Little Oaks Early Learning Centre 2019 Ltd

Education institution number:
46210
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
54
Telephone:
Address:

20 Ngapara Street, Alexandra

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Little Oaks Early Learning Centre 2019 Ltd

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 Little Oaks Early Learning Centre 2019 Ltd are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whāngai Establishing

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whāngai Establishing

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whāngai Establishing

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Little Oaks Early Learning Centre 2019 Ltd is a privately owned, full-day service providing education and care for children from birth to school age. Children learn in two age-based areas. Since 2018, there has been changes in ownership, management, team leaders and other staff. A centre manager, supported by two team leaders oversee teaching and learning.

3 Summary of findings

Children’s wellbeing and learning are supported by the responsive and reciprocal relationships they have with their teachers. Key teachers have close relationships with infants and toddlers, providing gentle and flexible care routines. They are attentive and caring, noting children’s cues and listening carefully. Children with additional needs are very well supported. Leaders work closely with parents and external agencies to develop individual learning plans. Teachers provide intensive one-to-one support for these children.

Children experience a play-based curriculum, that is consistent with the service’s nine learning priorities. Curriculum strengths are social competency, the arts, dramatic play, and early literacy, including oral language. There are some opportunities for children to hear te reo Māori and learn about te ao Māori and experience other cultures.

Learning is enhanced by regular individual planning and assessment. Better examples of assessment records link back to children’s goals, respond to parent voice, describe significant learning and how teachers have supported this. Work is needed to build consistency in quality to clearly show planning and children’s progress in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Leaders are establishing the conditions that enable collaboration for improvement. They foster reflection and change that prioritise children’s learning and wellbeing. Teachers benefit from relevant professional learning. There are sound systems to guide and monitor children’s health and safety. Significant changes have been made to the building and outdoor area to improve the learning environment for infants and toddlers.

Ongoing changes in leadership and teaching teams have impacted on progress against the recommendations in ERO’s 2018 report. Internal evaluation, aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation and the provision of a rich bicultural curriculum are areas that require further work.

4 Improvement actions

Little Oaks Early Learning Centre 2019 Ltd will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:

  • strengthen and build consistency in assessment, planning and evaluation for children, ensuring learning records clearly show progress in relation to Te Whāriki learning outcomes, how teachers have supported the learning, responded to parent’s aspirations for the child and value their different cultures and languages
  • continue to build teachers’ confidence and knowledge of te reo and te ao Māori so that all children have rich opportunities to hear and use the language and learn about Māori culture
  • build leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of internal evaluation as a tool to identify what is going well, what could be improved and inform planned changes.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Oaks Early Learning Centre 2019 Ltd 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

9 March 2022 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Little Oaks Early Learning Centre 2019 Ltd

Profile Number

46210

Location

Alexandra

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

43 children, including up to 20 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

51

Ethnic composition

Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 40, Other ethnic groups 6

Review team on site

December 2021

Date of this report

9 March 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, March 2018; Education Review, July 2015

Little Oaks Early Learning Centre (Alexandra) Ltd - 19/03/2018

1 Evaluation of Little Oaks Early Learning Centre (Alexandra) Ltd

How well placed is Little Oaks Early Learning Centre (Alexandra) Ltd 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

Little Oaks Early Learning Centre (Alexandra) Ltd is a full-day service with 48 children on the roll. Children from four months to school age attend the service. It is a stand-alone, privately-owned service with two of the four directors managing the day-to-day running. Most teachers are qualified and all have worked at this centre since it began five years ago. The centre is divided into three areas to provide for the different age groups.

The philosophy focuses on children having fun, learning through play and exploration, and developing independence. It clearly outlines the service's desired outcomes for children and is evident in practice.

The service is a member of the Dunstan Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning.

The recommendations from the 2015 ERO review have been mostly addressed. Some fine tuning of internal evaluation and assessment is still to be done.

The Review Findings

Teachers have positive, sensitive and responsive relationships with children. Children of all ages have established good friendships and play well with each other. Children under two have strong and secure attachments to their teachers.

Teachers recognise and value the importance of children learning through play. They plan well for individual children and small groups, following the children's interests. Parents' wishes for their children are sought and planning shows how these have been incorporated into the programme. Assessment information shows that teachers know the children's strengths, interests and dispositions well and that progress is noticed and celebrated. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child's learning through the learning stories.

Children take part in a variety of learning experiences in and beyond the centre. Teachers focus on building children's oral language in English and te reo Māori. Teachers facilitate opportunities for children to take responsibility for their own learning and for the care of the environment. Equipment is chosen carefully by teachers to challenge and help develop children's physical skills.

With the help of a teacher who has expertise in te reo and tikanga Māori, teachers are learning about te ao Māori to assist in the development of the bicultural curriculum.

The service's priorities are clearly articulated in the centre philosophy and strategic goals. There are useful guidelines in place to support teachers and leaders to carry out internal evaluation. Positive changes have been made through this process.

Key Next Steps

ERO has identified, and centre managers agree, that the key next steps are:

  • for the appraisal process for teachers to be fully implemented
  • to continue to strengthen bicultural practices
  • to strengthen the understanding and use of effective internal evaluation
  • to build consistency in the quality of learning stories.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Oaks Early Learning Centre (Alexandra) Ltd 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.

In order to meet legal requirements the directors must:

  • ensure all teachers are appraised over a 12 month period [s77C State Sector Act 1988]
  • carry out earthquake drills each term [HS8 Licencing Criteria for ECE centre-based].

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Little Oaks Early Learning Centre (Alexandra) Ltd will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

19 March 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

Alexandra

Ministry of Education profile number

46210

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

37 children, including up to 20 aged under 2

Service roll

48

Gender composition

Boys: 26

Girls: 22

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other

  2
44
  2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

January 2018

Date of this report

19 March 2018

Most recent ERO report

Education Review

July 2015

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.