19 A Jordan Avenue, Onehunga, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
BestStart Onehunga is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
BestStart Onehunga provides for up to 80 children, including up to 20 children under two years of age. The centre operates in two buildings. There is a separate room for children under the age of two, and a larger space to support a mixed-age environment and tuakana/teina relationships for children aged two to five years. The centre's community is culturally diverse. The roll includes a small group of Māori children, and about one-third have Pacific heritage.
The centre's recently reviewed philosophy and mission statement promote a responsive, inclusive, respectful, sustainable and natural environment for all. The centre staff includes a centre manager, 10 full-time teachers and an administration team.
ERO's 2015 report identified positive practices such as, care for infants and toddlers, and support for children to transition through the centre. Next steps for development included internal evaluation, cultural responsiveness and strategies for supporting complex play.
The centre is part of the BestStart charitable trust. The organisation has re-branded all its early learning services. It provides an overarching governance and management framework to support operations and curriculum delivery in individual centres. Business managers (BM) and professional services managers (PSM) lead staff professional development and provide strategic guidance.
This review was part of a cluster of nine reviews in BestStart's Upper North Island region.
Children are confident and engaged learners and play well together. Children experience trusting and respectful relationships with staff and have good relationships with each other. They have a strong sense of belonging and their cultural identities are celebrated. Teachers are effective in growing children's confidence and social competencies.
Children learn in an open, spacious and well-considered environment. They move freely between the indoor and outdoor areas. There are high levels of interaction between the younger and older children and their teachers. Children under the age of two years experience nurturing, calm interactions with teachers who know them well that promotes exploration and supports their development.
Planning and assessment processes support teachers to respond to individual children's interests and strengths. Teachers value the contribution that whānau make to children's learning. They are increasing their understanding of their community to promote and provide a high quality local curriculum.
Teachers' commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand is evident. They continue to seek out ways to strengthen their knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori to further embed bicultural practices across the centre.
Teachers' professional knowledge is strengthened through the appraisal system. They participate in good quality professional learning and development and are well supported to improve. Teachers and leaders ensure that their practices reflect the rights of all children to high quality and inclusive early childhood education. The new centre manager and teaching team are implementing good systems and processes to support positive learning outcomes for children.
Centre operations are guided by strategic and annual plans, and a shared vision. These are linked to BestStart strategic goals, which promote a sense of belonging to a wider learning community and support more widespread collaboration amongst teaching teams. Leaders and teachers regularly revisit the centre's strategic goals and annual action plans to monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement.
Key next steps include:
strengthening curriculum planning and assessment systems by focusing on children's individual learning dispositions, interests and strengths
continuing to build teaching and learning strategies that promote children's independence and leadership
continuing to grow skill and capability in observation and listening in order to promote meaningful learning conversations with children.
Before the review, the staff and management of BestStart Onehunga 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:
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
25 September 2019
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 |
Onehunga, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20575 |
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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 |
80 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
70 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 38 Boys 32 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2019 |
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Date of this report |
25 September 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
September 2012 |
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Education Review |
November 2009 |
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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:
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.
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.
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.
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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 Onehunga, Auckland, provides education and care for up to 80 children, including up to 20 children under two years of age. ABC Onehunga operates under the governance and management of Kidicorp Ltd, which enables children to attend sessions and all day hours. The centre is in two buildings and has three separate rooms for the infants, toddlers and children over three years old. About half of all children at the centre are from a range of ethnicities, including Māori and Pacific.
The centre’s recently reviewed philosophy focuses on the values of respect and relationships. Teachers promote an inclusive learning environment where play is valued. They interact in positive ways with children and parents and are supportive of each other.
There has been a high staff turnover since the 2012 ERO review. Staff changes continue and have created leadership opportunities for staff. Currently, most teachers are qualified. One staff member is receiving support to gain full registration.
ABC Onehunga continues to have a positive ERO reporting history. Since the 2012 ERO review the centre has merged its two licences into one. The 2012 ERO report identified some areas for improvement. The centre has responded well to ERO’s recommendations by formalising self review, continuing to seek parent input and developing professional practice. This work is ongoing.
ABC Onehunga is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children. Children’s social and emotional competence is well promoted.
Children are inquisitive and enthusiastic about their experiences in the centre. They are active, confident and interact well with their peers and teachers. Children are also curious and enjoy exploring the different learning environments, making choices in their play and engaging in a wide range of activities.
Children under two years of age receive good quality education and care. ERO observed routines and interactions that were calm, nurturing and supported infants and toddlers to explore the environment. Teachers enthusiastically celebrate children’s achievements.
The experienced centre manager and staff are well supported by Kidicorp managers. Centre leaders and staff are focusing on developing greater consistency in programme development and implementation. Teachers have reviewed planning and assessment processes. This review has resulted in teachers placing a stronger focus on individual children and their interests.
The centre has introduced a computer-based tool that is helping parents and whānau to view children’s work and respond promptly to it on line. Centre leaders and staff continue to look for further ways to promote parent engagement and find out more about their aspirations for their children.
Transitions into and within the centre are well managed and flexible. The Uenuku room has been established to support toddlers to transition from the infant room into the room for older children. The centre is beginning to develop useful relationships with local schools to support children’s transition into school.
Teachers reflect the children’s cultures and some teachers use home languages with children and their families. Te reo Maori, waiata and karakia are used at group times. Matariki was recently celebrated with children.
Self review processes are developing. Staff have a collective understanding of the purpose of self review and are involved in discussions that allow them to review their own practice. The centre management team provides strong leadership and sets high expectations for teaching and learning. Various processes support staff to reflect regularly on the impact that their teaching is having on outcomes for children.
Personnel from Kidicorp Ltd provide effective guidance for the centre. There are good systems to manage all aspects of the centre’s operations.
The centre manager and Kidicorp managers have identified appropriate key next steps that include continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of ABC Onehunga 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.
The next ERO review of ABC Onehunga will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
21 August 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.
|
Location |
Onehunga, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20575 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
89 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 45 Girls 44 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Asian (including Chinese) Indian Tongan Fijian Cook Island Māori other |
8 45 9 6 6 5 4 2 4 |
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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 |
June 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
21 August 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
July 2006 |
||
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.
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.