5c Henry Street, Avondale, Auckland
View on mapHow well placed is Amanda's Homebased ECE 3 to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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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.
Amanda’s Homebased ECE is a well-established service with educators located across Auckland. The service includes three networks, each with different characteristics. This network is a Quality Funded service and includes a team of experienced educators. There are currently 32 children enrolled, including nine less than two years of age. Approximately 15 percent of the children have Māori or Pacific heritage. A similar number are from Middle Eastern nationalities.
The service has three Educational Team Leaders (ETLs) who are registered teachers. They provide support and guidance for educators across the three networks. The owner has responsibility for the management of the service.
Since the 2008 ERO review Amanda’s Homebased ECE has undergone significant change. Its administration has relocated from central to west Auckland, two of the ETLs are new appointments and there have been changes in Ministry of Education funding. The service was relicensed in 2013 and has needed to meet new licensing requirements and expectations.
Children’s learning programmes are underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Their learning records show that they engage in varied programmes. Educators provide a range of opportunities for children in homes and in the community, including playgroup and group excursions. Their experiences include early literacy and opportunities to explore creative and manipulative materials. Children build relationships with others and participate in physical and musical activities.
Children are well supported to settle into educators’ homes and to transition to school. ETLs monitor how well infants and toddlers adapt and help educators to establish daily diaries that record children’s routines and play interests. ETLs write affirming reports about children’s holistic development that provide very good information to support their entry into school. They encourage educators to provide opportunities for all children to experience their language and culture.
Training opportunities have had a positive impact on educators’ practice. This professional development has helped them to change their learning environments and more confidently engage in discussions with parents. ETLs model effective teaching strategies at playgroups and encourage educators to experiment with new ideas. The playgroups also enable ETLs to work with children as a group and to enhance their relationships with educators and families who use the service.
The owner and ETLs work as a team and are committed to ongoing improvement. ETLs make regular home visits to the educators and have recently improved the quality of their monthly reports about children as a result of reflective self review. The recent introduction of an electronic systems management tool has enabled them to better support educators with assessing children’s learning. This tool has also increased parents’ involvement in their children’s learning.
A new appraisal system for ETLs has been implemented. The owner agrees this process could be developed further to ensure ETLs set measurable goals and regularly evaluate their own progress. ETLs also want to strengthen their bicultural practices.
The owner shares management responsibilities with the ETLs. They engage in ongoing discussions about priorities for the service and their vision to include new opportunities for diverse communities. This informal approach does not always support a clear direction for the service. The owner and ETLs recognise that they should now redefine the leadership structure and better document expectations. This should help them to sustain the service’s operations more effectively over time.
The service provider and ETLs agree that key next steps for improving the service include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Amanda's Homebased ECE 3 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.
In order to improve practices the service should:
The next ERO review of Amanda's Homebased ECE 3 will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
14 May 2015
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 |
Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10213 |
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Licence type |
Home-based Network |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
32 |
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Standard or Quality Funded |
Quality Funded |
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Gender composition |
Boys 17 Girls 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Middle Eastern Samoan other |
3 18 5 2 4 |
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Number of qualified coordinators in the network |
3 |
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Reported ratios of staff educators to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:4 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2015 |
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Date of this report |
14 May 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2008 |
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Education Review |
October 2005 |
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Education Review |
July 2001 |
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 childrenPou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for childrenMātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for childrenTikanga 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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014
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.
Amanda’s home-based care and education service was established in 1999. The service director, the property manager, the office administrator and three educational team leaders (ETLs) support educators in Manukau City, Franklin County, North Shore City, Waitakere City and Auckland. Educators provide care and education in their own homes for up to four children, from birth to five years of age.
Educators and children enjoy close and loving relationships. Children are trusting and confident with adults. They enjoy being with other children in educators’ homes and play peacefully together for extended periods. Educators’ interactions with children are friendly, positive and caring. Children and their families are welcomed into educators’ homes. There is a strong sense of partnership with parents. This encourages the sharing of relevant information about children. Parents express their satisfaction with the service and the good quality care and education that educators provide for their children.
Relationships between the ETL team and educators are increasingly professional. Educators report high levels of support and encouragement from ETLs and the service director. This is helping them to manage all components of their work effectively. The annual accreditation process helps ensure that educators continue to meet the educational and health and safety requirements of the service. Educators are required to undertake study towards an early childhood qualification and hold current first aid certificates. In addition, the service provides regular and appropriate training for both educators and ETLs. The ETL team work closely, informally sharing strategies to support educators and each other.
Despite some variation in the quality of programmes they generally support children’s development and learning effectively. Most educators attend playgroups and other educational gatherings with children as a way of extending their experiences and social development. Generally, homes provide safe and attractive playing, eating and sleeping spaces for children. The service provides equipment and resources to enable educators to provide well for children. Educators also provide an extensive range of resources and experiences to support children’s learning.
Educators are becoming more familiar with ways of recording their work with children. Each child has a Treasure Book that educators use to record children’s experiences and involvement in the programme. Some educators are becoming skilled at identifying learning moments and next steps to support children’s development. The service has recently adopted an appropriate programme which is helping educators provide a framework for children’s early literacy learning.
Management of the service is effective. A three-year strategic plan guides the organisation’s operations and self-review processes. It is also helping management to identify where change and improvement could enhance the service. Policies have been developed to guide all aspects of personnel management, which includes regular, formal appraisal. The service has implemented the Ministry of Education 20 free hours scheme. While this has been of benefit to parents, it has caused some difficulties for the service. Available spaces are being filled for longer, reducing the number of children able to attend. The service is planning the action it will take to address proposed changes to Ministry of Education legislation as it applies to home-based care.
This report evaluates the quality of education for children and the educational support for educators, provided by the service. ERO interviewed the educators and observed the programme in action in a sample of educators’ homes. In addition, management of the service, ETLs and progress with self review were evaluated. The report identifies areas of good performance and areas for improvement and recommends that management continue to strengthen and define already well-established systems.
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interests of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again as part of the regular review cycle.
Before the review, the management of Amanda's Home-based Care and Education Service 2 was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by Amanda's Home-based Care and Education Service 2 to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the service (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atAmanda's Home-based Care and Education Service 2.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
Amanda’s Home Based Early Childhood Care and Education Service bases its operation on the Education (Home Based Care) Order 1992 (HBCO). The 2005 report commented on the high quality care and resources, and variety of experiences provided for children. The service has responded positively to suggestions in the 2005 report to improve assessment practices and parent input to their child’s education.
Relationships between and with children, educators, leaders, managers and parents.
Educators and children enjoy close and loving relationships. Children settle easily into educators’ homes and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and well being. Children are trusting and relaxed with educators and respond positively to conversations with them. They participate in play experiences and demonstrate familiarity with routines and expectations.
Children enjoy the company of other children in educators’ homes. They generally play peacefully and are beginning to cooperate and negotiate their play. Their interactions are friendly, positive and caring.
Educators’ relationships with parents are trusting and open. Discussions with parents about their children are generally informal and friendly. There is a strong sense of partnership in the care of children that engenders reciprocal sharing of relevant information. Educators share information about educational programmes with parents. Parents express satisfaction with the education and care provided by educators and have developed professional friendships with educators.
Educators’ relationships with ETLs are increasingly professional and focussed on educational growth and development. Educators speak highly of the support provided by ETLs and the service director and are confident about the educational support they receive. The regular visits by ETLs encourage sharing of information about programmes and children’s development.
There is strong collegiality, loyalty and teamwork amongst the ETLs. They informally discuss and share their thoughts about programmes and best practice.
In the last year, the service director has supported ETLs to play a greater role in making decisions about children and their care. ETLs are confident that the service director’s continuing support will assist them to undertake their tasks effectively. The close relationships enjoyed by ETLs and the service director have established collegial, professional relationships of trust and created confidence in people’s capacity to grow and develop. This has enhanced the professionalism of the organisation.
Educational programmes. While there is variation in the quality of programmes in general programmes support children’s development and learning effectively. Educators are able to talk knowledgeably about the interests and strengths of children in their care. They are beginning to consider ways to extend children’s play within their interests. Educators help to ensure consistency in children’s experiences by making close links between what they know about children’s home lives and the programmes they present. Educators generally work at children’s level by participating in games, conversing with children and suggesting ways that children could play together. Most educators and children attend playgroups and other educational gatherings together as a way of extending children’s experiences and social development.
Training for educators. Amanda’s strongly supports educators to increase their knowledge through training courses provided or paid for by management. Most educators expressed an interest in learning about ways to extend children’s learning. They noted that they find the professional development offered by Amanda’s useful and interesting. The transition to school programme, which has been recently introduced, is appropriate and provides educators with ideas and resources to assist children in early literacy readiness.
Environments. Generally, homes provide safe playing, eating and sleeping areas for children. Children’s sense of familiarity and well being is fostered through an appropriate blend of home-like and child-centred play spaces. All educators visited had a range of high quality, bright and colourful equipment and resources. The Amanda’s organisation provides educators with extension resources and equipment. Most educators also provide a significant proportion of resources to support children’s play. Play spaces are appropriately resourced and equipment is generally readily accessible to children. Educators’ programme records indicate that children enjoy a range of activities and experiences designed to extend their learning. Most outdoor areas include appropriate resources to encourage play and in general children are able to make choices about where they play.
Furniture and equipment. Amanda’s provides educators with an appropriate range of furniture and equipment to use with children. The furniture and equipment is of good quality and educators have support from the organisation to keep it maintained, replenished and in working order.
Treasure Books. Educators are becoming increasingly familiar with ways of recording their work with children. Amanda’s intends that educators will maintain Treasure Books as a useful record about learning for each of the children in their care. ETLs encourage and support educators to maintain these books. Educators’ entries in these books are beginning to show children’s development over time and the scope of the programmes they provide. Some educators are able to notice and recognise the learning in children’s play and to record their supportive responses. As a result, they are becoming increasingly aware of the need to identify next steps to support children’s learning. Treasure Books are shared with parents and children regularly and include child and parent voice and links to Te Whäriki, the Early Childhood Curriculum.
Transition to school programme. Amanda’s has recently adopted an appropriate commercial programme to assist educators to provide children with a framework of early literacy learning. This sequential programme, which is presented for short periods each day, focuses on assisting children to listen and look carefully, to talk confidently and to understand elements of print. The programme provides children with a sound foundation to begin formal literacy learning when they go to school. Educators are enjoying the guidance the programme provides in assisting children’s learning.
Educators’ other records. Amanda’s provides templates, which help educators to document an effective record of children’s daily activities routines and food. These include records of accidents and medication and regular fire and earthquake drills. Educators generally maintain these records effectively and regularly share them with parents. ETLs guide educators’ entries in Treasure Books by modelling and talking about ways of recording observations.
Management systems. The management style of the organisation is inclusive, open, supportive and collegial. Amanda’s operates with effective systems that have been refined and developed over time. A three-year strategic plan guides organisational operations and staff have input into decisions. Planning has been developed to guide the organisation through proposed legislative changes.
Personnel management. All staff have clear information about their roles and responsibilities. Amanda’s supports staff to undertake responsibilities effectively by allowing them flexibility to suit their family needs. Policies have been developed to guide all aspects of personnel management including regular, formal appraisal. Staff are well supported to continue their professional learning. Appraisals lead to the identification of professional development needs and staff can select courses of study and receive assistance from Amanda’s.
Records of support. The ETL team works diligently to improve educator practices. However, there is limited recorded evidence of this work. It would be appropriate for ETLs to more regularly document their work in supporting educators. As well as providing continuity in their work, it would enable ETLs to evaluate the effectiveness of their support.
Contact with parents. The ETL team regularly contribute to children’s Treasure Books as a way of informing parents of their monthly visits. It may be appropriate to consider ways of extending their contact with parents as a way of assuring them of the continued educational development of their children. This should help to give parents confidence in the ETL team’s role in promoting and monitoring educational and safety standards in homes.
Recognition of learning. While educators are beginning to enjoy writing short narratives about children’s participation in the programme, their skill in identifying learning needs further development. ETLs should assist educators to employ the “notice, recognise, respond, and revisit” framework suggested by Kei Tua o te Pae Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars disseminated by the Ministry of Education.
Inclusive practices. Children attending Amanda’s represent a number of cultures. At present, educator programmes do not always reflect this cultural diversity. It would be useful for Amanda’s to consider ways of assisting educators to increase their understanding of cultural diversity. Part of each Treasure Book is information contributed by parents about their child. Amanda’s should redevelop the forms they send home to parents so that they encourage parents to note the cultural celebrations and festivities that their family celebrates. This would assist educators to acknowledge and share the cultural heritage of all children in their care.
Educational focus. The current strategic plan does not reflect the strong focus on educational good practice held by ETLs and the service director. ETLs’ work with educators is focused on improving practice. The strategic plan should more clearly support this. Staff could now consider including a focus on strengthening educational programmes and best practice as a regular discussion item at staff meetings.
Monitoring health and safety practices. ETLs formally assess educators’ homes annually. Educators are responsible for maintaining health and safety practices. They generally are careful to maintain high standards. However, during the review there were some minor examples noted where practices could be improved. It would be useful if ETLs more regularly monitored routines and play spaces to ensure practices are safe.
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement.
As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which self review is understood and used in this service to improve practice and outcomes for children.
Self review in Amanda’s Home Based Care is well developed at a management level.
Organisational review. Self review has become an integral part of the organisation’s operations. Policy review is well established and shared with educators and parents. Regular parent surveys are collated and analysed to allow the organisation to make judgments about levels of parent satisfaction and the effectiveness of care. Amanda’s has a strong sense of review, leading to change and improvement.
Performance management. Staff performance is appraised against job descriptions and indicators. This comprehensive performance review provides useful information from a variety of sources to add to self and management review. However, staff are beginning to meet many of the indicators. It would be appropriate for staff and management to discuss ways of enhancing the rigor of the appraisal processes.
Before the review, the management and staff of Amanda's Home-based Care and Education Service 2 completed an ERO Home-Based Care Management Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they have attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
During the course of the review ERO found no areas of concern.
ERO and the service arranger agreed that management should continue to strengthen and define already well-established systems.
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interests of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again as part of the regular review cycle.
Signed
Elizabeth Ellis
Area Manager
for Chief Review Officer
12 June 2008
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Location |
Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10213 |
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Type |
Home-Based Care |
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Roll Number |
38 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 19, Boys 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Päkehä 29, Mäori 6, Korean 1, Indian 1, Chinese 1 |
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Review team onsite |
April 2008 |
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Date of this report |
12 June 2008 |
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Previous ERO reports |
Education Review, October 2005 Accountability Review, July 2001 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Amanda's Home-based Care and Education Service 2.
Amanda’s home-based care and education service was established in 1999. The service director, the property manager, the office administrator and three educational team leaders (ETLs) support educators in Manukau City, Franklin County, North Shore City, Waitakere City and Auckland. Educators provide care and education in their own homes for up to four children, from birth to five years of age.
Educators and children enjoy close and loving relationships. Children are trusting and confident with adults. They enjoy being with other children in educators’ homes and play peacefully together for extended periods. Educators’ interactions with children are friendly, positive and caring. Children and their families are welcomed into educators’ homes. There is a strong sense of partnership with parents. This encourages the sharing of relevant information about children. Parents express their satisfaction with the service and the good quality care and education that educators provide for their children.
Relationships between the ETL team and educators are increasingly professional. Educators report high levels of support and encouragement from ETLs and the service director. This is helping them to manage all components of their work effectively. The annual accreditation process helps ensure that educators continue to meet the educational and health and safety requirements of the service. Educators are required to undertake study towards an early childhood qualification and hold current first aid certificates. In addition, the service provides regular and appropriate training for both educators and ETLs. The ETL team work closely, informally sharing strategies to support educators and each other.
Despite some variation in the quality of programmes they generally support children’s development and learning effectively. Most educators attend playgroups and other educational gatherings with children as a way of extending their experiences and social development. Generally, homes provide safe and attractive playing, eating and sleeping spaces for children. The service provides equipment and resources to enable educators to provide well for children. Educators also provide an extensive range of resources and experiences to support children’s learning.
Educators are becoming more familiar with ways of recording their work with children. Each child has a Treasure Book that educators use to record children’s experiences and involvement in the programme. Some educators are becoming skilled at identifying learning moments and next steps to support children’s development. The service has recently adopted an appropriate programme which is helping educators provide a framework for children’s early literacy learning.
Management of the service is effective. A three-year strategic plan guides the organisation’s operations and self-review processes. It is also helping management to identify where change and improvement could enhance the service. Policies have been developed to guide all aspects of personnel management, which includes regular, formal appraisal. The service has implemented the Ministry of Education 20 free hours scheme. While this has been of benefit to parents, it has caused some difficulties for the service. Available spaces are being filled for longer, reducing the number of children able to attend. The service is planning the action it will take to address proposed changes to Ministry of Education legislation as it applies to home-based care.
This report evaluates the quality of education for children and the educational support for educators, provided by the service. ERO interviewed the educators and observed the programme in action in a sample of educators’ homes. In addition, management of the service, ETLs and progress with self review were evaluated. The report identifies areas of good performance and areas for improvement and recommends that management continue to strengthen and define already well-established systems.
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interests of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again as part of the regular review cycle.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood service we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the service or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Elizabeth Ellis
Area Manager
for Chief Review Officer