201 Sandwich Road, Te Rapa, Hamilton
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Creators@Home-Nelson is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Creators @ Home-Nelson is part of a national service that provides care and education for children from birth to school age in the educarer's own home. The national service covers a wide geographical area including Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast.
Prior to 2014, the service was known as Footsteps Education Ltd Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast. The November 2013 ERO report of the Footsteps service, identified a range of practices requiring further development. Creators Education Trust worked in consultation with the Ministry of Education to meet full licensing conditions for all of its home-based services.
A national coordinator has oversight of all Creators @ Home early learning services. In the home-based services, regional leaders are responsible for managing the work of the visiting teachers. In this network, one visiting teacher and the regional leader work together to support in-home educarers to provide suitable care and learning programmes for children.
Three models of support are in place: 'At Home', where educarers care for children in private homes; 'Awhi' for caregivers of children under shared guardianship with Oranga Tamariki; and 'Awhi Whānau' for whānau caring for the children of family members. The children in this network are supported by the ‘Awhi’ model and the 'At Home' programme.
The philosophy of the service is based on the Reggio Emilia approach where positive relationships are promoted and children are at the forefront of learning.
This review was part of a cluster of four home-based education and care network reviews in the Creators @ Home service.
The experienced regional leader and visiting teacher foster respectful, reciprocal, trusting relationships with educarers, caregivers and whānau to promote the wellbeing and learning of children. Educarers and caregivers are well supported to grow a deeper understanding of the differing identity and experiences of children, particularly those with diverse needs and changing circumstances.
The interests, needs and capabilities of each child are well considered and valued in the collaborative planning approach to their learning. Children’s learning records highlight the curriculum which is responsive to the skills and dispositions of infants, toddlers and young children. There is evidence of an increasing commitment to developing the use of te reo and tikanga Māori in the home learning environments.
Visiting teachers support educarers and caregivers to recognise the importance of establishing routines that create a secure foundation, particularly for infants and toddlers. They encourage ongoing developments in practice to promote the service philosophy and the value and importance of children learning through play.
The regional leader and visiting teacher advocate strongly for children and families and work closely with external expertise when needed. The service provides appropriate professional development and mentoring to build educator confidence, teacher capability and leadership capacity. The regional leader and visiting teacher encourage a reflective culture that is focused on ongoing improvement and positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO and the national leaders of the service agree that the key next steps to strengthen governance processes and practices are to:
give prominence to bicultural perspectives in key guiding documentation and practices
develop a robust strategic approach to promote educational success for Māori as Māori
refine, develop and evaluate strategic and annual action planning of key service and regional priorities
further develop new performance management and appraisal systems to ensure full understanding and alignment to the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand requirements.
ERO and the national and regional leaders of the service agree that the key next steps for the network are to:
further develop educarer and caregiver understandings of Te Whāriki (2017) The Early Childhood Curriculum to strengthen assessment of and for children's learning
continue to develop self-review practices to promote deeper levels of inquiry and internal evaluation.
The national and regional leaders must ensure that:
Before the review, the staff and management of Creators@Home-Nelson 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:
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.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services
Southern Region
16 April 2019
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.
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Location |
Nelson |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
40298 |
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Institution type |
Homebased Network |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
26 |
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Standard or Quality Funded |
Standard |
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Gender composition |
Boys 14 ; Girls 12 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
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Number of qualified coordinators in the network |
1 |
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Required ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:4 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
January 2019 |
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Date of this report |
16 April 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report |
Education Review |
November 2013 |
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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.
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.
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.
Footsteps Education Ltd 40298 is a privately owned and operated home-based early childhood network operating across parts of the Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast regions of the South Island. It is one of 18 chartered Footsteps networks nationwide. A national team provides governance and management support for all services. The organisation is particularly focused on making a difference to children in need of care and protection. The majority of children in this network are in whānau-based care overseen by the Child, Youth and Families Service (CYFS). A few are in the custodial care of CYFS or in private care situations. Around one third of children are Māori.
At the time of the previous ERO reviews, most Footsteps networks were part of the Linmark homebased care organisation.
Positive and caring relationships between caregivers and children are evident. The two kaiako and manager working in this network undertake their roles with professional integrity and enthusiasm. Kaiako provide focused and encouraging support for caregivers to implement a learning programme for children in their home. Detailed written and photographic records show children’s learning history. They also promote caregivers' understanding of early learning and provide information for parents/whānau and social workers about special learning moments and developmental progress. A variety of resources is made available to support play and learning.
Footsteps has a clear commitment to implementing a bicultural perspective across the organisation. Further work needs to be undertaken to assist caregivers to understand this commitment and ways they can integrate bicultural practices into their work with children.
Management is improvement focused. External review and up-to-date research are valued and well used to make decisions about changes to practice and operation. Governance and management roles are well defined and understood. Leadership for programme and operational development is effective. A clear vision, values and strategies for the further development of the service are in place. These emphasise improving outcomes for children, particularly those at risk.
ERO, management, and kaiako have agreed on key next development steps. Implementing new practices to support licensing under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 and improving aspects of health and safety are priorities. Other priorities include strengthening support for staff development; increasing the focus on best practice for infants and toddlers; and improving learning documentation. Building understanding and use of self review should enhance decision making at all levels of the organisation.
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again within three years.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
The majority of children enrolled in this network are in whānau-based care overseen by CYFS, a few are in the custodial care of CYFS or in private care situations. Around one third of children are Māori.
Two kaiako, who are registered teachers, support caregivers to implement an education programme for children in their homes. A regional director and team leader oversee kaiako practice and operations. A sample of 12 percent of caregiver homes was visited as part of the evaluation of this network.
Preparing to implement the new requirements for licensing has been a recent focus for management. A strategic plan outlines priorities for the Footsteps organisation, including initiatives to streamline operations, strengthen support for staff development and expand the business.
Positive and caring relationships between caregivers and children are evident. Children’s feelings of belonging and wellbeing are fostered by familiarity with the home environment and emphasis on positive family values. Caregivers positively manage children’s behaviour and promote their social learning.
Kaiako provide focused and encouraging support for caregivers to implement a learning programme for children. Home visits are used well to discuss children’s emerging interests and possible next learning steps. Children’s ideas are encouraged, accepted and respected. Detailed written and photographic records show children’s learning history. They also promote caregivers’ understanding of early learning and provide information for parents/whānau and social workers about special learning moments and developmental progress. A variety of good quality resources, provided by Footsteps, supplements those available in homes to support play and learning.
Kaiako and their managers undertake their roles with professional integrity and enthusiasm. Generous professional development and regular opportunities for discussion and sharing of constructive feedback are provided. These contribute to improved, consistent practice and quality assurance. Recent initiatives enable kaiako to develop their leadership skills and offer new ideas to the organisation. Strong commitment to the values, philosophy and strategic direction of Footsteps is evident.
Footsteps has a clear commitment to implementing a bicultural perspective across the organisation. A kaumatua provides advice, guidance and support. Kaiako use short phrases in te reo Māori on home visits and in learning journals. Review and further development is ongoing.
Comprehensive written guidelines and resources support the implementation of the Home-based Care Order and a consistent approach to enacting care, the education programme and health and safety practices across the organisation. These continue to be collaboratively revised and improved over time.
Management is improvement focused. External review and up-to-date research are valued and well used to make decisions about changes to practice and operation. Governance and management roles are well defined and understood. Leadership for programme and operational development is effective. A clear vision, values and strategies for the further development of the service are in place. These emphasise improving outcomes for children, particularly those at risk.
Management agrees that key next steps include supporting:
Before the review, the management and staff of Footsteps Education Ltd completed an ERO Home-Based Care Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
Plans are being put in place to improve management of hazards, excursions, and sleep monitoring, and to provide first-aid training for kaiako and caregivers.
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again within three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services
Central Region (Acting)
7 November 2013
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Location |
Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
40298 |
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Service type |
Homebased Network |
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Chartered under |
Education (Home-based Care) Order 1992 |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 25 Girls 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnic groups |
28 16 3 |
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Review team on site |
September 2013 |
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Date of this report |
7 November 2013 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |