Tippytoes Childcare

Education institution number:
10359
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
30
Telephone:
Address:

60-62 Reelick Avenue, Pakuranga, Auckland

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Tippytoes Childcare

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 Tippytoes Childcare 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

Tippytoes Childcare is a privately owned service led by the owner and centre manager. The centre vision and philosophy emphasise a home like environment where families and children have a sense of belonging and whanaungatanga. Under a third of children attending are of Māori heritage.

3 Summary of findings

Children’s learning and development is nurtured in a calm, unhurried and responsive environment. Teachers respond to children’s verbal and non-verbal cues. Oral language is prioritised. Children with additional learning needs are well supported. All children are viewed as confident and competent learners where their independence is promoted.

Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are visible throughout the learning environment. Teachers role model these in daily routines and learning experiences with children, parents and whānau. Children experience some aspects of their own and other cultures through celebrations of important cultural events. The cultures and languages of each child are being strengthened through planning and curriculum.

A range of approaches are introduced to broaden assessment for children’s learning. Respectful relationships with parents promote opportunities for them to contribute to ongoing planning and be involved in their child’s learning. Teachers have identified strengthening the assessment and monitoring of children’s learning and fore fronting of learning outcomes from Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum is a next step.

Leaders and teachers work collaboratively to develop professional knowledge and expertise to design and implement a curriculum for all children. Teachers communicate effectively across the service, and within each environment, to enhance children’s learning. Internal evaluation practices continue to be refined. These practices support them to identify improved outcomes for children as a result of changes in practice.

Management purposefully works to provide conditions for quality education and care. Prioritising of teacher capability and leadership enables collective responsibility for children’s learning.  Working with external agencies supports the wellbeing of all children.

4 Improvement actions

Tippytoes Childcare will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • teachers to support and strengthen children’s cultural identity, learner identity and language by regularly reflecting each child’s culture and language within written documentation

  • build teacher capability to forefront the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum as the basis to demonstrate children’s progress in learning over time.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tippytoes Childcare 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.

6 Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • ensuring the child protection policy contains all elements required to meet the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care services, 2008: HS31.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

12 July 2023 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Tippytoes Childcare

Profile Number

10359

Location

Pakuranga, Auckland 

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

28 children, including up to 12 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

27

Review team on site

April 2023

Date of this report

12 July 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, August 2019; Education Review, November 2014

 

Tippytoes Childcare - 08/08/2019

1 Evaluation of Tippytoes Childcare

How well placed is Tippytoes Childcare to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Tippytoes Childcare is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Tippytoes Childcare is a well-established service in Pakuranga. It is licensed for 40 children, including a maximum of 20 under two years of age. Children learn in three separate age-group rooms.

There are 18 staff employed by the service, 10 of whom are registered teachers. The majority of staff are long serving. A manager oversees centre operations and administration. The recently appointed curriculum manager supports and mentors teachers with professional practice and documentation. She is supported by supervisors who oversee the daily programme in each room.

A whole-centre philosophy guides governance and management. Each room has a philosophy statement that distinguishes beliefs and practices for the three age groups. The aspirations of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, guide programmes.

Managers and staff have maintained the strengths and addressed areas for development identified in the 2014 ERO report.

The Review Findings

Teachers promote a curriculum that is strengths based. They value play as a way of learning and encourage children to lead their own learning. As a result, children are engaged and creative, and confidently try out new experiences. Managers' deliberate decision to have small numbers of children in each of the three rooms has contributed to the good quality learning experiences for children.

Children have a strong sense of belonging and know adults are there to support them. They engage in activities and projects for sustained periods. Children have access to good quality resources, and competently explore the environment to support and extend their play. One of the key features of the service is the flexible and adaptable programme that supports equitable opportunities for children with additional learning and developmental needs.

Māori children experience stories from their culture, and teachers use te reo Māori during programme. Māori symbols and art are evident in the environment. Teachers are using resources to help them increase their use of te reo Māori during group times. A group of teachers have taken the leadership role in strengthening bicultural practices. More consistently including te reo in spontaneous interactions and developing a long-term goal to reflect this centre-wide focus, are appropriate next steps.

There is good support for children's oral language development. Displays at children's level that show learning stories and depict centre events enable children to revisit and have conversations about their experiences. Children for whom English is an additional language can hear their heritage language spoken by teachers. This supports their cultural identity.

Children up to the age of three years have an individualised curriculum that is flexible and influenced by temperament, health, and routines. This is further supported by teachers with specialised knowledge and practice knowing children well and working in close partnership with whānau. Children have many opportunities for learning, and are secure in the knowledge that there is a familiar adult nearby.

Teachers are collaborative and collegial. They seek parents’ aspirations for their children’s learning during conversations, and this contributes to positive relationships with whānau. The online communication portal has also successfully strengthened communications, and enables teachers to share information about children's engagement in the programme. Leaders agree that documenting parents' aspirations would enhance children's learning records.

Teachers' professional development has helped them to strengthen learning support for children and partnerships with families. Improved practices have benefitted children from diverse cultures, and those with additional learning needs.

Managers are improvement focused and provide effective leadership. They work collaboratively with teachers to promote shared team approaches. A new staff appraisal process provides opportunities for teachers to reflect on and develop their practices. Managers now need to implement and embed this appraisal process.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps for managers and teachers include:

  • continuing to strengthen programme planning and evaluation

  • establishing specific goals for increasing the integration of bicultural practices

  • refining strategic goals and associated annual planning, to support ongoing improvements

  • implementing teacher appraisal processes that align with Teaching Council requirements.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tippytoes Childcare 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

8 August 2019

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

Pakuranga, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

10359

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 20 aged under 2

Service roll

44

Gender composition

Boys 24 Girls 20

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
other European
other ethnic groups

5
28
5
6

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

May 2019

Date of this report

8 August 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

November 2014

Education Review

September 2011

Education Review

September 2008

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed

  • Well placed

  • Requires further development

  • Not well placed

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.