7 King Street, Grey Lynn, 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.
Kindercare Learning Centres - Grey Lynn, is owned and administered by Kindercare Learning Centres Limited. All centres operate under the Kindercare vision, values, philosophy and strategic goals. Together these form the philosophy on which each centre and the organisation base their practices.
This centre provides education and care for 50 infants, toddlers and young children up to five years of age. Infants have their own indoor and outdoor play areas. Toddlers and young children have separate indoor spaces and share their playground.
Children and their families come from increasingly diverse cultural backgrounds. Parents have the opportunity to participate in a Kindercare parent education programme.
Most staff are qualified early childhood teachers and are also from diverse cultural backgrounds. The centre director has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the centre and works closely with the supervisor. An experienced cook provides children with nutritious meals and snacks.
The 2015 ERO report identified positive aspects such as relationships between teachers and children, and teachers' commitment to attending professional learning and development. These continue to be evident. Bicultural practices and strategic planning were identified as key next steps. The centre has made some positive progress in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of eight Kindercare Learning Centre reviews in the Auckland area.
Children engage confidently with each other and their teachers. They have many opportunities to work and play cooperatively in small groups and they freely make choices from activities that teachers have prepared.
Teachers are inclusive and build strong relationships with children and parents. All children have some opportunities to hear and speak te reo Māori.
Teachers are continuing to develop ways of recognising and responding to children's diverse cultures and implementing the revised Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They regularly inform parents about their children's participation in the centre's learning programmes.
Appropriate strategies that support children's play and learning include:
Staff regularly engage in internal evaluation. Leaders recognise the need to make this process more evaluative by looking deeper at the impact changes make on outcomes for children.
The Kindercare organisation provides a broad range of support for centres and families. Comprehensive management and accountability systems across the company include:
The key next steps for development are to:
Key next steps for the Kindercare organisation include continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centres - Grey Lynn 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, leaders should ensure that required documentation is prominently displayed for parents at the centre.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA1.
The next ERO review of Kindercare Learning Centres - Grey Lynn will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
22 November 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 |
Grey Lynn, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20084 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
58 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 31 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2018 |
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Date of this report |
22 November 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2015 |
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Education Review |
February 2012 |
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Education Review |
March 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:
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.
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.
How well placed is Kindercare Learning Centre (3) 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.
Kindercare Learning Centres (3) is an established service located in the suburb of Grey Lynn, Auckland. It caters for parents/whānau working in the inner city and surrounding areas. The centre is licensed for 50 children from three years to school age, including up to 20 children aged under two years. The centre provides good education and care for babies, toddlers and preschool children.
Kindercare Learning Centres (KLC) organisation provides effective advice and support for the centre operations. The values of ‘Safe, Loved and Learning’ underpin the centre’s vision and future direction. The philosophy clearly outlines the intentions of the centre and is a useful guide for staff. It focuses on providing an environment of care and education for all children.
A noteworthy feature of Kindercare Learning Centres (3) is the historical importance of its location. Children benefit from learning about the ‘old well’ that sits within the stone wall of the centre and the corner store that once occupied the site.
Centre managers have responded well to the 2012 ERO report. Teachers continue to explore ways to extend the learning of the older children in the context of play. Self-review processes have been refined to support and develop teaching practices.
Children are happy and settled at the centre. They are confident learners and can talk with their teachers and peers about their learning. Children have access to resources that challenge and support their learning. Babies, toddlers and older children have free access between the indoor and outdoor environments. The well-designed outdoor area provides plenty of opportunities for children’s exploration. Established trees, gardens and walkways create a sense of peace and quiet far removed from the busy city surroundings.
Relationships between teachers and children are positive. Teachers are welcoming, caring and respectful with children. They recognise and respond to children’s individual interests. Babies receive a high level of care. Teachers have developed a specific philosophy for infants to promote responsive approaches to their wellbeing.
Teachers provide a programme that is unhurried and an environment that is orderly. They encourage children to be independent and self-help skills are promoted. Literacy, mathematics and science are integrated and well supported throughout the programme.
There are good processes for supporting children’s transitions into, within and out of the centre. Teachers are developing strong relationships with nearby schools. These links are helping teachers to strengthen their knowledge of and skills in te reo and tikanga Māori.
A focus on inclusiveness and open communication with parents/whānau is evident. A current focus for the centre is to strengthen this relationship and increase parent input into the planning of their child’s learning. A recent initiative to introduce an electronic system for parent feedback on planning and assessment is positively impacting children’s learning.
Centre leadership is effective. Good working relationships between the KLC area manager, centre director, and teachers contribute to a centre that is reflective and future focused. Teachers have a commitment to ongoing individual and whole-centre professional learning. Teachers respect bicultural practices and the unique place of Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. They plan to incorporate this focus into teacher’s performance appraisal goals.
The centre is well governed and managed. The KLC leadership structure with clearly defined roles guides the centre’s operations and enables the centre to sustain and build on current good practices.
Teachers and KLC managers agree that key priorities for the centre to move forward are to continue strengthening:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centre (3) 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 Kindercare Learning Centre (3) will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
2 February 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 |
Grey Lynn |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20084 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
58 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 34 Girls 24 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Indian other European other |
5 37 4 4 5 3 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2014 |
||
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Date of this report |
2 February 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 2005 |
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.
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.