Birkdale Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
20324
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
29
Telephone:
Address:

167 Birkdale Road, Birkdale, Auckland

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Koru Early Learning Centre

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

The service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed a non-compliance and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Koru Early Learning Centre is one of three services under the same ownership. The owner leads a team of five qualified teachers in two age-based rooms. This is the first ERO review of the service since the change of ownership in June 2020. Half of the children enrolled are Māori or have Pacific heritage.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children have opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum provides a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning.

The design and layout of the premises support effective adult supervision so that children’s access to the licensed space (indoor and outdoor) is not unnecessarily limited. An ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, language and culture.

Compliance

The service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • Ensuring every children’s worker must be safety checked every three years. Safety checks must be carried out by the employer, or another person or organisation on their behalf (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

23 February 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Koru Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

20324

Location

Birkdale, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

32 children, including up to 10 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

39

Ethnic composition

Māori 10, NZ European/Pākehā 7, Indian 7, Samoan 4, Tongan 4, other Asian 6, other ethnic groups 1

Review team on site

January 2022

Date of this report

23 February 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

First ERO review of the service.

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service
  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Koru Early Learning Centre - 30/11/2018

1 Evaluation of Koru Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Koru Early Learning Centre 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.

Background

Koru Early Learning Centre is a well-established, privately owned centre in Birkdale. It provides full-day education and care for up to 32 children, including 10 under two years of age. Māori children make up half of the roll and others come from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Programmes are provided for children in two rooms, one for toddlers, and one for children up to school age. The rooms have adjoining play areas, and all age groups can mix freely throughout the day.

The centre's philosophy embraces multicultural values and strategies that encourage children to feel pride in their identity, and to become lifelong learners. Teachers foster respect for the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The owner oversees management and administration systems. She is supported by a centre manager and assistant manager. Four registered teachers, as well as staff in job-share positions, make up the multicultural teaching team. Teachers are currently focused on developing their knowledge of Te Whāriki (2017), the revised early childhood curriculum.

The team has responded well to suggestions made in ERO's 2016 report. Teachers have strengthened strategic planning, assessment, programme planning, and internal evaluation.

The Review Findings

Children play cooperatively and purposefully in a calm unhurried environment. There is a warm inclusive culture in the centre. Children enjoy a variety of activities and have long periods where they can make choices about their play. Teachers offer learning experiences that encourage children to inquire and collaborate. Children with special needs are well provided for.

Infants and toddlers enjoy warm, nurturing relationships with their teachers. They make independent choices and can access a range of play resources.

Teachers' individual talents and skills complement each other. They work collaboratively and communicate well. They are respectful, responsive and engaged with the children. Teachers have conversations with children that help them to develop their language and thinking, and give children time to express their ideas. During their play, children have opportunities to develop literacy and numeracy skills. Teachers' conversations with children encourage them to develop their curiosity about the natural world.

The centre's strong commitment to biculturalism has resulted in rich, authentic learning experiences for whānau and staff. Teachers confidently use te reo Māori. The inclusion of te reo and tikanga is an integral part of the centre's practices that affirm Māori children’s cultural identity. Bicultural practices are woven through the programme and centre displays. The diverse cultures of children and their families are evident throughout the centre.

Learning programmes are guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Programme planning and assessment focus on children’s individual interests. Parents' aspirations inform this planning. Portfolios keep whānau informed of their child’s learning journey. Teachers are making good use of programme evaluation to reflect on the impact of their teaching practice on children's learning.

There is a clear focus on ongoing improvement, and internal evaluation has been used well to guide change. Significant self review has already occurred, and changes have been made to the environment and centre operations. Leaders and teachers continue to evaluate the curriculum and work towards improving outcomes for children. It is timely now to evaluate provision for infants and toddlers.

The centre is well managed. A system of policies and procedures guides centre operations. Targeted professional learning has impacted positively on teachers' knowledge and capability. Continuing to build the centre manager's leadership capabilities will also help to further improve the quality of teaching and learning in the centre.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders agree that next steps include:

  • adapting the teacher appraisal system to align with Education Council requirements

  • strengthening programme planning, including acknowledgement of children's prior learning

  • continuing to review and improve the environment to ensure a consistent high standard of resources.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Koru Early 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 Koru Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Violet Tu’uga Stevenson

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

30 November 2018

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

Birkdale, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20324

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

32 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

35

Gender composition

Boys 21 Girls 14

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
other ethnic groups

17
3
15

Percentage of qualified teachers

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

October 2018

Date of this report

30 November 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2016

Education Review

June 2013

Supplementary Review

July 2010

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.