BestStart Te Awamutu

1 Evaluation of TopKids George Street

How well placed is TopKids George Street to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

TopKids George Street requires further development in developing their curriculum, internal evaluation, assessment and planning. A strategic approach to upgrading centre buildings and grounds is required.

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

Background

Topkids George St is located in the town centre of Te Awamutu. It provides all-day education and care and is licensed for 75 children, including up to 20 under the age of two years. Children learn in three age-based rooms, with the toddlers and older children also sharing an outdoor space. At the time of this review the roll of 92 included 25 Māori children.

Since the last ERO review in 2014 the governing organisation has changed its name from Kidicorp to BestStart Education and Care and has become a not-for-profit organisation. A professional service manager and business manager provide support for the centre. The centre operates under the Central North Island Waikato regional management team within BestStart.

A new centre manager has been appointed internally since the last ERO review and she is supported in her role by a head teacher and a team leader. Though staff hold teaching qualifications, only a few permanent staff members hold full teacher registration. There has been a significant turnover of teaching staff since the last ERO review, most recently in the nursery room.

Through their philosophy the centre aims to recognise children as individual learners who bring their knowledge and ways of learning with them. There is a centre expectation that teachers value independence and encourage life-long learning. The centre fosters partnerships with parents and whānau. Teachers aim to reflect New Zealand’s bicultural heritage in their practice and are inclusive of all cultures.

The centre has made some progress in responding to the areas identified in the previous 2014 ERO report. Staff turnover, the need to strengthen internal evaluation processes to support high-quality learning and care at all times, and teacher's confidence in using te reo Māori as part of their regular practice are areas of ongoing concern.

This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the BestStart organisation.

The Review Findings

Children and their families benefit from the following strengths of the centre:

• well-supported transitions into, within the centre and on to school

• regular trips into the community and whānau events

• celebrations of multi-cultural festivals and diversity is promoted

• respectful relationships between children, their teachers and families.

A strategic approach to deepen teachers' understanding of Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum is required. The curriculum needs further development to align more closely with the intent of Te Whāriki. Some elements of a bicultural curriculum are evident. Māori learners are supported by some teachers modelling the use of basic te reo Māori, celebrations such as Matariki and the new introduction of children's pēpeha. However, further consistency is necessary across the teaching team to strengthen this area. In the toddler and young children areas, priority should be given to reviewing the way in which literacy and mathematics concepts are taught to align with best practice for early childhood education.

Assessment, planning and evaluation processes need strengthening. Further support is required for teachers to build their knowledge of the purpose of assessment, planning and evaluation to strengthen learning pathways for individual children. This should include culturally responsive assessment.

Teaching and learning practices require further development to effectively promote learning outcomes for all children. Teachers need support to further reflect on their practices and inquire into current research and best practice in early childhood education.

Teachers respond well to the individual care needs of children up to two years. However, the recent change in staffing in that room has resulted in the primary caregiving approach being disrupted until new staff build relationships with the children and families. One key teacher provides familiarity during this time of change.

Children with additional learning needs are well supported with inclusive teaching practices. Priority learners have their care needs met.

Leadership in the centre needs further development. Managers now need to provide targeted support for centre leaders and teachers. This should include close monitoring and timelines for improvement to curriculum delivery and teacher practice and knowledge, in order to improve learning outcomes for all children.

BestStart's vison is to make a positive difference in the lives of children. Governance and management have developed clear strategic goals with guidelines and expectations for centre practice and curriculum. Regional leadership and management need to provide more support for centre leaders and teachers to enact the vision and goals of the service.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for Topkids George St are to strengthen leadership and management for the service with priority being given to:

• management providing a timeline for monitoring the implementation of the plans intended for the upgrade to centre buildings and grounds

developing a strategic approach to deepening teacher understanding and implementation of Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum

• reviewing how literacy and mathematics are delivered within the curriculum

• strengthening the analysis of internal evaluation findings with a focus on improvements to teaching practice and outcomes for learners

• supporting teachers to review and understand the purpose of assessment, planning and evaluation

• assisting the new teaching team in the nursery to develop a shared philosophy for infant care.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of TopKids George Street 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.

In order to improve practice the early childhood service management should ensure professional development is provided to leaders and teachers on the Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession. Regular observations of practice by management for the centre manager are required to strengthen the appraisal system.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to Topkids George St. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:

• support the practice of adults providing education and care to demonstrate an understanding of children's learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education.
  [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C4, C1, PF13]

Development Plan Recommendation

ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of TopKids George Street will be within two years.

Adrienne Fowler

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

7 September 2018

The Purpose of ERO Reports

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:

• Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
• Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
• Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
• Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.

Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.

ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.

A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.

For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.

ERO’s Overall Judgement 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.