Happy Learning

1 Evaluation of Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street

How well placed is Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street opened in April 2017. This is the first ERO evaluation of the centre.

Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street is one of five centres owned and operated by Ferns Education Trust under the Targeted Assistance for Participation Programme (TAP). The centre is licensed for up to 70 children, including 16 up to two years of age in a purpose built facility. Three separate rooms cater for different age related groups of children. Most of the children who attend the centre are of Pacific heritage. A small number of children are Māori.

The Kea Kids philosophy and vision guide all practices and developments at the centre. The philosophy acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua and a strong commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand. The centre's commitment of inclusion, equitable opportunities for children and respectful relationships are underpinned by the importance of whānau. The centre approach values tamariki as special and unique individuals. Staff are exploring aspects of the Reggio Emilia philosophy to align with their existing philosophy, vision and values.

The centre director, area manager and operation manager have oversight of centre governance and management. A centre manager and three team leaders share the responsibility for day to day operations. A key feature of the centre is the active approach taken by management and teachers to establish learning partnerships with whānau. The formation of a parent/whānau hub is currently underway to further strengthen whānau involvement in their children's learning.

The centre networks with the Mangere Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL) that includes local schools in the area.

The Review Findings

Children and parents/whānau are warmly welcomed into the centre. Staff know children well and support families in a caring and homely learning environment. This helps to create and maintain a sense of belonging. The centre's atmosphere and teachers' interactions with children are gentle, respectful, unhurried and calm.

The learning environments are spacious and well-resourced. Learning areas are well set out and include natural and other resources. Children enjoy good access to a wide range of equipment and have many opportunities to make choices about their play. They are busy, active and engaged in their learning. Children are well supported as they move between learning areas and play cooperatively. Their cultural backgrounds are richly reflected in the environment. The many languages spoken by staff, parents and children are valued and respected.

Infants and toddlers experience caring and nurturing practices. Responsive interactions with adults support children aged up to two years to be confident in their surroundings. Teachers are sensitive to the needs of the children. Their gentle and attentive approach respects the individual child's cultural and developmental needs.

Teaching practices are respectful and responsive. Te reo and tikanga Māori is woven through the programme. Children's languages and cultures are recognised and celebrated within the centre's routines and culture. Kaiako have developed trusting relationships with children and support their emotional wellbeing. Children with additional learning needs are well supported in an inclusive learning environment.

Kaiako have developed a curriculum that stems from the centre philosophy, which promotes knowing all children and providing programmes that meet their cultural and learning needs. Children are encouraged to engage in creative play, pursue physical challenge and develop literacy, numeracy and science understandings. Teachers have established a cycle of assessment, planning and evaluation. They are beginning to extend their understanding of the revised Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum, to provide positive outcomes for tamariki.

Staff carefully consider transitions into, within and beyond the centre. Children and whānau benefit from well planned and unhurried transitions between rooms. It is now timely to further develop strategies that support children's transitions onto school. The relationships teachers are developing with a local primary school will be helpful in this process.

The area manager supports a culture of ongoing improvement by ensuring that the centre manager and kaiako have access to relevant professional development. Teaching teams within the centre, and across the five Kea Kids centres, work collaboratively and share in professional dialogue to grow their skills, understanding and capability. After a period of staff changes due to an increase in the roll, the centre is now consolidating and building a team ethos to ensure consistency of practice across the three teams.

The centre is well governed and managed. A strong kaupapa and philosophy guides centre practice and operations. The strategic direction of the centre is well documented and a good policy framework is in place and reviewed. New procedures for performance management and teacher appraisal are currently being introduced. Teachers will need ongoing support as these new systems are embedded in the centre.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders agree that next steps include continuing to:

• broaden teacher understanding of the revised Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum

• deepen the evaluation of the impact of initiatives and programmes on outcomes for children

• provide relevant support to embed the new teacher appraisal process.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street 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 Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street will be in three years.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

17 January 2019

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.