Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education Centre

Education institution number:
55352
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
36
Telephone:
Address:

693 Puketapu Road, Puketapu

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Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education 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 Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education 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

Whakatō Emerging

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whāngai Establishing

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Puketapu Community Early Childhood Learning Centre is a community-based service located in rural Hawke’s Bay. Since the February 2018 evaluation significant challenges for the elected parent committee have resulted in restructuring many centre operations. The long serving head teacher and teachers take shared responsibility for day-to-day operations and curriculum provision.

3 Summary of findings

The programme for children effectively responds to their interests and ideas. Child-led learning experiences encourage sustained interactions and participation. Conversations and story-telling contribute to a love of language and literacy. Children develop tuakana teina relationships through regular engagement with others and are enthusiastic learners. The programme invites engagement in a wide and rich range of learning experiences with a strong focus on gaining parent aspirations connecting to children's home settings.

Teachers capture each child’s engagement in everyday activities within regular assessment records. At times, children revisit their previous activities and learning captured in their profile books. Teachers need to continue to strengthen assessment for learning by further developing how they notice and record emerging ideas and passions of groups and individual learners.

Children's transition out of the centre is well managed. Teachers use a suitable range of strategies to build and maintain relationships with the local school. Regular visits by the new entrant teacher and her class helps to build children’s confidence as they move on to school.

Māori, and all children, regularly experience te ao Māori as a meaningful part of their early childhood experience. Children and adults have increased opportunities to learn about the whakapapa of the local land. Teachers continue to develop culturally responsive practices that include extending their knowledge of all children's culture, language and identity.

Management and teachers are establishing the conditions to effectively support collaboration for improvement. Teachers are encouraged to take responsibility for their own professional learning and are beginning to develop processes to enhance their capabilities.  Recent external professional training is helping committee members and the manager to gain an improved understanding of effective practice and centre operations.

4 Improvement actions

Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education Centre will include the following actions in its quality improvement planning:

  • further development of assessment practice for children to support the desired outcomes of
    Te Whāriki  
  • continue to develop connections with the community to build teachers knowledge to implement a curriculum that reflects the local area
  • strengthen evaluation capability at all levels of operation to increase understanding of how well the service’s curriculum and systems are supporting equitable outcomes for all children and their families.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education 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

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

  • maintaining a current Fire Evacuation Scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service.
    [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS4]

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

28 May 2021 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education Centre
Profile Number 55352
Location Puketapu

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

27 children aged over 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

42

Ethnic composition

Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 31, Other ethnic groups 6.

Review team on site

March 2021

Date of this report

28 May 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, February 2018; Education Review, August 2014.

Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education Centre - 20/02/2018

1 Evaluation of Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education Centre

How well placed is Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education 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

Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education Centre is located in the rural community of Puketapu. The centre is licensed for 22 children aged from two to five years old. It operates two days a week from 8.45am to 2.45pm and three days a week from 8.45am to 1.00pm. The centre continues to have a positive relationship with the neighbouring school.

The new outdoor area reflects the rural environment with a focus on natural materials and open ended resources which promote exploration.

All teachers are qualified and registered.

Parents are actively involved in the centre through representation on the management committee. The committee is responsible for governance. Responsibility for the day-to-day running of the service is delegated to the head teacher/centre manager.

The Review Findings

Children learn in a well-resourced environment that supports their investigation and participation in a variety of experiences. The outside learning space is extensively used by the children who have many opportunities for self-initiated play. Literacy, mathematics and science are well integrated throughout the programme.

The philosophy of the centre is evident in practice. A sense of belonging is promoted through strong, respectful relationships with families and whānau. Teachers have appropriately identified that it is timely to review the philosophy in consultation with parents and whānau. This should enhance the responsiveness of the curriculum by clarifying the valued outcomes for children.

Children are viewed as competent and capable learners. Friendships are promoted and social competencies and self-management skills are fostered.

The programme is responsive to individual children's interests and needs, and parent aspirations. Planning for children is well displayed and teachers welcome families' contributions. Children's profiles celebrate their engagement and participation in the programme. Teachers have strengthened assessment to reflect the learning that is occurring. Further developing these records to show children's cultural identity, input and the depth and complexity of learning is a next step.

There is a deliberate approach to strengthening the bicultural curriculum. Te ao Māori is authentically integrated throughout the programme and supports Māori children's culture, language and identity.

Children requiring additional learning support are well provided for within an inclusive environment that is responsive to their individual needs. Progress in relation to children's goals is acknowledged and celebrated.

Partnerships with families and positive reciprocal relationships between centre and school staff effectively support children's transition to school.

Staff work collaboratively. They are improvement-focused and reflective. They recognise and value the skills and strengths that each contributes to the service. Appraisal appropriately supports teachers' professional growth and development.

The centre is well governed and managed by a parent committee. Job descriptions have been reviewed and clearly define roles and responsibilities. Developing a governance manual should provide further clarity and support succession planning and sustainability.

The use of evidenced-based internal evaluation to measure the impact of processes and practices is developing. The strategic plan is aligned to the philosophy and identifies the service's priorities. Determining actions in the annual plan to progress strategic goals should enable the service to better monitor progress and evaluate the impact on outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

ERO, leaders and teachers agree the centre's priorities are to continue to strengthen:

  • assessment practices including the documentation of children's learning that reflects their cultural context
  • internal evaluation to measure the impact of processes and practices on children's outcomes.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education 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 Puketapu Community Early Childhood Education Centre will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

20 February 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

Puketapu

Ministry of Education profile number

55352

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

22 children

Service roll

37

Gender composition

Girls 21, Boys 16

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

6
29
2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

December 2017

Date of this report

20 February 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

August 2014

Education Review

May 2011

Education Review

February 2008

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.