107 Wainuiomata Rd, Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Barnardos Early Learning Centre Wainuiomata is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Barnardos Early Learning Centre Wainuiomata, formerly called Barnardos Kidstart Childcare - Wainuiomata Early Learning Centre, is licensed for 30 children, including up to five aged under two years. Thirteen children on the roll identify as Māori, and twelve as Pacific.
The service philosophy emphasises child-led learning, whānau connections, environmentally sustainable practices and open-ended play.
The centre manager is supported by four registered teachers and two part-time untrained staff.
The service is owned and operated by Barnardos New Zealand (the organisation), a national non-profit provider of community services for children and families. A regional operations manager, and a pedagogy and quality assurance advisor work together to support curriculum and operations with a range of strategies including regular visits to the service.
The March 2016 ERO report identified a number of areas requiring improvement. These included: the bicultural curriculum; provision for infants and toddlers; teacher development; assessment practices; internal evaluation; quality assurance processes and centre alignment with the organisations strategic planning. Good progress is evident in most areas. Teaching and assessment practices remain areas for development.
This review was one of four in Barnardos Early Learning Centres, Wellington region.
Children's play and ideas are valued within a child-led programme. The learning environment is inviting and rich in natural and open-ended resources for children to explore. All children are offered meaningful choices and their preferences are respected. Unhurried care moments around eating, sleeping and changing are maximised as opportunities to encourage independence. New children and their families are well supported to settle into the service and build relationships. As a next step, all teachers should focus on building intentional strategies to:
Children with diverse needs and their families are well served. Leaders and teachers are supportive and inclusive. External agency support is accessed as appropriate.
All children benefit from the many opportunities to celebrate their cultures, languages and identities. Multilingual staff further promote a sense of belonging. Leaders acknowledge that some teachers would benefit from professional learning to grow their understanding and use of te reo Māori. This would particularly enhance provision for Māori children.
The introduction of a new, systematic individual planning process is supporting teachers to collectively discuss children's interests and plan engaging experiences in response. Supporting the team to continue to develop their approach to assessment, planning and evaluation is required. This should include:
Collaborative internal evaluations support team discussion, reflection and improvements in a range of areas. To strengthen the process, the team should use measurable success indicators to support them to evaluate the impact of their practices on children's outcomes.
Leaders and ERO agree that active distribution of leadership, knowledge and understanding of centre operations among all staff is an area for development.
The service benefits from regular guidance, support and monitoring from regional management. Recent well-considered improvements to the organisation's systems and policies is resulting in increased professional understanding and engagement for teaching staff. Key strengths are:
A useful appraisal framework is being embedded. Teachers are encouraged to research and reflect on key areas of practice. ERO and regional management agree that a next step is to more strongly focus teacher appraisal goals on improving outcomes for children.
Staff, management and organisation governance share a focus on the wellbeing of children and families.
ERO, managers and teachers agree that priority next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Barnardos Early Learning Centre Wainuiomata 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 identified an area of non-compliance related to premises and facilities. The service should:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education & Care Services 2008, PF7
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
26 March 2020
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.
| Location | Lower Hutt | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 55443 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 30 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 34 | ||
| Gender composition | Male 22, Female 12 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Samoan NZ European/Pākehā Other Pacific Other ethnic groups | 13 9 5 3 4 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:5 | Meets minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:10 | Meets minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | January 2020 | ||
| Date of this report | 26 March 2020 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | March 2016 | |
| Education Review | November 2012 | ||
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.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes 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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
With significant support from Barnardos KidStart Childcare management, this service should be well placed to sustain and improve practice.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Barnardos KidStart Childcare - Wainuiomata Early Learning Centre is one of 23 childcare centres owned and operated by Barnardos New Zealand, a national provider of community services for children and families. It is licensed for 30 children, including five aged up to two years. Of the 34 children enrolled, 13 are Māori and nine are from Pacific ethnic groups. Three of the five teachers are qualified and registered. Two are fluent speakers of Samoan language.
The philosophy emphasises the importance of respectful relationships, parents’ contribution, valuing cultural identity, diversity and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in supporting children’s learning.
The November 2012 ERO report identified the need for: stronger integration of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in the programme; improved support for children’s transition to primary school; professional support for teachers to implement an assessment process; prioritisation of centre goals; and development of understanding and use of self review for improvement. Some progress is evident.
Day-to-day responsibility for the management of the centre is the role of the head teacher. The regionally-based practice leader supports curriculum. An early learning manager, who has yet to be appointed, will have oversight of the operation of a cluster of Wellington centres, including this one. Responsibility for centre-based services is delegated to a national operations manager who reports to a general manager and the Barnardos board through the Chief Executive Officer.
Since the 2012-2013 ERO reviews of Barnardos early learning centres, significant restructuring of the national organisation has been undertaken. In this service, there have been six staffing changes in the past two years, including the appointment of a new leader in 2015. The centre was relicensed in 2014 to include children aged up to two years.
This review is one of a cluster of five reviews of Barnardos KidStart Childcare early learning centres.
Teachers are caring and respectful in their interactions with children. They work together well to ensure that children are settled and engaged. Key teachers support those new to the centre and up to two years of age. Children are enthusiastic, friendly and independent learners. A focus on strengthening the quality of teaching continues, including teachers’ use of intentional strategies to support children’s learning.
The child-initiated programme promotes high levels of engagement. Children’s independence in self care and opportunities for decision making are effectively promoted. Literacy, mathematics and music are well integrated in the context of everyday happenings. Teachers agree, a stronger bicultural perspective is needed in the curriculum. Te Whare Barnardos is a practical framework that supports understanding and use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.
The centre is suitably resourced for a range of learning experiences. The outdoor area continues to be developed to provide physically challenging tactile, open-ended activities. Opportunities for children to participate in science, construction and creative activities and to return to previouslychosen play experiences, should be better facilitated.
The head teacher agrees that the new approach to planning for learning is in the early stages of development. Further work is needed by teachers to:
Teachers should evaluate the planned the programme from time to time to identify next development steps for group and individuals.
Inclusive practice is evident. The environment celebrates the diversity of the community. Families’ cultures are valued and positive relationships developed between staff and parents. Teachers’ efforts to communicate with parents in their home languages is supporting them to understand and take a more active role in their children’s learning. A strong connection with the Samoan community is valued and sustained. Children with identified learning needs receive appropriate support.
Provision for infants and toddlers requires further development. Professional learning opportunities for teachers have been sourced.
A flexible and inclusive approach supports children’s transitions into the service that is based on their and their families’ needs. Next development steps for supporting children’s transition to primary school should include continuing to develop ways of sharing information about children’s learning with new entrant teachers.
The appraisal process is not yet providing effective support for teacher development and endorsement of satisfactory performance in meeting professional teaching requirements. Barnardos ‘Goals and Growth’ system should be fully implemented. Improved appraisal and focused professional development for the head teacher and practice leader are required.
Understanding and use of internal evaluation continues to need development at centre and management level. Previous good practice has not been sustained.
Barnardos provides a range of carefully-considered operational and administrative support for the centre. This includes constructive visits and reports from the practice leader and quality assurance through the annual audit. Work is underway to strengthen the use of these tools for promoting improvements to teaching and learning.
Strategic initiatives at management level have recently been identified to support improved outcomes under the new operational framework. Identification of strategic goals and development plans at local and centre level should be a focus for management once the learning centre manager role is confirmed. Further work needs to be done to support understanding and embedding of Barnardos operational changes. Guidelines and policies, although comprehensive, continue to need updating to reflect new ways of working. In this centre, teachers’ shared understanding about practice, roles and responsibilities needs strengthening to support cohesive teamwork. Positive initiatives are the review of the centre philosophy and targeted support for the new head teacher.
Barnardos KidStart Childcare management should provide focused professional support for teachers and leaders in this service:
Barnardos KidStart Childcare management will develop an action plan for ERO that shows how it will address the key next steps to improve teaching and learning practices across this cluster of services, and include:
ERO will monitor progress made in relation to the action plan.
Before the review, the staff and management of Barnardos KidStart Childcare - Wainuiomata 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:
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 identified an area of non-compliance related to governance, management and administration. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following area:
implement an ongoing process of self review that helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA6
The next ERO review of Barnardos KidStart Childcare - Wainuiomata Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
23 March 2016
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.
|
Location |
Wainuiomata |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
55443 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
34 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 20, Boys 14 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
13 10 9 2 |
|
|
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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
23 March 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2005 |
||
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.
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.