109 Northwood Boulevard, Northwood, Christchurch
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Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Edukids Styxmill is well placed, with support from BestStart Educare Ltd, to provide education and care for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Edukids Styxmill operates under the BestStart Educare Ltd management structure. BestStart is a large national organisation which owns early childhood centres across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The centre is licensed to provide education and care for 72 children, including up to 22 children under two years of age. The teaching programme is organised across three separate rooms, with different age groups in each room. An additional room is currently being used for children to take part in gym activities. Each of the classrooms is connected to outside play areas, with infants and toddlers having separate play space.
A centre manager (CM) oversees the day-to-day operation of the centre. Head teachers lead the programmes and practices in each room. A BestStart business manager (BM) and professional services manager (PSM) visit regularly to support the service. Most staff are trained early childhood teachers. A new CM was appointed in 2017. Since the 2015 ERO review, there have been significant staff changes.
Edukids Styxmill were hosts to another early learning centre, sharing staff and premises for approximately nine months during 2017 and 2018. This arrangement resulted from fire damage to the other centre's premises.
The centre's vision is, 'to be the best we can be'. The centre philosophy is currently undergoing review. The centre's draft philosophy is structured around the three key concepts of teaching, learning and nurturing. Since the 2015 ERO review, the centre has addressed one of several areas identified for improvement. Improvements have been made to resourcing of learning environments for children. Other areas for improvement identified in the 2015 ERO report continue to require further development, as outlined in this report.
The emotional and physical wellbeing of infants and toddlers is effectively supported by teachers. They are aware of, and responsive to, infants’ and babies' non-verbal cues, emerging communication and developing language. They build trusting, nurturing relationships with children and provide unhurried, calm caregiving practices.
Leaders foster collaborative ways of working to build teachers' shared understanding and expectations. This has led to:
Teachers effectively use observations and interactions with children to build a picture of what children know and can do. Children's interests are reflected in the programme. Teachers focus on children's wellbeing and sense of belonging. Children learn in positive learning environments where routines are well known and predictable. The environment provides a range of options for indoor and outdoor exploration.
Teachers encourage children's independence, support their ability to problem solve and gain confidence, and affirm their efforts and successes. Oral language is fostered through modelling, open-ended questions, and discussions that promote children's thinking.
The centre is receiving appropriate support through the PSM's and BM's responsiveness to identified needs of the centre. The CM and head teachers receive regular feedback about how well processes and practices are being implemented and how well the organisation's expectations are being met. This supports and promotes professional discussion and informs provision of professional learning and development.
The PSM, BM and CM have self-identified many of the next steps also identified by ERO in this report. There is agreement that:
Before the review, the staff and management of Edukids Styxmill 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Edukids Styxmill will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard Director Review & Improvement Services
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
30 October 2018
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.
| Location | Christchurch | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 70011 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 72 children, including up to 22 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 57 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys: 34 Girls: 23 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori 3 Pākehā 39 African 5 Other ethnicities 10 |
| |
| 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 | September 2018 | ||
| Date of this report | 30 October 2018 | ||
| Most recent ERO reports | Education Review Education Review | March 2015 August 2011 | |
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:
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 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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Edukids Styx Mill is being supported to become better placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Edukids Styx Mill in Christchurch is a privately owned, purpose-built facility that operates under the Kidicorp management structure. Kidicorp is a large national organisation that maintains a strong focus on families and community.
The centre has separate nursery, preschool and prep school areas to cater for the specific needs of infants and toddlers and young children. Children over two years old have access to a shared outside area. The centre has an indoor gymnasium that helps to promote children’s physical and social play.
Centre staff work with community groups to support families. They provide transport for some children who would otherwise find it difficult to get to an early childhood service.
Since the 2011 ERO review, there have been changes to the operation, leadership and staffing of the centre. Little progress has been made on the recommendations from the 2011 ERO report. Self review, assessment and programme planning documentation remain areas for improvement.
During the time of this review, the centre manager was unable to be present and many of the leadership team were in fixed-term positions.
Leaders and teachers provide a warm and welcoming centre culture for children, parents and whānau. Teachers foster caring and positive relationships with children.
Parents and children benefit from supportive and individualised transition into the centre and between rooms. Teachers and parents share information to support children’s wellbeing. The newly established on-line system for sharing about children is helping parents and whānau to become more involved in what is happening for their children at the centre.
Teachers follow children’s interests. They actively support children’s social and emotional learning and nurture their independence skills. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and others, and to care for the environment. They play well with and alongside others.
Some teachers integrate tikanga and te reo Māori in ways that are meaningful to children and respectful of the Māori culture. These teachers support others to strengthen these practices.
Teachers place an appropriate focus on helping children in the prep room to be ready for school. They value children’s ideas and opinions and promote their social, emotional and physical development. Literacy and mathematics are integrated into the programme in ways that are relevant to children.
The individual needs and preferences of infants and toddlers are being supported through an increasing focus on a curriculum of care. Teachers value and make the most of teachable moments during everyday routines.
Children from other cultures are well supported through sensitive and culturally appropriate interactions. Diverse cultures amongst the teaching staff allow some teachers to use children’s home language confidently.
Teachers work well together. They have recently reviewed their philosophy and developed shared values. The management team needs to provide stronger curriculum leadership to the centre leaders to enable them to operate more effectively.
Kidicorp has many systems that are helping centres to improve learning outcomes for children. These include:
In order to improve and sustain positive learning outcomes for children, the management team should give priority to:
The value given to the language, culture and identity of all children needs to be made more evident in individual assessment processes. Prominence should be given to bicultural perspectives within all documentation and the environment.
Before the review, the staff and management of Edukids Styxmill 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Edukids Styxmill will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
26 March 2015
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.
|
Location |
Christchurch |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
70011 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
72 children, including up to 22 aged under two |
||
|
Service roll |
105 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 53; Girls 52 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Asian Other Ethnicities |
7 80 1 7 10 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
26 March 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
August 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
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:
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 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:
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.