3 Stafford Street, Parkside, Timaru
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Aoraki Explorers is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Aoraki Explorers is located in the South Canterbury township of Timaru. The ownership of the service changed in 2017. Previously named Active Learners, the centre is one of nine early learning services in the Canterbury region, and one of 58 nationwide that are managed and operated by the Provincial Education Group.
In 2018 there was a restructure of the leadership of the centre, with some existing staff stepping up into leadership roles. Leaders within the centre are supported by a regional manager. Several staff have been at the centre for an extended period of time. Most of the staff are qualified early childhood teachers.
The centre philosophy is underpinned by Te Whāriki 2017, the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, and the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Teaching practice in the nursery area is influenced by RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) and Pikler theories, with a focus on respectful interactions and freedom of movement.
The centre is divided into two distinct areas to cater for the specific needs of children aged 2 to 5, and for those under two years old. Families at the centre represent an increasingly diverse local community.
The centre is part of the South Timaru Kāhui Ako|Community of Learning which works collaboratively to support the teaching and the learning of all children in the local area from early childhood through to secondary school.
Centre leaders have made good progress with the areas identified for further improvement in the 2016 ERO report. This includes: refining the philosophy, promoting partnerships in learning with parents, strengthening strategic planning, internal evaluation and appraisal processes.
This is the centre's first review under the name, Aoraki Explorers.
Children are actively involved in a range of interesting experiences that promote physical activity, creative play and oral language development. Project based learning is supported by the inquiry approach which extends children's questioning and reasoning skills.
Leaders and teachers foster respectful, reciprocal relationships across the centre. They promote a sense of belonging for children, parents and whānau. The cultures and languages of families are respected and celebrated. Parents' wishes for their children are valued and used to inform planning for individual children and groups. Parents are regularly informed about their children’s learning through a range of established communication methods, including well-written learning records.
Teachers are responsive to the individual interests, strengths and capabilities of children. They work closely with parents and specialist agencies to support and enhance the learning of children with identified needs.
Teachers are increasing their understandings of te ao Māori perspectives across all aspects of the curriculum. This enables them to provide meaningful bicultural experiences for children.
Infants and toddlers benefit from consistent caregiving that promotes secure relationships and a positive sense of wellbeing. Children benefit from calm, unhurried interactions that are sensitive to their changing needs and preferences. Infants and toddlers have easy access to an environment that inspires their curiosity and exploration.
Leaders and teachers have a strong commitment to continuous improvement that is focused on positive outcomes for children. Leaders value and make good use of teachers' passions and skills. Emergent leadership amongst teachers is encouraged and well supported to build capability and service-wide capacity. There is a systematic approach to reflective practice, appraisal and internal evaluation that is aligned to strategic priorities.
Leaders have identified, and ERO's evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Aoraki Explorers 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:
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.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
19 June 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.
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Location |
Timaru |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
65084 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
58 children, including up to 13 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
92 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 50, Girls 42 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
16 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2019 |
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Date of this report |
19 June 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2016 |
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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:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.
Active Learners Early Childhood Centre in Timaru is a privately owned education-and-care centre. The owners have a second centre in the Christchurch region and are in the planning stages for opening a third centre. The centre provides full-day care and education for up to 57 children from birth to six years of age. A centre manager oversees the daily operations of this centre.
Up to 12 infants are cared for in a separate area by three qualified teachers. Children from two to six years play and learn together in a spacious indoor area. A team of five qualified teachers plan and provide programmes based around children's ages and interests. There is an additional room called the Wharenui, where small groups of children and teachers can work on extended projects or enjoy movement and music sessions.
This is the second ERO report for this centre. The owners, manager and teachers have made very good progress towards making the improvements recommended in the 2013 report, particularly in the areas of planning, assessment and evaluation, and teacher practice.
The owners have a strong vision for children and their families. They aim to 'provide high quality care and education that supports children and their whānau to develop the skills, knowledge and values so they can actively and positively contribute to a changing world.' Under their direction, the manager and teachers provide programmes that are based on the philosophies of Reggio Emilia and Pikler. Key aspects of these programmes are the careful preparation of the indoor and outdoor areas to provide interest and promote curiosity and the evident culture of respect.
Children show a strong sense of belonging to the centre. They play well together and confidently make choices about what they want to do and where they want to play during the day. They enjoy trusting relationships with their teachers.
Transitions into and throughout the centre are well planned so that children feel secure during this time. Teachers have had ongoing professional development to enrich the way they work with children. As a result they now:
know about and use a greater range of strategies to extend children's thinking and learning
have consistent routines which support a sense of order, independence and a calm atmosphere for learning.
Teachers make parents feel very welcome and have many ways to keep them informed about centre life. For example, they share news and information about what children are learning through regular newsletters, formal and informal meetings, parent education evenings and social media.
Children enjoy a wide range of interesting experiences. Teachers use children's interests as the starting point to extend their learning. Aspects of the programme that support children's learning include:
early literacy and mathematics integrated into their play
a focus on healthy eating and being physically active
many opportunities for exploration and creative and dramatic play
the use of ICT to investigate and research ideas
visitors to the centre and excursions into the local community.
Children benefit from a programme which acknowledges New Zealand's bicultural and increasingly multicultural heritage. The teachers have had extensive professional development to help them better respond to the language, culture and identity of children and their families, in particular Māori and Pacific. Children of all ages:
hear and use some te reo Māori and waiata
learn their mihi
are supported by their teachers to develop more in-depth knowledge of Māori and Pacific perspectives.
The next step is for teachers to more consistently show in children's records how they acknowledge and respond to the language culture and identity of children and their families.
Children aged under two benefit from respectful, caring relationships with their teachers. Teachers provide a programme where care moments are an opportunity for learning. Teachers use these times to pay close attention to children's verbal and non-verbal cues. They maintain an unhurried pace and have arranged the area for children to move freely and explore. Teachers have thought carefully about what they want children to learn. The philosophy is detailed and outlines some of the important ideas guiding the programme. When the philosophy is next reviewed, teachers should state these ideas more simply and make the desired learning outcomes for children clearer. The philosophy should also be used to guide internal evaluation.
There is an effective system for planning for individuals and groups of children. Teachers seek parents’ wishes for their children’s learning. In the best examples, children's records show how parents and teachers have worked together to support the child’s learning. The next step is to make this more consistently evident in all children's profiles.
There is a new centre manager since the last ERO review. With the support of the owners she has had a strong focus on building teacher capability within the team, including developing her own leadership abilities. The team works well together. Leaders and teachers have a continuous focus on improving their programmes and practices.
A new appraisal system encourages teachers to think deeply about their work and set ongoing improvement goals. There is potential to develop this system further by ensuring all teachers:
include a shared appraisal goal linked to the priorities in the strategic plan
deepen their understanding of Tātaiako, teachers' cultural competencies, and how these align to the practising teacher criteria.
Some staff have had recent professional development to build the understanding and practice of internal evaluation. The manager has identified the need to plan for the development of this so all staff have a good understanding and can lead internal evaluations. Internal evaluation practice can still be strengthened by ensuring a more evaluative question focuses the investigation. Well-developed indicators need to guide the evaluation at all stages.
The owners are very supportive of the manager and her team. They have high expectations and provide support for teachers to grow and improve their practice. There is a draft strategic plan to guide the direction of the centre over the next three years. As the owners and manager continue to develop the draft strategic plan they should ensure:
the goals are strategic rather than everyday business
the actions are sufficiently comprehensive and specific
the manager's reports to the owners align to key aspects of the plan and are evaluative.
There is potential to align Māori values with current values stated in the strategic plan.
The owners have developed useful systems to support the smooth running of the centre.
The key next steps for the owners, manager and teachers are to refine:
internal evaluation practices
the strategic plan and align systems to the plan to enable progress towards the vision and goals
the consistency of children's records
the philosophy
aspects of appraisal.
Before the review, the staff and management of Active Learners Early Childhood 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.
The next ERO review of Active Learners Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
17 June 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 |
Timaru |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
65084 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
57 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
102 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys: 55 Girls: 47 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other |
21 65 11 5 |
|
|
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 |
April 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
17 June 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2013 |
|
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.