BestStart Petone

Education institution number:
45152
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
101
Telephone:
Address:

Unit 2 & 3 22-32 Nevis Street, Petone, Lower Hutt

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BestStart Petone - 18/12/2019

1 Evaluation of BestStart Petone

How well placed is BestStart Petone to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

BestStart Petone is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

BestStart Petone provides all-day education and care for up to 97 children, including 25 children aged under two years. Of the roll of 113 children, 25 are Māori and seven are of Pacific heritage. BestStart Petone is owned by BestStart Educare Ltd, a national organisation that owns early childhood services across New Zealand.

The centre's vision is 'Where the wild things come to play'. This vision is underpinned by the values of 'ako, taha tinana, whanaungatanga, kotahitanga and manaakitanga'.

Since the September 2016 ERO review a new centre manager has been appointed, a new leadership has been recently established and there have been changes in the teaching team. Most teachers are fully qualified. The day-to-day operations are the responsibility of centre manager, who supports the teaching team. There are three learning areas: the 'Jungle' space caters for preschool children and 'Woodlands' and 'Forest' spaces enable babies and toddlers to interact and play together.

ERO's September 2016 report identified areas requiring further development. These included: strengthening intentional teaching strategies; the quality of assessment, planning and evaluation; the bicultural curriculum; teachers' knowledge of promoting educational success for Māori and Pacific children; and capability in internal evaluation and appraisal.

Good progress has been made in strengthening intentional strategies, the quality of assessment, planning and evaluation and appraisal. Progress is ongoing in developing a bicultural approach, promoting success for Māori and Pacific children and internal evaluation.

The Review Findings

Children play freely in thoughtfully designed, well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments. Teachers work alongside children using a range of intentional teaching strategies to support and add complexity to their learning. Children have opportunities to create, experiment and have fun through planned hands-on experiences. Positive, respectful interactions are highly evident.

Responsive caregiving supports infants' and toddlers' need for strong and secure attachments. A calm, slow-paced environment enables less mobile and younger children to have space and time to lead their learning.

Local history and stories of Pakiwaitara and the Wellington Harbour are acknowledged in the curriculum which promotes a play and nature-based, child-led programme. Te ao Māori concepts are evident in learning programmes. Visual and creative art incorporates the use of natural and found materials. Weekly visits to a local bush area encourage children to be close observers of nature, promote respect for the living environment and be kaitiaki, guardians of the land.

The philosophy has recently been reviewed by leaders and the teaching team. An agreed focus now is to draw on parent and whānau aspirations to determine what learning and education success is important to them.

Planning and assessment for learning processes are deliberately integrated into the learning programme. A useful planning framework guides teacher practice. Group and individual plans are based on children’s emerging interests. The teaching team works collaboratively with parents and whānau to develop specific learning goals for their child. Assessment of learning moments provide a rich record of children’s engagement, participation and social interactions. Teachers use Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to develop specific learning outcomes for each child. They identify intentional teaching strategies to support the achievement of these outcomes. This helps extend and enrich the programme.

Leaders and teachers acknowledge that the bicultural programme is an area to build understanding and practice. Children would benefit from increased opportunities to hear and use te reo Māori and learn about their dual heritage as bicultural citizens of Aotearoa. This developing learning should be clearly evident in children’s and teachers' conversations, planning and portfolios.

Review contributes to centre improvement. Teachers inquire into aspects of their practice. Understanding of internal evaluation and building teachers capacity and capability to evaluate is developing. To enhance practice, an important next step is to develop a stronger focus on measuring how well children have met their learning outcomes through this process.

Relationships with parents and whānau are valued. The extensive use of an online communication portal informs parents and enables them to provide feedback and learn through centre-developed parenting resources.

An effective distributed leadership model is promoted. Teachers are confident to take on additional responsibilities and lead aspects of the curriculum according to their strengths and interests. Teachers are engaged and enthusiastic practitioners.

The professional service management team provides feedback, support and guidance for leadership and the teaching team. BestStart provides a range of professional learning and development opportunities for staff.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for leaders and teachers are to continue to:

  • strengthen the bicultural curriculum and strategies that respond to the cultural context of Māori and Pacific children and reflect this in planning and assessment

  • continue to build internal evaluation capacity and capability.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of BestStart Petone 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini

Southern Region

18 December 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

Lower Hutt

Ministry of Education profile number

45152

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

97 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Service roll

113

Gender composition

Male 66, Female 47

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Pacific
Other ethnic groups

25
61
7
20

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2019

Date of this report

18 December 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2016

Education Review

November 2012

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.

Early Years Petone - 14/06/2016

1 Evaluation of Early Years Petone

How well placed is Early Years Petone 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

Early Years Petone (previously known as Early Years Nevis Street) operates under the BestStart Educare Ltd management structure. BestStart (previously known as Kidicorp Ltd) is a large national organisation that owns a number of early childhood services across New Zealand.

Full and part time care and education is provided for 97 children including 25 up to two years of age. Twenty five children enrolled identify as Māori. A new leadership team has formed since the 2012 ERO review. Distributed leadership is practiced. A centre manager has overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the centre.

The previous ERO report identified areas requiring further development. These included strengthening teachers' understanding of project-based learning and primary caregiving for infants and toddlers, assessment, planning and evaluation, self review and the integration of te reo Māori. Progress in these areas has been made.

This review was part of a cluster of four in BestStart Educare Ltd.

The Review Findings

Children access a learning environment that encourages exploration. They work collaboratively with their peers engaging in sustained play. Independence skills are promoted. Teachers know children well within the context of their families and draw on this information to engage with them. Leaders have indicated that there is a centre-wide focus on using intentional teaching strategies to respond to all opportunities to challenge children's learning.

There are comfortable, safe spaces available for children who are not yet mobile. Teachers are warm, responsive and promote respectful practice. Descriptive language is used to support and extend children's developing vocabulary. An unhurried and calm environment is evident. Children with additional learning needs are identified, supported and monitored by teachers. Where appropriate, the centre coordinates with external agencies.

Teachers have further developed their knowledge of the bicultural curriculum through the recent initiative to establish a wharenui in the centre. Research has been undertaken and contact made with local experts to support this development. Leaders have identified that a next step is to consider how they nurture, use and honour this taonga, as well as continuing to develop teacher's bicultural practice.

Leaders have identified that developing teacher's knowledge of promoting educational success for Māori children is a key next step. Leaders and teachers should strengthen their understanding of Ministry of Education documents to guide this practice. These resources include Tatāiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners and Ka Hikitia- Accelerating Success 2013-2017.

Culturally significant events are celebrated in the centre. Families participate in these and share their expertise. Thoughtful consideration has been given to reflecting the cultural backgrounds of children and their whānau through the environment.

Children's first language is valued and promoted. Where teachers can, they speak the home language of the family. This supports the child's successful transition into the centre. Leaders have indicated that a next step is to further develop their knowledge to promote success for Pacific children.

Profiles show children's participation in the programme and their developing relationships, and identify children's ongoing interests. This assessment information should be strengthened through documentation that shows:

  • how parent's aspirations are used to inform the child's programme

  • clearly, children's progression in learning over time

  • children's cultural identity being acknowledge and celebrated.

The curriculum emphasises healthy eating and promoting physical activity. Children contribute to the development of a planned group programme that is responsive to their interests. This emphasis provides a shared direction for the learning experiences offered. Next steps are to include a focus on identifying the specific teaching strategies used and to evaluate the programme overall.

Self review supports ongoing improvements and is guided effectively by the BestStart process. Leaders have identified that refining the scope of the review is an area for improvement. Developing teacher's knowledge and practice of internal evaluation is a key next step.

A clear framework guides the appraisal process which has a developmental focus. Leaders have indicated that a next step is to include formal observations of all teachers' practice to inform judgements about the quality of practice. BestStart provides opportunities for teachers to participate in a wide range of professional learning and development.

BestStart, as a governing body regularly undertakes parent satisfaction surveys which are used to further develop practice. Most parents involved in these surveys indicate a high degree of satisfaction with teacher practice and the curriculum provided. Leaders have been highly responsive in progressing ongoing improvements.

Professional Service Managers provide regular feedback, support and guidance about the curriculum. They clearly identify strengths and areas for ongoing development through this process.

Roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers are clearly identified and well understood. A comprehensive policy framework including procedures and systems, guide the operation of the centre.

Key Next Steps

ERO and leaders agree that key next steps include:

  • having a stronger focus on the use of intentional teaching strategies through practice and the curriculum

  • continuing to develop the bicultural emphasis in the programme

  • strengthening teachers' knowledge of promoting educational success for Māori and Pacific children

  • further improving the quality of assessment, planning and evaluation

  • building teachers and leaders capability in internal evaluation and strengthening appraisal through the inclusion of observations.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Early Years Petone 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.

BestStart is currently working with the building owners to fully comply with the requirement for a building warrant of fitness.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Early Years Petone will be in three years.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

14 June 2016

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

Lower Hutt

Ministry of Education profile number

45152

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

97 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Service roll

106

Gender composition

Boys 57, Girls 49

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Pacific

Indian

Other ethnic groups

25

56

7

5

4

9

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

April 2016

Date of this report

14 June 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

November 2012

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.