13 Porter Drive, Havelock North
View on mapAkarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Rockmybaby Childcare are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Rockmybaby Childcare is one of seven homebased and three centre-based services under the governance and management of Rockmybaby Homebased Childcare Limited. The service philosophy values children as the heart of practice. There have been recent significant staff changes. A small number of children attending identify as Māori.
Children are well-engaged in a curriculum that responds to their interests and ways of learning. Emergent literacy is well supported. Learning environments are intentionally designed to promote imagination and creativity. Children have opportunities to celebrate a range of cultures. Strategies that recognise Māori children’s success as Māori are being integrated. Children lead their own learning and engage in uninterrupted play.
Strong relationships enhance the responsive curriculum. Kaiako increasingly gather parent voice to inform planning for individual learning. Children with additional learning needs are very well supported through learning-focused partnerships with parents and external agencies. Children’s sense of security is promoted through trusting relationships with kaiako. Infants and toddlers benefit from respectful and responsive practices. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging.
Evaluation processes result in positive shifts in teaching practise. Relational trust at all levels supports leaders to build kaiako understandings of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum’s learning outcomes. Leaders recognise the need to review the service’s philosophy with the current teaching team. Internal evaluation processes are not yet used to monitor and evaluate the impact of improvement actions on learning outcomes for children.
Governance and management work strategically to improve conditions for children’s learning and to achieve operational sustainability. They proactively collaborate with other professionals to promote broader educational and social outcomes. Well integrated systems and processes:
provide for ongoing professional learning aligned to identified needs
increase consistency of practice
align resources to achieve their philosophy, vision, and goals
maintain environments that foster physical and emotional wellbeing for children.
Rockmybaby Childcare will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Review the service’s philosophy in conjunction with leaders, kaiako, children, parents, whānau and community, to generate shared priorities for children’s learning.
Continue to embed the use of the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, across planning, assessment and internal evaluation systems and processes.
Build all kaiako understanding and use of evaluation to better monitor and evaluate the impact of actions contributing to desired outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Rockmybaby Childcare completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
22 March 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Rockmybaby Childcare |
|
Profile Number |
30180 |
|
Location |
Havelock North |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
54 children, including up to 38 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
62 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
22 March 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, March 2020; Education Review, December 2018 |
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Rockmybaby Childcare Centre, previously known as Little Earth Montessori, is in Havelock North. The centre was relicensed under new ownership in September 2019. There have been changes to the teaching team, philosophy and the environment since the December 2018 ERO report. The centre manager leads a teaching team of nine.
The service’s curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities, individually and in groups, to enhance and extend their learning and development. Assessment and planning for children’s learning are guided by Te Whāriki. Adults engage in nurturing and positive interactions with children. Children’s preferences are respected. They are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. The service curriculum supports children’s developing social competence. Suitable human resource management practices are in place.
Aspects of health and safety do not meet regulatory standards and include a section of fencing.
ERO found areas of non-compliance:
[Licensing criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, PF13, HS27]
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence of the practices to review injuries and accidents.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence of repairs to the fence to ensure that children are not able to leave the premises without the knowledge of the adults providing education and care.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.
Darcy Te Hau
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
19 March 2020
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Rockmybaby Childcare |
|
Profile Number |
30180 |
|
Location |
Havelock North |
|
Service type |
Education and Care Service |
|
Number licensed for |
54 children, including up to 38 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Reported ratio of adults to children under 2 |
1:4 - Better than regulatory standards. |
|
Reported ratio of adults |
1:8 - Better than regulatory standards. |
|
Service roll |
53 |
|
Gender composition |
Male 25, Female 28 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 4 |
|
Review team on site |
January 2020 |
|
Date of this report |
19 March 2020 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review, December 2018 |
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.
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:
As part of an 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:
As part of an Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Earth Montessori Havelock North, previously known as Parent and Child Havelock North, is a mixed age early learning centre catering for 54 children, including 38 aged up to two years. Of the 59 children enrolled three are Māori. Children attending a two-hour sessional parent education programme account for half of enrolments.
The service's philosophy, developed in October 2017, is grounded in the Montessori teaching approach. It values aroha, respect, connection to the environment and the use of practical tasks to promote learning.
In August 2015, the centre was purchased by Evolve Education Group Ltd (Evolve). Since this time the service has changed its operational model and rebranded. It continues to cater for some parents or family members who wish to attend the service with their children. In May 2018 Evolve closed the neighbouring Baby and Child service. The development of a separate infant space to cater for this group has resulted in three separate areas for learning according to age.
At the time of this ERO review an acting centre manager is newly in place pending a permanent appointment to this role. Most staff are fully qualified. Ongoing operational support and professional development is the role of Evolve Managers. There have been several changes in Evolve regional management since 2017.
The March 2014 ERO report identified several areas for improvement. These include strengthening the bicultural curriculum, teachers' appraisal, self review and documentation of children's learning. These continue to be areas for development.
Significant ongoing changes at this service have resulted in practices that do not effectively promote positive and equitable outcomes for children.
Some aspects of the Montessori philosophy are evident in practice. Teachers are newly developing their understanding of this approach and continue to adapt how it is implemented. It is now timely to clearly define what the philosophy looks like in practice for teachers and children. This should include identifying priorities for children's learning, in consultation with parents, aligned to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Children access a range of resources to support their learning. Leaders should continue to consider how well the resources reflect the centre philosophy. Teachers organise the environment to foster children's exploration and interests.
Infants and toddlers are responsively and consistently cared for. One on one interactions support these children's sense of security. They are given space and time to lead their own learning. Teachers have recently identified their priority learners. They work with parents and external agencies to support children with additional learning needs.
The bicultural curriculum continues to require strengthening. Teachers and leaders acknowledge that increasing the use of meaningful te reo Māori is a key next step. Further consideration should be given to how well the environment, resources, curriculum and assessment of learning reflect the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Strategies that support educational success of Māori children as Māori are yet to be explored.
Sleeping practices require improvement to ensure they meet the needs of all children. Consideration should also be given to how children's mealtimes are managed.
Assessment, planning and evaluation of individual children is currently under development. Further strengthening is required to identify:
intended learning outcomes as part of the planning process
how parent aspirations and children's culture, language and identity are promoted
children's learning progressing over time
the role of the teacher and intentional teaching strategies that contribute to children's learning
next steps for individual learning.
In addition, assessment, planning and evaluation of enrolled children involved in the sessional parent programme must be undertaken.
Evolve systems and processes are not well implemented. Greater rigour is required to effectively monitor and track this and ensure record keeping is sufficient. Regular area manager visits record actions taken by staff, however closer attention to compliance and greater use of feedback and feedforward is needed to improve the quality of practice.
Teachers are given regular opportunities to develop their practice through PLD related to their appraisal goals. A priority is to ensure further professional learning in relation to the Montessori approach. Use of the recently revised appraisal system should also be strengthened to ensure that:
constructive feedforward supports teachers to develop their practice
inquiries use evidence to evaluate the impact of changes in teaching on outcomes for children
targeted observations of teacher practice contribute to their appraisal.
Teachers' understanding and use of internal evaluation is in the early stages. Further support is required to identify the purpose of evaluation and effectively undertake the process, with a focus on children's outcomes.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Earth Montessori Havelock North 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.
ERO found significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to:
curriculum
assessment, planning and evaluation
knowledge of relevant theories and practice
excursion risk assessment and management.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008,
[Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, Regulation 43 Curriculum standard: general] [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C2, C4, HS17]
To improve current practice, the early childhood service management should also:
ensure up to date and complete policies are available for parents
complete targeted observations of teacher practice to contribute to teacher appraisal
improve accessibility to all documents and records required for the operation of the service.
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Little Earth Montessori Havelock North.
ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.
The next ERO review of Little Earth Montessori Havelock North will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
10 December 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.
|
Location |
Havelock North |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30180 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
54 children, including up to 38 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
59 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 34, Boys 25 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
|
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 |
October 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
10 December 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) These are available at |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
May 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:
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.