3 John Street, Blenheim
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 (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 Little Footsteps – John Street are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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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 |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Little Footsteps - John Street, is a privately owned centre providing care and education for tamariki mokopuna in a mixed-age group setting. The manager supported by the owner, leads a team of mostly qualified teachers. Good progress has been made in addressing the areas for improvement in the March 2018 ERO report.
Leaders and kaiako promote responsive and reciprocal relationships with children, their parents whānau and external agencies to support children’s wellbeing, learning and development. Infants and toddlers experience a calm, nurturing environment that promotes their wellbeing and belonging. These approaches give younger children time and opportunities to lead their own learning.
Kaiako plan for children’s learning, in response to their interests, strengths, skills, and developing abilities. This supports them to make choices about their involvement in the programme and their learning. Children’s cultures, languages and identities are yet to be integrated within the programme to enhance their mana and their learning identities.
Kaiako are yet to implement a consistent and robust framework with a particular focus on using the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and evaluating children’s learning. Collecting the perspectives of Māori and Pacific families and whānau to build a curriculum that is responsive to aspirations for their children has not yet been undertaken.
Leaders and kaiako are beginning to work collaboratively to build their knowledge and understanding to provide a culturally responsive curriculum. The service has yet to embed the practices outlined in the bicultural policy.
The service is beginning to establish internal evaluation for improvement. A greater focus on outcomes for children and how improvement actions have helped realise the vision, values, strategic direction, goals and priorities for children’s learning is required.
Little Footsteps – John Street will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Footsteps – John Street 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
9 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Little Footsteps-John Street |
| Profile Number | 65238 |
| Location | Blenheim |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 20 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
64 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 10, NZ European/Pākehā 40, Samoan 6, Other 8. |
|
Review team on site |
March 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
9 June 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2018; Education Review, March 2015 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Little Footsteps John Street is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Footsteps John Street is one of two centres owned and administered by Little Footsteps (VJDJ Limited) organisation. This centre is licenced to provide mixed aged education and care for up to 33 children including up to 20 children under two year olds.
The service has had two new owners since the previous 2015 ERO review. Over this time staffing has remained consistent. The centre owners and managers have made a number of improvements including a considerable upgrade of the outside environment. A management team, consisting of the owners and managers from both centres, has recently been established. New policies and processes have been introduced and are in the early stages of implementation.
New owners and management team have addressed a number of areas identified for improvement in the 2015 ERO report. They have established a strategic plan and are assessing, planning and evaluating learning programmes for individual children.
This review was part of a cluster of two early learning centre reviews in the Little Footsteps (VJDJ Limited) organisation.
Teachers provide a welcoming and friendly environment for infants, toddlers and children. Learning is holistic and based on positive and respectful relationships that are fostered with their teachers and each other. Children are engaged and settled in their learning. They benefit from calm, unhurried routines.
Children lead their own learning. They are purposefully supported in the development of self-management skills. Teachers work alongside children, empowering them to make decisions about their learning. Children's views are carefully listened to and they are well supported in developing and extending their ideas. Teachers are intentional in the way they make the most of opportunities to progress children's learning.
Teachers actively promote the wellbeing of children under two and their sense of belonging within the centre. Infants and toddlers benefit from learning and social opportunities that are enhanced by being with older children in a mixed age environment. Tuakana teina relationships, where older children support younger children, are strong. Thoughtful consideration is given to the selection of the teacher who will take major responsibility for the care and learning of each child. Relationships with parents and whānau are actively fostered. Children experience family-like relationships.
Assessment and planning are based on children's interests and strengths. Assessment shows clear progressions of children's learning. The best examples show specific goals, child and parent voice, teaching strategies and next learning steps with evaluation of the goals. The best examples effectively capture the child's voice, their learning journey and ongoing progress.
The curriculum offers a wide range of learning experiences that are focussed on children's interests. There is an emphasis on care for the environment and sustainable practices such as gardening. Early literacy and numeracy are woven naturally throughout the programme. Children have access to good quality and appropriate resources.
Teachers value and support the Treaty of Waitangi and the unique place of Māori. Skills and knowledge shared by Māori whānau are welcomed and sought by teachers. Children benefit from regularly hearing te reo Māori as part of everyday conversations and are encouraged to use the language.
The management team have a shared commitment to ongoing improvement. The collaboratively developed strategic plan is improvement focussed, known to staff and clearly outlines the direction of the service. They have introduced a number of useful processes to guide centre operations, further develop teaching practice and promote positive outcomes for children. Centre owners actively contribute to enabling the centres vision, values and strategic priorities to be realised.
External professional development is well used by teachers to extend their professional practice and children's learning. This is particularly evident in the way teachers are exploring strategies to further engage parents as partners in their child's learning.
ERO and the service's management team agree that the next steps for the centre are to continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Footsteps - John Street 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 Little Footsteps - John Street will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
14 March 2018
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 |
Blenheim |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
65238 |
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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 |
33 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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|
Service roll |
40 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 24: Girls 16 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
January 2018 |
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Date of this report |
14 March 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
October 2009 |
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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:
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.