Sparrows Early Learning Centre

1 Evaluation of Little Sparrows Educare

How well placed is Little Sparrows Educare to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Little Sparrows Educare is a privately owned and operated mixed-age, all-day education and care centre. It is situated in a residential suburb of Hamilton. It is licensed for 30 children from three months to school age, including up to ten children under two years, and ten who identify as Māori.

The centre's philosophy aims to provide children with quality education and care. Staff aim to provide inclusive learning environments that support children to develop positive attitudes towards life-long learning.

Since the last ERO review in 2015, centre leadership and the staffing team has remained constant. There is a commitment for all staff to be fully qualified and registered teachers. Whānau involvement has increased through the use of online portfolios, creating stronger ties with the child's wider family. Strategic planning has improved to include priorities and a clear direction for centre development.

The Review Findings

Children experience an effective and inclusive learning environment. Learning is built on the knowledge of what children and their whānau bring to the centre. Positive and affirming relationships with parents and whānau promote the aspirations they have for their children’s learning. Children's rights are respected and they are encouraged to take risks and set their own learning challenges. Children are confident and competent and are encouraged to actively explore the environment.

The curriculum is responsive to all age groups, cultures and abilities. Children with additional learning needs are effectively supported to access all areas of the well-resourced curriculum. Information about children's interests and strengths are shared well between teachers, fostering a collaborative approach to learning and teaching. Children under the age of two years are encouraged to learn in a calm and nurturing environment. Their sense of curiosity, safety and well-being are fostered.

Literacy and numeracy is effectively promoted through a child-led learning approach. This follows children’s abilities to make decisions and choices about their learning. Planning, assessment and evaluation has been developed and improved. However, aspects of documenting children's learning through the online portfolio system needs to be strengthened. Children are supported to become leaders and are thought of as capable and self-managing learners.

Karakia and waiata are used to support tikanga Māori. Te reo is spoken and heard in the centre. Pacifica children benefit from a Samoan teacher who regularly shares music and language from the islands. The centre acknowledges that strengthening cultural practices is an ongoing area for development. Learning follows the interests of the children, and is supported by a strong tuakana-teina approach through mixed age group learning.

Leadership promotes positive and reciprocal relationships through effective communication. A collaborative approach where all staff are encouraged to lead aspects of the programme has been implemented. High relational trust has been established between leaders and teachers and gives a strong sense of belonging and welcome to all. A culture where all children are valued and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning is evident.

Effective learning outcomes for children are promoted through the centre's philosophy, vision, systems and processes. These are current and support daily operations of the centre. The provision for resourcing, maintenance and decision making follows a collaborative approach. Self review has been strengthened, processes and systems have been embedded and it is improvement focussed. Children experience an environment where management focusses on quality opportunities that effectively supports their learning.

Key Next Steps

In order to improve practice, leaders and teachers have identified that:

• continued review around language culture and identity will further support Māori achieving success as Māori

• further development of the appraisal process is required to include clear links to the professional standards, a more formalised approach to teacher observations and specific monitoring of progress of teachers’ goals

• review and centre professional learning and development about the online programme planning system should include links to children’s goals, and individual learning through assessment to show their learning and progress over time.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Sparrows Educare 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 Little Sparrows Educare will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

29 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

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.