224-226 Park Road, Hokowhitu, Palmerston North
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ABC Hokowhitu is an all-day education and care centre located in Palmerston North city and is owned by BestStart Educare Ltd (BestStart). In April 2017 the centre licence increased to 59 children, including 20 up to two years of age. Of the 79 children enrolled, nine children identify as Māori and three children are of Pacific heritage.
Since the August 2014 ERO report, the service has developed an overarching centre philosophy with each room having their own practice statements. The service's vision “strong relationships builds lifelong learners” underpins the philosophy.
BestStart provides overall strategic direction and systems to guide centre operation. A professional services manager and business manager regularly liaise with teaching staff. The current centre manager is supported by three head teachers. A new centre manager has recently been appointed from within the teaching team and will take up the position in March 2018. At the time of the review, the centre manager also managed another ABC centre that is in close proximity. BestStart has plans in place to disestablish this shared centre manager position in favour of a centre manager appointed to each centre.
The service consists of two separate buildings. One building caters separately for older children aged two to three and a half, and for those over three and a half. The other caters for infants and toddlers aged up to two years. Extensive renovations have occurred in response to the increase in the licence numbers for children under two years.
Areas for development identified in the previous ERO report included: reflecting Māori learners' cultural identity in the curriculum; inquiring into the effectiveness of literacy and numeracy learning; and enhancing assessment. These have been progressed.
This review was one of three owned by BestStart Educare Limited.
Children confidently engage in a play-based curriculum that promotes the service's vision and philosophy. Emphasis is placed by teachers on establishing strong relationships with whānau and children, and the development of a sense of trust and belonging.
Teachers are responsive to children's interests and use a range of strategies to engage children in sustained play. The environment reflects the cultural diversity of the centre. An extensive range of mathematical and literacy-based experiences and resources centre-wide, supports children’s active exploration individually and with others. Children benefit from a mixture of teacher-led and
child-led experiences.
Younger children are well supported as competent learners. Teachers are attuned to their rhythms and nuances, and the environment is well-resourced and stimulating. Emphasis is placed on the provision of creative and sensory experiences that children can engage with in a calm, unhurried way. The extension and redevelopment of the environment has supported these children’s active exploration.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Leaders and teachers seek support from external agencies. They work collaboratively to implement individual education plans. To further improve practice, explicit links should be made to show how children make progress towards intended learning outcomes.
Children access resources and experiences that depict aspects of te ao Māori. Some teachers use te reo Māori in authentic ways. Leaders and teachers continue to develop their understanding of educational success for Māori children. A focus on building understandings of local Māori contexts and strengthening culturally responsive learning partnerships with whānau Māori, is ongoing and a planned next step.
Useful strategies to support Pacific children and their families are evident. Teachers are responsive to families' aspirations for their children.
Teachers and BestStart have identified that assessment planning and evaluation processes require further strengthening. These improvements should include consideration of:
Well-considered processes promote children’s wellbeing when transitioning into the centre and between age groups. The transition to school process fosters children’s familiarity with the schools they will be attending. Continuing to strengthen relationships with schools is an ongoing focus.
The service is in the early stages of understanding the process of internal evaluation to bring about sustained teacher change that promotes successful learning outcomes for all children. BestStart has identified further support is required to improve leaders' and teachers' understanding and implementation of internal evaluation. Future evaluations should focus on monitoring and evaluating the impact of practices on outcomes for children.
A new framework guides the BestStart appraisal process. Teachers have opportunities to participate in professional development and learning. They engage in robust discussions, focused on improving outcomes for children. Further work is required by management to support the service's understanding of effective teaching as an inquiry. Growing the capabilities of centre managers to embed this new system is a priority.
BestStart policies, guiding documents and monitoring systems promote consistent practices. Governance is committed to growing leaders within the organisation. To improve practice, management should consider more targeted support to empower individual centres to further improve learning outcomes for children.
Leaders, teachers and ERO agree that the key next steps are to continue to strengthen:
BestStart Educare should support staff to give priority to these key next steps and to embed new learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Hokowhitu 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.
The next ERO review of ABC Hokowhitu will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
20 March 2018
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 |
Palmerston North |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
40241 |
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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 |
59 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
79 |
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Gender composition |
45 Girls, 34 Boys |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
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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 |
January 2018 |
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Date of this report |
20 March 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2011 |
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Education Review |
January 2008 |
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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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
ABC Hokowhitu is an all-day education and care centre located in urban Palmerston North. At the time of the March 2011 ERO review this service was one of two licensed centres. It is now amalgamated to one service in two buildings and is licensed for 56 children including 17 up to two years of age.
Separate areas are provided for children aged two to three and a half, and for those over three and a half years in one building. The second house caters for infants and toddlers aged up to two years. Currently there are 14 Māori children on the roll.
In November 2011, Kidicorp took ownership of the service. Changes were made to improve the indoor and outdoor learning environments for children and adults. The newly appointed centre manager and teachers are supported by a regional manager, business manager and professional services.
The visiting teacher from professional services is responsible for monitoring the quality of the curriculum and supporting teachers’ ongoing professional learning and growth. The centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the service.
The overall centre and individual area philosophies underpin practice. Teachers have recently focused on strengthening bicultural awareness and assessment for learning documentation practices to enhance outcomes for children.
There is a satisfactory reporting history with ERO for the centre prior to the merging of the two licences.
The centre has a positive organisational culture. Its approach to reviewing, with a focus on improvement, is positively influencing teaching and learning practices.
Children enthusiastically engage in spontaneous and planned experiences. Learning programmes are relevant and responsive to children’s interests and ideas. Infants and toddlers develop trusting relationships with key teachers.
Children’s sense of belonging is enhanced through positive interaction with caring adults who know them and their families well. The centre’s youngest children are effectively catered for by adults who encourage developing verbal language and recognise their cues and wishes. Early mathematics concepts occur for infants through enjoyable everyday experiences that encourage them to explore further.
Older children show confidence and high levels of independence. Teachers mostly allow children to extend their learning without interruption. Conversations challenge children’s thinking through questioning and exploring possibilities.
Literacy and numeracy is often integrated and part of children’s choices. Mathematical learning is enhanced through a range of opportunities to engage in games in which children can vary the level of challenge.
Teachers are respectful and affirming in their relationships with children. A positive tone is noticeable across the centre.
Staff work collaboratively to determine parents' aspirations and expectations. Learning and development are increasingly celebrated and shared between teachers and parents. A developing part of this process is the collection and sharing of assessment information with families through e-portfolios. This approach has the potential to further extend children’s learning and encourage parent input.
Staff are reviewing the use of te reo Māori in their practice. One consequence is increased use of te reo Māori in daily practice in most areas of the centre.
Managing change to strengthen centre practices is a focus for the newly appointed centre manager. She effectively leads review processes that assist centre developments and decision-making. Leadership is supportive and collaborative. Clear expectations for managing centre operations provide direction through well-developed systems and processes.
Developing systems for planned and spontaneous self review promote ongoing reflection and improvement. Managers support staff as they develop their evaluation capability.
Attention should be given to strengthening practice in relation to aspects of the centre’s philosophy statements. Managers and teachers should continue to develop and increase shared understanding of formal, in-depth, evidence-based self review to enhance decision-making. Further development should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Hokowhitu 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.
The next ERO review of ABC Hokowhitu will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services Central Region
29 August 2014
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 |
Palmerston North |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40241 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
56 children, including up to 17 aged up to 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
79 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 40, Girls 39 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
14 54 2 9 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
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 |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2014 |
||
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Date of this report |
29 August 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
January 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2005 |
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:
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.