Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood Centre

Education institution number:
45764
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Maori ECE service (excluding TKR)
Total roll:
26
Telephone:
Address:

89 Browns Road, Manurewa, Auckland

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Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood Centre

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. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence. 

ERO’s judgements for Homai Ngā Taonga Early Childhood Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whāngai Establishing

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whāngai Establishing

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Homai Ngā Taonga Early Childhood Centre is governed by the Taonga Education Centre Charitable Trust. A newly appointed centre manager is responsible for day-to-day service operations, supported by a business operations manager. The teaching team includes five qualified teachers and three support staff.

3 Summary of findings

Children have responsive and respectful relationships with their peers and kaiako. Their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning. Kaiako skilfully support children’s developing sense of belonging in the service environment.

Children up to the age of two years receive very good quality education and care. They are provided with opportunities to learn independently and collaboratively alongside their peers. Kaiako who work with infants and toddlers understand the importance of providing a calm environment to give these young children the necessary time and space for learning.

The strategic vision of the service makes explicit the expectation that kaiako will implement a bicultural curriculum. The collective efforts of the teaching team ensure te ao Māori is an integral part of the curriculum that enhances children’s mana and identity as successful learners.

Kaiako value and celebrate children for who they are and the cultural knowledge they bring to the service. They actively seek perspectives, and cultural expertise of parents and whānau to enhance the curriculum.

The service has developed systems, processes and practices that, when fully implemented, will support decision making and an increased focus on what is happening for children and their learning.

Leaders and kaiako are establishing the conditions, capabilities and collective capacity to use evaluation for improvement. They are exploring how the learning outcomes identified in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, relate to evidence they have about children’s developing capabilities. The service has begun to consider how they might use this information to promote equity for all learners.

The trust’s governing body is responsible for meeting regulatory requirements and the overall operation of the service.

4 Improvement actions

Homai Ngā Taonga Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • using learning outcomes identified in Te Whāriki to more widely inform curriculum planning and design
  • a review of how the learning environment supports and extends children’s critical thinking, wondering and creativity
  • a review of how the governing body supports the centre manager and kaiako to promote positive outcomes for children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Homai Ngā Taonga Early Childhood 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.

6 Action for Compliance

Since the onsite review the service has provided ERO with evidence to show that it is now meeting the following non-compliance.

  • a record of all safety checks and results (GMA7A).

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

12 March 2021 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood Centre
Profile Number 45764
Location Manurewa, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

42

Ethnic composition

Māori 18
NZ European/Pākehā  1
Samoan  7
Asian  4
other Pacific 6
other ethnic groups  6

Review team on site

November 2020

Date of this report

12 March 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review            October 2016
Education Review            September 2013

Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood Centre - 21/10/2016

1 Evaluation of Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood Centre

How well placed is Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood 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

Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood Centre is a community-based not-for-profit service located on the grounds of Homai Primary School in Manurewa. It is licensed for 50 children including 10 children up to the age of two years. The service is governed by the board of the Taonga Education Centre Charitable Trust. They have three other services also located in the suburb of Manurewa.

Staff include a centre supervisor, an administration assistant and seven teachers, including a head teacher. The supervisor oversees daily operations and is supported by the head teacher who manages the curriculum and mentors staff. The majority of children enrolled are Māori, and a small number are from Pacific backgrounds.

The 2013 ERO report identified a positive centre tone and noted that the high Māori content in the programme supported children well. All children were provided with good quality care and education and culturally responsive practices were meeting their needs. Children were treated with dignity and respect. These quality practices have been sustained.

The 2013 ERO report also identified areas for improvement in the quality of the programme and in centre operations. Some progress has been made in these areas.

The Review Findings

The child-initiated programme allows children to participate in play with few disruptions. Children are confident in their interactions with each other and with adults. They are collaborative, inclusive, and enjoy working together in small or large groups. They play for sustained periods on their own and with their peers. A range of good quality resources supports children's play.

The families, staff and manager come from many ethnic backgrounds. The programme acknowledges various cultural celebrations and seeks families’ contributions. A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is evident and staff are considering ways to better reflect this commitment in the programme.

The open-plan design of the centre provides easy flow between indoors and outdoors. Outdoor play enables older children to acquire new skills, as well as enjoying physical challenge and building their confidence.

Teachers’ responsive caregiving supports infants and toddlers to develop a sense of belonging and wellbeing in the centre. Teachers actively join in children’s play and have warm and caring interactions with them. A separate outdoor area offers infants and toddlers the opportunity for uninterrupted safe play where they can explore and discover new challenges.

Children and their families experience a welcoming atmosphere. Parents told ERO that they feel well supported and respected. They have good relationships with the teachers. The family-friendly atmosphere encourages parents to share their children's experiences outside the centre. Teachers share information with families in a variety of appropriate ways.

Staff are developing their understandings about the effective use of internal evaluation. They could further develop their self-review processes and use observations and research to inform and strengthen their evaluations.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders agree that their key next steps for development should include:

  • developing strategic and annual plans to guide centre operations

  • making policies and procedures more specific to this centre

  • developing an induction process for new staff, including staff taking on new roles and responsibilities

  • aligning the appraisal process with the centre's philosophy, strategic plan and Practicing Teacher Criteria, and making it more individualised to each teacher's roles and responsibilities.

Teachers could also:

  • improve portfolios so that they become a more useful record of parent partnerships and the individual child’s learning journey

  • further develop their professional knowledge of quality care and education practices for children up to the age of two years.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood 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 Homai Nga Taonga Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

21 October 2016

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

45764

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

33

Gender composition

Boys 17, Girls 16

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Other

22

8

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

50-79%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:5

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2016

Date of this report

21 October 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

September 2013

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.