18 Luxmore Drive, Te Anau
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 Te Anau Childcare 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 |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
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 |
Whāngai Establishing |
Te Anau Childcare Centre is community owned and provides education and care for 35 children in a mixed-age setting. The parent-led governance committee oversees the strategic direction and priorities of the centre. Centre leaders manage the day-to-day operation and learning programme. There have been several leadership changes since the March 2017 ERO review.
Leaders and kaiako have established responsive and respectful relationships with children, parents and whānau. They support children to develop caring and nurturing relationships with their peers and adults. Children are sustained and engaged in meaningful experiences and activities.
Children show agency and actively lead their learning. Infants and toddlers benefit from close relationships with primary caregivers who are responsive to their verbal and non-verbal cues.
Kaiako provide a curriculum that includes some positive aspects of te ao Māori, but this is not yet deeply integrated into teaching and learning.
Kaiako know the children and their whānau well. They work collaboratively with parents to develop individualised learning plans for children who need additional learning support.
Assessment, planning and evaluation practices are becoming established. Kaiako are using the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, when noticing and documenting children’s learning.
Collaborative leadership supports the teaching team to improve practice and build professional capability. High relational trust is evident and is encouraged by leaders. They work closely with the governance board to effectively manage the centre’s operation.
Board members, leaders and kaiako regularly undertake spontaneous and planned reviews that have led to improved practices.
Te Anau Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Anau Childcare 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:
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.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA1, GMA7A.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
30 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Te Anau Childcare Centre |
| Profile Number | 90107 |
| Location |
Te Anau, Fiordland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 15 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
23 Girls, 21 boys |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 28, other ethnic groups 12 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2020 |
|
Date of this report |
30 June 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2017; Education Review, June 2014. |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Te Anau Childcare Centre operates as Southern Stars Early Learning Centre. This community-owned service provides full-day education and care for 56 children up to school age in a mixed-age setting. An increasing number of children come from diverse backgrounds.
The 2014 ERO evaluation report indicated that the service required further development before it could be considered well placed to sustain and improve its performance. In response to ERO's report, the service, with the support of the Ministry of Education, produced a development plan to address the issues identified by ERO. The aspects requiring work were:
governance and management practices
self review
aspects of compliance.
The service has made good progress in making improvements in these three areas.
Since 2014 there have been staffing changes, including a new head teacher and a full-time centre manager. Most of the staff are qualified teachers, with a mix of experienced and recently trained. At the time of this review in early 2017, work was under way to complete the redevelopment and extension of the building.
Children show a strong sense of belonging to this service. They learn in a welcoming and supportive environment where respect is modelled by staff to help children's development. Children learn and play independently or alongside one another respectfully.
Children under two years of age benefit from a calm environment and nurturing relationships with their teachers. Teachers take a well-considered approach to educating the whole child within the philosophy of "we care, we respect, we grow".
Teachers make a particular effort to know children as individuals, and ensure children can make choices. Teachers provide a programme that is responsive to children's interests, dispositions and developmental needs. The service continues to celebrate the unique local environment.
The learning programme has a strong focus on supporting learning through real-life experiences that link to the child's home life. Teachers ensure children experience and value local events and celebrations such as Illumination Month and Santa Parade. A group of younger children enjoy a community-run active movement programme in a nearby hall. A group of older children develop knowledge of the living and physical world in the service's own outdoor education programme. As a result, children develop a strong sense of identity and belonging to the local community.
The head teacher and centre manager are fostering a collaborative team culture within the staff. A suitable appraisal process with links to the service's goals supports teachers to show continuous improvement.
Leaders and teachers have asked parents for their suggestions and opinions, and have made changes to their practices as a result. The service's leaders continue to build collaborative relationships with other local education providers.
In response to the 2014 ERO report, the governance group, leaders and teachers have made positive changes that provide a sound basis for ongoing improvement.
The governance group has:
established a clear distinction between governance and management
reviewed the service's constitution
made good use of external support for improved governance practice
been well supported and informed by newly-appointed leadership
developed a positive approach to succession planning and sustainability.
Leaders and teachers have:
worked together to improve planning for children's learning
strengthened their understanding of and involvement in internal evaluation (self-review)
improved the management and documentation of health and safety.
To continue to improve outcomes for children, the service and ERO agree the key next steps are to:
clarify and document for teachers the processes expected for assessment, planning and evaluation
ensure the expectations for assessment, planning and evaluation are followed and the quality of their implementation monitored
clearly show the teaching strategies to be used to make a positive difference to children’s learning
make internal evaluation (self-review) more evaluative and document clear guidelines for consistency of expected practice
make reports to the governance body more evaluative, with a focus on the impact centre programmes and teaching are having on children’s learning
develop a strategic plan that clearly reflects the centre’s key priorities.
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Anau Childcare 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:
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 Te Anau Childcare Centre Inc will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)
23 March 2017
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 |
Te Anau |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
90107 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
56 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys: 29 Girls: 27 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā European Other |
2 54 8 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 |
February 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
23 March 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2014 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
June 2011 |
||
|
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.