41-43 Harwood Road, Mount Wellington, Auckland
View on mapAkarangi | 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 Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington is owned by the Provincial Education Company, and a regional manager provides governance support. A qualified centre manager is supported by three qualified team leaders, 10 qualified teachers and seven unqualified staff. Children play and learn in three separate age-based rooms and outdoor areas.
Children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds benefit from teachers’ responsiveness to their languages, cultures and identity. Leaders advocate for and alongside children, parents and whānau to ensure children have access to quality, inclusive education and care. Children’s developing social competence, emotional wellbeing and cultural connectedness are supported by teachers working closely with parents. As a result, children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging at the centre.
Children are supported by teachers to explore a wide variety of learning experiences in a well-resourced environment. Teachers encourage children to make their own decisions about their play. They could now implement teaching strategies that add complexity to children’s play and that support them to lead their learning.
Teachers have the cultural knowledge to provide a responsive and inclusive curriculum to meet the needs of all children. This inclusive environment encourages children to be confident in their own culture and to understand and respect other cultures. Principles of tikanga Māori and te reo Māori are integrated through the programme.
The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts. Teachers assess children’s learning and development using the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Through individual plans, teachers recognise children’s interests and strengths, and plan experiences to build on these.
A philosophy statement and annual plan guide the service’s operation. Feedback from children, parents/whānau and the community informs the service’s improvement priorities. Leaders create a positive working environment that promotes the delivery of a quality curriculum. Effective administration, systems and processes guide service operations. An ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care, and promote equitable outcomes for children.
Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Implement teaching strategies that support children to lead their exploration and learning.
Continue to embed assessment and planning information that shows children’s learning in relation to the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki.
Before the review, the staff and management of Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington 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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
9 August 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington |
|
Profile Number |
25089 |
|
Location |
Mt Wellington, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
130 children, including up to 22 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
112 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 5%, NZ European/Pākehā 4%, Indian 26%, Southeast Asian 26%, Tongan 14%, Samoan 6%, Fijian 4%, other Asian 8%, other ethnic groups 7% |
|
Review team on site |
June 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
9 August 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, April 2018 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington, formerly known as TinyTown Mt Wellington Learning Centre, changed ownership in August 2017, and is undergoing redevelopment. The service is licensed to provide full day education and care for 130 children including up to 18 under two years old. The centre has several rooms in which children are catered for in age-related groups. Children come from a range of cultural backgrounds. There are large groups of Indian, Filipino and Māori children. The multicultural staff reflect the diversity of the centre community.
The new owner, Provincial Education Group, has a management team to oversee the operation of the large number of centres throughout New Zealand. Operations and Education managers provide close support for the centre manager and her three team leaders. The new managers have had an initial focus on building relationships with staff and the community. They have also been updating centre documentation. The staff includes nine registered teachers and several others with a range of qualifications. All staff are being mentored to strengthen centre practices, and to continue their professional development.
In 2014 ERO commended the quality of care and positive relationships in the centre. Teachers were beginning to develop their self-review processes. Next steps were to strengthen the curriculum, and to improve the environment and the quality of learning experiences for children. Leaders continue to work on improvements in these areas.
Positive relationships between teachers, children, and their families underpin a sense of community and belonging in the centre. Children and their whānau are warmly welcomed and most children quickly settle in an area of interest. Older children play well together in cooperative groups, and enjoy exploring creative materials. Infants are gently nurtured and encouraged to independently investigate their environment.
Teachers working with toddlers support their play, but need to become more responsive to the developmental interests of two year olds. Similarly, teachers in the preschool environment could provide more challenging learning experiences to engage these capable older children. While some teachers have interesting conversations with children, there is not a strong focus on extending children's ideas or thinking. Children would benefit from more thoughtfully planned play areas, confidence to access resources independently, and projects that could extend their learning over time.
Teachers are enthusiastic about the opportunities the new management is providing to develop the curriculum, the learning environment and their own professional capabilities. They have begun to focus programme planning on children's individual interests, and are developing strategies to involve parents/whānau in children's learning. A newly established digital portal enables teachers to share learning stories with families and receive feedback to support children's learning. Leaders acknowledge this work is in the early stages of development.
The multicultural staff is genuinely responsive to the diverse community. Teachers are often able to speak the first language of migrant families, and have personal knowledge of cultural traditions and values. Festivals, food and special events are celebrated. Teachers and leaders are committed to strengthening bicultural practices in the centre, including teachers' understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori. Opportunities for whānau to share whakapapa and children to learn mihi are some of the strategies to support Māori learners.
The owners and managers have fostered the autonomy of the centre. Although Provincial Education Group policies guide centre practices, staff have developed their own strategic goals, annual plans and, where appropriate, procedures for implementing policies. The overarching management team has established sound appraisal processes, and shows commitment to the ongoing professional development of staff. The impending appointment of an area manager should further support this centre's improvement. Leaders are keen that the centre curriculum, philosophy and practices reflect the strengths, interests and character of the centre community.
Provincial Education Group leaders could now establish organisation-wide strategic goals supported by vision and/or mission statements to support the development of their centres. This guidance could enhance cohesion for the organisation and provide aspirational challenges for centre leaders to promote high quality learning outcomes for children.
Managers and centre leaders agree that key next steps should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington 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 Happy Feet Childcare Mt Wellington will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
6 April 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 |
Mount Wellington, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25089 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
130 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
120 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 50% |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
13% |
|
|
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 |
February 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
6 April 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
|
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tinytown Mt Wellington Learning Centre provides full day education and care services for children between birth and five years of age. The multicultural centre reflects its diverse community and most of the children attending are of Māori, Pacific, Indian or Filipino descent. The centre aims to provide an ‘extended family’ environment and open communication with parents, families, whānau and aiga. There is an expectation that staff will welcome and value every child and their family at all times.
Since the 2009 ERO review Tinytown Mt Wellington, which was operating as a group of separately licensed centres, has been relicensed under the Ministry of Education’s 2008 Early Childhood Regulations and merged to operate under a single licence. The centre currently operates in two separate rooms, catering to infants and toddlers up to the age of three in one space, and children aged three to five years in the other. Children in both rooms have ready access to outdoor areas.
Tinytown Mt Wellington is a privately owned centre. It is one of four centres that operate under the Tiny Town umbrella organisation. The same administrative and management systems serve the four centres. The owners delegate the day-to-day management and leadership of the centre to a centre manager. There is also a group leader for each of the two rooms. The majority of teachers are appropriately qualified and registered and are representative of many of the cultures in the centre’s community.
Children receive good quality care. They enjoy positive, respectful relationships with adults and each other. Teachers provide individual care for infants and toddlers and build trusting relationships with them. Older children are supported to build their social and interpersonal skills and become independent and confident learners.
Good relationships between teachers, children and families contribute to the centre’s welcoming, inclusive environment. A variety of communication systems keep parents informed about the service and the programme provided for children. Managers and teachers place strong emphasis on flexibility to meet the needs of families. This emphasis has helped to promote and sustain positive relationships between home and centre.
With the support of the new centre manager and the group leaders, teachers are planning a programme that is increasingly responsive to children’s interests. Portfolios provide a record of children’s participation and provide a stimulus for planning conversations. Photographs displayed in the rooms help children to recall their learning activities.
Teachers are gaining more confidence in using te reo Māori and integrating tikanga Māori into the programme, environment and practices. They are developing more collaborative approaches to teaching and working as a team. The centre manager and staff also show an awareness of, and support for, children with special needs. They work with families to enable all children to participate equitably in the programme.
Play areas are arranged to facilitate children’s independent choices. Older children enjoy opportunities for physical challenge provided by the spacious outdoor play area. Consideration should now be given to how these areas can provoke children’s curiosity and invite their explorations during play. Younger children should have more opportunities to learn through creative and constructive activities.
The new centre manager and group leaders are working purposefully to build a team culture. ERO affirms the priority that leaders have placed on the use of self-review processes to identify areas for development in the programme and management systems.
Tinytown directors are currently undertaking a long- term review of philosophy, policies and procedures across all their centres. They and the centre manager agree that it is timely to review with teachers and families what the centre’s philosophy, policies and procedures mean and how they relate to children’s learning at Tinytown Mt Wellington.
ERO and the centre manager agree that key next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tinytown Mt Wellington 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.
ERO was concerned that the large area of concrete paving in the outdoor area for infants and toddlers could pose a safety risk. ERO encourages the owners to seek alternatives to reduce this hard surface.
In order to improve current practices the owners should ensure that staff are familiar with health and safety procedures so that:
The next ERO review of Tinytown Mt Wellington Learning Centre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
27 March 2014
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 |
Mt Wellington, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25089 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
130 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
77 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 42 Girls 35 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indian Filipino Cook Island Māori Tongan Niue Samoan other Asian other |
10 6 23 17 6 4 2 2 4 3 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
50-79% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
27 March 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
First review under merged licence. Previously reviewed as: Tinytown Mt Wellington Learning Centre 1a (Under 2s) |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
April 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2004 |
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.