1440 Cameron Road, Greerton, Tauranga
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 The Tot Spot are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing |
Children at this service learn in three aged-based areas. The owner is supported by a newly appointed leadership team with responsibility for daily operations. Approximately a third of children attending are Indian, and a small number are of Māori or Pacific heritage. The multi-cultural teaching team reflects the community.
Children’s social competence is well supported, and respectful practice enhances children’s wellbeing. Infants benefit from unhurried and calm routines. A key teacher approach helps build warm relationships. Toddlers and older children mix, offering opportunities for tuakana-teina learning. Teachers identify some children with diverse learning needs. Strengthened advocacy and work with parents is required to ensure timely referrals to external agencies.
Recent steps to strengthen the bicultural curriculum have not yet influenced teacher practice. Aspects of te reo Māori are included. There are limited opportunities for children to learn about their local area. Some Pacific language weeks are celebrated. Children of Indian descent have their home languages and cultures celebrated and affirmed. Consistent reflection of children’s cultures, languages and identities across the service is not evident.
The assessment and planning of children’s learning is variable. Parents aspirations are sought, and these are beginning to be responded to. Learning stories capture evidence of dispositional learning, interests and progression. Teachers are not yet intentionally using the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
The new leadership structure needs time and further support to embed. A strategic goal to promote emergent leadership has been unable to progress. A siloed approach to curriculum, systems and processes between each room reflects the team’s newness. Full implementation of processes to promote improvement is required. A previously documented localised curriculum has not been embedded. It is timely to review this in order to identify, and respond to, the things of importance to the changing learning community and mana whenua.
The Tot Spot will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Review the documented, localised curriculum in partnership with children, parents, whānau, and kaiako to define current learning priorities and strengthen learning related to things of importance to local iwi.
Use the valued learning outcomes in Te Whāriki to guide curriculum decision-making and to understand children’s progress over time.
Provide governance support for new leadership to enable coherent conditions across the service.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Tot Spot 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.
ERO identified the following areas of non-compliance:
keeping a record of all food served (other than food provided by parents for their own children) for three months.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS19.
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure non-compliances identified in this report are addressed.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
11 July 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
The Tot Spot |
|
Profile Number |
45904 |
|
Location |
Greerton, Tauranga |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
84 children, including up to 23 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
64 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
11 July 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, March 2022 |
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.
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.
The Tot Spot is a privately owned and operated education and care service, with three age-based rooms. Dual head teachers oversee the curriculum and are supported by the owner. The service has addressed the non-compliance from the previous Akanuku review in March 2021.
Children experience positive and meaningful interactions with the adults providing education and care. Their preferences are respected and they are involved in decisions about their learning. The service acknowledges the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children are encouraged to understand and respect other cultures.
The curriculum is language rich and supports the development of social competence. A philosophy statement and annual plan guides the service’s operation. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge parents’ aspirations for their children.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
18 March 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
The Tot Spot |
|
Profile Number |
45904 |
|
Location |
Tauranga |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
84 children, including up to 23 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
58 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 8, NZ European/Pākehā 19, Indian 23, Pacific 5, Other ethnic groups 3 |
|
Review team on site |
January 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
18 March 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, March 2021; Education Review, May 2017 |
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 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through: