Gr8 Kidz Childcare and Learning Centre

1 Evaluation of Gr8 Kidz Childcare and Learning Centre

How well placed is Gr8 Kidz Childcare and Learning Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Gr8 Kidz Childcare and Learning Centre is located in Stratford, Taranaki in a purpose-built facility. The service has a Christian philosophy that aligns with the Vineyard Church ethos. The Mountain View Trust Board is responsible for governance of the service. A licensee/manager oversees daily operation and a team leader has oversight of teaching and learning programmes. Six teachers are fully qualified and registered and two are provisionally registered teachers.

The service provides education and care for up to 50 children, including 10 infants aged up to two years. At the time of ERO's visit the roll was 78, including 15 Māori children and several of other ethnicities.

The January 2015 ERO report identified the need to focus on leadership and the appointment of a team leader was made.

The Review Findings

Children engage confidently with each other. They benefit from warm, positive relationships with their peers and teachers. Learning conversations are relaxed and peaceful. Teachers work and play alongside the children, asking relevant questions and supporting their play. Teachers know the children and their families well.

Active play and physical challenge are well promoted. Teachers encourage and affirm children's exploration of resources and offered experiences. To strengthen the daily programme, teachers should consider ways of increasing opportunities for children to make meaningful decisions throughout their day. This would better support children to see themselves as capable, competent learners.

Infants and toddlers benefit from interactions with attentive, respectful teachers. Sensory, creative and tactile play is well promoted. Infants and toddlers have opportunities to learn alongside their older peers, as well as play in their own space. Extensive self review and reflection has led to well considered changes to the learning environment for these learners.

Development of the bicultural curriculum has been a centre-wide strategic priority. Leaders and teachers demonstrate commitment to and progress with their knowledge and use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Ongoing professional development, including working with external expertise, is contributing to the centre-wide growth of experiences within te ao Māori.

Leaders have identified that promoting Māori children's success as Māori is their next priority. Teachers have begun to use relevant resources to grow their understanding of ways they can value and promote Māori children's culture, language and identity in partnership with their whānau.

Teachers are inclusive and prioritise families' sense of belonging within the Gr8 Kidz learning community. Events and excursions extend this connectedness.

Children with additional learning needs are very well supported to engage in the curriculum, alongside their peers. Teachers work closely with parents and external agencies to plan for, monitor and celebrate these children's progress.

Transitions into the centre are well considered. Children's wellbeing and sense of belonging is monitored and effectively supported.

Leaders acknowledge that the quality and consistency of assessment, planning and evaluation requires development. ERO's evaluation supports this as an area for development. Current learning narratives do not clearly show how teachers extend and challenge children. To improve the quality of assessment documentation:

• parent aspirations should be enacted and evident in learning stories

• knowledge of each child's culture, language and identity should be used to inform planning and assessment of learning

• children's interests should be used as a means for extending children's learning

• portfolios should include clear evidence of the child's learning as a result of targeted teaching

• learning stories should show how teachers actively promote older children's readiness for school.

The team leader capably leads centre-wide reflection, review and evaluation. Much consideration, research and discussion by teachers contributes to ongoing improvement. Internal evaluation will be strengthened by gathering evidence of the impact of changes on outcomes for children.

The appraisal process is used effectively to strengthen teaching and guide ongoing improvement. The recently revised appraisal policy documents expectations clearly. Teachers' inquiries into their practice are guided by a useful framework that includes emphasis on children's learning outcomes.

The team leader appropriately models effective teaching, along with in-depth learning analysis. These practices have supported improvements to teaching practice. A number of useful systems and processes have been implemented to provide robust critique and useful next steps to support teacher development.

Well-considered strategic goals guide the governance and management of the service. A next step for the trustees is to revisit the process of developing and reviewing policies to ensure that all policies are relevant and reflect current practice.

Key Next Steps

ERO's evaluation has found that the service's next steps for development are to:

• strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation

• increase children's involvement in decision making

• continue to promote Māori children's success as Māori

• revisit and improve the process of policy review

• strengthen evidence-based internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Gr8 Kidz Childcare and 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Gr8 Kidz Childcare and Learning Centre will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

29 November 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.