411 Glenfield Road, Glenfield, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Glenfield Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Glenfield Early Learning Centre is located in the Glenfield Community Centre. The complex operates as a "social-profit" organisation for its multicultural community. The centre provides sessions for children from one to five years of age. Sessions are similar to school hours, and a shortened day is provided for the younger children.
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is highlighted in the centre philosophy and underpins teaching and learning practices. The philosophy promotes respectful relationships, child-led play and a positive and responsive environment.
The 2016 ERO report noted that staff were newly appointed in their positions following a restructuring process. Staffing and management are now stable. The 2016 report identified good practices which have been sustained and extended. The report also noted the need for more focus on assessment, planning and evaluation, reconsideration of the transition to school programme, strengthening links between the strategic and annual plans and internal evaluation of the service. All of these developments are being addressed.
The centre is overseen by the Governance Committee for the Glenfield Community Centre and its manager. The centre has a centre manager and a head teacher to lead the qualified teaching team. One teacher with no qualifications completes the team.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed individually by teachers when they arrive. This personalised recognition promotes a sense of belonging and wellbeing that is evident in children's pleasure at being in the centre. They settle quickly to play, recognising friends and working together. Teachers pay particular attention to the youngest children and those with additional needs in settling them into their day.
Children make independent decisions and are highly engaged in play and learning. The programme is responsive to their interests and stages of development. Children are ably supported by teachers who engage them in meaningful conversations and prompt their thinking. Children demonstrate a strong sense of trust that their needs will be met.
Teachers provide a programme that holistically supports learning. The learning environment has been well planned to provide challenge and places for children to play, relax and be active. Teachers actively promote safety, and children's kindness towards each other.
Children come from many different cultures and some speak more than one language. Teachers have established a respectful, caring atmosphere in the centre that is inclusive and supportive. Some of the teachers share children's cultural backgrounds and can communicate in their home languages. Meaningful cultural celebrations, recognition of children's home practices and the use of words in a variety of languages means that children experience having their language, identity and culture recognised and respected.
Teachers have a strong focus on improving their use and understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori. They include te reo incidentally in conversations with children and sing together at mat times. Books include some in te reo Māori and with Māori themes that promote te ao Māori. Children demonstrate a good understanding of te reo Māori and tikanga expectations. Teachers support each other in their learning about strengthening this aspect of practice.
Teachers make deliberate efforts to include parents in decision-making about the curriculum for children. They have regular individual meetings with parents to provide opportunities to share children's progress and to set aspirations for the immediate future. Partnerships with parents have moved past just relationships, to closer links with each child and their families. Teachers' assessment processes are recorded in portfolios and demonstrate children's learning for parents.
Teachers meet early each day to discuss the programme, and what they know about children attending that day. They meet again after the session to unpack the learning that has happened and to consider the outcomes for children. Teachers also meet weekly with the Community Centre manager to share their thinking about their own practices. These frequent opportunities to share their work has created a tight, collaborative team. Teachers share understanding and values that are embedded in their work with children.
The restructure of the Community Centre, the appointment of a new Centre manager and regular meetings with the Governance Group for the Centre has had a positive impact on the centre. Teachers' contribution in providing for the community has been recognised and valued. They now receive support towards providing positive outcomes for children and families from the Governance committee.
ERO identified the key next steps in collaboration with the managers. These next steps are to:
rationalise policies and update procedures to ensure all current legal requirements are being met
align appraisal processes to Teaching Council expectations
develop continuity in portfolios to more clearly demonstrate children's progress over time.
Before the review, the staff and management of Glenfield Early Learning 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:
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
28 August 2019
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 |
Glenfield, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20058 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
40 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 22 Girls 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
28 August 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2009 |
||
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.
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.
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Glenfield Early Learning Centre is located in the Glenfield Community Centre complex. Participating families have access to a range of support services, including Plunket. Due to restructuring, the executive board, community centre manager, Early Learning Centre manager, and head teacher are all new to their roles. Most of the teachers are qualified.
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, underpins programmes. The centre philosophy promotes children’s independence and learning through play, with an emphasis on building positive and caring relationships. The centre’s families and teachers reflect the diverse cultures of the community.
The 2012 ERO report noted the friendly and culturally inclusive environment for children. The report recommended improvements in teaching and learning, and in the ways that the centre engaged with its board and community. These are ongoing improvement areas that new managers are keen to develop further.
The centre is a happy space for children and families to enjoy. Teachers actively foster a calm, settled atmosphere. They know the children well and talk with them as they participate in activities together. Teachers often use te reo Māori and other languages that children speak. They are enthusiastic about children’s ideas, and share laughter with them as they play.
Children form strong, trusting relationships with their teachers and enjoy sharing their achievements, ideas, and questions with them. Children learn to respect and care for each other and the environment. In tuakana/teina relationships, older children support younger peers in their play. Children play together harmoniously and willingly work together to tidy the centre at group transition times.
Teachers view children as confident, competent learners. Children are supported to develop independence, solve problems, make choices, and explore their ideas through play. They have easy access to well presented resources. Imaginative, purposeful and focused play is supported by the environment and the placement of equipment. Children are active, creative learners. They have opportunities to learn literacy, mathematics, science in the programme. Children can use their portfolios to revisit prior experiences in photographs and learning stories.
Teachers work well as a team. They discuss children’s individual strengths and needs, and plan activities that are likely to follow children’s emerging interests. Learning stories identify how teachers notice, recognise and respond to children’s individual and group interests. Teachers regularly discuss good practice and relate their work back to the centre’s philosophy and to current education research. They have opportunities to plan and lead centre activities, including leading the evaluation of the programme.
The centre is very welcoming for parents and whānau. Teachers make links between children’s homes and the centre, and promote the languages and cultures of this diverse community. Children’s portfolios and group learning stories are displayed for parents. Whānau participation in their children’s learning is strongly valued. Parents’ constructive feedback suggests improvements for centre practices.
The Community Centre and Early Learning Centre managers have worked well together to develop a strategic plan that identifies key goals focused on being responsive to the community. They plan to enhance communication between the board and the Early Learning Centre, and to promote greater transparency in decision making. New governance positions and processes are being planned to ensure parents are well informed of all the services of the Community Centre. The manager and head teacher have established good links with wider networks, including schools and other early childhood services in the local area.
Managers agree that next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Glenfield Early Learning 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:
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 Glenfield Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
22 February 2016
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 |
Glenfield, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20058 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
67 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 37 Girls 30 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Filipino Indian Chinese Middle Eastern Samoan Tongan Niue other |
6 24 8 7 6 5 2 1 1 7 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
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 |
December 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 February 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
November 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2006 |
||
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.
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.