of the service. Leaders are yet to explore what matters most to the children, their families, staff and the wider community in order to develop learning priorities for the service.

4 Improvement actions

Wonder Kids, Stratford will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Strengthen consistency of assessment, planning and evaluation to show outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in relation to each child’s learning.
  • Review the service philosophy alongside the development of learning priorities to reflect the things that are most important to those involved in the service. 
  • Collaboratively engage in regular evaluation to know what improvement actions are working well and for which groups of children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Wonder Kids, Stratford completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

18 December 2023

6 About the Early Childhood Service 

Early Childhood Service NameWonder Kids, Stratford
Profile Number50527
LocationStratford
Service type Education and care service
Number licensed for 35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers80-99%
Service roll22
Review team on siteNovember 2023
Date of this report18 December 2023
Most recent ERO report(s)Akanuku | Assurance Review, December 2022
Previously reviewed as Topkids Stratford:Education Review, September 2017

Wonder Kids, Stratford

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesMeeting
Health and safetyMeeting
Governance, management and administrationMeeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Previously known as TopKids Stratford, this service changed ownership in March 2022. A small number of Māori children attend. A newly appointed centre manager and a team of teachers are supported by a general manager. The service’s philosophy emphasises whānau, confidence, honesty and respect.

Summary of Review Findings

Children experience a curriculum that is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Positive steps are taken to acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

Children experience a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance their learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. Their social competence and understanding of behaviour are supported through appropriate teaching practices.

Health and safety procedures are monitored, and changes made when required.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • increasing the opportunities children have to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts
  • developing the local curriculum and priorities for learning to reflect the things that are important to children and their families, staff and the wider community.
  • continuing to improve the extent to which staff respond to children’s interests and dispositions, and to parents’ aspirations through assessment, planning and evaluation information.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

21 December 2022

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service NameWonder Kids, Stratford
Profile Number50527
LocationStratford
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers80-99%
Service roll29
Review team on siteNovember 2022
Date of this report21 December 2022
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review, September 2017; Education Review, December 2014

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service
  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Topkids Stratford - 25/09/2017

1 Evaluation of Topkids Stratford

How well placed is Topkids Stratford 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

Topkids Stratford, formerly Rainbow Stratford, is one of nine early learning services in the Taranaki region, owned and operated by Best Start Educare Limited (BestStart). It provides an all-day service for a mixed age group of 35 children, including 10 aged up to two years. Almost half the children enrolled identify as Māori.

Significant changes in local and regional leadership have occurred since the December 2014 ERO report. A business manager and newly-appointed professional services manager oversee the centre. Daily operation and curriculum implementation are delegated to a centre manager who is supported by a head teacher. Most teaching staff are qualified. A cook and administrator are also employed. All food is provided.

The 2014 ERO review identified a number of areas requiring improvement. These included aspects of: teaching; parent partnership; cultural responsiveness; the bicultural curriculum; and assessment, planning and evaluation. Some progress is evident.

This review was part of a cluster of five reviews in the BestStart organisation.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from caring interactions with their teachers. The centre environment has undergone a number of positive recent changes with more planned, in consultation with the parent community. Health, wellbeing and active movement are strongly promoted. Teachers liaise with parents and outside agencies to support children with diverse needs.

The team have introduced a localised, place-based curriculum. Community excursions and events occur frequently. Professional leaders should support teachers to widen their range of teaching strategies to add further depth and complexity to children’s learning.

Children aged up to two years confidently explore alongside their older peers. Careful thought has gone into the redevelopment of their play and sleep areas so they can securely play while retaining connections with the wider group. Two designated teachers provide a sense of consistency in these young learners’ routines. Teachers are beginning to tailor their planned teaching approaches to individuals. ERO's evaluation affirms this direction.

Leaders and teachers demonstrate a commitment to further developing their understanding of te ao Māori and local tikanga for building a bicultural curriculum. Artefacts, resources and wall displays support children's learning in this area. A next step is for teachers to strengthen their use of meaningful te reo Māori in everyday conversations with children, and within assessment documentation.

Teachers look for opportunities to engage with local iwi and whānau Māori. Regular waiata sessions and visits to the local marae occur. Leaders agree that a next step is to strengthen these positive relationships into purposeful learning partnerships.

The centre has identified a need to redevelop their assessment, planning and evaluation. BestStart should support and monitor improvements. Documentation should clearly show how teachers:

  • plan specific, challenging teaching strategies that directly impact on children's learning
  • monitor children's progress over time
  • explicitly address parents' aspirations for their children's learning
  • draw on information about children's culture to inform assessment, planning and evaluation.

A recent focus on improving centre support for children's transition to school has been highly effective. Professional relationships have been built with local schools through involvement in cluster networks and the Central Taranaki Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning. A range of useful information is shared between teachers, school staff, whānau and children.

Self review is currently used for research and development. Leaders agree that they should now make the shift to internal evaluation of practice. The evaluative aspect should be strengthened through:

  • narrowing the scope of evaluations
  • linking data directly to measurable indicators of best practice
  • analysis of evidence to inform changes and make evaluative judgements.

Teachers are reflective, and engage in a range of professional learning opportunities. Useful frameworks guide mentoring and appraisal. Leaders have indicated that these processes are currently under review. This review should include consideration of:

  • specific and challenging goals and critical feedback and feed-forward
  • evidence to clearly demonstrate ongoing progress
  • targeted, individual teacher inquiry into the impact of their teaching practices on outcomes for children, including planning to promote the educational success of priority children.

BestStart managers are supportive and improvement focused. They use knowledge of current best practice to guide and inform change. In 2017 this support has been disrupted while new regional managers have been appointed. This process has been completed. New managers have shared their intention to resume regular support to individual centres through providing ongoing feedback on centre operation, feedback to teachers and regular professional development based on teacher needs and centre priorities.

Key Next Steps

BestStart management and centre leaders have identified that key next steps are to:

  • continue to strengthen assessment, evaluation and planning processes
  • further strengthen appraisal
  • strengthen understanding and implementation of internal evaluation practices
  • explore targeted strategies to promote the educational success of priority learners.

ERO agrees with these priorities. In addition ERO identifies the need for teachers to:

  • explore and implement an extended range of teaching strategies
  • build their confidence in using te reo Māori.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Topkids Stratford 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 Topkids Stratford will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

25 September 2017

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

LocationStratford
Ministry of Education profile number50527
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Service roll57
Gender compositionBoys 34, Girls 23
Ethnic compositionMāori
Pākehā
Other ethnic groups
27
27 
3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:5Meets minimum requirements
Over 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteAugust 2017
Date of this report25 September 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education ReviewDecember 2014
Education ReviewMarch 2012
Supplementary ReviewOctober 2009

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.