Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc

Education institution number:
83044
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
47
Telephone:
Address:

94 Johnson Street, Milton

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Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc

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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whāngai Establishing

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc is one of two services governed by a parent-led committee. A recently appointed head teacher manages the operation on a daily basis supported by a manager responsible for both centres. Most teachers are long serving. A small number of Māori children attend. Progress continues towards key next steps identified in the March 2020 ERO report. This includes further developing aspects of governance, management and assessment practices.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a responsive play-based curriculum based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the service’s learning priorities of imaginative play, physical skill development, and literacy. They are highly engaged in their chosen activities within purposefully resourced learning environments. Teachers intentionally support children’s developing social and emotional competence, oral language and critical thinking skills. Children play cooperatively in small groups and alongside others.

Infants and toddlers play and learn in a calm, thoughtfully resourced environment. They are nurtured by attentive teachers who are responsive to their verbal and nonverbal cues.

The bicultural curriculum includes some opportunities for purposeful integration of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into the daily programme.

The quality of assessment information is variable. Documentation does not consistently show how teachers:

  • record children’s progress over time in relation to the priorities for learning and Te Whāriki learning outcomes

  • seek and respond to parents’ aspirations for their children’s learning, and use these when identifying children’s learning goals

  • acknowledge and respond to children’s languages, cultures and identity.

A useful framework guides internal evaluation for improvement. Leaders and teachers now need to strengthen their capability to analyse information gathered at the monitoring and evaluation stage of an evaluation to better know what is working well, or not, and for whom.

Governance, leaders and teachers are improvement focused. The committee allocates resources aligned to the centre's needs. However, systems and processes to build leadership knowledge and practice do not adequately support leadership and require further development to build capability.

4 Improvement actions

Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Leaders and teachers to develop shared understanding of high-quality assessment practices.

  • Implement high quality assessment practices and monitor for consistent implementation.

  • Further develop systems and processes to build leadership capability.

  • Build leaders’ and teachers’ capacity to undertake effective internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

6 Compliance

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

  • Daily hazard checks amended to include windows and other areas of glass, poisonous plants and bodies of water (HS12).

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

21 June 2023 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc

Profile Number

83044

Location

Milton

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

37 children, including up to 13 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

49

Review team on site

March 2023

Date of this report

21 June 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, March 2020
Education Review, January 2017

Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre - 26/03/2020

1 Evaluation of Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc

How well placed is Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc is a full-day, community-based education and care centre, licensed for 35 children from birth-to-school age. Older and younger children play and learn in two separate spaces. Interaction between the groups of children, including siblings is encouraged. Almost a quarter of the children identify as Māori.

It is one of two centres governed by a parent-led committee. The centre is managed on a day-to-day basis by a head teacher who works collaboratively with a manager who has responsibility for the two centres. Most teachers are fully qualified.

The service aims to offer high quality early childhood education where each child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. This includes assisting families/whānau to develop a sense of belonging, providing a place where children are supported to feel safe and cared for, and where their learning continues to be stimulated.

The philosophy emphasises the importance of relationships as the foundation for learning, and children learning through play in a programme that reflects the beliefs and aspirations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tuakana-teina interactions.

The priorities for children's learning include: developing social competence, encouraging children to try new experiences, increasing competence to communicate, and developing skills to be independent and transition to school.

Since the January 2017 ERO report the service has made good progress addressing the key next steps for improvement, including building internal evaluation capability. Strengthening appraisal and using evaluation for all aspects of centre operations and practices remain ongoing next steps.

The Review Findings

Leaders and teachers know children well, view them as capable and confident learners, and have positive and respectful interactions with them. Children are settled and engaged in their learning, and they play well with and alongside one another, caring for and helping each other. They are confident explorers and demonstrate increasing independence and self-help skills. Children are empowered to take on leadership roles.

Teachers work collaboratively to provide authentic learning opportunities and are responsive to the strengths, interests and capabilities of the children. They make good use of local expertise and trips into the community to provide experiences that help children develop a sense of belonging and understanding of the world around them. Teachers carefully integrate early literacy and support children's developing physical skills within the enacted curriculum. Children experience some te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. The service has identified, and ERO agrees, that this is a key aspect of the curriculum that needs strengthening.

Children's transitions into and within the centre, and on to school are very well considered and supported.

Infants and toddlers benefit from nurturing and knowledgeable teachers who are attuned to their verbal and non-verbal cues. Care routines are responsive to children's individual preferences and requirements.

Children with additional learning and behaviour needs are well supported. Teachers work collaboratively with families and external agencies to plan and implement specific strategies, leading to improved outcomes for these children.

Systems for group planning have been strengthened to reflect the parents' and teachers' valued learning priorities for children. The centre priorities for learning are highly evident in planning for groups. A next step is to evaluate the effectiveness of planned experiences and teaching strategies to achieve the priorities.

There are clear expectations to guide teacher practice and ensure all children are regularly assessed and planned for. Children's interests, strengths, learning and progress over time are evident in their records. Best examples show how teachers regularly respond to parents' wishes for their child's learning. The next steps are to ensure centre-wide consistency of this practice, and to show how teachers value children's language, culture and identities.

Leaders have built a culture of inquiry that is leading to changes in teaching and learning practices. A next step is to strengthen the appraisal system to include formal observations and feedback about teacher practice. Planned internal evaluation has been strengthened to include the contributions of parents/whānau and engagement of others.

The centre is supported by an improvement-focussed committee and guided by a strategic plan that has a strong focus on providing high quality for all children. Priorities and goals are strongly linked to positive learning outcomes for children. An example of this is the strategic resourcing to provide equitable opportunities for all children, including having a high staff-to-child ratio. The effectiveness of actions to achieve the strategic plan need to be more effectively monitored, evaluated and reported to the governing committee. There needs to be a strengthening of policies and procedures to include recognition of the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps for governance and management are to:

  • ensure that policies, procedures and practices reflect the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi

  • monitor, evaluate and report on the progress of actions to achieve the strategic plan

  • continue to strengthen the appraisal process.

Key next steps for leaders and teachers in this service are to further develop and strengthen:

  • planning to more clearly reflect the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi embedded in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum

  • assessment that consistently shows how they respond to parents' wishes for children's learning

  • practices and records of learning to show how children's language, culture and identity are responded to

  • evaluation, including evaluating the effectiveness of planning in meeting priorities for learning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre Inc 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.

Actions for compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • records of emergency drills carried out informs an annual review of the service's emergency plan

  • medication documentation shows evidence of parental acknowledgment of medication given.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8, HS28.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

26 March 2020

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

Milton

Ministry of Education profile number

83044

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

53

Gender composition

Male 30, Female 23

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

13
38
2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

December 2019

Date of this report

26 March 2020

Most recent ERO reports

 

Education Review

January 2017

Education Review

July 2013

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

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.

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.

Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre - 18/01/2017

1 Evaluation of Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Tokomairiro 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

Children at Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre (TELC) play and learn in a home-like environment, with interesting and spacious grounds. The centre provides all-day care and education for up to 35 children, including up to ten under two years of age. These children have a separate indoor play area and each has a special teacher assigned to enable close bonds to be built.

The centre is managed on a day-to-day basis by a head teacher who works closely with a manager with responsibility for two centres. A parent-led committee oversees the governance of this not-for-profit organisation. Most teachers are fully qualified.

Since the 2013 ERO review, the centre has made very good progress in addressing all the recommendations identified in the report. This includes significant development of planning and assessment practices, and consulting with parents about their children's learning. There has been good progress made in self-review (internal evaluation) processes and practices.

This review was one of two reviews in the Tokomairiro Early Learning Centres.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from a programme where teachers have a clear focus on what learning they consider to be important. This includes effectively helping children to develop:

  • social interactions and a sense of others

  • an understanding of people, places, events and things

  • increasing competence with techniques for communication and tools for symbolising and representing

  • increasing independence

  • skills for successful transition to school.

These priorities are evident in the daily teaching and learning.

Children experience a rich and well-resourced programme where they:

  • enjoy visitors to the centre and outings into the community

  • are able to explore and follow their interests

  • have fun in their learning

  • have many opportunities to develop their communication and thinking skills

  • are developing a knowledge of te ao Māori.

Infants and toddlers are very settled and secure. They develop close and trusting relationships with their teachers. Teachers have respectful interactions with and are attuned to the needs and non-verbal cues of this age group. Teachers provide very good support for toddlers as they transition to the older children's area. The play areas are arranged to allow the children easy access to both spaces if they so wish.

The high adult-to-child ratios enable teachers to take the time to know children and their families well. They seek parents' wishes for their child's learning and use this information to carefully develop children's goals and plan how best to achieve them. Teachers listen attentively to children, build on their ideas and join in their play. As a result, children are engaged, settled, purposeful and secure in the environment. Children with learning and development needs are well included in the programme.

The manager and head teachers are beginning to work well together as a new leadership team across the two centres. They are reflective and improvement focused. They agree that the next step is to build consistency of practice and expectations across the centres and within the leadership team. They should find ways to make best practice common practice. For example, they could use the expertise at the Spenser Street Centre to help them strengthen bicultural practices.

Teachers work well together and meet regularly to plan appropriately for individuals and groups of children. They make sure that the new learning from professional development is used to benefit and enhance children's learning.

Since the 2013 ERO review, an online appraisal system for teachers has been introduced and overseen by the manager. The manager, however, is yet to be appraised. The manager, head teacher and teachers now need to develop guidelines to ensure this system is used effectively and meets the requirements of the Education Council.

A useful strategic plan guides the centre direction. This needs to be kept current, monitored and added to as necessary. A strategic goal is to ensure that internal evaluation processes are well understood and highly effective. ERO agrees this is a work in progress.

Committee members take their governance role seriously and are undertaking professional development to help them carry out their roles and responsibilities. They are well informed about key aspects of the running of the centre. They could take a greater role in ensuring policies and procedures meet current legislative requirements. 

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for this organisation are to:

  • consolidate and ensure consistency of high quality practice

  • further develop internal evaluation

  • strengthen appraisal processes and ensure the current manager is included in the appraisal system.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tokomairiro 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.

The committee and the manager should ensure that all policies, procedures and practices meet current legislative requirements. Areas that need addressing include:

  • the Vulnerable Children's Act (2014)

  • appraisal of the manager.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7A, GMA7] 

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Tokomairiro Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Te Waipounamu Southern

18 January 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

Milton

Ministry of Education profile number

83044

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

46

Gender composition

Boys:26

Girls:20

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Samoan

8

37

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

November 2016

Date of this report

18 January 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

July 2013

Education Review

February 2011

Education Review

September 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.