11 Bledisloe Avenue, Otorohanga
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 Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare Centre is one of two centres under the same ownership. They share governance and organisational processes. This service provides care and education specifically for infants and toddlers. Since the previous ERO report this service has undergone significant staff changes.
Infants play and learn in a calm, responsive and stimulating environment. Their well-being and belonging is nurtured. Toddlers’ learning and development is extended through physical challenges and language opportunities. Those children with additional learning needs are fully included in centre life. Children are supported to build their social and emotional skills. They are well supported by leaders and teachers who provide a curriculum that enhances their learning and development.
Children’s progress is fostered by teachers through productive relationships with parents and whānau, and external support agencies. Teachers and leaders use children’s strengths and interests to facilitate ongoing learning, supporting children to be independent, build friendships and acquire a range of skills and knowledge. Planning for children that continuously draws from parent and whānau aspirations and the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is not yet evident.
Some practices are in place for Māori children and their whānau that support their sense of belonging. The service celebrates cultural events, such as Matariki. It is in the beginning stages of embedding te reo and tikanga Māori and considering local iwi priorities within practice. A focus on children’s own unique languages, cultures and identities are yet to be applied through assessment and planning processes.
Children’s valued learning is promoted through organisational conditions. Teachers and leaders are beginning to engage regularly in professional learning and growth cycles to influence their practice. Evaluation systems are not yet fully implemented to ensure continuous improvement. The new teaching team is working towards building a shared understanding of their teaching practices to effectively support the learning and development of all children.
Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
build further knowledge of children’s home cultures and languages to enrich the curriculum and support their identities as successful learners
fully embed the newly introduced assessment, planning and evaluation systems to respond to parent’s aspirations and use the valued learning outcomes in Te Whāriki,
re-establish internal evaluation practices ensuring collective understanding amongst teachers of the role of evaluation in supporting ongoing growth.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
25 July 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare Centre |
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Profile Number |
30236 |
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Location |
Otorohanga |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
46 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 11, NZ European/Pākehā 30, other ethnic groups 5 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
25 July 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, July 2019; Education Review, February 2016 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare Centre is a privately-owned, full-day education and care service located in Otorohanga. It is one of two Hopscotch centres in the town and has had a positive reporting history with ERO. The centre is licensed for 35 children aged from three months to approximately three-and-a-half years and includes 12 up to the age of two years. There are two age-based settings that cater for under two's and toddlers. The roll is currently 57, including 11 children who identify as Māori.
The centre's philosophy is to nurture learning through quality interactions, meaningful relationships and a challenging environment. The dual heritage of New Zealand is acknowledged and celebrated alongside the multicultural diversity of the community.
The centre owner and licensee have oversight of the service. Two head teachers are responsible for daily operations. Most of the teachers are qualified and registered early childhood teachers. An office manager has recently been employed.
Children benefit from a strong sense of belonging underpinned by the centre's philosophy. The wellbeing and learning of children is nurtured in an inclusive and positive environment. Teachers are responsive and caring, taking time to listen to children and foster emerging communication and social development. All children have opportunities to make choices, explore their environment and experience challenge and success. Teachers respect children's decisions about the management of daily care routines which are well managed and used as contexts for authentic learning, such as building independence and taking responsibility. Children learn waiata, karakia and some te reo Māori, and tikanga Māori is promoted. Recent development of the centre's outdoor environment reflects its unique place-based whakapapa. Leaders agree, establishing direct links with the local marae would strengthen the centre's approach to promoting bicultural practice.
Children up to the age of two years are well cared for. They enjoy a calm, slow pace where they have open access to an environment that encourages exploration and experimentation. Young children are valued and trusted as capable learners. Teachers are responsive to their subtle cues, modelling and encouraging oral language and social development.
The curriculum effectively promotes positive outcomes for all children. Teachers know their children well and meet regularly to plan programmes in response to their interests and strengths. Children are able to take risks and experience physical challenge in closely monitored settings. They are able to choose from a range of resources to use their imagination, explore their ideas and test their working theories. Literacy and mathematical concepts are integrated across the curriculum and supported through a range of play-based activities and experiences.
Leadership is enacting the philosophy and vision of the centre. Relationships are collaborative and based on respect, trust and reciprocity. Evidence-based self review is contributing to improved outcomes for children. Leaders agree that the appraisal process needs to be fully implemented across the centre for all teaching staff including those without an early childhood qualification.
The key next steps for the centre are to:
establish links with the local marae to strengthen bicultural practice, and the language, culture and identity of Māori children
develop a centre-wide approach to teacher professional development to promote a shared understanding of Te Whāriki
fully implement all aspects of the appraisal process, including formal observations of practice for all teaching staff.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hopscotch Early Learning Childcare 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
18 July 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.
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Location |
Otorohanga |
||
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30236 |
||
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
57 |
||
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Gender composition |
Male 30 Female 27 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
11 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
May 2019 |
||
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Date of this report |
18 July 2019 |
||
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
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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.