44 Ascot Avenue, Remuera, Auckland
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Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ABC Ascot Avenue is licensed for up to 50 children and serves diverse communities from its surrounding suburbs. The centre is part of the BestStart Education and Care Centres organisation that provides an overarching governance and management framework, as well as personnel to support individual centres.
The centre provides all-day care and education for up to 16 infants and toddlers in the Tui room, and for children aged two years to school age in the Fantail room. Each of the rooms has separate indoor and outdoor play areas and children have opportunities for significant periods of mixed-age play.
The new centre manager and head teacher provide positive leadership in the centre and are supported by the BestStart professional services and business managers. Registered teachers in each room are well supported by unqualified staff, a cook and an administrator. There have been considerable improvements in the centre environment since ERO's 2013 review, particularly in the outdoor area.
Children are friendly, active and confident. They enjoy trusting relationships with teachers who encourage their independence, oral language and social skill development. Children make decisions about their play. Teachers respect children's' choices and support them to select and return to activities that sustain their interest over extended periods.
Teachers share a philosophy about the importance of child-initiated play based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They organise learning resources throughout the centre in thoughtful ways. This allows children opportunities to lead and make decisions about their learning. Teachers support children's developing dispositions for learning, particularly their creativity and imagination.
Children's wellbeing is central to staff practices and programmes for children. The upgraded outdoor area and resources encourage a variety of physical activity. Healthy food features regularly in programme activities and the well planned menu. Changes to routines encourage children's skills in self management.
The new centre manager is building a collaborative and professional staff culture. Teachers plan together, making good use of observations of individual children's progress and developments, together with information shared by parents. Staff hold parent evenings to share information and explain new initiatives such as the centre-wide Be School Ready approaches.
Programme planning is informed by children's interests. Teachers and children make good use of photos, text and electronic communications to share learning activities with families. Children's individual learning stories and the daily diary records document how well these activities have extended children's engagement in learning. Programme initiatives are well researched and designed to enhance the quality of infant and toddler care within an appropriate bicultural framework.
BestStart has useful systems for monitoring service operations. These include regular management meetings and an internal audit process that is used to identify challenges and develop plans for improvement. Teachers benefit from a well planned professional learning and development programme and a very good appraisal system. With the support of BestStart managers, the centre manager and teachers are evaluating the services that they provide and have made good progress in this review over the past year.
Managers agree that the centre's continuing development should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Ascot Avenue 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 ABC Ascot Avenue will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
24 August 2016
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 | Remuera, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 20159 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 45 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 24 Boys 21 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Asian Australian Filipino Indian Sri Lankan Chinese other | 1 22 3 3 3 3 3 2 5 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | July 2016 | ||
| Date of this report | 24 August 2016 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | September 2013 | |
| Education Review | September 2010 | ||
| Education Review | July 2007 | ||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ABC Ascot Avenue offers full day and part-time education and care for children up to five years of age. It is licensed for 50 children, including up to 16 infants and toddlers under two years of age. The centre is divided into separate areas to cater for the different age groups. Children of all ages also have opportunities to play together for long periods of time.
The centre has undergone major change since the 2010 ERO review. It changed ownership in 2011 to Kidicorp Limited. The management structures of the previous ABC owners were retained until the beginning of 2013, when Kidicorp administrative and management systems were fully implemented.
There has been high turnover of centre managers over the past three years. Presently an experienced manager is acting in the role until the newly appointed permanent centre manager takes up her position. Some changes in teaching staff have also occurred. Present ratios of staff to children exceed minimum requirements to support the centre through this period of change.
ERO’s 2010 report noted that children enjoyed a positive learning environment. Respectful relationships, well managed routines, and strong parent and centre partnerships were noted as features of the centre. The report recommended improvements to interactions and resources to further develop children’s complex play and critical thinking.
The numerous changes in leadership have affected the positive learning environment of the centre noted in the 2010 ERO report. The appointment of a Kidicorp professional services manager at the beginning of 2013 has had a positive impact. Personnel management concerns have been addressed. A strategic plan, supported by an action plan, clearly identifies areas for development needed to lift the overall quality of teaching and learning in the centre.
Effective working partnerships with parents that benefit children continue to be a strong feature. Parents and teachers exchange information about children’s learning and development in relaxed informal ways. Managers are keeping parents informed of the changes happening in the centre, gathering feedback and responding well to parent aspirations for their children.
The centre has begun the process of rebuilding the teaching team. Managers and teachers are in the early stages of redeveloping a centre philosophy based on their values and beliefs for children’s learning and well being. There are plans to continue consultation with parents and key staff before fully integrating this philosophy into the curriculum and teaching practices. Self review is used successfully as a tool to drive change and improvement.
There are some examples of skilful interactions between teachers and children that support children’s play. In these instances teachers respond enthusiastically to child initiated conversations and provide constructive feedback to promote creative thinking and problem solving. Managers have a planned approach to improving the consistency of high quality interactions through modelling and targeted professional learning opportunities.
The programme provides opportunities for children to enjoy their play. This is especially evident for older children. Children are active and resourceful at creating their own play. They take initiative and are supported in developing self-managing skills. Routines are unobtrusive and unhurried allowing time for sustained play. Managers have identified the need to establish programme planning systems to identify and record ways that staff intend to extend older children’s interests. They have also identified the need to improve the quality of the service provided for infants and toddlers.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated into the programme, the environment and centre practices. Cultural diversity is acknowledged and celebrated in interactions and the learning programme. Children enjoy spacious learning environments, access to good equipment, and colourful displays celebrating their participation in the centre programme. A review of the large outdoor space is underway with positive changes for children already apparent with a range of engaging activities, including opportunities for physical play and enjoyment of the natural environment.
Kidicorp’s well established quality assurance and self-review systems and strategic approaches are likely to support continual improvement in the centre.
The managers and ERO agree that areas for further improvement include:
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Ascot Avenue completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement andSelf-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.
During the review ERO identified an area of non-compliance. To address this, Kidicorp and centre managers must:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C2.
The next ERO review of ABC Ascot Avenue will be in three years.
Dale Bailey National Manager Review Services Northern Region
23 September 2013
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 |
Remuera, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20159 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
53 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 23 Girls 24 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Indian African Samoan Tokelauan |
42 4 3 2 1 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
23 September 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
July 2007 |
||
|
Education Review (as Strawberry Fields Children Ltd (Ascot) |
June 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:
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.