BestStart Beckenham

Education institution number:
65077
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
66
Telephone:
Address:

112 Colombo Street, Beckenham, Christchurch

View on map

BestStart Beckenham

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 BestStart Beckenham 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

Whakatō Emerging

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

2 Context of the Service

BestStart Beckenham early childhood service is owned and operated by BestStart Educare Ltd. A recent restructure has resulted in leadership changes. The area manager and centre manager have recently been appointed. Since the January 2016 ERO review, progress has been made towards meeting the identified steps for improvement.

3 Summary of findings

Leaders and teachers establish and maintain responsive, respectful interactions and relationships with children, parents and whānau. Kaiako use play-based contexts well to promote children’s learning, and social and emotional development. Transitions into, through and out of the service are well managed. Infants and toddlers experience a calm, nurturing environment that promotes their wellbeing and belonging. Teachers support children to become independent learners.

Assessment practices require clearer alignment to the outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Kaiako are in the early stages of implementing suitable assessment processes. Assessment information does not yet consistently:

  • inform planning, the curriculum and intentional teaching practice
  • draw on parents’ knowledge in relation to their child’s learning to form strong learning partnerships
  • show the service’s priorities for children’s learning
  • reflect all children’s languages, identities and cultures.

In addition, opportunities are limited for older children to be involved in planning, assessing and revisiting their learning records.

Leaders and kaiako are beginning to explore their understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and the implications for providing a bicultural curriculum. The service has yet to implement the Treaty of Waitangi policy in practice and to determine its impact. Curriculum design documents express a commitment to cultural responsiveness, but this is yet to be established in practice.

Leaders are establishing the conditions and building teachers’ collective capacity to undertake evaluation for improvement. A strong focus on outcomes for children and links to the centre’s values, priorities for learning and strategic direction have yet to be established.

BestStart’s systems, processes and guidelines are well developed and regularly reviewed to improve provision for children. The centre strategic plan clearly identifies priorities and informs actions for development.

4 Improvement actions

BestStart Beckenham will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:

  • continue to build shared understandings about the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and make these more visible in key centre documentation and create an environment that better reflects Māori as treaty partners
  • strengthen and embed assessment, planning and evaluation processes and intentionally evaluate the effectiveness of teaching on outcomes for children
  • determine priorities for children's learning aligned to the outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and more clearly show how the service responds to children’s diverse languages, cultures and identities
  • continue to build the conditions to develop kaiako capability and collective capacity to evaluate for sustained improvement. 

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of BestStart Beckenham 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

28 May 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name BestStart Beckenham
Profile Number 65077
Location Christchurch

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

74 children, including up to 24 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

91

Ethnic composition

Māori 7, NZ European/Pākehā 61, other ethnic groups 23.

Review team on site

January 2021

Date of this report

28 May 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, January 2016; Education Review, October 2012

ABC Beckenham - 25/01/2016

1 Evaluation of ABC Beckenham

How well placed is ABC Beckenham to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ABC Beckenham is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

ABC Beckenham operates under the Best Start management structure. Best Start (previously known as Kidicorp Ltd) is a large national organisation that owns early childhood education and care centres across New Zealand.

This centre is licensed for 74 children each day, including up to 24 children under two. It has a nursery area to cater for children under two years old. Another area caters for children aged between two and five years old. This grouping provides good opportunities for younger and older children to play with and learn from one another, reflecting the Māori concept of tuakana teina.

Since the previous ERO review, in October 2012, there have been some changes to the leadership, including the appointment of a new centre manager in 2014. Most teachers are qualified and registered early childhood teachers.

Centre leaders have made significant progress with the recommendations from the 2012 ERO report. This includes the development of appraisal processes, planning and assessment and evaluation practices. Leaders and teachers demonstrate a strong commitment to increasing understandings of bicultural practices and te ao Māori.

The centre manager and some teachers are part of a local community cluster of primary schools, and early childhood centres. These relationships promote professional networks and provide targeted professional development to support the learning of children in their community from early childhood to school.

The Review Findings

The centre philosophy is reflected by the positive, reciprocal relationships amongst teachers, children, families and the local community. Leaders and teachers actively foster these relationships across the centre and within the community. These practices reflect the Māori concepts of whānanungatanga - family and community; and Ako – where everyone supports and learns from one another.

The child-centred programme takes account of the whole child and supports children’s wellbeing and learning. Parents are well informed of children’s interests and participation in learning programme. This is evident in the conversations with teachers, attractive wall displays and informative learning stories. The increasing use of technology helps inform a wider group, of people who are important to the child, and encourages them to add their views to the child’s learning journey.

Children are well supported to make a positive transition into the centre and between the rooms. Teachers provide a flexible approach that is responsive to the individual needs and preferences of the child and their family.

The well-paced child-centred programme allows children to develop their independence and explore their interests. Children are encouraged to initiate and maintain positive relationships with others. Visitors to the centre and excursions into the community enrich learning experiences and extend children’s social skills in meaningful ways.

Literacy and numeracy is a strong focus of the programme. Teachers provide a wide range of meaningful experiences to capture children’s curiosity and participation in learning.

The wellbeing of infants and toddlers is actively promoted through responsive and consistent care giving. Teachers provide well-paced routines that align to home routines, the expectations of the parent, and the needs of the child. Children have time and space to explore and make their own choices and discoveries.

The centre is well led and managed. Leaders and teachers work effectively together. Teachers are empowered to develop reflective practices and to take a lead in professional areas of interest.

The centre manager, professional service manager and the business manager work in partnership to successfully implement Best Start management systems including quality assurance and strategic planning processes. These include:

  • a review process to identify what is going well and next steps for centre improvement
  • provision of appropriate internal and external professional development
  • support to centre managers for the day-to-day operation of their centres from regular visits of education and business managers
  • effective systems and processes for ensuring that children have safe and healthy learning environments.

Centre leaders have a strong focus on effective self review, ongoing improvement, and positive learning outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders are highly reflective and have identified a number of areas to further develop. ERO agrees priority should now be given to:

strengthening and embedding new initiatives in assessment, planning and evaluation

increasing the focus on the child as a learner in the context of their culture and language

further developing all teachers' understandings and use of reflective practices and self review.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Beckenham 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 Beckenham will be in four years.

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

25 January 2016

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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

65077

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

74 children, including up to 24 aged under two

Service roll

100

Gender composition

Boys 52; Girls 50

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Samoan

Indian

South East Asia

Chinese

Other ethnicities

9

76

2

5

2

1

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

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

December 2015

Date of this report

25 January 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

October 2012

 

Education Review

February 2009

 

Education Review

October 2005

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.