Finlayson Park Childcare Centre

Education institution number:
25300
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
17
Telephone:
Address:

247 Weymouth Road, Manurewa, Auckland

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Finlayson Park Childcare Centre

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Finlayson Park Childcare Centre is a well-established service adjacent to Finlayson Park School. It is governed by a management group that includes the school principal, a school trustee, the centre manager, and a parent representative. Children attending are from diverse cultures, including many with Māori or Pacific heritage.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum framework. It acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. They provide and support children with a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their learning and development – both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.

Service leaders must ensure regulatory standards are implemented, monitored, and maintained.

Key Next Step

A key next step is for teachers to continue to strengthen documented curriculum planning and evaluation with a focus on learning outcomes for children.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • Ensuring there is a safe and effective means of maintaining a room temperature of no lower than 18°C (PF12).

  • Having a documented procedure outlining how the service will ensure hygiene and infection control outcomes are met when washing sick or soiled children (PF26).

  • Ensuring stretcher beds for children to sleep on are covered with non-porous material that protect them from becoming soiled, allow for easy cleaning and do not present a suffocation hazard (PF30).

  • Having a written emergency plan that includes at least a communication plan for families and support services, and evidence of review of the plan on an, at least, annual basis, including implementation of improved practices as required (HS7).

  • Recording how evaluation of emergency drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS8).

  • Having a written procedure for monitoring children’s sleep to ensure that children do not have access to food or liquids while in bed; and are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9).

  • Ensuring the temperature of warm water delivered from taps that are accessible to children is no higher than 40°C, and comfortable for children at the centre to use (HS13).

  • Ensuring water stored in the hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14).

  • Ensuring when children leave the premises on a regular or special excursion, the signature of the Person Responsible for giving approval for the excursion to take place is included on the excursion record (HS17).

  • Having a written child protection policy that contains provisions for the service’s identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect; information about practices the service employs to keep children safe from abuse and neglect; and having a procedure that sets out how the service will identify and respond to suspected child abuse and/or neglect (HS31).

  • Having a procedure that people should follow if they wish to complain about non-compliance with the Regulation criteria which includes the option to contact the local Ministry of Education office and provides contact details (GMA1).

  • Ensuring there is a process for reviewing and evaluating the service’s operation and recorded outcomes from the review and evaluation process (GMA6).

  • Ensuring suitable human resource management practices are implemented that include a process for selection and appointment procedure and definition of serious misconduct (GMA7).

  • Having a written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers before employment or engagement of the worker commences and maintaining a record of all safety checks and the results (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

24 April 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Finlayson Park Childcare Centre
Profile Number 25300
Location Manurewa, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

24 children, including up to 9 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

24

Review team on site

February 2023

Date of this report

24 April 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, January 2019; Education Review, March 2015

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation

  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’

  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence

  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership

  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service

  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems

  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Finlayson Park Childcare Centre - 17/01/2019

1 Evaluation of Finlayson Park Childcare Centre

How well placed is Finlayson Park Childcare Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Finlayson Park Childcare Centre in Manurewa is licensed to provide full-day education and care for 24 children, including up to nine under the age of two years. Most children attending the centre have Māori or Pacific heritage. Children are catered for in three age-related groups. Children under two years have a separate room and often spend time with the older age groups.

The centre is owned by the board of the adjacent primary school and managed by a group that includes the school principal, a school trustee, the centre manager and a parent representative. The centre has had two changes of centre manager since the 2015 ERO review. The current manager was appointed at the beginning of 2018.

The centre's recently reviewed philosophy focuses on teachers working in partnership with parents/whānau to provide a child-led learning environment. The philosophy is underpinned by manaakitanga, care and respect. Teachers place value on children learning responsibility and developing empathy. Their educational approach is influenced by the Forest School philosophy and the curriculum includes many excursions into the local community.

The 2015 ERO report acknowledged the support provided for children to develop a sense of themselves as successful learners. The report also noted positive partnerships with parents and effective professional learning to support teaching and learning. Key next steps for improvement related to bicultural practice and teacher appraisal. Good progress has been made in these areas.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from positive and supportive relationships with teachers and each other. Interactions with teachers promote the valued outcomes identified in the centre's philosophy. Children's social competencies are promoted, and they are encouraged to direct their own learning for much of the day.

Teachers support children to build on their interests and to engage in authentic learning opportunities including outings into the community. The tuakana/teina relationships between children from the school and the centre contribute to the rich curriculum and to a positive transition to school.

Teachers successfully support the wellbeing and sense of belonging of infants and toddlers. Children’s home routines are followed at the centre when appropriate. The small numbers of children in this group enables their teacher to know them and their families well.

The physical environment promotes learning effectively. Children have easy access to a wide range of appropriate resources. There are discrete spaces that allow children to engage in uninterrupted play of their choosing. The outdoor area is well organised and resourced. There are appropriate physical challenges including space for children to be physically active.

Te reo and tikanga Māori are evident in the programme and the environment. Visits to the school’s immersion class support children's learning in relation to te ao Māori. Parents are encouraged to discuss their aspirations with staff so that these can be considered in planning programmes for children.

Children's diverse cultural identities are well supported. Pacific cultures are included and celebrated, and aspects of their home languages are part of the curriculum.

Teachers regularly record information about children’s learning. These records are shared with parents through electronic portfolios. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the assessment of their children’s learning and the planning of the programme. The manager has supported staff to improve assessment processes by focusing more on children’s interests.

Internal evaluation is used successfully to review the centre’s operations and guide ongoing improvements. The manager works well with staff to determine what is working well and what changes to make. Together they have reviewed the impact of changes on children’s learning.

The manager’s collaborative approach has encouraged greater involvement of staff in decision making and resulted in more distributed leadership. There is improved support for teachers to develop their practice. They participate regularly in relevant professional learning and incorporate their new learning into their teaching approaches. The newly introduced appraisal system supports teachers to reflect on their practice. Recent professional learning topics have included children’s language development and transitions to school.

The centre operations are guided by a comprehensive policy framework and there is a regular cycle of policy reviews. Staff and parents are consulted as part of the review process.

Key Next Steps

The manager has identified clear and appropriate steps for ongoing development, including:

  • continuing to strengthen assessment records for individual children to show continuity in their learning
  • participating in further professional learning to support teachers' ongoing understanding of the revised Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum
  • continuing to deepen and improve the documentation of internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Finlayson Park 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 Finlayson Park Childcare Centre will be in three years.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

17 January 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

Manurewa, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25300

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

24 children, including up to 9 aged under 2

Service roll

22

Gender composition

Girls 11 Boys 11

Ethnic composition

Māori
Samoan
other ethnic groups

12
5
5

Percentage of qualified teachers

50-79%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

October 2018

Date of this report

17 January 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

March 2015

Education Review

June 2012

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.

Finlayson Park Childcare Centre - 12/03/2015

1 Evaluation of Finlayson Park Childcare Centre

How well placed is Finlayson Park Childcare Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Finlayson Park Childcare Centre in Manurewa, provides full-day care and education programmes for up to 24 children aged three months to five years. There are strong links between the centre and the adjacent primary school.

Infants are cared for in a separate play space. They have good access to the indoor space of the older children and the shared outdoor environment. The majority of children enrolled have Māori or Pacific Island heritage.

The centre’s philosophy, developed in consultation with the community and staff, provides a good foundation for the programme. Teachers are very focused on fostering education outside of the centre environment through frequent walks and outings. A team of qualified teachers, supported by two who are unqualified, provide a high teacher-to-child ratio.

In response to ERO’s 2012 review the centre has strengthened processes of self review and developed programme planning to be more responsive to individual children. Managers have provided frequent opportunities for the teaching team to engage in professional development.

The Review Findings

Children display a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging in the centre. They play well together and have established relationships with each other and their teachers. They are encouraged to be independent and to take responsibility for caring for their environment and each other.

Regular walks to the library, parks recreation centre and school have strongly supported children’s developing confidence and knowledge of the wider world. Children are articulate, can initiate conversations, theorise and ask highly complex questions. A consideration for the teaching team is how these questions could be more fully incorporated into planning decisions.

The infant and toddler room has a slower pace and routines are very responsive to children’s needs. Teachers are responsive to verbal and non-verbal attempts at communication from the children in this area. Children have good access to available resources and the environment is set in response to their interests.

Teachers are very receptive to children’s requests and questions. Their practices reflect the rights of all children to an inclusive and quality early childhood education. They talk with children about decisions that affect them and sensitively manage transitions into, through the centre, and on to school. These practices have supported children’s developing sense of themselves of successful learners.

Established relationships exist between whānau, teachers and children. Aspirations of parents for their children are sought through informal discussion and regular whānau conferences. Children’s portfolios contain numerous and regular responses to learning stories contributed by families. The team is now reflecting on how they could more effectively respond to and include parent and whānau aspirations in programme planning processes.

There is clear evidence that centre practices align with the philosophy statement. A strong commitment to establishing successful, reciprocal relationships with whānau and the local community is evident. The centre philosophy statement could be reviewed now to include reference to the bi-cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The value of self-review is gaining more recognition by the team and there is a strong commitment to teaching and learning that leads to positive outcomes for children. Managers are aware of the need to more clearly, and more regularly, document self review projects that guide centre direction. Good access to professional learning and development is provided for teachers. Managers are able to articulate how these opportunities have strengthened teaching practice.

Key Next Steps

The centre management team agree that key next steps for improvement include:

  • the continued development of teaching strategies and resources that support children to become confident in Aotearoa New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage
  • the development of a regular appraisal system for all teachers, that includes links to the Registered Teacher Criteria, and supports leadership development within the centre.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Finlayson Park 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.

ERO identified an area of non-compliance. The service provider should:

  • establish systems and regular, well documented review, to ensure that all legal obligations are met Licensing criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS17.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Finlayson Park Childcare Centre will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

16 March 2015

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

Manurewa, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25300

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

24 children, including up to 9 aged under 2

Service roll

24

Gender composition

Boys 15 Girls 9

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Samoan

Tongan

Indian

other

11

2

3

3

2

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2015

Date of this report

16 March 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

June 2012

 

Education Review

April 2009

 

Education Review

June 2006

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.