57A Spring Street, Tauranga
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Kids at Home Hamilton 2 is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kids at Home Hamilton 2 is a standard home-based education and care network licensed for up to 50 children. At the time of this review the roll is 45 and six of these children are Māori.
The network became part of the national Edubase organisation in September 2018. It is one of 3 networks in the Kids at Home Waikato region. Educators work in their own homes with up to four children at any one time. A qualified visiting teacher supports educators to deliver Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
A teaching and learning manager works closely with the visiting teacher and reports to the Edubase senior leadership team.
The organisation’s vision is to enable all tamariki to learn, grow and thrive in a home-based setting. The philosophy highlights the importance of respectful partnerships and holistic learning in the home and community.
The June 2017 ERO report identified areas requiring strengthening in relation to visiting teachers' appraisal, strategic planning, the service philosophy and organisational systems and practices. These have been satisfactorily addressed.
This review was part of a cluster of seven reviews in the Edubase Limited organisation.
Children's interests are a key source for curriculum design. Educators observe children's emerging interests and use these successfully to support learning. Regular group activities, including gym, music and playgroups enhance children’s home-based care and education experience.
The visiting teacher models good practice and constructively supports educators. This includes sharing specific strategies and resources and collaborating on curriculum delivery.
Well-developed, comprehensive health and safety practices promote children’s health and well-being. A centrally based quality management framework effectively monitors daily operations.
Educators know children well and work closely with parents to foster continuity of care. Assessment information for babies and toddlers shows their progress over time in terms of communication and exploration.
Educators support children appropriately as they prepare for their move to school. Assessment records for older children show an increased focus on promoting independence and social competence.
A service-wide focus on inclusive practice assists educators to support children's individual needs and cultural preferences. Assessment records show educators promote Māori children's learning by nurturing and maintaining their connections to their language, culture and identity.
Relationships and learning partnerships with parents and whānau are continuing to develop. The service has identified that re-establishing the parent survey is a key priority.
Policy development and implementation has been a key focus for the new owners. Senior leaders know there is still work to do to refine and strengthen the documents that guide service operation.
The service vision seeks to realise the potential of Māori children and their whānau. Leaders should continue to encourage consistency across the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taupō networks.
Appraisal meets the requirements of the Teaching Council and purposefully builds teaching capability. Sourcing a new appraiser for the teaching and learning manager requires immediate attention.
Professional learning and development for visiting teachers and educators is readily available and responsive to appraisal and service priorities. Internal evaluation supports the operation of the service and ongoing improvement.
The service provider’s priorities and goals are documented and appropriately linked to positive learning outcomes for children. Leaders promote a shared understanding and sense of direction for the service with clear expectations for staff and educators.
The Kids at Home philosophy is evident across all levels of the organisation.
Leaders and ERO agree that for ongoing and sustained improvement, organisational leaders should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kids at Home Hamilton 2 completed an ERO Home-based Education and Care 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
22 January 2021
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 |
Waikato |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30039 |
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Institution type |
Homebased Network |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 50 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
45 |
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Standard or Quality Funded |
Standard |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
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Number of qualified coordinators in the network |
1 |
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Required ratios of staff educators to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
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|
Over 2 |
1:4 |
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Review team on site |
October 2020 |
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Date of this report |
22 January 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2017 |
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|
Education Review |
December 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2008 |
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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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kids at Home Hamilton 2 (previously Waikato Family Homebased Childcare Network 2) is part of BestStart. The company is owned by the Wright Family Foundation, a charitable trust. This is a standard home-based education and care network. Educators are located in Hamilton, Ngāruawāhia, Cambridge and Kihikihi. There are currently 14 educators working in the network, and 43 children are enrolled.
Since 2015, Kids at Home has amalgamated three different home-based services. This presented some challenges for the organisation resulting in a change in management structure and key personnel in January 2017.
One experienced visiting teacher works as part of a visiting teacher team and oversees the programme provided for each child in educator's homes and weekly playgroup sessions. She regularly visits children and their educators and is supported by the network manager and national manager. This is the first ERO review of this network as Kids at Home Hamilton.
The new Kids at Home management Team effectively promotes positive learning outcomes for all children. Recent restructuring has redefined and clarified roles and responsibilities. This has strengthened systems, practices and accountability. Internal evaluation is informing governance and management priorities, and is focused on promoting and ensuring quality outcomes for children, families and staff.
Kids at Home management, along with the visiting teachers, have developed a culture based on relational trust, shared expectations and reflective practice. The visiting teacher team, supported by management, work collaboratively. They share knowledge and expertise, and engage in self review to enhance their own and educator's practice. Educators are well supported by the service to gain qualifications and to engage in ongoing, carefully planned professional learning and development.
Within this network the visiting teacher places strong emphasis on the value of children learning through play. She actively shares her knowledge and promotes the importance of te reo and tikanga Māori and models bicultural practice. High expectations are shared with educators and many useful resources guide their practice. This effective leadership promotes New Zealand's dual cultural heritage and children's learning and the cultural identity of Māori children.
Educators develop positive, trusting and respectful relationships with children and families. They seek, value and respond to parents aspirations for their children. Educators are carefully selected to ensure continuity of routines for each child and family priorities are supported. They encourage and respect children's talk and communication. Through these responsive approaches children's wellbeing and sense of belonging is fostered.
The 'home-based' curriculum is effectively supporting children to engage in meaningful play and to follow their interests. The visiting teacher demonstrates a high level of curriculum knowledge and models good practice for educators. Specifically designed assessment and planning frameworks support educators to notice, recognise and respond to children's learning. Individual assessment profiles provide a wide range of information about children's interests and learning. The newly introduced digital assessment platform is supporting strong links between children's home experiences, the home-based care setting and wider experiences. Assessment records provide an important reflection of children's development and learning journey. In addition, the visiting teacher has developed an assessment profile that shows important links between children's learning in a play-based curriculum and the key competencies of the New Zealand School curriculum. These profiles clearly document cumulative experiences that support children's confidence enabling them to find their place in a school environment and culture.
Children engage in an extensive range of learning opportunities in the wider community. Well-planned, teacher-led playgroups, music and gymnastics sessions enable children to play, interact and develop social skills and friendships beyond the home-based setting. In addition, educators plan regular experiences for children within the community that support and extend their interests and learning.
ERO and Kids at Home management agree that important next steps are to:
review the current philosophy in collaboration with visiting teachers and educators to ensure it reflects shared objectives and aspirations, culturally responsive practices and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
strengthen the service's strategic plan by including a specific education plan
fully implement the new appraisal system for the visiting teacher
continue to embed and build on positive changes to systems, practices and the culture of the organisation to sustain positive improvements.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kids at Home Hamilton 2 completed an ERO Home-based Education and Care 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 Kids at Home Hamilton 2 will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty
13 June 2017
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.
|
Location |
Hamilton |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30039 |
||
|
Institution type |
Homebased Network |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 50 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
43 |
||
|
Standard or Quality Funded |
Standard |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 22 Girls 21 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Fijian Indian Samoan Other European |
9 29 1 1 1 1 1 |
|
|
Number of qualified coordinators in the network |
1 |
||
|
Required ratios of staff educators to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:4 |
||
|
Review team on site |
April 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 June 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
December 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2005 |
||
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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014
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.