Karori Childcare Centre

Education institution number:
60202
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
30
Telephone:
Address:

47 Beauchamp Street, Karori, Wellington

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Karori Childcare 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 (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 Karori Childcare Centre 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

Whakaū Embedding

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakaū Embedding

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

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Karori Childcare Centre is a small, community-based, not-for-profit early childhood service. It is governed by a parent committee and supported by a management committee and experienced centre manager. Recently there have been changes in the committees, and significant development of the outdoor area. Children from nine months to school age attend.

3 Summary of findings

Children learn in a child led, play based curriculum, with an emphasis on physical activity and supporting their growing independence, creativity and exploration. Close communication with families focuses on care and wellbeing needs. For younger children this enhances their sense of belonging.

Teachers know the children very well and deliberately foster caring relationships between children.  In learning records, they skillfully describe their learning and progress, and foreground their learning dispositions. Teachers are increasingly using the learning outcomes in Te Whariki, to plan more intentionally to extend children’s learning and respond to parents’ aspirations.

The manager has identified the need to incorporate into daily practice meaningful te ao Māori and te reo me ngā tikanga Māori to further strengthen the bicultural curriculum.

Children’s learning and wellbeing are enhanced through teachers’ participation in purposeful professional learning, and their individual and collective reflection on this and their teaching practice.  The centre manager effectively supports teachers to work collaboratively, inquire into their practice and enact the centre’s philosophy and vision. Teachers’ capability and capacity continues to grow in doing and using internal evaluation to improve the curriculum.  

Sound management and governance systems and practices support the smooth operation of the centre and ongoing improvement. This includes regular review of policies, procedures and related practices. A recent review of the governance has led to better separation of management and governance. Relational trust and effective communication between the leader, management and parent committees are evident.

4 Improvement actions

Karori Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:

  • continue to strengthen records of learning to more clearly show the strategies teachers use to support children’s learning, and how teachers respond to parents’ aspirations for their child’s learning and better reflect children’s cultures and centre learning priorities
  • increase opportunities for all children to experience and learn about te ao Māori and each other’s cultures
  • continue to develop teachers’ collective use of internal evaluation for aspects of teaching and learning and the curriculum in order to more clearly identify what is going well, what could be improved and any planned actions to address the findings.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Karori 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; 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

14 June 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name  Karori Childcare Centre
Profile Number 60202
Profile Number Wellington

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

31

Ethnic composition

Māori 1, NZ European/Pākehā 22, Asian 4, Other ethnicities 4.

Review team on site

March 2021

Date of this report

14 June 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, August 2017; Education Review, June 2014.

Karori Childcare Centre - 31/08/2017

1 Evaluation of Karori Childcare Centre

How well placed is Karori Childcare 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

Karori Childcare Centre caters for children up to five years of age. A parent cooperative has oversight of the governance and management of the centre. Six teachers are employed to oversee the educational programme.

The centre is licensed for a maximum of 25 children including eight up to the age of two years. At the time of the review 35 children were enrolled.

The vision and philosophy of the centre reflect the importance of children learning through free play. The commitment of the staff to this principle is evident in their daily practice. The senior teacher is focused on building the teaching team and the ongoing improvement of the learning environment.

Committee members acknowledge the importance of encouraging greater parent involvement in governance roles to support the long-term sustainability of the centre. Committee members and leaders responded positively to areas for development identified in the June 2014 ERO report.

The Review Findings

Relationships are positive, caring and supportive. Teachers use a range of effective strategies to engage and support children in purposeful and sustained play. They actively involve themselves in children's learning, through developing meaningful, respectful conversations that promote thinking, problem solving and exploration.

Children learn in a rich, interesting environment that enables them to play, use their creativity and imagination, and develop their sense of responsibility. Outdoor spaces provide many opportunities to participate in more active play. Indoor areas are well set out with a range of equipment and materials available.

Teachers working with infants and toddlers provide a suitable programme and environment for these youngest learners. Routines are flexible and responsive. Children's preferences for teachers are respected. They benefit from regular interactions with others.

Planning and assessment is responsive to children’s interests and strengths. Portfolios provide a record of learning, participation and development. Reviewing and strengthening how these records show progress in learning over time is a next step.

The centre's well-articulated philosophy is evident in practice. Literacy and numeracy experiences are naturally integrated into the programme. There is extensive use of local community resources and contexts.

There is recognition of the need to strengthen te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in the learning programme and understanding of te ao Māori in the centre.

The senior teacher actively guides the development of a shared vision, building a collaborative staff working environment committed to the development of high quality teaching practices. A well-structured appraisal system supports teacher growth. Updating and reviewing centre policies to ensure they meet current legislative requirements is a focus for trustees and leaders.

There have been developments to strategic planning for the centre. Further refining this process to include desired outcomes for children and families is needed. ERO identified that a next step is for the service to enhance its internal evaluation capacity so that teachers and trustees are better able to measure the effectiveness of their practices.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre leaders agree that key areas for development include:

  • reviewing and strengthening how assessment records show children's progress in learning over time

  • refining strategic planning to include desired outcomes that should support and enhance internal evaluation.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Karori 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; 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 Karori Childcare Centre will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)

31 August 2017

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

Wellington

Ministry of Education profile number

60202

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 8 aged up to 2

Service roll

35

Gender composition

Girls 23, Boys 12

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

2
24
9

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

July 2017

Date of this report

31 August 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

June 2014

Supplementary Review

April 2011

Supplementary Review

April 2010

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.