Pīwakawaka Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
70338
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
23
Telephone:
Address:

40 Shakespeare Road, Waltham, Christchurch

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Pīwakawaka Early Learning Centre

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

1 ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management, and administration

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

2 Background

Pīwakawaka Early Learning Centre operates from a renovated house located in Waltham. This is its first ERO review since new ownership in April 2021. The centre serves a culturally diverse community. The owner is the centre manager and oversees daily operations. Most staff are qualified teachers.

3 Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is designed to be inclusive. Children experience positive, respectful interactions with peers and teachers. Teachers support children’s developing social competence. Children are given the opportunity to develop an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Teachers provide a curriculum and environment that reflects the cultural diversity of the community.

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. Health and safety procedures are monitored, and changes made when required. Parents have opportunities to be involved in decision making about their child’s learning. A policy framework and an annual plan guide the centre’s operation.

4 Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • increasing the opportunities children have to hear and speak Te Reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts.Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

8 March 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Name

Pīwakawaka Early Learning Centre

Profile Number 70338
Location  Christchurch

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

29 children, 0 children aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

30

Ethnic composition

Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 8, Indian 10, Other ethnic groups 7

Review team on site

February 2022

Date of this report

8 March 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review: June 2020; Education Review: May 2015

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licencing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
  • that has moved from a provisional to a full license
  • that have been re-licensed due to a change of ownership
  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service
  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

BestStart Waltham Kindy - 11/06/2020

1 Evaluation of BestStart Waltham Kindy

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

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

Background

BestStart Waltham Kindy, previously known as ABC Waltham, is an all-day early childhood service located in Christchurch. It is owned by BestStart Educare Limited, a large organisation that operates centres across New Zealand. The service is licensed for up to 29 children from two to school age. Its hours of operation were decreased in 2018. Children represent an increasingly diverse range of backgrounds. Of those enrolled, five are Māori.

Since the May 2015 ERO report, there have been significant changes in staffing, with a new teaching and leadership team now in place. The centre manager is responsible for day-to-day operations. BestStart Professional Services and Business Managers retain oversight of practice and operation. All teachers are fully registered, and one is a teacher in training.

The recently-reviewed philosophy emphasises the importance of mana atua (promotion of wellbeing); whakamana (empowering children to learn through play); whanaungatanga (connection with whanau); and kotahitanga (embracing all cultures).

Leaders and teachers have made progress in addressing these recommendations in the May 2015 ERO report: improving teacher capability in understanding and leading internal evaluation; strengthening relationships with families to meet children's needs; developing assessment, planning and evaluation; and improving the quality of the outdoor environment.

The centre is a member of the Te Mana Raupō Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning.

The Review Findings

The centre's philosophy is evident in the child-led programme. It emphasises the development of confident and competent children who are self-managing, respectful, empowered and engaged. Children have a broad range of learning opportunities in a calm, settled environment.

There is a wide range of resources to meet children's interests. The well-developed outdoor area promotes children's confidence and skills to undertake challenging activities and safe risks. Children's creativity is fostered by environmental awareness collaborations, project work and construction activities. Children experience regular excursions that provide opportunities to be involved in and engaged with, their local community.

Leaders and teachers demonstrate highly inclusive practice. Strong relationships are formed with children and their families, including small numbers of Māori and Pacific children and whānau. They are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the day-to-day activities of the centre. Children with additional learning and other needs are well supported to make progress.

Assessment, planning and evaluation practices have been strengthened and are effective in extending children’s learning in both individual and group contexts. Family aspirations for their children's learning are valued and acknowledged in programme planning. Teachers use a range of effective learning strategies with children that have an emphasis on learning through play to promote curiosity and exploration. The service is developing a cohesive team culture where shared responsibilities ensure that children's strengths, interests, dispositions and specific needs are recognised and responded to. However, the need to further develop learning-centred partnerships with parents and whānau is a next step.

The teaching team is committed to culturally responsive practices that recognise and affirm the identity and culture of Māori and Pacific children and their whānau. Progress has been made supporting these children to achieve within their cultural contexts. Tikanga Māori practices are respectfully observed in day-to-day operations.

Leaders and teachers have developed a useful process for internal evaluation that results in improved practices that promote better outcomes for children. Planned and spontaneous internal evaluations are aligned with the centre's philosophy, vision and strategic priorities for improvement. Teachers and leaders should continue to develop their understanding and use of internal evaluation to better support decisions about change and improvement.

The centre and support managers work effectively and collaboratively to build teacher capacity and capability. Their leadership enhances the quality of teaching practices, a positive and shared vision, and a continued focus on valued outcomes for children.

The service benefits from the BestStart organisation's policies, procedures and systems that support and promote positive outcomes for all children. Centre leaders are supported by managers who encourage best practices, provide professional learning and development opportunities and monitor progress and outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Centre managers and leaders have identified, and the onsite ERO evaluation has confirmed, that the service needs to continue to:

  • develop learning-centred partnerships with parents and whānau

  • develop teachers' knowledge, understanding and use of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga and te reo Māori in partnerships with whānau that support Māori children to achieve success as Māori

  • build and develop leadership capability and capacity to achieve desired outcomes for children

  • develop their understanding and use of internal evaluation to better support decisions about change and improvement.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of BestStart Waltham Kindy 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 (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

11 June 2020

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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

70338

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

29 children, over 2 years of age

Service roll

28

Gender composition

Boys 15, Girls 13

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Pacific
Other ethnicities

5
18
1
4

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2020

Date of this report

11 June 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

February 2012

Education Review

May 2008

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.