33-41 Rutherford Street, Chartwell, Hamilton
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
House of Wonder Chartwell is situated in Hamilton. It provides education and care for children from five months to school age, five days a week. At the time of this ERO review, 24 of the 94 children enrolled identified as Māori.
The service is owned by Provincial Education Group Limited (the organisation) that provides governance and management support. A substantial management oversee a number of services nation-wide. This includes a professional leader who provides support and guidance to centre staff. Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles are central to the organisation's philosophy and practices.
The service philosophy emphasises an environment where children are recognised as unique, full of potential and ready to be active explorers and contributors to society. The Reggio Emilia and Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) philosophies underpin teacher practice.
Most teachers are fully qualified. Day-to-day operation of the early learning service is the responsibility of the centre manager who supports the teaching team.
This is the service's first ERO evaluation since it commenced operation in January 2017. It was purchased by the organisation in February 2018. The early learning centre is purpose built.
This review was one of a group of seven in Provincial Education Group Limited.
The curriculum has a balance of child-led and teacher-initiated experiences. The inquiry-based learning model supports children to explore areas of interest in depth. Children's voices are effectively used to guide the programme. Teachers are intentional in how they lead opportunities for learning.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported in their learning. External agencies are accessed when required.
Teachers sensitively respond to infants and toddlers in a calm unhurried environment that supports learning. Children experience strong and secure attachment to their teachers who make meaningful connections with parents and whānau.
Children have opportunities to participate in an environment that celebrates the natural world. Learning spaces are purposefully designed and aesthetically pleasing. Children experience warm and respectful relationships. Teachers know children well and work effectively alongside them in the programme.
The centre’s philosophy was developed with leaders and teachers to determine the key valued learning outcomes they seek to achieve for children. Leaders should consider ways they can:
develop indicators of good practice that guide and support the effective implementation of the philosophy
engage with parents, whānau Māori and Pacific community to deepen their understanding of what educational success looks for their children.
Teachers are using aspects of kaupapa Māori well in the programme to enable children gain a greater awareness of te ao Māori. Teachers use toi Māori, excursions to community places and annual kaupapa Māori events to enrich the programme. A key next step is to encourage teachers to use te reo Māori in everyday practice.
Assessment builds children’s identity as successful learners. Their portfolios are well presented and informative. Learning goals are collaboratively developed with parents and whānau. Teachers should consider how they can:
consistently enact the planned next steps in children’s learning
show progress over time.
Teachers are focused on improving the quality of education and care of children through systematic self review. Leaders should continue to build teachers’ capacity to evaluate, so they can effectively measure the impact of the curriculum and teacher practice on children’s outcomes.
The appraisal process provides a sound framework for teachers to reflect on and improve their practice. Further consideration should be given to:
developing clear, specific, measurable goals
defining the purpose for observations
aligning the professional learning and development to teacher's goals.
The organisation's senior leadership has high expectations for teacher practice. Systems and processes are in place to promote improvements for the benefit of children and whānau. Teachers are encouraged to grow their understanding and take on distributed leadership roles.
A well-considered policy framework is in place to guide teacher practice. The organisation places considerable emphasis on the health, safety and wellbeing of children.
ERO and leaders agree that their priority next steps are to:
work collaboratively with parents, whānau and families to review the philosophy and identify indicators of effective practice
increase teachers' use of te reo Māori in the curriculum
build teachers' capability to use internal evaluation for improvement
continue to strengthen the appraisal process.
ERO and the organisation agree that to further strengthen practice, their next steps are to:
establish nationally consistent reporting frameworks
monitor the progression of strategic goals, through measurement of improved outcomes for children
use formal internal evaluation processes at senior leadership level
increase opportunities for whānau to actively contribute to the organisation’s strategic direction.
Before the review, the staff and management of House of Wonder Chartwell 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.
The next ERO review of House of Wonder Chartwell will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
24 October 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.
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Location |
Hamilton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
47135 |
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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 |
80 children, including up to 24 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
94 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 54, Girls 40 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
51 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2018 |
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Date of this report |
24 October 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
First review of this service. |
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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:
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.