Jade-Star Childcare and Learning Centre

Education institution number:
80058
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
45
Telephone:
Address:

214-216 South Road, Caversham, Dunedin

View on map

Jade-Star Childcare and 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 Jade Star Childcare and Learning Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakatō Emerging

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakatō Emerging

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakatō Emerging

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakatō Emerging

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakatō Emerging

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakatō Emerging

2 Context of the Service

Jade Star Childcare and Learning Centre is privately owned and provides education and care for infants, toddlers, and young children. All kaiako are qualified and certificated teachers. There are two separate centres on adjoining properties that operate under a combined licence. The centre manager is supported by the service provider.

3 Summary of findings

Kaiako focus on developing reciprocal relationships, social competence, and emotional wellbeing to ensure all tamariki have opportunities to learn. Kaiako implement a curriculum based on the play interests of tamariki and regular routine practices. They are in the early stages of designing a culturally responsive and language rich curriculum that reflects the service’s newly developed learning priorities and the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.  

Kaiako provide a caring, warm, and nurturing environment. Two separate outdoor environments provide a range of equipment and challenges for tamariki to explore. Transitions and interactions for young tamariki are unhurried to provide stability and maintain their sense of belonging.

Building positive and respectful relationships is a core value of the service’s new philosophy. Kaiako work collaboratively when establishing individualised learning goals for tamariki. Communication with parents and whānau is valued and provides kaiako with further knowledge and understanding of the child as a learner. The service’s assessment planning and evaluation processes are yet to be consistently implemented to:

  • acknowledge and respond to the culture, identity, and languages of tamariki and their whānau
  • show children’s learning progress over time
  • evaluate how well the curriculum is supporting children’s learning and contributing to improved teaching practices.  

Some use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori is evident in the service’s daily routines. Leaders acknowledge building professional knowledge of te reo Māori and cultural competence requires  strengthening.

Professional development has resulted in a range of new systems and processes to better support leaders and kaiako meet strategic priorities. This includes professional development to build leaders and kaiako understanding of internal evaluation. The service has collected some information to support these new initiatives, but it is too early to know the effectiveness of these in building kaiako capability.

4 Improvement actions

Jade Star Childcare and Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. Leaders to continue to:

  • support kaiako to develop understanding of the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki to design a culturally responsive curriculum that acknowledges the culture, language, and identity of all tamariki, and the cultural narrative of local mana whenua
  • build their leadership capacity to support kaiako to:
    • effectively use internal evaluation to know the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching practices and the impact of these on children’s learning and development
    • to grow their teaching and leadership capability.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Jade Star Childcare and 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.

6 Actions for Compliance

During the onsite visit, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • adults have clear access to at least one side of the stretchers intended for children to sleep on.

Licensing criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS10.

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

3 March 2022 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Jade Star Childcare and Learning Centre
Profile Number 80058
Location Dunedin

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

57 children, including up to 20 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

47

Ethnic composition

Māori 9, NZ European/Pākehā 31, Other ethnicities 7

Review team on site

October 2021

Date of this report

3 March 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2018; Education Review, May 2016

Jade-Star Infants and Toddlers Centre - 16/05/2018

1 Evaluation of Jade-Star Infants and Toddlers Centre

How well placed is Jade-Star Infants and Toddlers 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

Jade-Star Infants and Toddlers Centre provides full-day education and care. It is licensed for up to 25 children, including 20 children aged under two years. The centre is one of two privately owned services on the same site, with the other centre providing education and care for older children.

The centre has a long-serving manager, who works closely with the head teachers of both services.  All teachers are qualified and registered, or in training. Since the 2016 ERO review, the owner has employed a service provider whose role is to oversee aspects of centre governance and operations, and to liaise with the owner and manager.

The 2016 ERO report identified that many aspects of governance, management and leadership required further development to be effective. Some progress has been made in these areas, however this review found that many of these still need ongoing strengthening and close monitoring, to ensure any improvements made, are sustained.

ERO requires an action plan from the centre detailing how the manager and leaders will continue to develop and strengthen practices identified in this report.  ERO will request progress reporting against these plans.

The Review Findings

Infants and toddlers benefit from responsive reciprocal relationships with their teachers. Infants and toddlers learn at an unhurried pace, and in an environment that is responsive to their individual needs and routines. They are well supported in their transitions into the centre, including time to develop relationships, to explore, and develop a sense of belonging. These are key aspects that are promoting positive outcomes for children. 

Leaders have developed clear guidelines for assessment, planning and evaluation for individual children. These support teachers to plan well to meet individual children's needs. Teachers are increasingly responding to children's language and culture. They seek and include parents' aspirations for their children's learning. They clearly identify learning they wish to focus on, and then identify the strategies and experiences they will use to support the intended learning. The next step for teachers is to evaluate how well these strategies and experiences have supported the intended learning, and reflect this in the assessment information.

A clearly developed philosophy guides centre practices. It is based on shared values and beliefs for children's learning, and identifies the valued outcomes for children's learning. The philosophy shows a commitment to New Zealand's bicultural heritage. Teachers enable children to experience aspects of a bicultural programme. Leaders and teachers now need to continue to develop their understanding of culturally responsive practices to better to respond to Māori children, and to enable all children to experience a rich bicultural curriculum.

Teachers plan programmes and experiences based on children's interests and needs. Teachers plan for children to access to a broad range of curriculum opportunities, including:

  • science
  • early mathematics concepts
  • physical skills
  • communication and early literacy skills.

The next step in group planning and assessment is for teachers to make clearer the intended learning and then clearly identify the strategies and experiences that will support this learning. Then evaluate how effectively these strategies and experiences have supported the intended outcomes for children.

Leaders and teachers have a useful internal evaluation process that leads to improvements in programmes and practices.  There is a planned schedule of reviews. These are aligned to the strategic priorities of the service. A next step is for leaders to strengthen evaluative processes and practices by developing an overarching framework to guide practice. They need to ensure evaluations begin by asking an evaluative question. They need to develop systems and processes to track progress and monitor impact of changes made as a result of internal evaluation over time. This will ensure that newly developed systems are embedded and practices are consistent.

A useful strategic plan identifies long-term goals and priorities for the centre. A short-term plan guides centre operations, however this needs significant development to clearly align to the long-term planned priorities, goals and actions. Leaders then need to improve reporting by clearly monitoring planned actions, and evaluate how well they are progressing towards strategic priorities, ensuring these link to outcomes for children.

A key area of development identified in the 2016 ERO report, was to develop a robust and rigorous appraisal process. The Centre Manager now receives an appraisal from an external person. The appraisal process has been improved, however, it needs to be strengthened and made more rigorous by: 

  • including robust feedback against teachers' appraisal goals
  • formalising observations
  • ensuring reflections about practice are linked to outcomes for children.  

Teachers are effectively building their capability and teaching practices by participating in professional development opportunities.

Key Next Steps

Service provider, manager, leaders and teachers need to further:

  • continue to build culturally responsive practices
  • develop and strengthen appraisal processes
  • develop aspects of long and short-term planning to achieve strategic priorities
  • strengthen aspects of planning, assessment and evaluation for groups of children
  • strengthen aspects of internal evaluation.

Recommendation  

Since the onsite phase of the review, ERO has requested an action plan from the governing authority that shows how the priorities for improvement will be addressed. ERO will request progress updates against the plan.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Jade-Star Infants and Toddlers 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 Jade-Star Infants and Toddlers Centre will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

16 May 2018 

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

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

80058

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 20 aged under 2

Service roll

16

Gender composition

Boys: 10

Girls:   6

Ethnic composition

Māori:
Pākehā:
Pacific:
Other:

3
6
2
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

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

16 May 2018

Most recent ERO reports

Education Review

May 2016

Education Review

March 2013

Education Review

December 2009

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.