Busy Bees Mapua

Education institution number:
65229
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
59
Telephone:
Address:

86 Aranui Road, Mapua

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Bounce Early Learning Centre - 14/06/2017

1 Evaluation of Bounce Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Bounce Early Learning 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

This early childhood centre is privately owned. Since the last ERO review its license has been amended so it can have children who are under two years as well as those who are over two years of age.

The centre has had stable leadership and its staff includes a mixture of experienced long serving teachers and newer staff. Most staff are registered teachers.

The centre has a positive reporting history with ERO. The owner and staff have made good progress towards addressing the recommendations relating to improving internal evaluation and partnerships with parents noted in its 2014 review report.

The Review Findings

The centre's philosophy is clearly evident in programmes and practices. This is particularly so in regard to the way children’s well-being and sense of belonging are promoted.

Relationships between teachers and children are positive and responsive. Teachers focus on making sure their interactions with children are nurturing and caring. Routines are flexible and take into account children's needs and interests.

Teachers successfully foster partnerships with parents through good communication. They actively seek and respond to parent's aspirations for their children in ways that enrich their learning. Regular social events supports relationship-building with family and whānau. Parent evenings help to increase their understanding of the centre’s philosophy and curriculum. 

The centre’s curriculum provides children with an extensive range of learning experiences. The programme includes a good mixture of child and teacher initiated activities. Children's learning and development is supported by a wide range of quality resources and an interesting, spacious outdoor environment.

Elements of literacy, mathematics and biculturalism are successfully integrated into the centre's programme. The centre is inclusive of all. Staff value the culture and language of children and their families. The centre is responsive to children with special learning needs.

Teachers make effective use of practices that support children to build on and extend their interests. They develop their thinking and reasoning skills, confidence and independence. Children happily engage in a wide variety of exploratory play for sustained periods. They are confident and independent in the centre environment.

The centre's programme for children who are under two has been successfully established and is now a strength of the centre. The positive environment provided for these children, responsive routines and continuity in staffing foster children's social and emotional well-being. Their oral language is well provided for as is learning through playing with their peers and older children. Useful assessments and planning support the promotion of children’s learning.

A focus on improving centre practices has helped children to successfully transition into, within the centre, and on to school. Close liaison with local schools is aiding these transitions.

The centre is well managed and led. Leaders are improvement focused and their decisions are well informed by critical reflection and regular self-review. Management practices promote collaboration, team work and good use of staff strengths to benefit their colleagues and children.

Annual plans successfully establish clear and appropriate priorities and focus actions. Professional discussions and development support ongoing improvements to teaching.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre leaders agree that the key next steps include:

  • continuing to review and improve the quality of group programme planning and evaluation
  • building on the best of assessment practices
  • aligning documented appraisal procedures and centre practices more closely to Education Council requirements
  • extending the integration of bicultural perspectives into programmes, practices and key centre documents. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Bounce 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:

  • 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 Bounce Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)

14 June 2017

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

Mapua

Ministry of Education profile number

65229

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 5 aged under 2

Service roll

57

Gender composition

Girls: 25

Boys: 32

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

European

2

54

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

April 2017

Date of this report

14 June 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

March 2014

Education Review

May 2011

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.

Bounce Early Learning Centre - 26/03/2014

1 Evaluation of Bounce Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Bounce Early Learning 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

This privately-owned centre provides education and care for children over two years of age. Children attend the centre from the village of Mapua, and the surrounding rural area. Children at the centre are representative of the diverse cultural community of families primarily from European countries.

The centre opened in 2008. This is its second ERO review.

The Review Findings

The licensee and teachers provide children with a calm, settled, and well-organised environment. The spacious outside and inside areas have a range of good quality learning equipment and interesting activities.

Children are actively engaged in learning through play as individuals and in groups. They get on well together and have respect for each other and their teachers.

Teachers listen and question children in ways that extend their thinking. Their practices strongly link to the vision of the centre to inspire life-long learning.

Children effectively learn in small groups organised to meet their age and developmental learning needs. They are confident to make choices and enjoy a wide range of learning experiences.

Children visit schools and local businesses, and enjoy visits from members of the community who share their knowledge and expertise at the centre. This gives children good opportunities to follow their interests and extend their learning. Teachers make meaningful connections with local schools and community businesses.

Careful consideration has been given to ways in which New Zealand’s bicultural heritage has been integrated into the programme and environment. As a result, children experience aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori naturally throughout their day.

Learning journey books reflect children’s learning and progress. Children frequently look through their books and enjoy revisiting their learning.

Teachers have effective systems to make sure the programme follows the interests of individuals and groups of children. The programme includes a strong focus on literacy, numeracy and science.

The licensee and centre managers provide strong leadership. They work well together and have a focus on continual improvement. This is evident in the way that they reflect on and review their practices, the programme and the environment.

They regularly seek parents’ views on ways to improve outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

The licensee and teachers have high expectations and a strong focus on improvement. ERO agrees with the following areas for review and development identified by the centre:

  • refining the analysis of self-review information
  • ensuring there is a balance of records of individual and group assessment
  • developing clearer communication systems to inform and involve parents in children’s learning.

ERO identified that the licensee and teachers could:

  • review how information and communication technologies could be made more accessible for children and parents as a tool for learning and communication
  • evaluate how well the centre’s philosophy aligns with the centre’s current practice and thinking.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Bounce 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:

  • 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 Bounce Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

26 March 2014

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

Mapua

Ministry of Education profile number

65229

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, children two years and older

Service roll

50

Gender composition

Girls 29; Boys 21

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Other ethnicities

3

45

2

Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2014

Date of this report

26 March 2014

Most recent ERO report 

Education Review

May 2011

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.