126 Stokes Valley Road, Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt
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 (PDF 3.01MB) 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 (PDF 91.30KB) 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 Stokes Valley Community Childcare Centre Inc. are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Stokes Valley Community Childcare Inc. is a community-based early childhood centre governed by a committee made up of parents of enrolled children, and other interested persons. The centre serves a diverse ethnic community. Since the June 2017 ERO review, there have been changes in staff, leadership, and committee membership, including the chair.
Teachers work collaboratively to establish a rich and responsive curriculum. They engage well with children to support their emerging interests and needs. Relationships between staff and families are friendly and relaxed, promoting the sharing of information. Infants and toddlers experience relationships and routines that foster their wellbeing, belonging and ongoing development. The learning environment is well resourced and attractively presented to cater for different needs, backgrounds and interests. Children display high levels of trust in the environment and their teachers. They are independent and motivated learners.
The teaching team is actively working towards implementing a culturally responsive curriculum that acknowledges the diverse ethnic groups in the community and removes barriers to their participation. The strategic plan includes goals to build staff capability to advocate for Te Tiriti-based practices that empower priority learners. Initiatives are in the early stages of development.
The team’s approach to planning for learning enables teachers to deliberately focus on individual children and identify strategies to support them. Ongoing evaluation does not yet sufficiently focus on how successful teachers are in improving outcomes for children, or in responding to parents’ aspirations. Priorities for learners, in relation to the outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, have yet to be determined with families.
Leadership is establishing the conditions that promote improvement to practice and operation. Teachers have been well supported to develop a sense of team. Relational trust is enabling collaboration and a focus on improvement. Teachers are beginning to subject their teaching to ongoing inquiry through their appraisal. While the manager has a good understanding of internal evaluation, it is not yet well understood across the team.
The service is thoughtfully governed with strong collaboration between the manager and committee. A carefully considered strategic plan details improvement focused goals and outcomes. Guidelines for practice and operation are up-to-date and regularly scrutinised.
Stokes Valley Community Childcare Centre Inc will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Stokes Valley Community Childcare Centre Inc. 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:
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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
ERO found an area of non-compliance in the service relating to:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008, HS29.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
3 May 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Stokes Valley Community Childcare Centre Inc. |
| Profile Number | 46817 |
| Location | Lower Hutt |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
32 children, including up to 9 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
34 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 9, NZ European/Pākehā 10, Samoan 7, Other ethnicities 8. |
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Review team on site |
March 2021 |
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Date of this report |
3 May 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2017; Education Review, January 2013. |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Stokes Valley Community Childcare Centre Inc. is an all day, mixed age service. Since its previous review, the centre has relocated to the grounds of Tui Glen School. Classrooms have been restructured to create an open-plan environment. The licence has increased to 32 children, including up to nine under the age of two.
The centre's philosophy outlines a warm, fun and safe space for children, where Māoritanga and Fa'a Samoa are valued. Children and their families represent a diverse range of cultures. Of the total roll of 39, 18 children identify as Māori.
The centre is governed by a committee of parents and other community members. Day-to-day operation of the centre is delegated to a centre manager, who supports a head teacher. At the time of this review, the centre was undergoing staff changes.
ERO's January 2013 report identified areas for development. These included aspects of teacher practice, internal evaluation, the bicultural curriculum, strategic planning and leadership. Progress is evident.
Children engage confidently in the programme provided. Child leadership is encouraged. Spontaneous and planned group learning experiences enrich the curriculum. Early mathematics learning is emphasised, as a result of a recent review. A wide range of stimulating events, excursions and cultural celebrations extend the programme.
Teachers are committed to the quality of care and education for children under two. Staff effectively respond to their cues and emerging interests. Positive relationships with older peers are fostered in the mixed-age setting, along with quieter spaces. Leaders have indicated their plans to review some elements of their provision for infants and toddlers.
Children's interests are the basis for programme planning. Teachers purposefully provide resources and plan experiences to extend group interests. These plans are then evaluated for effectiveness. Leaders agree that these evaluations should more directly impact future planning.
It is urgent that teachers develop and implement a robust system for individual assessment, planning and evaluation. External support will be required. Children's portfolios should consistently show:
a clearly linked cycle of assessment, planning and evaluation
identification of children's progress, as a result of intentional teaching strategies
evidence of meaningful learning partnerships with parents and whānau
acknowledgement of children's cultures, languages and identities.
The physical environment reflects the diverse community. Artefacts, displays and resources support children and families' sense of belonging. Children participate in cultural performances in the local community. The centre has established a relationship with the local marae. Teachers should now build on these positive foundations, to develop targeted strategies for promoting the educational success of Māori and Pacific children.
A range of useful practices support children and families in their transition to school. Leaders and teachers actively network with a number of local schools, and reciprocal visits occur. The centre enjoys a close working relationship with Tui Glen School. They share events and effective initiatives, including a buddy system.
Teachers access external agencies where appropriate, to support children with diverse needs and their families.
In response to ERO, the centre has engaged in a useful review of their appraisal processes. Teachers are very well supported to reflect on and continually improve their practice.
Effective internal evaluation results in improvements for children. This process includes plans for monitoring the impact of changes over time. Leaders agree that focused data-gathering against a reduced number of indicators will strengthen the process.
ERO and leaders agree that the strategic plan should be reviewed to include increasingly distributed leadership for teachers as well as succession planning. This is a next step.
Leaders and ERO agree that the key next steps are to:
develop individual assessment, planning and evaluation
implement targeted strategies for promoting success for Māori and Pacific children
plan for leadership sustainability.
Before the review, the staff and management of Stokes Valley Community Childcare Centre Inc 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:
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.
The next ERO review of Stokes Valley Community Childcare Centre Inc will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
30 June 2017
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.
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Location |
Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46817 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
32 children, including up to 9 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
39 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 23, Girls 16 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
18 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
May 201 |
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Date of this report |
30 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
January 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
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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:
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.
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:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.