The Point Early Childhood Centre

Education institution number:
46603
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
78
Telephone:
Address:

16 Buxton Street, Point Chevalier, Auckland

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The Point Early Childhood 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. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence. 

ERO’s judgements for The Point Early Childhood Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakaū Embedding

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakawhanake Sustaining

2 Context of the Service

The Point Early Childhood Centre is privately owned. A manager and centre supervisor are responsible for governance and management of the service. They provide professional support for a team of 16 teachers. Children are grouped in three different play spaces according to their age. Small numbers of Māori and Pacific children are enrolled.

3 Summary of findings

Children are confident and show a sense of belonging in the centre’s environment. They settle well into play with sensitive engagement from kaiako. The learning environment is carefully considered to encourage children’s exploration. Children, including infants, choose their own learning, and they have space and time provided to investigate their own working theories.

Respectful and nurturing relationships are the foundation for tamariki learning at the centre. Leaders and kaiako have a strong focus on supporting tamariki to develop social and emotional competence, and this is evident across all teaching teams. Children’s learning is enhanced through leaders and kaiako working as a professional learning community.

All children and whānau are welcome at the service. Inclusivity is encouraged by centre leaders and valued by kaiako. The service celebrates and acknowledges children of all cultures, including the Māori and Pacific community. Leaders and kaiako have initiated a relationship with the local marae, Te Muhurehure, to deepen their knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori. Centre whānau were involved in this process.

Kaiako are skilled listeners and observers of children in their care. They work collaboratively to implement a meaningful curriculum for each child. Kaiako maintain records of learning for individual children that enhance tamariki and whānau mana.

A robust process of internal evaluation leads to service improvements. Kaiako collaborate in internal evaluation projects relevant to their teams as well as the whole centre. The learning and wellbeing of children and whānau are primary considerations in kaiako decision-making.

4 Improvement actions

Leaders and teachers of The Point Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • work collaboratively to strengthen learning-focused partnerships with parents and whānau to promote children’s progress and learning
  • strengthen the knowledge and use of te reo Māori throughout the programme.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of The Point Early Childhood 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.

6 Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite review, the service has addressed non-compliance relating to:

  • recording checks made by adults during the time children aged over two are sleeping (HS9).

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

29 April 2021 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name The Point Early Childhood Centre
Profile Number 46603
Location Point Chevalier, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

74 children, including up to 25 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

94

Ethnic composition

Māori 5
NZ European/Pākehā 85
other ethnic groups 4

Review team on site

February 2021

Date of this report

29 April 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2017

The Point Early Childhood Centre - 10/05/2017

1 Evaluation of The Point Early Childhood Centre

How well placed is The Point Early Childhood 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

The Point Early Childhood Centre operates in a purpose-built villa in the hub of Point Chevalier. The centre is owned and managed by Innovativo Early Learning Limited. The majority of children enrolled are Pākehā and there are small numbers of Māori, Indian and Chinese children.

The centre opened in 2015 with a licence for 23 children. Rapid growth has meant the centre has increased its license numbers to 43 and employed more staff in three age-related areas. The owners have purchased the neighbouring property to expand the centre's provision for infants and toddlers.

The centre's philosophy places importance on allowing children freedom to explore, contribute and develop at their own pace within a nurturing environment. Relationships and communication are a significant priority for the service to support children’s sense of belonging. Teachers have also taken inspiration from aspects of Reggio Emilia philosophical approaches, particularly with regard to learning environments.

This is the first ERO review of The Point Early Childhood Centre.

The Review Findings

Children and their whānau are greeted warmly and made to feel welcomed. Teachers support families to transition positively into and within the centre, and on to school. Children participate in an unhurried programme. Good early literacy, maths and science is naturally integrated throughout the programme.

Children are respectful and cheerful towards teachers and peers. They lead their own learning through group work and their individual interests. Children are encouraged to direct their play and learning. They practise good self-management skills.

Infants and toddlers have a calm, natural environment to play in. Teachers are nurturing, caring and have deliberate conversations with children. Toddlers are encouraged to develop independence in their play and to make choices about indoor and outdoor exploration.

Kaupapa Māori concepts of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are integrated in the centre. The centre takes pride in celebrating children’s cultures. Events such as Matariki, Diwali and Chinese New Year are well supported by parents and whānau. Some teachers incorporate aspects of te reo Māori in their work with children. Teachers could consider ways to incorporate the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi across the centre's philosophy and processes.

Teachers have a very good understanding of the curriculum. They plan for and assess children's learning well and engage in ongoing reflections about their teaching practice. Teachers know children very well. This knowledge is visible in portfolios that record children’s learning over time. The online sharing of information about children's learning has enhanced communications with whānau. Team leaders are continuing to strengthen teachers' knowledge and integration of the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning.

The centre manager and team leaders work collaboratively to provide professional and knowledgeable leadership. The owners provide strong governance. Professional learning and development is informing the future direction of the centre. Internal evaluation is valued and embedded in the centre. Policies, processes and systems guide centre operations well. Documented long-term and annual management plans align with teacher induction and appraisal. External support has improved the appraisal process.

Key Next Steps

Managers have identified next steps for the centre, which include:

  • continuing to strengthen programme planning and evaluation
  • developing the centre's bicultural practices using Ministry of Education resources Ka Hikitia: Accelerating Success 2013-2017, and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of The Point Early Childhood 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 The Point Early Childhood Centre will be in three years. 

Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

10 May 2017 

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

Point Chevalier, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

46603

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

43 children, including up to 13 aged under 2

Service roll

54

Gender composition

Boys      29
Girls       25

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Chinese
Indian
other

  3
40
  3
  3
  5

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

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2017

Date of this report

10 May 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

No previous ERO reports

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.