Learning Links Borman Road

Education institution number:
45495
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
93
Telephone:
Address:

267 Borman Road, Rototuna, Hamilton

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Learning Links Borman Road 

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 Learning Links Borman Rd are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whāngai Establishing

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

Whakaū Embedding

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakawhanake Sustaining

2 Context of the Service

Learning Links Borman Road is a privately owned and operated all-day education and care centre situated in the suburb of Rototuna in Hamilton. The centre runs four age-based classrooms and two outdoor areas associated with these rooms. The centre is culturally diverse with children from 21 ethnic groups represented on the roll.

3 Summary of findings

The service is establishing learning-focused partnerships with parents and whānau. Systematic planning actively seeks parent and whānau perspectives and meaningful aspirations for children’s learning, contributing to the centre’s curriculum design and planning. The curriculum increasingly reflects the culture, language and identity of Māori children. Leaders are yet to ensure all children’s language, culture and identity are reflected. Children’s learning is enhanced by learning-focused partnerships.

Leaders and kaiako are increasingly working collaboratively to build professional knowledge, expertise and cultural competence. Professional development is supporting kaiako to grow the bicultural curriculum. The integration of te reo and tikanga Māori is evident throughout the service. The bicultural curriculum supports Māori children and encourages all children to understand and respect the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Leaders are embedding the conditions that enable collaboration for improvement and sustainability. An intentional shift to shared leadership is in the early stages of being implemented. Kaiako have begun to lead internal evaluation, increasing the capability and collective capacity to do and use evaluation for improvement. A dedicated pedagogical leader mentors and coaches kaiako to develop their teaching and leadership capabilities. Children benefit from a shared focus on evaluation for sustainable improvement.

The governance and management team appropriately implement systems, processes and practices that support improvement toward equity and excellence. Policies and procedures successfully guide centre operations. The service’s strategic plan and philosophy are reflected in everyday practice. Processes for internal evaluation, professional learning and curriculum planning are actively implemented and promote positive outcomes for the learning and wellbeing of children and their whānau.

4 Improvement actions

Learning Links Borman Rd will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • further strengthen curriculum, assessment and planning processes that recognise all children’s language, culture, and identity
  • continue to develop distributive leadership structures and practices for ongoing sustainability
  • extend teacher capacity to lead internal evaluation for improvement in teaching and learning.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Links Borman Rd 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

22 June 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name Learning Links Borman Rd
Profile Number 45495
Location Hamilton

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

100 children, including up to 25 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

89

Ethnic composition

Māori 14, NZ European/Pākehā 26, Chinese 10, Indian 11,
South African 4, Other ethnic groups 24.

Review team on site

May 2021

Date of this report

22 June 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2018; Education Review, May 2015.

Learning Links 2 Borman Road - 25/05/2018

1 Evaluation of Learning Links 2 Borman Road

How well placed is Learning Links 2 Borman Road 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

Learning Links 2 Borman Road is a privately owned and operated all-day education and care centre situated in the suburb of Rototuna in Hamilton. It is licensed for 100 children, including 50 up to two years of age. The roll of 99 includes nine children who identify as Māori. The centre runs four age-based classrooms and two outdoor areas associated with these rooms. The centre is culturally diverse with a strong Chinese presence.

The centre’s aim is to support the different cultures that attend and foster a bi-cultural/multi-cultural setting. The programme is based on Te Whāriki curriculum aspirations for children ‘to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators'. The centre believes that through an environment that promotes curiosity, exploration, questioning and wonder, children will be encouraged to develop their knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to lifelong learning.

Since the last ERO report in 2015, the centre philosophy has been reviewed. Planning for children’s interests through the promotion of literacy and numeracy, and challenge and risk taking in the programme have improved.

The Review Findings

Children’s learning is well promoted through responsive teaching. Partnerships with parents focus on children’s learning. Transitions into, through and onto school support children's sense of self and builds confidence. Children experience an environment that promotes opportunities to support their learning.

Children under the age of two experience respectful and nurturing relationships in a calm and safe environment. They lead their own learning, and their independence is fostered successfully by teachers through a flexible and inclusive environment. Children are supported to make choices and decisions about their learning through play. They are encouraged to develop confidence and competence through an inclusive learning environment.

Positive and engaged interactions between teachers and children promote social competence and reciprocal relationships. Responsive teaching practices support children with English as a second language, and teachers' model appropriate language to promote all children’s oral literacy. Children benefit from a curriculum that provides the opportunity to explore, inquire and follow their own interests.

Children experience a rich and well-resourced environment. The large outside learning environment supports risk taking and challenge, and caters for a wide range of interests and skill development. A wide variety of learning opportunities are fully accessible to all learners. Literacy, numeracy and science are purposefully integrated into the learning programme. Planning, assessment and evaluation identifies children’s developing skills and knowledge. To strengthen assessment practice, teachers should consider learning and development over time for children.

Teachers use some te reo Māori, and aspects of tikanga practices such as waiata and karakia to build on the children’s knowledge of te ao Māori. A bi-cultural curriculum is developing through the centre's vision. Strategic planning identifies a centre-wide commitment to further develop and improve teaching practice to promote Māori achieving success as Māori.

Leaders promote a reflective learning environment. There is a strong focus on building teacher capability and capacity through an established environment of collaboration. Leadership promotes a culture where all children are valued and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning.

Strong governance promotes positive learning outcomes for all children. The clear vision and philosophy are supported by effective policy, procedures, systems and processes. Internal evaluation is driven by leaders and follows a strategic approach to change management and improvement. Community consultation processes are supporting these initiatives well. Performance management and appraisal have been established to support teachers' professional practice.

Key Next Steps

To further improve teachers' practice leaders need to:

  • implement teachers' inquiries to support a strong alignment with the centre’s strategic vision, and internal evaluation

  • further develop responsive and intentional planning and assessment practices that include opportunities for extension and progress over time for each child

  • further develop centre-wide implementation and practice of a bi-cultural curriculum that promotes Māori achieving success as Māori.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Links 2 Borman Road 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 Learning Links 2 Borman Road will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

25 May 2018

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

Hamilton

Ministry of Education profile number

45495

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

100 children, including up to 50 aged under 2

Service roll

99

Gender composition

Boys 50

Girls 49

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Chinese
Indian
Other

9
37
35
7
11

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

25 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

March 2012

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.