Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre

Education institution number:
20026
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
33
Telephone:
Address:

19 Busby Street, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland

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Busby Street Early Learning Childcare 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.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre’s qualified owner provides governance, management, and curriculum support. The teaching team includes four qualified teachers, one staff member and two relievers, one of whom is a qualified teacher. There are two separate areas for children from infants to school age.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It respects the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect each other. The curriculum provides a language-rich environment, and is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners.

Consistent monitoring of health and safety systems is required to maintain regulatory standards.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • improving the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning over time

  • deepening teachers’ understanding of Te Whāriki (2017) through more targeted professional learning and development opportunities

  • providing further opportunities for children to be involved in decisions about their learning experiences.

Actions for Compliance

During and since the onsite review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • Having designated assembly areas for evacuation purposes outside the building to keep children safe from further risk (HS5).

  • Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).

  • Ensuring that if not permanently set up, furniture or items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) and bedding is hygienically stored when not in use (HS11).

  • Monitoring that water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14).

  • Having a record of excursions that includes assessment and management of risk (HS17).

  • Maintaining a record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service. Records include name and amount of medicine given and evidence of parental acknowledgement that they have been advised medication was administered to their child (HS28).

  • Maintaining an attendance record that meets the requirements outlined in the Early Childhood Education Funding Handbook for children currently attending, including attendance registers being marked by staff on a twice daily basis and evidence (e.g., a signed attendance register) that a parent/guardian of each child has regularly examined and confirmed the attendance record (GMA11).

Next ERO Review

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

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

28 March 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre

Profile Number

20026

Location

Blockhouse Bay, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

36 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

43

Review team on site

February 2023

Date of this report

28 March 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Reviewed under previous ownership:

Education Review, January 2018; Education Review, June 2014

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 licensing criteria to gain and maintain a license 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 licence

  • that have been re-licenced 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 regulatory 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

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.

Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre - 11/01/2018

1 Evaluation of Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre

How well placed is Busby Street Early Learning Childcare 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

Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre is a long-established service in the culturally diverse community of Blockhouse Bay. It is licensed for 36 children, including 10 up to two years of age. The centre comprises two separate renovated buildings. The front building is used for the infants and toddlers programme, and has a separate playground. The other dwelling is for older children up to school age.

The centre is owned and governed by Gluga Ltd. The owners have three other centres and have appointed centre directors who each oversee the management and operation of two centres. In addition, two head teachers lead curriculum development and implementation in this centre.

The centre's philosophy is underpinned by a strong emphasis on whānau and respecting the dual cultural heritage in Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme is guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

The 2014 ERO report commented positively on the way that the centre's physical and emotional environments supported children's learning and wellbeing. Mangers were embedding systems and processes to support change and improvement. Progress has been continued in these areas.

The Review Findings

Warm relationships and interactions underpin the programme and contribute to the centre’s welcoming tone. Children are confident, independent and play cooperatively. They have a strong sense of belonging and have good opportunities to make choices about their play. Teachers affirm children’s ideas and support them in their play.

Infants and toddlers receive good quality individualised care and attention in a nurturing environment. They experience smooth transitions between routines that respect their preferences. Toddlers are confident to explore and communicate with adults. Their outdoor environment is used well and enables toddlers to extend their play and exploration.

Older children enjoy exploring in the large outdoor area, which is a feature of the centre. They are busy and engage happily in activities that teachers provide. Their independence and self-management skills are fostered by teachers. Teachers engage children in sustained conversations that support their language development and encourage problem-solving. They could now consider strategies to maximise opportunities for more complex play in the daily programme.

Displays promote and celebrate children's cultural backgrounds. Teachers are committed to working towards implementing a Te Tiriti based programme. They use te reo and tikanga Māori confidently in the context of children’s play, and during mat and kai times. Some teachers speak with children in their home languages. These approaches strengthen children’s sense of cultural identity and their language development.

Teachers have a positive working relationship with parents, whānau, and the wider early childhood and school community. Centre leaders and teachers value parent and community involvement. Parents/whānau receive good information about their children’s learning and development. They are encouraged to contribute to the centre's programme and join in events. Teachers could now find ways to increase parents' contribution to their children’s assessment portfolios.

Centre leaders have a strong commitment to providing a good quality service, and have a focus on continuous improvement.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders agree that it would be worthwhile to access external support to help develop robust internal evaluation, to guide improvements in teaching practices and programmes for children. Next steps for centre development should include:

  • strengthening planning, assessment and evaluation to support a richer, more extensive programme that includes opportunities for children to learn about literacy, mathematics, technology and science through their play

  • developing and implementing a robust appraisal process that aligns with new Education Council requirements

  • evaluating and developing policies and procedures to guide teacher practice.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Busby Street Early Learning Childcare 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 Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

11 January 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

Location

Blockhouse Bay, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20026

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

36 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

42

Gender composition

Boys 23 Girls 19

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Asian
Indian
other

9
11
11
4
7

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

November 2017

Date of this report

11 January 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2014

Education Review

January 2011

Education Review

February 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 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.

Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre - 12/06/2014

1 Evaluation of Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre

How well placed is Busby Street Early Learning Childcare 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

Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre has served its multi-ethnic community for 35 years. The new owners have continued the centre’s philosophy and focus on family values. The centre offers education and care for children up to five years of age.

All five staff are registered teachers. The newly appointed centre manager has begun to build a collaborative and cohesive teaching team. The manager works closely with the owners to promote the strategic direction and values of the centre. The centre functions well in a modified family home with a large outdoor area. Separate spaces are provided for children under two years of age and for those over two. Transitions from one area to the other are dependent on children’s readiness to adapt to the challenges of the over two area.

Since ERO’s 2011 review, the new owners have made significant changes and have developed a culture of improvement in the centre. They are focused on providing high quality early childhood education and care for the community.

The Review Findings

Children settle quickly into the centre. They are confident and articulate about their choices and are encouraged to follow their interests. Children’s conversations and ideas are encouraged in the centre’s home-like environment. Children play well together and have positive relationships with adults in the centre. Teachers support children to learn as they play.

A key focus for all teachers is ensuring that children are cared for and respected. The transition of older children to the Kea room is carefully thought through. The centre owners continue to promote family values. Teachers’ sensitive and responsive relationships with children reinforce these values. Children enjoy literacy activities and are encouraged to ask questions.

Teachers make good use of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and plan activities to provide learning experiences for specific groups of children. Toddlers are nurtured to become more independent.

Staff share a collective sense of responsibility for the children in the centre. They are respectful of each other and build warm and genuine relationships with parents. Parents and whānau are valued and welcomed into the centre. They relate well to teachers and enjoy being part of daily centre activities.

Relationships are based on genuine attitudes of acceptance and willingness to listen. Staff are from diverse backgrounds that reflect the cultures of children who attend. Teachers could now consider ways to make better use of parent perspectives in their programme planning.

The skilled centre manager has developed centre systems and practices. The manager and owners have a strong focus on improvement. They support ongoing professional learning development for teachers based on their specific needs and interests. New staff in management roles are well supported. The ongoing review of the centre philosophy has increased its relevance and meaning for staff.

Changes made as a result of self review are well led and monitored and continue to be an area of focus for the owners and staff. Owners have built on existing centre systems and processes. Their openness to critique and learning from advisors supports their work to achieve strategic goals for the development of the centre.

Key Next Steps

ERO, centre owners and manager agree that key next steps include:

  • gathering whānau and family input to inform centre direction and planning
  • refreshing and updating the outdoor environment to create better outdoor spaces for children to play
  • continuing to embed systems and processes to support change and improvement.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Busby Street Early Learning Childcare 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 Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre will be in three years.

Dale Bailey National Manager Review Services Northern Region

12 June 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

Blockhouse Bay, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20026

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

37

Gender composition

Girls 25 Boys 12

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Asian

Indian

other European

other

10

12

4

2

2

7

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

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

April 2014

Date of this report

12 June 2014

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

January 2011

 

Education Review

February 2008

 

Education Review

March 2005

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.