Bambinos Early Childhood Centre

Education institution number:
25324
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
113
Telephone:
Address:

123 St Lukes Road, Mount Albert, Auckland

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Bambinos Early Childhood Centre

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 Bambinos Early Childhood Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakawhanake Sustaining
Whakawhanake Sustaining

2 Context of the Service

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre is one of three privately owned services under the same ownership. It provides education and care to a culturally diverse community. There are a small number of tamariki Māori and learners of Pacific heritage attending. Progress is evident against the key next steps identified in the January 2019 ERO report.

3 Summary of findings

Children’s learning is effectively promoted through a well-resourced, highly responsive curriculum. Learning-focused partnerships with parents and whānau enrich children’s experiences. Teachers extend children’s learning through different contexts and with cultural relevance. These contexts include:

  • language

  • literacy

  • mathematics

  • emerging social and emotional skills.

The unique learning needs of infants, toddlers and children up to the age of three are well understood and responded to. A range of relevant information supports understanding of learning over time, in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children’s wellbeing and learning are prioritised in enabling them as capable learners.

Children benefit from a curriculum that integrates their identities, languages and cultures. Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are woven into daily experiences. The linguistically diverse teaching team foster children’s dual and multi-language learning. Tamariki Māori, children of Pacific heritages and culturally diverse learners see their cultures valued and celebrated.

Leaders and teachers have collective capability to evaluate for sustained improvement. Collaboration, research, inquiry and professional development contribute to evaluation. There is a clear focus on identifying how improvement actions have impacted the learning outcomes for individual children, whānau and teachers.

Leaders work with their teams and community to effectively build a shared understanding of strategic goals and philosophy values. Stable staffing and higher adult:child ratios promote children’s equitable access to learning. Leaders have identified the need to work with parents, whānau and their wider community to negotiate shared, localised priorities for children’s learning as part of strategic planning.

4 Improvement actions

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Renegotiate and redefine localised priorities for learning with the learning community, to further inform the curriculum and strategic planning.

  • Continue to refine strategic evaluation by intentionally gathering and analyzing information to better show what is working well, or not, for specific groups of learners.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Bambinos Early Childhood Centre 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 July 2023

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre

Profile Number

25324

Location

Mount Albert, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

113 children, including up to 29 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

128

Review team on site

May 2023

Date of this report

3 July 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, January 2019
Education Review, November 2014

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre - 18/01/2019

1 Evaluation of Bambinos Early Childhood Centre

How well placed is Bambinos Early Childhood Centre 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

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre operates in a converted villa in Sandringham. Since the 2014 ERO review, the centre has been extended to provide additional space and allow for an increase in the licensed number of children. The centre is now licensed for 109 children, including 24 up to two years of age. Children are catered for in three age-related groups. Renovations have included the refurbishment of all indoor spaces, and the upgrade of outdoor play areas for infants and toddlers.

This centre is one of three services in the family owned and operated Bambinos organisation. A number of staff have been with the centre since it opened 12 years ago. The director's intention is to provide a welcoming, inclusive environment where children's learning is supported by relationships between teachers, children and their families. The centre offers a play-based curriculum that reflects the cultural diversity of its community.

The 2014 ERO report noted that the centre promoted high quality learning outcomes for children and that partnerships with parents and whānau were valued by teachers. These features continue to be evident.

The Review Findings

Children experience a high quality environment and resources that allow them to make choices about their play and follow their interests. They benefit from good adult-to-child ratios and positive relationships with teachers and other children. The breadth of curriculum experiences offered over time means children have opportunities to develop their working theories about the world around them. They are well supported by attentive teachers who scaffold their learning and capably foster oral language development. Children are able to grow as confident and competent learners in this inclusive environment.

Children under the age of two receive very good quality care and education. Teachers know these infants well and are responsive to their preferences and developing interests and abilities. These very young children are confident exploring their environment and the thoughtfully provided activities. Well implemented care routines and warm interactions with caring adults promote children's physical and emotional wellbeing.

The presentation and high quality of children's portfolios and programme planning are noteworthy features of this centre. Teachers plan and implement learning experiences that closely align to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They have engaged in professional learning to strengthen their understanding of the revised curriculum document. An ongoing internal evaluation process focusing on the 'learning that matters' in this centre has helped teachers to prioritise valued learning outcomes for the age groups they work with.

Curriculum documentation and implementation clearly demonstrates the service's:

  • responsiveness to the aspirations of parents for their children

  • links to the local community

  • inclusive approach and acknowledgement of diversity

  • commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi as a guiding document.

The centre directors have established a very sound framework to guide centre operations and promote ongoing improvement. This framework includes:

  • well-articulated mission, vision and philosophy statements that are understood and evident in practice across the centre

  • focused strategic and annual plans

  • comprehensive internal evaluation processes

  • a staff team that is valued and well supported

  • a clear focus on the importance of relationships and the partnership with parents and whānau.

Centre leaders and teachers are open to learning, and continue to question and modify their practice in order to improve outcomes for children. Strategies that ensure the consistency of good practice include providing opportunities for teachers to observe practices across the age groups, and monitoring the implementation of policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance with requirements.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders agree that to continue sustaining and growing high quality practices, their key next steps include:

  • refining internal evaluation processes to include a greater focus on evaluating the effectiveness of teaching practice in promoting positive outcomes for children

  • reviewing the implementation of programme and care routines for toddlers and young children against identified valued learning outcomes

  • building physical challenge for older children into the design of the new playground.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Bambinos Early Childhood 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Bambinos Early Childhood Centre will be in four years.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

18 January 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

Location

Mount Albert, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25324

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

109 children, including up to 24 aged under 2

Service roll

110

Gender composition

Girls 52% Boys 48%

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Indian
Chinese
Southeast Asian
Pacific groups
other ethnic groups

20%
6%
40%
10%
6%
5%
13%

Percentage of qualified teachers

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 2018

Date of this report

18 January 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

November 2014

Education Review

May 2011

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.

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre - 22/11/2014

1 Evaluation of Bambinos Early Childhood Centre

How well placed is Bambinos Early Childhood Centre 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

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre, in the Auckland suburb of Sandringham, was established eight years ago as a privately owned family business. The centre is licensed for 84 children, including 25 up two years of age. The roll includes small numbers of Māori and children from Pacific nations.

The centre’s vision is for children to become life-long learners. This vision is supported through teachers’ focus on developing children’s physical, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual potential, and their implementation of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Respect, empowerment, family and relationships are some of the key values that underpin the programmes for children.

A team of capable directors and supervisors provide very good leadership at governance and management levels. Good communication supports the different roles these adults play in the running of the centre.

The positive features of Bambinos Early Childhood Centre that were acknowledged at the time of EROs 2011 review continue to be evident. Further and ongoing improvements have enhanced children’s learning experiences. The centre provides a valuable service to families in its diverse community.

The Review Findings

Bambinos Early Childhood Centre promotes positive, high quality learning outcomes for children. Children are happy and secure. They are settled and unhurried in their play and are well supported in their learning choices. Learning programmes are consistently focussed on children’s learning and interests.

Children are warmly welcomed into the centre. They enjoy high quality interactions with teachers who know them well. Teachers interact warmly and respectfully with children and their skilful questioning supports children’s perseverance with learning. Children are comfortable and confident in the welcoming centre environment.

Children’s learning, wellbeing and development needs are thoughtfully nurtured. Teachers give children good opportunities to lead and contribute to the curriculum as confident, capable decision makers. Children with special learning needs are an integral part of the centre and the programme.

Children have access to a wide variety of age appropriate resources that support their learning. Resources reflect children’s interests and provide good scope for a variety of play experiences. Children’s first languages are modelled by teachers and are also evident in children’s portfolios and the signs around the centre. Teachers share a commitment to acknowledging and honouring the diverse cultures in the centre.

Teachers guide and support babies and toddlers, nurturing their wellbeing and encouraging their exploration and growing confidence. The separate areas provided for babies, toddlers and pre-school children support the variety and nature of their play experiences. Learning environments invite children to inquire, to explore and to be creative.

Positive partnerships with parents and whānau are valued by teachers. Teachers use the information they get about families’ aspirations and children to enrich their planning and assessment processes.

Since the 2011 ERO review, the long serving, stable staff has continued to strengthen the programme. For example, they have integrated literacy and numeracy into all curriculum areas. In addition, positive changes have been made to the layout of the centre and its equipment. There is increased security for younger children in the outdoors area and improved sleeping room space for babies. There are greater opportunities for children to be more independent at meal times.

During the last three years teachers have undertaken focused professional development about assessment and evaluation. As a result, they have developed good quality learning stories that include valuable parent and child contributions. Teacher planning and the learning stories reflect their good knowledge of families and the wider community. Teachers' growing knowledge of Māori and Pacific perspectives is supporting the development of a strong bicultural curriculum. The curriculum now includes whakatau and waiata.

The small numbers of Māori and Pacific children are acknowledged for the richness of identity and culture they bring. Whanaungatanga and manaakitanga are embraced to support children’s sense of belonging and inclusion. Teachers recognise and respect the mana of children and their families through their positive connections with, and warm welcoming of whānau. Centre managers and staff have a strong commitment to biculturalism. The centre philosophy provides clear statements that guide effective, inclusive communication and partnership.

The vision, philosophy, direction and values are well aligned. Sustainable governance and management systems support centre practices, including the robust appraisal and performance management process. Robust and regular self review is used to evaluate how effectively centre programmes meet the needs of children and their families.

Leadership development opportunities are provided for staff through attendance at conferences and teacher involvement in relevant professional development. Good documentation underpins centre processes and procedures and supports strategic improvement.

Key Next Steps

The centre has identified appropriate next steps to continue improving its provision for children. These include:

  • exploring further leadership opportunities for children and parents within the programme
  • using the Ministry of Education resource, Tātaiako - Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, to strengthen the current approach to staff appraisal
  • continuing to strengthen teacher reflection and inquiry practices
  • ongoing improvements to the outdoor area.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Bambinos Early Childhood 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Bambinos Early Childhood Centre will be in four years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

24 November 2014

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

Mt Albert, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25324

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

84 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Service roll

80

Gender composition

Boys 46 Girls 34

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Tongan

Samoan

Niue

2

19

4

3

1

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

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2014

Date of this report

24 November 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

August 2012

 

Education Review

May 2011

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.