HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery

Education institution number:
45079
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
39
Telephone:
Address:

208 Williams Street, Kaiapoi

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HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery

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 (PDF 3.01MB) 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 (PDF 91.30KB) 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 HoNey BeeZ Preschool and Nursery are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakawhanake Sustaining

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

HoNey BeeZ Preschool and Nursery is a small, privately owned service. The owners co-manage the service, with the support of two head teachers and a kaiwhakatere (community liaison) teacher. Most teachers are qualified. About two thirds of the children and staff identify as Māori. The centre is in a home-like setting.

3 Summary of findings

Children show a strong sense of belonging, confidence, and engagement. Respectful, responsive, learning-focused relationships with children are very evident. Teachers effectively support children’s social and emotional competence, oral language development, exploration, and physical challenge.

The quality of assessment and planning records varies. Documentation does not clearly show children’s progress in relation to the learning outcomes in Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum. Parents and wider whānau contribute in a variety of ways to the curriculum.

The service consistently implements a responsive curriculum, that strongly reflects Māori concepts, such as kaitiakitanga, kotahitanga, manaakitanga and ako. Children’s confidence in te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā is very evident. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori is naturally woven into daily learning.  Positive relationships with the local kura, iwi and marae contribute to children’s mana as Māori and the rich bicultural curriculum.

Infants and toddlers benefit from nurturing and respectful relationships. Teachers work closely with parents to understand each child, create a home away from home, and enable their learning. 

Children have equitable opportunities to learn. The owners intentionally remove barriers to participation. They have created a role and sourced funding for a kaiwhakatere who provides high levels of pastoral support for families. This enables teachers to focus on children’s learning and wellbeing. Children with additional learning needs are well supported.

Leaders and teachers are reflective, improvement focused and collaborative. Well-considered improvement goals and deliberate appointment of staff who share the service’s vision and reflect its diversity, contribute to this.

A comprehensive review of the service’s values resulted in deeper understanding and enactment of these. However, internal evaluation could be better used to identify which practices have the most positive impact for learners. Lack of clarity about some systems and expectations has resulted in some variability in practice.

4 Improvement actions

HoNey BeeZ Preschool and Nursery will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning.  These are to continue to embed:

  • Te Whariki, with more emphasis on learning outcomes when planning for children and evaluating their progress over time
  • and address the variability in the quality of assessment, planning, and evaluation of learning, including making more visible teachers’ response to parents’ aspirations, and teaching strategies that promote children’s learning
  • and build leaders’ and teachers’ understanding and use of evaluation processes, such as better gathering and analysing information against indicators of best practice, in order to inform decision making and improvement actions.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of HoNey BeeZ Preschool and Nursery 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

9 September 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

HoNey BeeZ Preschool and Nursery

Profile Number

45079

Location

Kaiapoi

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 7 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

46

Ethnic composition

Māori 30, European/Pākehā 12, other ethnic groups 4.

Review team on site

June 2021

Date of this report

9 September 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, April 2018; Education Review, January 2015.

HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery - 10/04/2018

1 Evaluation of HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery

How well placed is HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

HoNeyBeeZ Preschool & Nursery is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery is a privately-owned and operated service providing education and care for 35 children from 0 to 5 years of age. The centre provides a home-like environment, where children learn and play in two separate spacious spaces.

The service's vision and philosophy are based on supporting children to, 'walk with ease between te ao Māori and Pākehā.' Children's sense of belonging within a positive and nurturing environment is a key focus for teachers. Awareness of and respect for the natural world is strongly promoted throughout the centre.

Since the 2015 ERO review there have been a number of changes in staffing, including a new centre manager who was appointed in 2017. There is a mix of qualified early childhood teachers as well as some teachers in training. The service has also introduced new assessment and appraisal systems.

The Review Findings

The philosophy and vision are strongly evident throughout all aspects of the centre and clearly underpin key documentation and centre operations. Teachers integrate a bicultural curriculum in ways that are meaningful for children and respectful of the Māori culture. They regularly use te reo Māori within the daily programme and include Māori values within all aspects of daily practices and documentation.

Children and their whānau experience a positive and inclusive learning environment. Teachers and leaders know children well and are responsive to their individual interests and needs. They foster strong, responsive and respectful relationships across the centre. Children benefit from positive and caring interactions with their teachers and peers.

Children play well together and independently for sustained periods of time. They are provided with a varied range of learning experiences and have free choice in their learning. They are encouraged to follow their interests and have easy access to a variety of natural and creative resources. The expansive environment enables children to have many opportunities for exploration and physical challenge.

Teachers use a range of useful strategies that help children to:

  • initiate and maintain positive relationships with others
  • be independent and risk takers
  • extend their oral language and conversation skills.

Children in the nursery experience nurturing and caring interactions and relationships. Teachers provide unhurried, child-paced routines to suit individual needs and emerging interests. They foster close partnerships with parents to support children's learning and development. Transitions into the nursery and then onto the preschool are well considered and personalised.

Centre leaders and teachers make good links with the local community. They use local resources and personnel to support the programme and children's learning.

Strong leadership within the centre is helping to build a culture of shared ownership and responsibility. This is contributing to the ongoing development of teachers' knowledge and understanding about quality learning and teaching. Leaders have a clear sense of direction and have managed change well. They encourage a culture of collaboration. Leaders and teachers are reflective and focused on improving outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and teachers need to develop and embed planning and assessment processes. This includes:

  • making sure the individual needs of children are identified
  • showing clear links to teaching strategies
  • ensuring there is consistency of practice across the teaching teams.

Leaders also agree that the key next steps for the centre are to:

  • continue to build understanding and use of internal evaluation, ensuring an ongoing focus on outcomes for children
  • implement the new appraisal process to ensure the requirements of the Education Council are met.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery 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 HoNey BeeZ Preschool & Nursery will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

10 April 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 

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

45079

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 7 aged under 2

Service roll

40

Gender composition

Boys 21: Girls 19

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnicities

18
19
  3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:2

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

January 2018

Date of this report

10 April 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

January 2015

Education Review

November 2011

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.