Edukids Papatoetoe 1 - 05/12/2017

• On this page:

• 1 Evaluation of Edukids Papatoetoe 1
• 2 Information about the Early Childhood Service
• 3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

How well placed is Edukids Papatoetoe 1 to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Edukids Papatoetoe 1 provides full day education and care for children from the local community in Papatoetoe. The centre is licensed for 100 children including 25 up to two years of age. The centre operates in a recently upgraded, purpose-built facility with spacious outdoor settings. Children play in three age specific spaces within the facility.

The centre is led by a centre manager, head teachers and a team of teachers and caregivers. The centre philosophy has been reviewed recently. It acknowledges children's capability, and recognises the cultural diversity of the families/whānau in the centre. Staff also reflect this diversity.

Since the centre's last ERO review, the national BestStart Education and Care Centres organisation has bought the centre. This organisation provides an overarching framework for governance and management as well as personnel to support individual centres.

ERO's 2014 report noted that children demonstrated confidence and competence. The report recommended that leaders develop the centre's philosophy, and continue to use self review to support ongoing improvement. It also recommended that teachers enhance their professional discussions, strengthen assessment, and develop their knowledge of Māori and Pacific peoples' cultures. There has been significant progress in all of these areas.

This review was part of a cluster of eight centres in the BestStart organisation.

The Review Findings

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the centre. Teachers share friendly and inclusive conversations when children and parents arrive and leave. Parents are also given more formal opportunities to discuss with teachers their child's progress and to share ideas for future learning.

Teachers use play-based practices from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to facilitate effective teaching for children's learning. Children are recognised as capable and confident learners. Teachers use an electronic portal to keep parents well informed about centre activities and their children's learning journeys. Teachers could also identify, in children's individual portfolios, the steps to build on children's learning dispositions, interests and strengths.

Teachers use primary caregiving approaches to ensure that infants' needs are met. They work alongside parents to follow each child's own routine and individual needs. This helps children to settle well in the environment. Toddlers have time in their own secluded playroom to play and explore freely.

Teachers are building their understanding and knowledge of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori. They are beginning to use words, phrases, songs and routines in te reo Māori with children. Teachers acknowledge children's diverse cultural identities in their individual portfolios, through centre celebrations, and by using key phrases and words from children's home languages.

The centre environment is attractively presented. Display walls are a useful record of children's participation in ongoing explorations and interests. Children enjoy the recently upgraded outdoor areas and the wide range of appropriate equipment and activities.

BestStart supports teachers’ professional growth, providing relevant and ongoing professional learning and development. The organisation continues to review its appraisal system, which encourages teachers to reflect on their teaching practice. Leaders recognise that guiding teachers to collaboratively inquire into the impact of their teaching on outcomes for children would further build teachers' capability.

Relevant governance systems guide centre operations. The professional services manager and the business manager conduct internal audit processes. They regularly share quality assurance reports to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Centre staff also use internal evaluation to review aspects of centre operations. They would benefit from support to strengthen their evaluation practices.

The centre’s strategic plan is linked to the BestStart vision and its strategic plan which is currently under review. The centres' goals will be aligned with BestStart’s strategic goals.

Key Next Steps

Next steps for teachers include:

• increasing the rigour of internal evaluation practices

• developing questioning techniques to extend children's thinking, problem solving and complexity of play.

BestStart managers have identified the need to:

• continue developing BestStart's strategic intentions and goals to provide a clearer guidance for centre development

• refine the appraisal system to embed a focus on professional collaboration and teaching as inquiry.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Edukids Papatoetoe 1 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 Edukids Papatoetoe 1 will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

5 December 2017

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.