Kindercare Learning Centres - Burwood (208)

Education institution number:
65183
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
57
Telephone:
Address:

305 Burwood Road, Burwood, Christchurch

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Kindercare Learning Centres-Burwood (208) - 16/06/2020

1 Evaluation of Kindercare Learning Centres - Burwood (208)

How well placed is Kindercare Learning Centres - Burwood (208) to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Kindercare Learning Centres - Burwood (208) is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Kindercare Learning Centres - Burwood (208) is in Christchurch. It is open five days per week for full-day sessions and is licensed for 55 children, including up to 19 children under two. The centre is divided into three learning areas to cater for the specific needs of infants, toddlers and young children. Most teachers are fully qualified early childhood educators. The centre has a culturally diverse learning community.

The service operates under Kindercare Learning Centres Limited vision, values, philosophy and strategic goals. Together these form the philosophy on which each centre and the organisation base their practices. An area manager works in partnership with centre leaders to support the operation of the service.

The service’s philosophy, underpinned by Te Whāriki - the early childhood curriculum, states that it provides 'early childhood care and education that values, appreciates and respects each child and focuses on developing their full potential, in an environment of love'. There are eight core values which fall under the descriptors of 'Safe, Loved and Learning'.

A centre manager has been appointed since the June 2017 ERO review. The ERO report identified that bicultural practices, internal evaluation, assessment, planning and evaluation processes needed to be improved. Although some progress has been made to address these areas, they remain key next steps for improvement.

The review is part of a cluster of six Kindercare Learning Centres Limited reviews in the Christchurch area.

The Review Findings

Children are confident in their learning and play. They have opportunities to create, experiment and have fun through planned, hands-on experiences. Teachers actively promote positive interactions and collaboration between all learners. The centre's resourcing and environments support children to choose from a range of activities and learning tasks. Daily classroom practices foster routines and a sense of certainty for the children.

Infants and toddlers receive responsive caregiving that supports strong and secure attachments. Teachers read the cues of children well. A calm, respectful and slow-paced environment enables less mobile and younger children to have space and time to lead their learning.

Children with additional needs are well provided for by their teachers. Planned external support is targeted and appropriate. An effective framework to support transition within the centre and onto school is adapted to support children with additional needs and their families.

Teachers are reflective practitioners that model a child-centred approach. The curriculum responds to children's individual needs and interests. A collaborative approach to group planning is evident throughout the centre. Bicultural perspectives are increasingly included in curriculum programmes. Teachers and leaders acknowledge that this is an area to build further understanding and practice. Children would benefit from increased opportunities to understand and celebrate their heritage as citizens of Aotearoa.

Teachers value relationships with parents and whānau. Useful communication tools keep parents informed and enable them to provide feedback. Children's learning portfolios show their participation and engagement in the curriculum. An agreed focus now is to draw on parent and whānau aspirations to determine the most valued learning outcomes for children.

The centre leader works collaboratively with the area manager to embed systems and processes that support positive outcomes for all children. An emphasis on self review and collective accountability is contributing to an organisational culture where children’s learning is prioritised. Leadership is focussed on improving the consistency of approaches to assessment, reporting, evaluative thinking and intentional teaching throughout the centre.

The Kindercare organisation provides support for centre leaders and families through regular visits by area managers, effective processes for ensuring that children have safe and healthy learning environments, appraisal, mentoring and well-targeted professional development opportunities.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and ERO agree that the key next steps to further develop the conditions for promoting positive outcomes for children include:

  • strengthening the bicultural curriculum and strategies that respond to the cultural context of Māori and Pacific children, and reflecting this in planning and assessment

  • further developing strategic planning and internal evaluation processes so that progress towards identified goals and impact on improving outcomes for children are clear

  • providing guidelines for consistency in planning, assessment and evaluation processes to inform intentional acts of teaching that utilise parent aspirations for the curriculum.

Next Steps for the Organisation

Key next steps for the Kindercare organisation include continuing to:

  • build understandings and practices to better promote success for Māori and reflect a commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand

  • support leaders to use strategic planning and internal evaluation processes effectively to monitor and show progress towards improved outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centres - Burwood (208) 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

16 June 2020

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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

65183

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

55 children, including up to 19 aged under 2

Service roll

63

Gender composition

Girls 31, Boys 32

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnicities

6
38
19

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2020

Date of this report

16 June 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

June 2017

Education Review

April 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

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.

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.

Kindercare Learning Centres-Burwood (208) - 13/06/2017

1 Evaluation of Kindercare Learning Centres-Burwood (208)

How well placed is Kindercare Learning Centres-Burwood (208) to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Kindercare Learning Centre (208) Burwood is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Kindercare Learning Centre (208) Burwood is one of 12 early childhood education and care centres in Christchurch owned and administered by Kindercare Learning Centres Ltd. The centre operates under the Kindercare philosophy, and management and accountability systems. An area manager works in partnership with centre leaders to guide the effective operation of each centre.

Kindercare Learning Centre (208) Burwood is located in a purpose-built building in Burwood. It provides full-day education and care for children from birth to school age in three separate rooms that are specifically designed to meet the needs of the different age groups.

There have been some recent changes to the leadership of the centre and to some staffing within the last six months. Most staff are qualified and registered teachers. An on-site cook provides nutritious vegetarian meals and snacks for children.

Leaders and teachers have made some progress in addressing the areas for improvement identified in the previous ERO 2014 review. This includes aligning self review to centre priorities, increasing ways to gather parent feedback, and promoting bicultural perspectives.

The service has developed a focus providing useful parent education and support.

This review was part of a cluster of 12 Kindercare Learning Centres reviewed in the Christchurch area in Term 1 2017.

The Review Findings

The service values of 'safe, loved and learning' are evident in practice and used to guide all aspects of centre operation. Teachers actively foster positive and reciprocal relationships and a sense of belonging for children and families.

Transitions into the centre and between areas are flexible and personalised to the needs of the child. Staff are sensitive to any additional needs of children and families. They work closely with parents and use their internal and external expertise to promote an inclusive culture that supports children to succeed.

Teachers promote a child-focused curriculum. Children have easy access to a wide range of natural resources and creative learning experiences. Purposefully presented areas reflect children’s interests and encourage curiosity, investigation and participation in learning. Literacy, mathematics and oral language learning are well integrated into play in ways that are meaningful to children.

Children are encouraged to develop social and emotional skills that promote their wellbeing and learning. They are actively encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and to care for others and the environment. Teachers are increasingly developing ways to provide a bicultural curriculum to help children gain an understanding of and respect for the Māori culture.

Children in the under-two area benefit from calm and unhurried interactions. Teachers respectfully involve children in routines that are child-paced and aligned to parent preferences. Teachers give careful thought to the provision of interesting resources and places for children to explore. Safe, quiet spaces are provided for infants where they can move freely and interact with a familiar adult who is attentive them.

Parents are regularly informed of their children’s learning and wellbeing through written records, digital technologies and regular conversations with teachers.

The centre is very well led and managed by an experienced leadership team. Leaders are building reflective processes to extend on teacher practices and promote positive learning outcomes for children. The individual strengths of teachers are valued and well used. Teachers attend regular professional learning and development to improve their knowledge and teaching practices. Teachers' leadership potential is recognised and fostered through regular coaching and mentoring.

Centre leaders and teachers work collaboratively to successfully implement Kindercare management, curriculum and health and safety systems. They have high expectations of developing a centre culture where teachers regularly discuss and improve learning outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders have identified, and ERO evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps are to continue to strengthen:

  • bicultural perspectives, practices and resourcing
  • all teachers' understanding and use of in-depth evaluative self review
  • new planning, assessment and evaluation processes
  • transition to school processes and partnerships.

ERO has identified that the key next steps for Kindercare Learning Centres Ltd are to:

  • give greater prominence to bicultural perspectives in key documentation
  • further develop strategic coverage of priorities and annual action planning and evaluation processes in centres
  • consider ways to strengthen partnerships in learning with schools
  • formalise and document the procedure for appraisal and attestation in the Christchurch area
  • evaluate how well current learning-record practices allow children to revisit their own learning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Kindercare Learning Centres-Burwood (208) 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 Kindercare Learning Centres-Burwood (208) will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Southern/Te Waipounamu

13 June 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

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

65183

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

55 children, including up to 19 aged under 2

Service roll

57

Gender composition

Girls 30; Boys 27

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Other ethnicities

5

49

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2017

Date of this report

13 June 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

April 2013

Education Review

January 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.