298 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt CBD, Upper Hutt
View on mapAkarangi | 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing |
Elizabeth Avenue Childcare centre is one of eleven early childhood services under common private ownership. Significant staff changes, including the appointment of an area manager and head teacher, have occurred. The roll is culturally diverse. A small number of children are Māori. Some progress is evident in relation to the previous report’s key next steps.
Children experience a play-based curriculum that respects their preferences and promotes their active participation in the learning programme. Teachers provide good support for them to develop their social and emotional competence and persevere in their play. The well-resourced environment and wide range of learning opportunities invite exploration, and support independence and sustained play. Infants and toddlers experience a calm and settled learning environment that is well set up to meet their needs.
Leaders and teachers continue to focus on curriculum development. They are at an early stage of developing and implementing a culturally responsive and localised approach with parents and whānau. Children have opportunities to learn about aspects of tikanga Māori and te reo Māori is evident in daily practice.
Leaders have recently implemented a more meaningful approach to assessment. The learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are now used as the basis for informing planning for learning. Teaching strategies are implemented to support individual children’s progress. Evaluation is well-considered to identify children’s progress and next steps. There is more work to do to support parent partnership in planning for learning.
Governance and management systems are well established. A strategic plan provides direction for development and a well-defined leadership structure supports practice and operation. Suitable frameworks are used to build teachers’ professional growth and capability to use internal evaluation. The team’s capacity to undertake internal evaluation requires development. The appraisal cycle is a supportive process. It is timely for managers and leaders to build their capability to engage more effectively in critique of professional practice to support teachers ongoing improvement.
Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning.
Continue to:
seek parent and whānau aspirations and use these to inform planning for children’s learning
collaborate with parents and whānau to develop, implement and meaningfully engage children in a culturally responsive, localised curriculum
build managers and leaders capability to engage more effectively in critique of professional practice to support teachers ongoing improvement
build teachers’ understanding and use of internal evaluation to support decision making and determine the impact of actions on outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
8 December 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre |
|
Profile Number |
60366 |
|
Location |
Upper Hutt |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
37 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
51 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
8 December 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2019; Education Review, March 2016. |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre is a privately owned service located in Upper Hutt. It provides all‑day education and care for 37 children, including 15 up to the age of two years. Of the 52 enrolled, eight identify as Māori. Two separate learning areas cater for the different age groups.
A head teacher is responsible for overseeing staffing and programme development. She is supported by two managers who report to the service provider. All seven permanently employed staff are registered teachers.
A recent change in leadership has occurred, with the long-term head teacher taking a management role for the service provider and a new leader appointed from existing staff.
The centre philosophy highlights the importance of respectful interactions, parent partnerships, child-led learning and family.
Progress has been made in addressing the areas identified for development in the March 2016 ERO report. These included: lifting the quality of teachers practice; provision of a culturally responsive curriculum; and reviewing policies and procedures.
Leaders and teachers actively identify initiatives to promote ongoing improvement in outcomes for children. The philosophy guiding learning and teaching has been reviewed. Indicators of good practice have been created to support a shared understanding of teaching behaviours and desired child outcomes. The development of purposeful relationships with families is prioritised.
Good provision is made for children under two years. In the infants' area, consistent staffing and flexible routines, based on individual children's needs and rhythms, are in place. A good range of learning materials support play and exploration. Children are confident in their special space.
Inclusive practice is evident. Teachers discuss and share information about children with additional needs. Interactions between children and teachers are respectful and positive. High levels of reciprocal engagement are sustained. Relationships are trusting and warm. Positive guidance is used consistently. Leaders agree a next step is to strengthen culturally responsive practice, particularly in relation to provision for Pacific children.
Learning environments are well resourced to support children's interests and engagement. Children have choices about their participation and show confidence as learners. They benefit from teachers' support and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging.
Positive changes to the programme include an increased focus on individual children's learning, emerging ideas and interests, and seeking parents' aspirations as a basis for planning. Comprehensive information about children is shared with parents. Teachers in the preschool area should continue to develop strategies that support child-initiated play and independent learning choice.
Children's transitions into and through the centre are well supported. Targeted programmes prepare older children for school. Next steps, to enhance the transition-to-school process, are for teachers to develop a more deliberate approach to sharing information about individual children with new entrant teachers to support continuity of their learning.
Some progress has been made with the integration of a bicultural perspective into the programme. This has been supported by professional learning and development (PLD) for teachers. Leaders agree to continue to seek connections with local Māori and whānau to enrich the approach and support shared understanding of Māori cultural success as Māori.
Teachers have taken part in PLD to implement the revised early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. Some aspects are now woven into centre planning and teachers' reflections on their practice. Further work on identifying valued learning and developing a localised curriculum are next steps agreed by leaders. This work is planned in conjunction with the next review of the philosophy.
Programme evaluation supports collaborative reflection on teaching and learning. Developing more explicit measureable learner outcomes and teacher strategies to achieve these is a next step. This should assist teachers to better measure the effectiveness of their strategies and programmes for supporting children's learning goals and pathways.
The centre is well led. The team works cohesively and collaboratively in meeting responsibilities to drive improvement in outcomes for children. Regular visits and constructive feedback from managers promotes improved practice and accountability. Distributed leadership opportunities support teacher growth, learning and participation in decision making.
A recent review of appraisal has informed policy and procedure changes. Further development, clarification and consistency in implementation of centre appraisal procedures is needed to better support teacher professional growth. This should include:
A collaborative team approach to review, and regular reflection support ongoing improvement and affirm practice. Next steps are for teachers to further develop shared understanding of the internal evaluation process to inform sustained centre improvement.
Effective governance and management are in place. A good range of recently reviewed policies guide practice and operation. Further development of strategic planning using measureable success indicators is a next step.
Priorities for leaders and teachers are to strengthen:
Before the review, the staff and management of Elizabeth Avenue Childcare 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 areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS6, PF14]
In order to improve current practice the service provider should ensure risk assessment for excursions is improved and extend the daily hazard check.
Since the on-site stage of the ERO review, the service has provided evidence to show these concerns have been addressed.
The next ERO review of Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
19 February 2019
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 |
Upper Hutt |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
60366 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
37 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
46 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 23, Boys 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10 |
|
|
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 |
1:9 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
19 February 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
January 2013 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2010 |
||
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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre is a privately-owned service located in Upper Hutt. It is licensed to provide all-day education and care for 37 children, including 15 up to the age of two years. Of the 52 enrolled, eight children identify as Māori.
The indoor and outdoor environments provides opportunities for exploration and collaborative play for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. There is a natural world emphasis with a wide range of resources to support learning.
The centre philosophy highlights the importance of respectful interactions, children's interest leading the curriculum, and the provision of a safe and nurturing environment.
The centre has a positive reporting history with ERO. Staff are continuing their professional learning and development in bicultural practice and internal evaluation.
The children are highly engaged and active in their learning. Nurturing and purposeful relationships are well established between children and teachers. Interactions are positive and respectful. Strong manaakitanga enhances and fosters a whānau-based centre where each member is respected and valued. These factors support positive learning outcomes for children.
Children follow their interests and explore their ideas. Challenge to children's learning is offered and supported throughout play-based experiences. Teachers know children well and their whānau, their interests and their preferences for learning. A high level of respect for the child's home life is evident throughout adult-child conversations.
The centre's philosophy is highly evident in practice. The planned review of the philosophy should help to develop stronger links to how the centre focuses on and enhances positive outcomes for children. Developing expectations for teacher practice and reflection should further improve outcomes.
Children experience a well-considered and broad curriculum. The emerging interests of individuals and groups are used effectively by teachers to plan the programme for learning. This is used to help guide and support learning dispositions and provide opportunities for challenge and extension.
Children’s learning stories effectively capture their stages of development and learning journeys during their time at the centre. Parent and whānau aspirations are the basis for all narratives. Teachers are highly responsive to these. They recognise, celebrate and extend the child's learning in response to these aspirations.
Teachers value and promote te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Children confidently use te reo Māori in everyday activities. It is timely to review how effectively they recognise, incorporate and celebrate the bicultural uniqueness of Aotearoa. This should then better inform appropriate teaching strategies to enhance outcomes for Māori children as well.
There is a well-considered approach to responding to children with diverse needs. A supportive, team approach identifies how best to meet the needs, extend the learning opportunities and enhance the successful journey of the child at the centre and beyond. A focus on empowering the child, parents and whānau in responding to diversity is highly evident.
The visiting teacher focuses her reports on building teachers' capability and their understanding of an evaluative approach to improve outcomes for children. Continuing to explore these with the teaching team should help to ensure all teachers have a shared understanding and are applying this information. Incorporating inquiry and evaluation into the appraisal process should help to strengthen it and foster high quality reflection on the impact teachers' practice has on enhancing children's learning.
The centre is focused on further improving the quality of education and care through systematic self review. The findings are effectively informing change and are being used to build leadership capacity. There is clear alignment to the strategic direction of the centre. Continuing to improve the links between the strategic and annual plan with policies, appraisal, and professional development should help to enhance clear communication to guide practice in the centre.
Leaders and ERO agree the next step for improvement is to use internal evaluation to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Elizabeth Avenue Childcare 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.
The next ERO review of Elizabeth Avenue Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
16 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 |
Upper Hutt |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
60366 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
37 children, including up to 15 aged up to 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
52 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 29, Boys 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
8 36 3 5 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
16 March 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2007 |
||
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:
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.