Alpha Early Childhood Educational Centre

1 Evaluation of Alpha Early Childhood Educational Centre

How well placed is Alpha Early Childhood Educational Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Alpha Early Childhood Educational Centre is not well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Alpha Early Childhood Educational Centre is a privately-owned and operated service in Christchurch. It caters for up to 35 children.

Concerns about the quality of operation and education were identified in the 2014 ERO report. These included concerns about the centre’s curriculum, integration of biculturalism, the learning environment and resources, staff collaboration about teaching and learning, programme planning, teaching and assessment practices, leadership and self review, strategic planning, appraisal and meeting legal obligations.

The 2016 ERO report found some progress in all areas identified for improvement. Areas for ongoing improvement were self review, programme planning, teaching and assessment practices and the inclusion and teaching of Māori perspectives in the programme.

Since the 2016 ERO report there have been numerous changes in staff, including three changes in leadership and changes to the teaching team. The most recent change in leadership was three weeks prior to ERO's 2019 onsite visit.

The Christchurch Ministry of Education has provided leadership support for the previous two centre managers.

The Review Findings

Developments and improvements made since the 2014 and 2016 ERO reports have not been sustained.

The licensee does not regularly monitor, evaluate and implement systems and practices to ensure the service is meeting all aspects of its regulatory and professional requirements for curriculum, premises and facilities, health and safety and governance, management and administration. For example:

• developing and implementing robust systems for the licensee to be assured that the curriculum standard is met. Multiple changes in managers and staff have impacted on the ability of the service to implement the requirements of the curriculum standard. The current centre manager has identified the need to develop assessment, planning, and evaluation for learning that reflects understandings of relevant theories and practices in early childhood education

• there are significant concerns about the conditions that promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children. Ensuring that the premises provide a safe, clean and healthy environment for children, particularly infants and toddlers is an urgent priority
• governance, management and administration practices, particularly human resource management needs to be improved. The induction processes are insufficient to support staff who are new to the centre. The new centre manager has not been provided with an induction programme. There needs to be greater clarity around the licensee's and the manager's roles and responsibilities
• internal evaluation processes and practices are in the early stages of being developed.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Alpha Early Childhood Educational 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.

Actions for compliance

ERO found significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to:

• the provision of curriculum that reflects an understanding for learning and development consistent with current research, theory and practices in early childhood education.

• the provision of safe premises and promotion of healthy practices

• the governance and management of the service

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, Regulations 43, 45, 46, 47 In relation to the following criteria: C2, C4, C5, PF1, PF2, PF5, PF7, PF8, PF9, PF12, PF13, PF17, PF33, PF36, HS6, HS7, HS8, HS10, HS12, HS17, HS24, HS28, GMA4, GMA5, GMA6, GMA7, GMA7A, GMA8, GMA9.

ERO does not have confidence that the centre can provide the standard of care and education required under the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008.

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Alpha Early Childhood Educational Centre. ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

13 March 2019

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

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.