60 Greville Road, Browns Bay, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kindercare Learning Centre (19) Greville is a well established service in Browns Bay. It provides full day learning programmes for up to 126 children including a maximum of 41 aged under two years. About half of the children attending the centre are Chinese, and there are increasing numbers of children from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The philosophy and vision of "safe, loved, learning" underpins all practices and developments in the centre. It focuses strongly on children learning by doing, and the importance of learning partnerships with families.
The centre manager leads a large team of qualified teachers. The teaching team is committed to supporting children to become independent, resilient, capable and confident learners.
The centre has a history of positive ERO reports. It continues to be well led and managed. Since the last review the centre has strengthened self- review and enhanced child choice, respectful care practices and parents' input into learning programmes.
The Kindercare Learning Centres' governance and management organisation has a wide range of systems that underpin centre operations. These include policies, professional development and mentoring programmes for teachers and support programmes for parents.
This review was part of a cluster of three reviews of Kindercare centres.
Children and their whānau are warmly welcomed into the very well resourced centre. Children settle quickly, play well alongside each other and enthusiastically join in group learning activities. They display independence and freely access a wide range of high quality resources. Experienced teachers nurture respectful relationships and children’s wellbeing and an inclusive culture is evident in all seven learning areas of the centre.
The quality of care and learning is consistent throughout the centre and there is a calm unhurried pace. Children engage well with their teachers and with the responsive, child centred programme. Children of all ages benefit from having a dedicated key teacher who plans interesting and inviting provocations and activities in response to children's individual interests. Children have extended periods of uninterrupted play that enable them to sustain their interest in activities.
The programme is well aligned with the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Literacy and numeracy are integrated into activities and play throughout the day. Leaders and teachers continue to reflect on and consider ways to provide additional challenge for capable learners.
Children aged up to two years are settled and comfortable and experience warm interactions with their teachers. Teachers actively engage with children and provide many opportunities for them to learn through play. They keep parents very well informed of their children’s day at the centre.
Transitions between the various rooms in the centre are managed very well. Teachers and parents work in partnership to plan appropriate transition processes. Parents are able to spend as much time as needed with children as they settle into a new room. A specific programme for older children promotes independence, resilience and self-management skills. These skills should support children as they transition to school.
Teachers work well as a collaborative team, readily communicating with each other and responding quickly to children’s learning needs. Teachers extend children's thinking and vocabulary through the inquiry based programme and learning provocations. Children's individual learning progress is evaluated regularly and documented through a web-based communication system.
Teachers seamlessly weave te reo Māori through the programme and use te reo in waiata and in centre displays. Leaders plan to continue building teachers' knowledge of and capability in te reo and tikanga in their multicultural setting.
Teachers acknowledge and reflect children’s cultures well. Bilingual teachers support children and families whose first language is not English. Leaders and teachers have a sound understanding of parents' aspirations and values. They continue to respond well to the challenge of building effective communication channels with the increasingly diverse community.
Leaders and teachers are reflective practitioners and there is a very strong focus on continual improvement. The centre emphasises teachers' professional learning and their development as leaders. Professional learning programmes and internal evaluation have impacted positively on the programme and outcomes for children.
Internal evaluation has become an integral part of the centre and has informed numerous changes, including enhanced learning environments, new menus and improved care routines. The centre is well placed to evaluate the impact of changes made and continue strengthening provision for children's learning.
Centre leaders have identified useful next steps to build on existing good practices, including:
coaching and mentoring teachers in the centre's culture of intentional teaching and respectful care
strengthening teachers' knowledge and capability in te reo and tikanga Māori
establishing learning partnerships with the increasingly diverse community
identifying ways to increase challenges for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centre (19) Greville 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 Kindercare Learning Centre (19) Greville will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
3 November 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.
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Location |
Browns Bay, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10337 |
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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 |
126 children, including up to 41 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
142 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 75 Girls 67 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1% |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
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 |
September 2017 |
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Date of this report |
3 November 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2011 |
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Education Review |
March 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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kindercare Learning Centre (19) Greville is located in Albany, Auckland. The centre opened ten years ago and has now amalgamated to one licence. The centre has had a history of positive ERO reports and continues to provide good quality care and education for children from infants to preschoolers. This is supported by the high level (over 90%) of qualified staff who acknowledge the vital role that parents play in their child’s care and education and work together to develop each child’s full potential.
The centre’s roll reflects the increasingly diverse local community with a large percentage of children with Chinese heritage. Staff with knowledge of Mandarin communicate with children and build understanding with caregivers and grandparents in their home language.
In response to the 2011 ERO review, staff continue to strengthen whānau partnerships and aspects of self review.
Children experience a calm and supportive environment. They enjoy positive and warm interactions with their teachers and with each other. Children make good use of the plentiful resources that are supplied for them. Children have well developed self management skills including preparing independently for routines such as meal times. They work collaboratively with teachers and their peers when tidying up. Teachers work effectively as a team to support children’s exploration and communication in play.
Teachers make good use of professional learning and development and share this with their colleagues. They benefit from a high quality appraisal system that includes helpful feedback and feed forward from their managers. This helps them to incorporate new learning into their teaching practice.
Self review is helping teachers to improve learning for children. An example of this is the centre’s current review of the routines and rosters in the four infant and toddler rooms. The focus is on implementing the centre’s version of primary care giving. The review outcomes have led to a change in the environments and routines and to developing more effective teacher-child ratios. These changes have contributed to creating a calmer atmosphere in the rooms which has had a positive impact on children settling into the centre.
The centre’s focus on biculturalism has continued to grow with greater use of te reo Māori. Children are familiar with waiata and respond positively to books read in Māori or with Māori themes. Children’s resources are beginning to reflect a more natural emphasis. Teachers remind children about tikanga practices.
The 2011 ERO report noted the highly positive relationships between centre staff and whānau/families. This is still evident. Children and whānau are able to gradually transition into the centre. Parents and grandparents can remain with children until they are settled, leading to stronger relationships with teachers. This helps whānau and children to quickly develop familiarity and sense of confidence in the centre.
Parents and whānau get good information from the centre. Staff both formally and informally communicate with parents at drop off and pick up times. Portfolios provide parents and whānau with a narrative of children’s activities and learning. Newly developed journals for the younger children are adding to reciprocal relationships between families and teachers.
Management systems are well established and contribute to the smooth running of the centre. There is strong support from management for staff professional development and the sharing of leadership roles. Managers identify and utilise staff strengths well and have created a collegial and open work environment. Self review is an integral part of governance and management and informs forward planning to monitor the quality of the centre in meeting the goals of their philosophy. Teacher appraisal processes support centre goals with clear individual indicators linked to the registered teacher criteria.
ERO and managers agreed that the next step for the centre is to use self-review processes to strengthen aspects of good practice. These include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centre (19) Greville 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:
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 Kindercare Learning Centre (19) Greville will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
4 April 2014
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 |
Browns Bay, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10337 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
126 children, including up to 41 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
139 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 81 Girls 58 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Middle Eastern Korean Samoan Tongan Filipino Indian Indonesian Spanish |
6 46 69 6 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2014 |
||
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Date of this report |
4 April 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
April 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 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.