1 Jonathan Place, Sunnynook, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Our Family Early Learning Ltd is located in Sunnynook on the North Shore. It was previously known as Prodigy Centre - Forrest Hill. The centre provides sessional and all day education and care for children over 2 years of age and is licensed for 35 children.
Our Family Early Learning Ltd is privately owned and operates in a converted house. The current owner had managed the centre for nine years before purchasing it in October 2016. She is committed to building strong relationships, and strengthening learning partnerships with whānau. This is the centre’s first ERO report under the new ownership.
The centre has a long-serving team of qualified teachers who reflect the centre’s multicultural community, and are able to communicate with parents in their home language. Curriculum development and implementation are led by the teaching team.
Centre leaders have responded positively to development priorities noted in the 2014 ERO report. These were to do with strengthening planning and assessment, and parent education on the value of play.
Children enjoy inclusive, respectful relationships with adults who support their learning. They play cooperatively, and initiate imaginative play. The environment is well-resourced and attractively presented. Children have easy access to indoor and outdoor play spaces, and they respond positively to the transitions and rhythms of the day.
Children’s work is valued, and teachers recognise children as capable, confident learners. Opportunities for learning about literacy, numeracy and science are integrated into play. Children's self-management and independence is encouraged, and thus helping them to take a more active role in progressing their own learning. The ‘ready for school’ programme identifies skills and ways of learning to help children make a positive transition to school.
Children show a strong sense of belonging in the centre. Their cultural identity and language is recognised and nurtured by teachers who reflect the multicultural community. Leaders and teachers are committed to building bicultural practice in the centre. Teachers confidently use te reo Māori during the session, and integrate the language into children’s play and group activities. Children respond enthusiastically, and are learning to count, recognise colours and sing waiata.
Inclusive relationships with families are fostered. Teachers provide opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s progress, and share ideas and aspirations for future learning. Parents can access their child’s learning journey records through an online portal.
Leaders model effective teaching and learning practice. Teachers have a good understanding of Te Whāriki, the early education curriculum. They work collegially, and the team’s relationships are based on trust and respect. Professional learning offers teachers opportunities to develop their knowledge and capability. Managers encourage teachers to take leadership responsibilities. Internal evaluation is valued and used to promote professional dialogue. Current internal evaluation is supporting teachers to better respond to children’s interests.
The centre manager/owner is conscientious, and is eager to ensure the sustainability of the centre. A clear vision and well-considered strategic plan drives continual improvement. The cohesive team of staff supports the owner’s initiatives. Teachers’ ability to connect and communicate with the local community is a valuable asset for the centre. A sound system of policies and procedures underpins practice.
The centre manager and teachers agree that key next steps include continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Our Family Early Learning Ltd 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 Our Family Early Learning Ltd will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
6 December 2017
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 |
Sunnynook, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20050 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
35 children over 2 years of age |
||
|
Service roll |
35 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 15 Boys 20 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
October 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
6 December 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2008 |
||
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.
Prodigy Centre – Forrest Hill, located in Sunnynook on the North Shore, is one of a network of four centres in Auckland. The network provides administration support for the centre. The centre offers all day care and education in a converted villa. The centre relicensed in November 2013 to increase its numbers to cater for 32 children over the age of two years.
The centres philosophy is founded on providing children with experiences based on their interests and learning styles.
The fully qualified staff has been together for several years. Staff members reflect the centre’s multi-cultural community and are able to communicate with parents in their home languages.
The supervisor and teachers have responded positively to the 2010 ERO report and have implemented closer partnerships with whānau Māori and implemented strategies to increase challenge and complexity in children’s learning.
Children are busy and engaged with their activities and in play. Teachers implement strategies to ensure children are confident and happy at the centre. Some of these strategies include:
The supervisor and her staff value self review to support ongoing centre improvement and provide positive outcomes for children. Self-review processes include an emphasis on making links between parent perspectives, current educational research and good early childhood education (ECE) practice. Self review has resulted in teachers emphasising individual children’s learning.
The supervisor is an effective leader. She uses teachers’ curriculum strengths to provide good outcomes for children. Teachers have opportunities to experience leadership roles to support the sustainability of centre initiatives.
The centre philosophy is highly evident in centre practices. Children’s strengths and interests are extended through the variety of learning experiences offered. There is a focus on developing children's literacy, mathematical and scientific knowledge and skills in age-related groups. ERO recommends teachers review this practice in line with current ECE research to do with children learning through play contexts. It would be useful to share the outcomes of this review with parents.
Teachers do in-depth planning for children's age-related group learning goals. These goals are based on increasing the group’s skills and knowledge in English language, mathematics and fine motor control. Children’s ongoing development of their goals in these areas is well documented in portfolios of learning. Children would benefit from having their ongoing interests and dispositions for learning also identified, planned for and assessed. This would increase the focus on children's individual all round progress.
Partnerships with families are valued and parents have many opportunities to be included in their child’s learning. The supervisor and teachers have identified that they would like to make the philosophy more visible to families within the centre environment.
The bi-cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand is respected and highly evident in the environment. Children are encouraged to learn te reo Māori through waiata and traditional activities. The multi-cultural centre community is celebrated. Children experience cultural festivals and a variety of home languages that reflect the multi-cultural community. Continuing to emphasise the bi-cultural heritage and supporting multi-cultural learning should further enhance outcomes for children.
ERO and centre leaders agree that the key next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Prodigy Centre - Forrest Hill 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.
To improve current practice, managers should ensure that all identified risk management strategies are documented prior to going on excursions outside the centre.
The next ERO review of Prodigy Centre - Forrest Hill will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
11 April 2014
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 |
Sunnynook, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20050 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
32 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 19 Boys 13 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese other Asian other |
1 6 14 6 5 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
January 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
11 April 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2008 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
December 2004 |
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.