Te Whare Rama | Light House Early Learning Centre Lyttelton Street

Education institution number:
70451
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
37
Telephone:
Address:

239 Lyttelton Street, Spreydon, Christchurch

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Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakaū Embedding

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whāngai Establishing

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whāngai Establishing

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre is one of four centres governed by the Building Blocks Community Trust. This trust has a close connection to the South-West Baptist Church. The centre has separate nursery and preschool areas for the toddlers. Preschool children may transition to one of the other centres when they are ready to make the change. A recently appointed centre manager leads teaching teams across the trust.

3 Summary of findings

The centre is inclusive and welcoming for infants and toddlers and their families. Kaiako establish reciprocal relationships with parents and whānau Māori. They are valued as the child’s first teacher and are offered multiple opportunities to discuss their aspirations for their children. Teachers actively seek parents’ views about the learning conditions that best support their children’s learning. This helps promote equitable learning outcomes for children including those with additional needs.

The service curriculum is based on the strands and principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers know the infants and toddlers well and support them to develop a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing. This encourages them to confidently explore and learn. Teachers engage meaningfully in play with children and use strategies that extend their language development, including, learning some New Zealand Sign Language. The service is yet to evaluate the impact of the programme on the outcomes for these children.

Elements of te ao Māori and meaningful use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are integrated into the programme. Kaiako continue to develop their own knowledge and confidence to increasingly provide authentic opportunities for children to learn about the dual heritages of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The service is yet to establish intentional opportunities to engage with parents, whānau Māori and fanau Pacific to determine what educational success means for them.

Leaders and teachers are strengthening assessment and planning practices. Assessment records focus on children’s strengths interests and learning dispositions. Children’s languages, cultures and identities are not clearly visible in documentation. Kaiako and leaders are yet to carefully examine the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki to identify what matters most for children’s learning.

Leaders intentionally foster trusting relationships. They encourage improvement and build teachers’ leadership capability. They advocate for, and alongside parents, children and whānau to ensure all children have access to meaningful education and care. 

Internal evaluation processes are not yet used effectively to make decisions about change and improvement, particularly in relation to outcomes for children. Leaders continue to develop robust systems to build capability and drive improvement. 

4 Improvement actions

Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • find ways to collaborate with whānau Māori and fanau Pacific and the learning community to determine priorities for children’s learning by exploring the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki 
  • increase the visibility of children’s cultures, languages and identities in assessment documentation
  • continue to build capability and collective capacity to improve the quality of internal evaluation for sustained improvement.  

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Spreydon Baptist Community 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

11 October 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre
Profile Number 70451
Location Spreydon, Christchurch

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

41 children, including up to 16 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

52

Ethnic composition

Māori 9, NZ European/Pākehā 29, Pacific 4, Other ethnicities 10.

Review team on site

July 2021

Date of this report

11 October 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, October 2016; Education Review, May 2013.

Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre - 12/10/2016

1 Evaluation of Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Spreydon Baptist Community 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

Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre is one of three centres governed by the Building Blocks Community Trust. This Trust has a close connection to the South West Baptist Church. A centre director is responsible for the day-to-day running of the centres. Each centre has an onsite team leader who also provides daily leadership within the programme.

Since the 2013 ERO review, there have been many changes in staff. These include changes in team leaders, teaching staff and the establishment of a new position of curriculum coach who works across all the centres. The majority of staff are fully trained early childhood teachers.

The centre has separate nursery and preschool areas and provides care and education for infants through to three year olds. Older children move onto the service's kindergarten which is located next to this centre.

The centres are involved in regular meetings with other local early childhood services and schools to promote collaboration and sharing of effective practices.

The centre has made good progress in meeting the recommendations of the 2013 ERO report.

This review was part of a cluster of three reviews of the centres governed by the Building Blocks Community Trust.

The Review Findings

The Christian philosophy is visible and evident in the environment and programmes.

Teachers promote effective relationships with children and families. Teachers have positive interactions with children. They spend time involved with them during the programme and encourage conversations during play. Infants and toddlers learn in a well-organised nursery environment. Teachers have close and sensitive interactions with infants and toddlers. They respond to them in nurturing ways and include many home routines.

Teachers provide a good range of activities and resources to support children’s learning. They set up interesting play environments that are purposefully linked to individual children’s interests, strengths and abilities.

Managers and teachers use a range of personalised practices to successfully support children with diverse needs and their families.

Teachers effectively incorporate aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori in programmes and practices. This has been an ongoing focus of self review and professional learning and development.

Managers have developed stronger systems and practices for building teachers' capacity. They have a good understanding of where teachers' strengths in teaching and learning are, and work to address issues when these arise. Teachers are provided with useful feedback to help them support children’s learning in more effective ways.

Managers have developed clearer guidelines and formats for planning and assessment. These are helping teachers focus more on being responsive to children’s individual interests and abilities. Useful guidelines for self review and teacher reflection constructively support teachers to increase their understanding of these processes.

Managers and teachers are making effective use of professional learning and development to improve aspects of practice and consistency across the centres. They have focused on growing centre leadership, especially at the team leader level, and establishing higher expectations for teaching and learning.

The Trust is now more involved in the governance of the centres. It has worked collaboratively with staff on the centre’s vision, mission and values.

Key Next Steps

Centre managers and ERO agree that the key next steps to improving outcomes for children’s learning include:

  • implementing consistent planning, assessment, and self-review practices

  • strengthening appraisal to build on and support teachers’ professional practice, including reflecting on the effectiveness of their teaching

  • extending trustees', managers' and teachers' understandings of supporting success as Māori

  • more clearly defining key roles and responsibilities in leadership and strengthening strategic planning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Spreydon Baptist Community 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 Spreydon Baptist Community Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

12 October 2016

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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

70451

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

42 children, including up to 16 aged under 2

Service roll

70

Gender composition

Girls 37; Boys 33

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Pacific

African

Other Ethnicities

13

42

8

3

4

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

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2016

Date of this report

12 October 2016

Most recent ERO reports 

Education Review

May 2013

Education Review

March 2010

Education Review

March 2007

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.