45 Connor Street, Wanaka
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Little Wonders Oanaka is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Wonders Oanaka is part of the Evolve Education Group (EEG). It provides full-day education and care for up to 66 children, including 25 under two year olds. Children play and learn in three areas according to their age and readiness for the next area. Those aged over two share a large natural play area. There is a spacious separate outdoor space for infants and toddlers.
A new centre manager was appointed in late 2017. She oversees the day-to-day running of the service and is supported by leaders and the teaching teams. Most teachers are qualified early childhood teachers. The EEG regional manager, and teaching and learning manager, provide ongoing support and have oversight of the service.
Leaders, teachers and whānau have developed a guiding philosophy for the service that values 'free play as the foundation for learning and developing knowledge, skills and attitudes for life.' The philosophy states that 'free play empowers children to build relationships and adventure into the world around them.'
Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations of the 2015 ERO report. This includes redeveloping the centre philosophy and creating a useful strategic plan.
A collaboratively developed philosophy and clearly defined learning priorities guide the service's direction. The key priorities of relationships, empowerment and adventure underpin the programme and are prominent in practice. They are evident in the way children:
take part in decision making
care for themselves and learn with and alongside others
make connecting links with the family and the wider community
become increasingly capable of moving confidently and challenging themselves physically
learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning.
Children's learning is enhanced by a broad curriculum based on Te Whāriki (2017) The Early Childhood Curriculum. Teachers' knowledge of early childhood theory and practice and their thoughtful approach ensures that children of all ages are well provided for. This includes:
a calm and purposeful programme for infants and toddlers
environments where children lead their learning and play
very good support for children with diverse needs
smooth transitions into and within the centre.
There are suitable systems in place for regularly assessing, planning and evaluating the learning for groups of children and individuals.
Leaders and teachers are promoting positive outcomes for children. There is relational trust between them and whānau and their children. They regularly seek whānau input into aspects of the service's operation and their wishes for their children's learning. As a result children and their whānau show a strong sense of belonging to the service.
Leaders and teachers have identified that implementing Treaty-based practice is an area for ongoing development. Recently they have increased their awareness and are building greater confidence in including Treaty-based practice in all aspects of operations. They are finding ways to engage meaningfully with Māori whānau to seek their cultural aspirations for their children.
The centre manager, leaders and teachers are improvement focused and have successfully strengthened programmes and practices. They have identified a next step is to continue to build effective internal evaluation practice and apply evaluative thinking to all aspects of the service's operation. They are implementing a strengthened appraisal system to further build the effectiveness of teaching and learning.
The service is well managed. This includes systems for monitoring health and safety, and ongoing support from EEG managers.
EEG managers, the centre manager and leaders have identified, and ERO's evaluation confirms, that the key next steps for the service are to:
make links in programmes and practices to the all the desired learning outcomes in The Early Childhood Curriculum Te Whāriki (2017)
strengthen the recording of intentional teaching strategies and show how these have contributed to children's learning in assessment planning and evaluation
continue to build Treaty-based practice
further develop and embed evaluative thinking in decision-making processes.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Wonders Oanaka 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.
Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
19 July 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 |
Wanaka |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
80062 |
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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 |
66 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
89 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 46, Girls 43 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
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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 July 2019 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
May 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2013 |
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Education Review |
November 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:
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.
Oanaka Educare is a purpose-built early childhood centre in Wanaka. Initially privately owned, it was purchased by the Evolve group in June 2015. The centre provides full-day education and care for up to 66 children from birth to school age. The children are grouped in three rooms. The Kanuka room is for infants, the Kowhai room for toddlers, and older children are in the Kahikitea room.
The centre vison is 'to provide a safe, loving, stimulating and fun place for children and families, which enables them to feel valued and experience an environment that feels like home'. Children play and learn in well-resourced indoor and outdoor areas. With the centre's vision in mind, teachers have carefully arranged these areas to create homely and inviting spaces.
There have been some minor changes to the management of the centre since becoming part of the Evolve group. There is now one centre manager. Previously this role had been shared by two people. The manager is supported by the three head teachers of the rooms and a mentor teacher who has responsibility for the provisionally certificated teachers. Most of the staff are qualified teachers.
Some of the next steps in this review build on the recommendations of the March 2013 ERO report, in particular the need to continue to develop self-review practices.
Children show a strong sense of belonging to the centre. They and their families benefit from the positive, respectful relationships they have with their teachers. Each child is assigned a key teacher. This allows children and families to form close relationships with their teacher. Teachers and families feel comfortable sharing information with each other through their daily conversations and increasingly through the use of ICT. This helps to ensure smooth transitions into and throughout the centre.
Children in the three rooms play and learn in calm and settled environments. They freely access the indoor and outdoor areas for much of the day. They play well together and show respect for one another. Teachers are very responsive to children. They know the children well. Teachers:
foster children's interests and allow them to take the lead in their learning
listen carefully to children
build on children's ideas to extend language and thinking skills
help children learn the skills of being a friend and part of a group
support children to be independent.
The programme for infants recognises that caregiving is an essential part of learning for these babies. Teachers use care moments as times for close one-to-one conversations and to form nurturing, trusting relationships with them. They encourage infants to freely explore their environment in their own time and in their own way. Infants benefit from the small group size and the unhurried rhythm of the day.
Each room has started to consider, in consultation with parents, what learning is important for children in that room. When the centre philosophy is next reviewed and redeveloped, it would be useful if some of this important learning is included in the philosophy.
The 2013 ERO review found that children had many opportunities to hear te reo Māori and to learn about the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Teachers have continued to build the bicultural content and practices within the programme. Some teachers have undertaken additional learning to increase their skills in te reo Māori. A next step is to include the centre's commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi in the centre philosophy and related documents, such as the strategic plan.
Children's learning is supported by a programme based on all the strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The planned programme includes many opportunities for children to:
learn positive attitudes to healthy eating and challenge themselves through physical activity
be curious, creative and expressive
enjoy early literacy
engage in real-life activities such as gardening, cooking and caring for animals
make links with the Wanaka community through many varied outings and activities.
Centre leaders and teachers have recently had a focus on developing and improving the usefulness and effectiveness of group planning. This is still work in progress. Leaders and teachers acknowledge that the next step is to clearly document the intentional teaching planned to support children's learning. Teachers regularly seek parents' wishes, through conversations and in writing, for their children's learning, and respond to these. Records could more consistently show how these discussions have been acted on. Teachers should also continue to find ways to show how they acknowledge children's language, culture and identity.
The centre is capably managed and led. The manager is well aware of where the centre is at in the process of settling into the Evolve organisation and what its most important priorities are. The manager, leaders and teachers work well together. They meet regularly to ensure the centre operates smoothly. A recently strengthened appraisal process has an appropriate focus on improving teacher practice through ongoing reflection and regular goal setting.
It may be useful to consider a centre-wide appraisal goal linked to the strategic plan. Provisionally certificated teachers are well supported, particularly by their mentor teacher.
The 2013 ERO report found that self-review practices needed strengthening. Leaders identify this is still work in progress. They should ensure self review is evaluative.
The centre manager has recently developed a strategic plan with purposeful goals to guide centre developments. The strategic plan could be strengthened by:
developing clearer indicators to support the goals
aligning the goals to the philosophy and valued outcomes, and other related systems such as appraisal
ongoing monitoring and being informed by robust self-review findings.
The centre receives regular support from an Evolve business manager.
The key next steps for the manager, leader and teachers are to further develop and strengthen:
the philosophy
aspects of planning
self-review practices
strategic planning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Oanaka Educare 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 Oanaka Educare will be in three years.
Chris Rowe
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)
26 May 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 |
Wanaka |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
80062 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
66 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
100 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys: 54 Girls: 46 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other |
5 86 9 |
|
|
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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
26 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
||
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.