Wonder Kids Kāpiti

Education institution number:
60334
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
19
Telephone:
Address:

28 Arawhata Road, Paraparaumu

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Wonder Kids Kāpiti

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 Wonder Kids Kāpiti 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

Wonder Kids Kāpiti, formerly known as BestStart Arawhata Road Kindy, is under new private ownership. It is one of seven services governed by the owners and a general manager. About 40 percent of the children are identified as Māori, and a small number are from Pacific heritages. A new centre manager has been appointed from within the teaching team. Some progress has been made with recommendations from the 2020 ERO report. However, they remain areas for further improvement.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience trusting, respectful relationships with their teachers who know them well. They have many opportunities to increase their social competence and oral language skills through meaningful interactions within the language-rich environments. Children with additional needs are well supported through intentionally planned teaching strategies. Te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are incorporated into the daily curriculum.

Leaders and teachers are at the early stages of using the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in children’s assessment, planning and evaluation records. They incorporate whānau goals and aspirations into learning information and use these to form the basis of individual planning. Leaders and teachers are beginning to show continuity of learning and progress against parent aspirations over time. Assessment documentation is yet to consistently integrate individual children’s learning outcomes, their languages, cultures and learner identity, and show robust evaluation of learning, teaching strategies and the planned curriculum.

Leaders establish positive working relationships and provide leadership opportunities to build a cohesive teaching team. They foster engagement in a planned, systematic approach to using internal evaluation for improvement. It is timely, to build teachers’ collective capacity and leadership to do and use evaluation to place a stronger emphasis on valued outcomes for children, including tamariki Māori and children under three years.

Those in governance and management develop policies and procedures that are fit for purpose and guide centre practice. They promote low staff turnover by responding to requests for support and health and safety issues as they arise.

4 Improvement actions

Wonder Kids Kāpiti will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Increase the integration of te reo Māori, and aspects of tikanga Māori and te ao Māori in the bicultural curriculum.
  • Make each child’s languages, cultures and learner identity more visible in the environment and their learning records.
  • Further develop evaluation of learning and teaching processes and practices to show children’s learning and progress over time.
  • Build teachers’ collective capacity to do and use internal evaluation and place a stronger focus on identifying valued outcomes for individuals and specific groups of children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Wonder Kids Kāpiti 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.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

3 October 2023

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service NameWonder Kids Kāpiti
Profile Number60334
LocationKāpiti Coast
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for30 children over two years
Percentage of qualified teachers80-99%
Service roll22
Review team on siteAugust 2023
Date of this report3 October 2023
Most recent ERO report(s)

Previously reviewed as:

Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, May 2017.

 

BestStart Arawhata Road Kindy - 03/06/2020

1 Evaluation of BestStart Arawhata Road Kindy

How well placed is BestStart Arawhata Road Kindy to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

BestStart Arawhata Road Kindy is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

BestStart Arawhata Road Kindy, previously ABC Arawhata Road, is licensed for 30 children aged over two years. Of the 21 children currently enrolled, five are Māori and six are Pacific. BestStart Educare Ltd (the organisation) owns a number of early childhood services across New Zealand.

The service vision is ‘imagination inspired learning.'

Day-to-day management of the service is delegated to an acting centre manager. She is supported be three teaching staff including a head teacher. Regional managers have oversight of curriculum and operation.

The May 2017 ERO report identified areas requiring improvement, including: use of te reo Māori; developing partnerships with whānau Māori and Pacific communities; and assessment, planning and evaluation processes. While some progress is evident, these areas continue to need development.

This review is one of five for BestStart Educare Ltd, Wellington region.

The Review Findings

Children engage confidently in play-based learning within a calm, settled environment. Responsive teachers affirm their ideas and offer a range of inviting group experiences. Excursions into the community, including to local schools, extend the curriculum. A focus on supporting children's social competence through the use of targeted and consistent strategies is having a positive impact. Children have good friendship skills and play respectfully alongside older and younger peers.

Children with diverse learning and behaviour needs are well served. Teachers liaise effectively with families and external agencies to plan strategies to support these children and celebrate their learning success. Extra resourcing and support from the organisation are provided.

Leaders acknowledge that culturally responsive practices need development. The organisation should prioritise support and monitor improvements in the following areas:

  • growing understandings and purposeful reflection of te ao Māori in the curriculum
  • increasing the use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori within everyday practice
  • partnership with whānau Māori and Pacific families.

The quality of assessment practice is variable. Learning portfolios record children's participation in the programme and affirm their growing social competence. Some good examples show teachers and families co-constructing children’s learning plans. A next step is for leaders to develop clear guidelines that promote consistent, high quality practice. Particular attention should be paid to:

  • focusing assessments on clear evidence of children's progress
  • documenting how teachers plan and implement targeted strategies, in partnership with families, to support children’s learning
  • acknowledging children's diverse cultures, languages and identities more strongly in assessment for learning.

Teachers regularly review elements of practice using key early learning research as a guide. Their collective approach and well-considered actions result in improvements for children. A next step is to strengthen the use of internal evaluation processes, with a focus on measuring the impact current practices are having on child outcomes. This should better support teachers’ decisions about where to make refinements to their practice.

Teaching staff are focused on their professional learning and promoting improvements for children. A well-considered appraisal process supports teachers’ ongoing development and inquiry into the effectiveness of their practice. Purposeful appraisal goals focus on strengthening leadership and practice to promote children’s learning and wellbeing.

The organisation should establish clear and consistent understandings, expectations and practices around promoting educational success for Māori and Pacific children. Leaders and teachers should be supported to purposefully draw on the cultural expertise and aspirations of families and whānau, key staff and community. The organisation should then monitor the impact of this development, on teacher practices as well as outcomes for Māori and Pacific children.

Senior managers effectively foster a collective sense of responsibility to implement the vision, values and mission of the organisation. Systems, processes and guiding templates are well developed and regularly reviewed to continually improve provision for children. Recently revised induction information for relieving teachers includes clearer guidance around expectations for interactions and positive guidance, specific to individual centres and their learners. Embedding its use across BestStart centres should further promote consistency of practice, benefitting children.

Key Next Steps

ERO, managers and teachers agree that priorities are to:

  • strengthen the bicultural curriculum
  • better reflect children's diverse cultures, languages and identities in the learning programme
  • establish a consistent approach to assessment, planning and evaluation, that clearly demonstrates how children's progress has been promoted by the use of targeted teaching strategies
  • develop internal evaluation practice.

In addition, the organisation should support teachers’ understanding around promoting success for Maori and Pacific children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of BestStart Arawhata Road Kindy 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

3 June 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

LocationParaparaumu
Ministry of Education profile number60334
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for30 children aged over 2
Service roll21
Gender compositionMale 13, Female 8
Ethnic compositionMāori 
NZ European / Pākehā
Pacific 
Other ethnic groups



2
Percentage of qualified teachers80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenOver 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteMarch 2020
Date of this report3 June 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education ReviewMay 2017
Education ReviewMarch 2014

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.

ABC Arawhata Road - 22/05/2017

1 Evaluation of ABC Arawhata Road

How well placed is ABC Arawhata Road 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

ABC Arawhata Road is situated in Paraparaumu. It provides education and care for children from two to five years of age, five days a week. Nine of the children enrolled identify as Māori and six as Pacific.

Since the March 2014 ERO evaluation, a new centre manager and a new teaching team have been appointed. All teachers are fully qualified. Day-to-day operation of the centre is the responsibility of the centre manager, who supports the teaching team.

The 2014 ERO report identified areas requiring further improvement. These included strengthening self review and implementing different ways to engage children in choosing their own direction in learning.  Good progress has been made in these areas.

ABC Arawhata is owned and operated by BestStart Educare Ltd. BestStart (previously known as Kidicorp Ltd) is a large national organisation that owns early childhood services across New Zealand.

This review was part of a cluster of four reviews involving the BestStart Educare Ltd.

The Review Findings

The centre’s philosophy is evident in practice. Children are well supported on their 'ladder of life‑long learning'. Those with additional learning needs receive quality assistance. External agencies are involved when required.

Teachers and children have fun as part of the learning processes. Calm and positive interactions and sustained group and individual play are evident. Literacy, mathematics and science is woven meaningfully into a play-based programme.

Diverse cultures are strongly represented and celebrated in the environment and the programme. Children’s culture, language and identity are highly valued and promoted. 

Te ao Māori is actively promoted and evident in the centre. Children have opportunities to celebrate and share their whakapapa with their peers. Aspects of te reo Māori are used in general conversations with children. They have regular opportunities to engage with older learners at a local school by participating in the school's kapa haka programme. Enriching the bicultural programme through more consistent use of te reo Māori in everyday practice is a next step.

Building strong relationships with whānau, parents and families is an ongoing focus. Specific professional learning and development has supported leaders and teachers to develop their understanding of what educational success looks like for Māori and Pacific children. Developing targeted learning partnerships with whānau Māori and the Pacific community is a key next step. This should assist the centre to determine what success looks like in this local context.

A useful programme-planning framework has recently been implemented. All children's needs are planned for individually. Teachers notice children’s learning and interests, and plan enrichment using Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They share ideas and useful teaching strategies.

Children’s portfolio's show their interests, friendships and participation in the programme.  The use of an on-line assessment tool for recording and sharing children’s learning promotes closer links between home and centre.

Leaders agree that the assessment, planning and evaluation cycle should be enhanced with clearer links between planning and assessment. The centre should consider ways to include:

  • parents and children in all aspects of the assessment, planning and evaluation cycle
  • clearer links between learning, progress and intentional teaching strategies
  • children’s culture, language and identity made more visible within their planned learning journey.

Leaders have recently implemented a new internal evaluation framework. They work alongside the centre manager and teaching team to build their evaluative understanding and capability. This has the potential to improve teachers' practice by enabling them to evaluate the impact of their approach and programme on children’s learning.

There is a well-considered approach transitioning children into the centre. Leaders and teachers actively support children’s successful move to school. A range of useful strategies are employed to engage parents in all aspects of transition.

Professional service managers provide regular feedback, support and guidance about the curriculum in action. This clearly identifies strengths and areas for development. Roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers are clearly identified and well understood. A comprehensive policy framework, including procedures and systems, guides the operation of the centre.

A collaborative leadership approach is actively promoted in the centre. The teaching team is well supported to undertake challenges and continuously improve its practice.

A clear framework guides the appraisal process. This includes self and appraiser assessment and has a developmental focus. Formal observations of practice are providing useful information about the quality of teaching.

Teachers and leaders are building their capabilities through an inquiry and knowledge-building framework to help improve positive outcomes for children. BestStart provides opportunities to participate in a wide range of professional learning and development.

Key Next Steps

ERO and leaders agree that key next steps are to continue to:

  • encourage teachers to consistently use te reo Māori in their practice
  • develop learning partnerships with whānau Māori and the Pacific community
  • enhance aspects of the assessment, planning and evaluation cycle.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Arawhata Road 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 ABC Arawhata Road will be in three years. 

Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

22 May 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

LocationParaparaumu
Ministry of Education profile number60334
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for30 children over two years of age
Service roll49
Gender composition33 Girls, 16 Boys
Ethnic compositionMāori
Pākehā
Pacific 
Asian
Other ethnic groups
  9
29
  2
  4
  5
Percentage of qualified teachers80% +
 Over 21:8Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteApril 2017
Date of this report22 May 2017
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review
Education Review
Supplementary Review
March 2014
March 2011
May 2008

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.