Busy Bees Pakuranga 1

1 Evaluation of Tinytown Pakuranga 1 Learning Centre

How well placed is Tinytown Pakuranga 1 Learning Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Tinytown Pakuranga 1 Learning Centre is one of three centres operating within a purpose-built complex in Pakuranga. It is part of the Tinytown organisation which also operates early childhood centres in Otahuhu and Mt Wellington. This centre has three rooms providing education and care for children from birth to school age.

The centre has been operating for many years under the guidance of the owners. It offers Christian-based, full day and sessional education and care for 75 children with 50 up to two years of age. While the largest group of children are NZ European/Pākehā, the centre also caters for a large number of children from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. Staff also reflect a range of cultures. The majority of teachers are qualified.

Children are grouped according to age in three rooms. The youngest children have a separate outdoor play area but the older children are able to freely move between the rooms and share a large outdoor space.

The owners provide governance and management services for the centre, including personnel and financial management. They also provide a framework of policies and procedures to guide practices. A centre manager takes responsibility for the day to day operation and management of programmes and teachers.

The 2013 ERO report on Tinytown Pakuranga 1 Learning Centre identified good relationships between teachers and children, a focus on the use of te reo Māori in the programme and appropriate opportunities for families to talk to teachers about their children’s development over time.

The report also recommended improving the curriculum and self review, and urged the owners to invest in professional development for teachers. Most of these matters have been addressed within the last year.

The Review Findings

The appointment of a new manager is beginning to significantly improve the quality of practices within the centre. Teachers are starting to use better ways of planning for the children. They are finding more ways to include children’s ideas and preferences as part of decision-making about the programme. While these changes are still in the early stages, there is evidence that teachers’ understanding about child-centred learning is becoming usefully embedded.

Children and their families are relaxed and confident with their teachers. Many teachers have been recruited in part because of their ethnic backgrounds. Teachers’ use of children’s home languages makes a positive difference to children settling easily. Transitions into and through the centre are sound. Parents expressed their confidence in the centre to provide well for their children.

Teachers use te reo Māori naturally as part of their work. Some teachers are considering the positive step of further external professional development to strengthen their understanding of te Ao Māori, the Māori world view. The manager is developing links with the wider Māori community to support this aspect of the centre’s work.

Teachers are beginning to share their thinking about their practice and to reflect on their teaching. Encouragement from the manager has had a positive effect on the ways that teachers view children as capable and competent learners. Teachers are beginning to recognising learning from children’s play. They are starting to support children’s play ideas more effectively. These are positive developments that teachers should continue to develop.

The environment has been improved. Teachers’ visits to a variety of centres have encouraged them to focus more closely on improving the environment for children’s learning. Clearly defined areas for play give children a sense of order and the expectation that they can access resources independently. Teachers could help children to understanding why respect for the environment matters by talking to the children about taking care with resources. The centre is well equipped with growing number of natural furnishings and materials.

Assessment and planning processes are established. As teaching practices change, teachers should consider how best to evaluate the difference their work is making to children’s learning. This would be a useful way of giving teachers confidence about their work.

Governance of the centre continues to be rigorous and well organised. Policies have started to be upgraded to reflect the new requirements for health and safety. It would be useful for the owners to clarify the documentation of procedures for staff to follow and displaying them in working spaces. The owners are considering providing more external professional development for teachers as part of a new appraisal system developed to match the Education Council requirements of registered teachers.

Key Next Steps

ERO and management agree that teachers should continue to:

• use self review as a tool to guide their practice and to make evaluative judgements about the quality of teaching and learning
• have opportunities through appraisal and professional development to progress their thinking as early childhood educators
• gain more understanding of children’s strengths and interests and their development over time, as the foundation for providing meaningful programmes.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tinytown Pakuranga 1 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:

• 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 Tinytown Pakuranga 1 Learning Centre will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

14 August 2015

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

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.