Kids Count - Weymouth

Education institution number:
45920
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
55
Telephone:
Address:

512 Weymouth Road, Weymouth, Auckland

View on map

Kids Count - Weymouth

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 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 Kids Count - Weymouth are as follows: 

Outcome Indicators 

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) 

Whakatō Emerging 

Ngā Akatoro Domains 

 

Learning Conditions 
Organisational Conditions 

Whakatō Emerging 

Whāngai Establishing 

2 Context of the Service 

This is one of six services under the same ownership and governance. A centre manager undertakes day-to-day operations and leadership of the team, with children learning across two age-based rooms. Two thirds of children enrolled are Māori, and large numbers of Samoan, Tongan or Cook Island children also attend. 

3 Summary of findings 

A curriculum that responds to children as capable learners is in the early stages of development. It is driven by intentionally planned activities for the whole group. Literacy and numeracy activities are mainly instructional. Children experience predictable routines, which supports their transition into the centre. Those children with additional learning needs have individual plans to support their goals, and some experience support from external agencies. For others, inconsistency is evident in individual planning, recognition of children’s interests and ways of learning, and progress over time. 

Māori and children from Pacific cultures experience aspects of their languages and cultures. Weekly mat times incorporate waiata, te reo Māori and other home languages. Some whānau share their child’s pepeha or cultural backgrounds. This information is not currently used to inform curriculum planning. 

Centre leaders have a trusting working relationship. It would be timely for the wider teaching team to discuss their personal teaching philosophies and values. This could then be used to start to develop a shared philosophy, including parents’ voice, and expectations for practice aligned to a play-based and localised curriculum. 

Those responsible for governance have a strong focus on equity and removing barriers to participation. Their overarching vision is well understood by centres. A new senior leadership team is establishing operational conditions. An operations manager was appointed during the cluster of ERO reviews, and a curriculum leader has been offering support to centres over the last year. New systems and processes for internal evaluation and assessment and planning are not fully embedded. 

4 Improvement actions 

Kids Count - Weymouth will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning: 

  • Develop and enact a shared understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, for each age group that prioritises child-led, play-based learning. 

  • Assess, plan and evaluate learning for individual children, with a focus on showing progression over time against the valued learning outcomes of Te Whariki. 

  • Further respond to each child’s languages, cultures and identity in documented assessment and planning processes.  

Kids Count governance will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning: 

  • Provide support to enable centres to create and enact their centre’s philosophy and localised  curriculum that responds to their children and community. 

  • Develop cohesive systems and processes across the Kids Count group that support leaders and teachers to understand and consistently implement regulatory and operational requirements.  

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements 

Before the review, the staff and management of Kids Count - Weymouth completed an ERO 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. 

6 Actions for Compliance  

ERO identified the following area of non-compliance: 

  • Ensuring that rooms used by children are kept at a comfortable temperature no lower than 18 °C (at 500mm above the floor) while children are attending. 
    Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008, HS24. 

7 Recommendation to Ministry of Education  

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure non-compliances identified in this report are addressed. 

Patricia Davey 
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE) 

3 October 2023   

8 About the Early Childhood Service  

Early Childhood Service Name Kids Count - Weymouth 
Profile Number  45920
Location  Weymouth, Auckland 

Service type  

Education and care service 

Number licensed for  

50 children over the age of 2 years 

Percentage of qualified teachers  

80-99% 

Service roll 

83 

Review team on site 

June 2023  

Date of this report 

3 October 2023 

Most recent ERO report(s) 

Education Review, March 2017; Education Review, October 2013 

Kids Count - Weymouth - 01/03/2017

1 Evaluation of Kids Count - Weymouth

How well placed is Kids Count - Weymouth 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

Kids Count - Weymouth is one of four Kids Count centres based in South Auckland. The centre offers full-time and sessional education and care for up to 50 children between two and five years of age. Most children access 20 hours free education and care. The centre provides for a diverse, multicultural community.

Kids Count Limited provides organisational policy and procedural guidelines for its centres. The centre uses additional Ministry of Education funding to implement a 'wrap around' service. This funding supports the provision of transport for children to attend the centre, and assistance to families who traditionally have had difficulty in accessing early childhood education. A family liaison officer connects with families, promotes adult education, and provides support for wider family situations.

The centre’s philosophy recognises the importance of having nurturing and caring relationships between children, staff and whānau. The culturally diverse teaching team works closely with centre management and a head teacher in the day-to-day operation of the centre.

Since the centre was reviewed by ERO in 2013 a new centre manager and head teacher have been appointed. Good work has been done to build parent/whānau understanding of the value of early childhood education and to use the local community to widen children's learning experiences. Further work is required to extend learning challenges for children.

The Review Findings

Children demonstrate a sense of wellbeing and belonging in the centre. They are well cared for and form friendly and trusting relationships with teachers. Parents speak positively of the family atmosphere and the effective communication of staff. They value the centre’s support. The service is well placed to further develop parent partnerships that extend children’s learning.

Children are settled in their learning environment. Teachers know them well known as individuals, and are aware of their learning needs and strengths. Children have independent access to areas of play and are free to choose activities based on their interests and preferences. Children are supported to make friendships with each other.

Children are catered for in two age-related groups in separate buildings, each connected to an outside area. A programme for older children is intended to support their preparation for school. The centre is resourced to engage the interests of children. It is timely to increase the quality of resources and include the use of natural resources to extend children's play, creativity and imagination.

Learning programmes are based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Wall displays celebrate children’s learning and cultural events. Programmes for children include a good range of learning opportunities, including local excursions.

Teachers use basic te reo Māori in their interactions with children. Managers acknowledge that strengthening bicultural practices is an ongoing area of focus for improvement.

Teachers work collaboratively to plan thematic programmes based on children’s interest and ideas. Children’s assessment records are attractive and help families to engage in conversations with teachers about their children's learning. Teachers could improve these records to show how children's learning interests are extended overtime.

Teachers have regular opportunities for professional learning provided by Kids Count, that links to organisational priorities and teachers' individual interests. Further professional development is needed to help teachers to deepen the complexity of children's learning through play.

The centre has efficient administration systems. Internal evaluation processes have been established to guide centre operations and ongoing improvements.

Key Next Steps

Next steps for the centre include:

  • improving teaching practices and programme experiences to promote complex play

  • using external professional development providers to support teachers in improving their professional practice

  • strengthening teacher appraisal by more clearly aligning processes with Education Council requirements and using indicators of best practice to guide managers' feedback and teachers' reflections about their practice

  • using indicators of effective practice to guide strategic goals, aligning annual plans with these goals, and regularly evaluating progress towards long-term and annual goals. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kids Count - Weymouth 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 Kids Count - Weymouth will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

1 March 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

Weymouth, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45920

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, over 2 years of age

Service roll

79

Gender composition

Boys 45 Girls 34

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Samoan 

Tongan

Niue

Indian

other Pacifica

36

13

9

4

1

8

8

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

December 2016

Date of this report

1 March 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

October 2013

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.

Kids Count - Weymouth - 18/10/2013

1 Evaluation of Kids Count - Weymouth

How well placed is Kids Count - Weymouth 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

This is one of three Kids Count centres based in South Auckland. Kids Count Limited provides umbrella policy and procedural guidelines for its centres. It uses additional Ministry of Education funding to implement a 'wrap around' service for low-income families who have difficulty accessing early childhood services. It provides transport for children to attend centre sessions, promotes parenting courses, and makes information about early childhood education and care available for parents. The service has a family liaison officer to help strengthen partnerships between the centres and whānau.

Kids Count – Weymouth offers full time and sessional education and care for up to 50 children between the ages of two and five years. Most children attend for the twenty hours offered free. Centre leaders are working with families to help reduce transience and to help achieve more regular attendance by children. The curriculum they offer has a particular focus on preparing children for learning and supporting their transition to school.

The centre’s philosophy stresses the importance of having nurturing relationships and also having an environment that engages children in learning and supports them to become confident and competent learners. Most of the children who attend are Māori and/or Pacific. The centre was licensed in April 2013 and this is its first ERO review.

The Review Findings

Children at the centre are valued and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning. They experience respectful and affirming relationships with nurturing staff who are focused on their needs. Children are well supported to develop social competencies. They benefit from how successfully teachers have established an environment that promotes their learning and their confidence with language. Children respond positively to this environment and show a willingness to engage in new learning. The centre’s inclusive approaches ensure that all children, including those with special or high needs, are welcomed and appropriately catered for.

Teachers are committed to the centre philosophy. Centre documents and displays demonstrate the good range of learning activities provided for children. Many early literacy and numeracy learning experiences are effectively integrated into children’s play and routines, and the centre uses some effective strategies for helping children transition to school. Teachers are now improving how well they formally document children’s learning and identify learning outcomes and intentions for children. Such improvement should result in a programme that is more directly related to children’s emerging interests and overall developmental needs.

Staff come from many cultures and well presented displays reinforce New Zealand’s bicultural and multicultural makeup. Many good practices reflect the bicultural expectations of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. All children hear, see and participate in tangible examples of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori. The employment of a resource person for tikanga Māori further builds their skills and knowledge. Māori children are supported to succeed as Māori through these good practices and through the centre’s efforts to engage more successfully with whānau of all the children who attend.

Centre leaders set high expectations, and significant improvements have occurred since the centre was licensed. Centre leaders have worked collaboratively with staff to form a unified team focused on maximising children’s learning opportunities. They are energetic, enthusiastic and forward looking. The leadership team supports teachers’ professional development and model good teaching practices. Thoughtful and realistic self review guides centre operations and helps ensure responsiveness to whānau needs. High quality leadership and increasingly effective long-term planning position the centre very well to retain its strengths and engage in ongoing improvement.

Key Next Steps

ERO supports the self review findings of centre leaders, particularly in regard to:

  • maintaining the current focus on supporting children’s attendance and minimising the impact that transience has on children’s early education opportunities
  • seeking more effective ways of developing relationships with parents and communicating with them about their children’s learning and early childhood education in general.
  • ERO also agrees with the plans of centre leaders to improve the programme by:
  • extending the challenge of the programme for children and involving children more in the life of the local community
  • extending children’s opportunities for self management
  • continuing to ensure that transition to school focuses on developmentally appropriate practices, and capturing such practices more directly in centre documents
  • continuing improvements in the outdoor play area, and in increasing the visibility of children’s cultures in the centre and its programmes.

ERO is confident that the centre has the capacity and capability to undertake these actions.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kids Count - Weymouth 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 Kids Count - Weymouth will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

National Manager Review Services Northern Region

18 October 2013

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

Weymouth, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45920

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

93

Gender composition

Boys 54

Girls 39

Ethnic composition

Māori

NZ European/Pākehā

Samoan

Cook Island Māori

Tongan

Fijian

Indian

Other

51

5

11

5

5

3

2

11

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2013

Date of this report

18 October 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

No previous ERO reports

 

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.