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

• On this page:

• 1 Evaluation of Busby Street Early Learning Childcare Centre
• 2 Information about the Early Childhood Service
• 3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

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?

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

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.