Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge

Education institution number:
30346
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
47
Telephone:
Address:

10 Wordsworth Street, Leamington, Cambridge

View on map

Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whāngai Establishing

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge is a Christian, not-for-profit organisation, governed by the Cambridge Elim Community Trust. There have been recent leadership changes. Catering to a diverse community, approximately a quarter of enrolled children identify as Māori and a small number as Pacific. The centre philosophy places value on child-led learning.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a well-resourced curriculum that promotes their ways of learning and understandings of the world around them. The environment offers appropriate challenge and complexity. Children’s interests, oral language, imagination, and creativity are intentionally extended through play experiences. Infants are supported through flexible care rituals. Children’s developing social competency is nurtured as they participate alongside their peers. They are empowered to lead their own learning.

Partnerships with parents are being established. Parent aspirations are informally gathered and are at an early stage in influencing curriculum decisions. Children with additional learning needs are intentionally supported through partnerships with parents and external agencies. Children’s individual needs are responded to.

Culturally responsive teacher practices are variable, with limited progress made since the last ERO review. There is some inclusion of te reo Māori and diverse languages within daily experiences. Aspects of a local curriculum are in place. The service has identified that teachers’ knowledge around bicultural practices is an area for needed growth.

Leaders are working to embed systems and processes for improvement. Distributed leadership is beginning to be established. Teachers and leaders have access to professional learning to develop their understandings of how children learn. Evaluation for improvement has informed positive changes to better support children’s learning and development.

Governance supports equitable access to learning for children and their families. Intentionality around smaller group sizes, better ratios and maintaining a stable teaching team is in place. Leadership and governance priorities enhance children’s wellbeing.

4 Improvement actions

Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

Further develop a localised curriculum that:

  • reflects the learning priorities of children and their whānau members; governance, leadership, and teachers; in alignment with the valued learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum

  • responds to all children’s learner identities and cultures.

  • Build teachers’ capabilities to integrate meaningful bicultural practices into the curriculum.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

6 Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:  

  • ensure areas of glass accessible to children are covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken.

[Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008, PF7]

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

11 May 2023

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge

Profile Number

30346

Location

Cambridge

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

60 children, including up to 20 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable)

80-99%

Service roll

61

Review team on site

February 2023

Date of this report

11 May 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2019; Education Review, April 2016

Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge - 29/05/2019

1 Evaluation of Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge

How well placed is Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

The Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge is located in Leamington, Cambridge. It is a Christian, not-for-profit organisation, governed by the Cambridge Elim Community Trust. The centre provides all-day education and care for children from six months to school age. It is licensed for 60 children including 20 up to the age of two years. Ten children identify as Māori. The outdoor area has recently been extended for children from the two aged-based rooms.

Since the previous ERO review there have been several changes to the staffing team, including a new centre manager and two new team leaders.

The centre philosophy states that 'life is an adventure and through loving relationships in a faith-based environment we celebrate the unique identity of each child and that through play we nurture our tamariki to be curious learners and empower them to be explorers of their unfolding world.'

The core values of whanauangatanga (relationships), mātātoa (adventure) and piripono (faith) underpin daily life in the centre.

The centre is a member of the Te Puna o Kemureti Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako.

The Review Findings

Respectful and reciprocal relationships between teachers, children and their families support young children’s wellbeing. ERO observed teachers actively involved alongside children in play. Children up to the age of two years, experience a calm, unhurried environment. Whānau teachers ensure continuity of care and a strong sense of belonging.

Transitions into, through and onto school are responsive and well managed by teachers. Support provided for children with additional needs in partnership with parents and families is evident. The care needs of children are well met.

Children benefit from a programme that is responsive to their interests. A wide range of opportunities are made available and the programme is enhanced by trips, community events and community visitors. There is an appropriate range of good-quality resources. The recent introduction of flexible care routines allows for children’s uninterrupted play. Parent aspirations contribute to the planning of the programme and individual portfolios capture children’s interests and involvement. Leaders acknowledge the importance of building teacher capability in extending children’s learning.

The centre manager effectively models local tikanga and te reo Māori. Building teacher confidence and capability in te ao Māori is an important area for development.

Good-quality leadership supports ongoing centre development. Leaders are knowledgeable about early childhood education. They are focused on improving the quality of education and care through ongoing systematic review. Leaders have built strong relationships with whānau, family and the wider community. They model the values espoused by the centre.

The centre’s shared philosophy effectively guides centre operations. Reflective and well-informed practice by leaders and governors informs decision making. Trustees are supportive of leaders. Well-developed strategic and operational plans are in place. Comprehensive systems, policies and procedures support the centre. The trust board and the centre manager work collaboratively in the best interests of children.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and ERO agree the key next step is to further build teacher capability. Priority should be given to:

  • developing shared expectations for effective teaching, including assessment planning and evaluation

  • providing regular feedback to teachers on the effectiveness of their practice

  • further developing ways in which children can connect to their cultural identity.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Elim Early Learning Centre Cambridge 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.

Phil Cowie Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region

29 May 2019

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

Cambridge

Ministry of Education profile number

30346

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

60 children, including up to 20 aged under 2

Service roll

55

Gender composition

Female 28 Male 27

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other

10
31

14

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

March 2019

Date of this report

29 May 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

April 2016

Education Review

March 2013

Education Review

May 2010

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

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.

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.