Waiapu Kids St Mary's Family Centre

Education institution number:
40048
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
58
Telephone:
Address:

1 Marlin Street, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga

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St Marys Family Centre

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 St Marys Family Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions

Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whakawhanake Sustaining

2 Context of the Service

St Marys Family Centre is one of eight services governed and managed by Anglican Care Waiapu (ACW). A centre manager guides the teaching team. ACW provides governance support. Of the 64 children enrolled, 14 identify as Māori and a small number as Pacific. The service philosophy prioritises holistic learning.

3 Summary of findings

Children’s learning and development is well supported through:

  • a play-based curriculum that is mana enhancing, supports children to lead their own learning and values tuakana-teina relationships

  • responsive caregiving with infants and toddlers

  • thoughtful planning for children requiring additional support

  • the use of learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum providing the basis for planning, assessment and evaluation.

Children’s cultures, languages and identities are acknowledged, respected, and meaningfully responded to through: 

  • children experiencing te reo and tikanga Māori, poi and waiata, including some Pacific learning.

  • intentional use of teacher, whānau and external expertise to enrich children’s experiences of te ao Māori

  • ongoing development of the service’s local curriculum

  • some assessment information that reflects the cultural context in which children live.

Children’s mauri is upheld and honoured.

Kaiako are well supported to grow their knowledge and capabilities through: 

  • effective internal evaluation that promotes continued improvement over time and enhances children’s learning

  • engagement in professional development and mentoring internally and within the wider education community

  • relational trust and collaboration that promotes equitable learning outcomes.

A well-considered approach to progressing strategic objectives responds to the diverse needs of the community. Children’s wellbeing is the primary consideration in decision making. An extensive range of policies and initiatives has been developed to support accountability across the organisation. These are in various stages of implementation. A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Christian values underpins the Waiapu organisation priorities.

4 Improvement actions

St Marys Family Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • further grow teacher capability to use the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki and reflect children’s culture, language and identity

  • continue to develop the local curriculum through meaningful relationships with the service’s community including whānau Māori and mana whenua.

At the governance level, Anglican Care Waiapu priorities are to refine the reporting process to enable closer scrutiny of:

  • how well each service is achieving its priorities for children’s learning

  • the effectiveness of improvement actions and the impact on achieving equitable learning outcomes for children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of St Marys Family 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

15 August 2022 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

St Marys Family Centre

Profile Number

40048

Location

Tauranga

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 22 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

64

Review team on site

May 2022

Date of this report

15 August 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, September 2016

St Marys Family Centre - 15/06/2020

1 Evaluation of St Mary's Family Centre

How well placed is St Mary's Family Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

St Mary's Family Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Saint Mary's Family Centre is located in Mount Maunganui. It is a community-based, not-for-profit service that operates under the governance of the Anglican Parish of Mount Maunganui and the St Mary's Child Care Governance Board. The centre is licensed for 50 children, including 21 under the age of two. The current roll of 77 includes 15 children who identify as Māori.

The centre provides all-day education and care in two age-based areas. A centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the centre and four team leaders provide support and leadership for their individual teaching teams.

The centre’s philosophy aims to provide affordable, high-quality education that empowers children to learn and grow within a caring and stable environment. The inclusion of Christian principles and the Anglican ethos of care, respect and equity are also important aspects of the centre’s philosophy.

Since the last ERO report in 2016 the board continues to work closely with the centre manager in a governance role. There has been minimal change to management, leadership and the teaching team. The centre has responded well to the key areas for development identified in the previous ERO report.

The Review Findings

Children are empowered to lead their learning, promoting sustained engagement. Well-resourced and presented learning spaces and planned experiences encourage curiosity, risk-taking and independence both in the centre and in the local community. Early literacy, mathematical and science concepts are integrated through the programme, supporting children's skills and knowledge.

Teachers effectively use positive guidance strategies to encourage children's growing social and emotional competence. Māori children have opportunities to connect with and learn about local Māori stories and places of significance. Māori language and tikanga are promoted through waiata and karakia kai. Leaders agree that continuing to develop the localised curriculum would further affirm Māori children's language, culture and identity.

An inclusive culture embraces and acknowledges the diverse needs of children. They are well supported to engage in learning and receive valuable support from teachers and external agencies. This has resulted in positive progress and outcomes for children. Inclusive practices are supporting children's growing sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Children up to the age of two years benefit from nurturing teaching interactions in a calm and settled environment. Teachers respond effectively to the cues of infants and toddlers. A dedicated space for younger children allows them to freely explore their environment, promoting curiosity and independence. Transitions into, through and out of the centre are flexible and responsive to the individual child and their family. Children benefit from respectful and responsive teaching practices.

Individual learning portfolios provide a valuable record of children's engagement in the life of the centre and their developing learning characteristics. They are accessible both in hard copy and online, encouraging whānau voice. Leaders agree that further consideration needs to be given to strengthening assessment, planning and evaluation practices to:

  • more intentionally provide resources and experiences

  • ensure progression and increasing complexity of learning over time

  • develop learning focused partnerships with parents and whānau.

A deliberate and well-managed approach by leadership is building teacher capability. A strengthened appraisal process and responsive professional development promote consistency of practice and strengthened teacher knowledge. Leaders show a clear commitment to the use of internal evaluation for ongoing change and improvement. It is timely to review the centre's philosophy in consultation with parents and whānau to reflect agreed priorities for children's learning.

An experienced and knowledgeable chairperson is providing clear guidance to support the board in the governance role. Regular reporting from management keeps the board informed about teaching and learning and contributes to decision making. Christian-based beliefs underpin practices and funding decisions. Increasing consultation with whānau Māori and their involvement in decision making would be valuable.

Key Next Steps

Further develop the centre's local curriculum. This should include:

  • consulting with whānau to determine agreed priorities for children's learning that reflect the philosophy and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki
  • developing and implementing agreed priorities for assessment, planning and evaluation to strengthen individual planning and the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki.

The development of a long-term strategic plan with goals strongly linked to positive learning outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of St Mary's Family 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.

To improve compliance practice, the service needs to strengthen its performance in the following areas:

  • implement all aspects of the fire evacuation scheme

  • carry out and evaluate emergency drills with children on at least a three-monthly basis.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS4, HS8].

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has:

  • implemented all aspects of the current Fire Evacuation Scheme

  • carried out and evaluated emergency drills with children as required.

Darcy Te Hau Acting

Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

15 June 2020

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

Mount Maunganui

Ministry of Education profile number

40048

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 21 aged under 2

Service roll

77

Gender composition

Male 46 Female 31

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

15
53
9

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

December 2019

Date of this report

15 June 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

September 2016

Education Review

June 2013

Education Review

May 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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed

  • Well placed

  • Requires further development

  • Not well placed

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.

St Marys Family Centre - 16/09/2016

1 Evaluation of St Marys Family Centre

How well placed is St Marys Family 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

St Marys Family Centre is located in Bayfair, Mount Maunganui. The centre is a community-based, not-for-profit service that operates under the governance of the Anglican Parish of Mount Maunganui and the St Mary’s Child Care Governance Board. The centre works in close collaboration with the ‘sister centre’, St Mary's Tahatai Centre, which operates under the same governance structure. The centre is open from 7.30am to 5.30pm on Monday to Friday. It is licensed for 50 children including 21 aged up to two years and has a current roll of 60 including 19 children of Māori descent and a small number of children from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

The centre includes two age-based areas, one catering for babies and toddlers aged up to two and a half years and another for older preschool children. The centre is staffed by a manager who is responsible for the operation of both areas. She is new to the position since the previous ERO review in 2013. Head teachers in each age-based area provide support and leadership for the teaching team.

The centre philosophy is strongly centred around relationships, with respect and manaakitanga being the two principles underpinning all interactions. The philosophy documents the intent to provide affordable, high quality education, empowering children to learn and grow within a caring, stable environment. The inclusion of Christian principles and the Anglican ethos of care, respect and equity are also important aspects of the centre philosophy.

The centre curriculum is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, the Christian-based 'Fruits of the Spirit' and the Pikler philosophy, which are interwoven to provide an holistic, flexible and child-centred approach to teaching and learning. The curriculum is also responsive to feedback from parents, whānau and the wider centre community. Regular yoga, the church programme, the celebration of cultural festivals including Matariki and Diwali are also important aspects of the centre curriculum.

St Marys Family Centre prioritises employing qualified teachers. Two are working towards a post graduate diploma in specialist teaching and early intervention endorsement. The centre has responded positively to the areas for improvement identified in the previous ERO report and has a positive reporting history with ERO.

The Review Findings

The programme at St Marys Family Centre provides children with many opportunities to make independent choices from a range of attractive and well-presented areas for play, resources and experiences. The centre strongly supports the language, identity and culture of tangata whenua and actively promotes the presence of te ao Māori in the learning environment and teaching practice. This is supporting Māori children and whānau to be secure in their cultural identity within the centre. The programme effectively integrates early mathematical and literacy learning throughout all areas of play and interactions.

Daily programme planning includes an appropriate combination of teacher-initiated and child-led learning. There are valuable opportunities for children to be part of a group during spontaneous mat times and group activities. The many independent activities planned are responsive to each child's strengths, interests and ideas. The programme is planned to ensure children can experience varied levels of challenge and include a te reo Māori perspective.

Teachers have undertaken a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of children's transition into, within, and out of the centre to primary school. Successful transitions are supported by effective partnerships between families, the service and local schools.

The outdoor area is large and well prepared to encourage physical and imaginative play. The area also enables children to experience respect for nature and take part in specific projects. Children are supported to extend and challenge their learning and development about the natural world. This learning is fostering children's sense of mana whenua (belonging) in tamariki and their roles as kaitiaki (guardians of the natural world). The indoor areas are well resourced, large and well prepared to invite children's engagement with play and learning.

ERO observed that children were happy, settled and confidently approaching adults for support and affirmation. The centre environment enables whānau to join in, feel at ease, and stay as long as they wish. Teachers' interactions are sensitive, appropriate and responsive to children’s wellbeing and learning.

Teachers are welcoming to children, parents and whānau. When children arrive at the centre key caregiving relationships are established between teachers and children. These relationships support each child’s need for strong secure attachments and relationships. Flexible, unhurried, routines for young children encourage exploration, child choice and independence. There are many opportunities for children to be the leaders of their learning, take risks and to become confident decision makers and communicators.

Teachers' strategies for managing children's behaviour are highly effective and focused on positive guidance and support. The ‘Guidance Approach Programme’ and respectful practice philosophy fosters children’s social and emotional competence and is developing resilience and self-regulation in children at the centre.

Leadership maintains a focus on spontaneous, planned and strategic internal review for improvement. Leaders are strongly committed to the philosophy and goals of the service giving priority to equitable outcomes for all children and families. A planned approach to building leadership capacity supports sustainability of the service. Centre leaders have also made strategic appointments and accessed relevant professional learning to strengthen bicultural (te reo/tikanga Māori) practice in the centre. Teachers articulate strong team work, collaborative ways of working and high levels of support from centre leaders.

Generous provision for regular teachers' professional learning is building teachers' collective capacity and supporting their individual development needs. This development is enabling teachers to be up to date with current research and best practice in early childhood education.

Teachers, centre leaders, and the trust board are focused on continual improvement, equity and social justice for children and families. The trust is highly supportive of teachers’ professional growth and improvement. There are well-developed processes for reporting and continual internal review at a strategic level and a suitable range of policies and procedures that contribute to a safe and healthy environment for children. Clear reporting frameworks keep trustees well informed about centre operations, developments and outcomes for children and families.

The partnership with whānau ensures children and their families share a strong sense of belonging to the centre. Teachers record significant learning, milestones and children's achievements in attractive assessment profiles. These documents enable children to revisit important learning and share with parents, teachers and peers. The recent introduction of web-based portfolios is enabling parents and whānau to more easily share children's learning and respond using smart phones, tablets or computers. The centre intends to further develop this initiative to include all children and families. This innovation is enhancing the partnership with parents and whānau.

Key Next Steps

ERO and the centre acknowledge that the further development of parent education initiatives is an additional step to support partnerships with families that are focused on children's learning.

Centre leaders have also prioritised the further enhancement of appraisal processes so that:

  • teachers' development goals are more specifically linked to the Practising Teacher Criteria of the Education Council

  • appraisal processes include targeted observations of teaching practice in relation to professional goals, with specific feedback about practice and next steps for professional growth.

ERO agrees that these developments are likely to strengthen outcomes for children and families.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of St Marys Family 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 St Marys Family Centre will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty

16 September 2016

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

Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty

Ministry of Education profile number

40048

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 21 aged under 2

Service roll

70

Gender composition

Boys 35 Girls 35

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

South East Asian

Other

19

45

2

4

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

July 2016

Date of this report

16 September 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2013

Education Review

May 2010

Education Review

August 2007

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.