BestStart Brooklyn

1 Evaluation of First Steps Brooklyn

How well placed is First Steps Brooklyn to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

First Steps Brooklyn is located in the Claudelands suburb of Hamilton. The mixed-aged centre provides all-day and sessional education and care and is licensed for 30 children including 10 up to the age of two years. The current roll of 32 includes seven Māori children.

The centre was purchased by BestStart Education and Care, a not-for-profit organisation, in 2016. It operates under the Central North Island Waikato regional management team. A professional service manager and business manager provide support for the centre. A new outdoor play area for the youngest children has recently been developed and is yet to be licenced as a separate play space.

The centre manager is supported by two provisionally-registered teachers and a teacher-in-training. The teaching team are all new to their positions this year, with the majority of staff having been permanently appointed within the last three months. They are currently operating under the previous teaching team's centre philosophy which is focused on five key areas: health and wellbeing, curriculum, being school ready, relationships and cultural diversity.

This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the BestStart organisation. This is the first ERO review of First Steps Brooklyn.

The Review Findings

Relationships are developing between children, families and teachers. Children and whānau are developing a sense of belonging and wellbeing. Effective communication between team members was observed by ERO.

Informative and attractive wall displays highlight children's learning, centre-wide events and elements of a developing bicultural curriculum. Teachers now need to strengthen the use of te reo Māori in the daily programme.

The teaching team are yet to design a localised curriculum and develop a shared philosophy for education. They are beginning to discuss their shared ideas and priorities for curriculum delivery and are at the early stages of developing a shared understanding of Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum.

New resources have recently been purchased, particularly to support the growing roll of children up to the age of two years. Youngest children have their individual care routines well responded to. Recent changes to the indoor environment are supporting children of all ages to learn together, develop friendships and enhance their social competence. Inclusive practice supports children with additional learning needs.

The assessment, planning and evaluation of children's learning has recently been reviewed and now needs time to be embedded. Teachers seek parent aspirations and together they set goals for the child. The system for tracking and monitoring of assessment records needs to be strengthened to ensure all children have up-to-date and regular records of their learning. Further development is also required to capture individual children's language, culture and identity in portfolios and assessment tools.

Leadership has initially and appropriately focused on building relationships during a time of change. Leaders are modelling effective teaching practice to the recently qualified teaching team. Management need to continue to support the new centre manager to implement the BestStart systems with a priority of beginning internal evaluation.

BestStart's vison is to make a positive difference in the lives of children. Governance and management have developed clear strategic goals with guidelines and expectations for centre practice and curriculum. Regional leadership and management support centre leaders and teachers to enact the vision and goals of the service. There are comprehensive, well-established systems and practices that enable the organisation to monitor, evaluate and plan for improvement across the organisation.

Key Next Steps

Management need to provide ongoing support to ensure the new teaching team:

• develop a shared philosophy and identify curriculum priorities

• review the current system of tracking and monitoring assessment, planning and evaluation of learning to ensure all children have regular records and embed the new planning system

• increase the use of and understanding of te reo and te ao Māori

• ensure all children have up-to-date records of learning with multiple perspectives included in assessment.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps Brooklyn 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 First Steps Brooklyn will be in three years.

Adrienne Fowler

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

22 August 2018

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.