Central Hastings Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
47253
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
79
Telephone:
Address:

511 Hastings Street South, Hastings

View on map

Central Hastings Early Learning Centre

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesMeeting
Health and safetyMeeting
Governance, management and administrationMeeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Central Hastings Early Learning Centre is privately owned and led by a new centre manager. Children learn in three age-based rooms with two outside environments. Under half of the children attending are Māori, and a small number have Pacific heritages. The centre philosophy fosters an environment where children’s minds are engaged and inspired.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. It is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and their interests. 

Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

Key Next Steps 

Next steps include:

  • continuing to develop assessment, planning and evaluation practice
  • leaders strengthening the organisation and alignment of systems, policies and procedures across the service.

Next ERO Review 

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation. 

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

31 January 2024 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service NameCentral Hastings Early Learning Centre
Profile Number47253
LocationHastings
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers80-99%
Service roll86
Review team on siteNovember 2023 
Date of this report31 January 2024
Most recent ERO report(s)Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, December 2021; Education Review, December 2018

General Information about Assurance Reviews 

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate. 

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service
  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice. 

Central Hastings Early Learning 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 (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 Central Hastings Early Learning Centre 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

Central Hastings Early Learning Centre is a privately owned service. Children learn in three age-based rooms and share two outdoor areas. A centre manager guides the teaching team. She is supported by three room leaders. The service philosophy prioritises respectful relationships and holistic learning.

3 Summary of findings

Children learn in an environment that supports their curiosity and exploration. Teachers notice and respond to children’s preferences and interests. Consistency in identifying individual children’s learning and progress over time is yet to be established. Leaders and teachers are in the early stages of seeking the perspectives and aspirations of families to set priorities for children’s learning.

Children’s learning and development is supported by kaiako with culturally relevant knowledge and expertise. Trusting and reciprocal relationships enable a responsive and holistic approach to meeting the needs of all children and families, including those families with children who have additional learning needs. Tamariki Māori benefit from a learning environment rich in te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Pacific children experience celebrations and customs that strengthen their sense of belonging and cultural identity. Younger children are provided with a calm environment that promotes their secure attachments.

Teachers’ inquiry into aspects of the environment has improved children’s learning and wellbeing. Practices to support continual growth and evaluate the curriculum are in the process of becoming established. Strengthening leaders’ capability to use evaluation for improvement is required to support teachers’ knowledge and understanding. Leaders and teachers have yet to engage in deliberate, systematic internal evaluation to understand how individual children and groups of children are progressing in terms of the valued outcomes in Te Whāriki (the early childhood curriculum).

Through external expertise and knowledge, teachers are well-informed about initiatives in early childhood care and education. Leaders have developed systems, processes, and practices to support teachers’ capability. Some of these are in the early stages of implementation. Leaders are in the early stages of introducing a new process to align the current appraisal with the Standards for the Teaching Profession. At the time of ERO’s external evaluation, professional development choices are yet to link clearly and consistently with teachers’ ongoing professional growth.

4 Improvement actions

Central Hastings Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • improve assessment practice by ensuring that the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki provide the basis for assessment of children’s learning
  • ensure that assessment for learning practice actively involves children, parents and whānau and takes account of their perspectives and aspirations, so that over time each child’s learning and progress is made visible
  • implement an appraisal process that enables a focus on teachers’ professional growth in order better support outcomes for learners
  • strengthen evaluation capability to enable systematic inquiry with the aim of making a judgement about the quality, effectiveness or value of a programme or practice in terms of its contribution to desired outcomes.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Central Hastings Early Learning 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.

Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

14 December 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Central Hastings Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

47253

Location

Hastings

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable)

80-99%

Service roll

107

Ethnic composition

Māori 30, NZ European/Pākehā 52, Indian 5, Samoan 4, Other Pacific groups 3, Other ethnic groups 13.

Review team on site

November 2021

Date of this report

14 December 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, December 2018.

Central Hastings Early Learning Centre - 18/12/2018

1 Evaluation of Central Hastings Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Central Hastings Early Learning 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

Central Hastings Early Learning Centre is a privately owned service, located in central Hastings. It is in close proximity to local schools and licensed to provide all day education and care for 100 children, including 30 up to the age of two years. Of the 81 children currently enrolled, 28 identify as Māori and 10 are of Pacific heritage.

The philosophy is underpinned by the core values of whānau/family, respect, adventure and passion. The service states its purpose is 'to create magical learning experiences for children and their families'.

Three separate rooms cater for different ages of children. Some shared spaces allow for children aged over 18 months to be together. Each room has its own teaching team and room leader.

The service is governed by a board of directors. A centre manager oversees the day-to-day operation of the service and reports to the board.

The centre opened in July 2017. This is its first ERO review.

The Review Findings

Children have plentiful opportunities to experiment and discover within a well-considered environment. They easily access a wide range of open-ended resources that promote exploration. Children make connections to te ao Māori through this environment.

Infants and toddlers benefit from a calm, settled environment that allows them to discover at their own pace. Secure attachments to key caregivers are highly evident. Attentive teachers respond to their individual needs and wants.

Strong relationships with many parents, family and whānau are established. Teachers acknowledge and value the diverse cultures of the children who attend the centre. They use familiar cultural artefacts and language to promote a sense of belonging. Parents are well informed of their children's learning and participation in the programme.

Strategies to promote educational success for Māori and Pacific learners is developing. Some teachers demonstrate culturally responsive practices. Continuing to strengthen this across the service should be an ongoing focus to inform individual planning for children and the curriculum.

Children's learning assessment records capture their participation, interests and developing relationships with their peers. Teachers notice these interests and intentionally plan to extend them. A key next step is to strengthen the planning process to identify teaching that progresses learning.

Children with diverse learning needs are well supported. Teachers and families work alongside each other to support their ongoing development and inclusion within the centre. Leaders and teachers access external agencies as required and engage in professional learning opportunities to strengthen their knowledge of current practice.

The philosophy aspires to create a learning environment that promotes the core values of the service. Leaders and teachers should now use this as a platform to define what the priorities are for children's learning in consultation with family, whānau and iwi. This should support a consistent, centre-wide approach to the enactment of the philosophy.

Leaders have identified that the appraisal process requires further strengthening. ERO's evaluation confirms this need. A useful framework is in place to guide practice. Developing leaders' and teachers' understanding of the Education Council expectations of quality appraisal is a priority.

Self review is used to revisit some key areas of teaching practice and support ongoing developments. There is a clear focus on enhancing the centre environment and resources for children. Deepening understanding and use of internal evaluation that emphasises improved teaching and learning practices is a key next step at all levels of operation.

Good systems and processes have been developed to guide the operation of the service. The board of directors is well informed about what is happening for children within the individual rooms. Leaders should now consider how to monitor the implementation of procedures and initiatives to ensure consistency and quality of practice across the service.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps for Central Hastings Early Learning Centre are to continue to improve consistency of practice across the service through:

  • establishing priorities for children's learning and related indicators of high quality practice

  • implementing a robust appraisal process to support the development of teachers' practice

  • developing understanding and use of internal evaluation focused on children's outcomes

  • improving monitoring of the implementation of policies and processes.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Central Hastings Early Learning 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.

To improve current practice, the early childhood service management should:

  • ensure that sufficient risk assessment and management of excursions is consistently completed, including the notification of approved adult-to-child ratios for parent approval

  • develop a procedure for travel by motor vehicle to ensure parent permission and appropriate systems are in place when required.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Central Hastings Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

18 December 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

Hastings

Ministry of Education profile number

47253

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2

Service roll

81

Gender composition

Girls 43, Boys 38

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Cook Island Māori
Samoan
Other ethnic groups

28
28
8
4
13

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

November 2018

Date of this report

18 December 2018

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.