Little Beans Preschool Limited

Education institution number:
47014
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
40
Telephone:
Address:

12 Slater Street, Richmond, Christchurch

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Little Beans Preschool Limited

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 Little Beans Preschool Limited are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakatō Emerging

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whāngai Establishing

Whakatō Emerging

2 Context of the Service

Little Beans Preschool Limited is a privately-owned early childhood centre. The owner is the service provider. Since ERO’s November 2020 review there have been some staff changes. This includes two newly appointed centre leaders who are responsible for daily operations, management, and governance. All staff are qualified. The roll includes some Māori children and children of diverse ethnic heritages. Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the RIE/Pikler approach (an approach based on the principles of trust and respect) underpin the programme.

3 Summary of findings

Children engage in individual play and small group learning. They experience a language-rich environment and have meaningful conversations with their teachers. Teachers are responsive to the verbal and non-verbal cues of infants and toddlers. Teachers intentionally provide resources to promote learning that reflect the interests and abilities of younger and older children.

A shared understanding of the philosophy and learner priorities is promoted within the teaching team. Social and emotional competence is fostered by teaching approaches that support children in developing their sense of belonging and wellbeing.

The bicultural curriculum requires further development. A Māori worldview, particularly in relation to the local histories and stories of mana whenua, and meaningful use of te reo Māori are not yet present in practice or visible in the learning environment.

The quality of assessment planning and evaluation is variable. The service’s newly developed guidelines for assessment are not yet fully implemented or aligned with practice. Assessment information does not consistently show:

  • children’s learning and progress overtime in relation to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki

  • the languages, cultures, and identities of children and their whānau, and how this information informs the curriculum

  • how teachers engage parents in the curriculum, and use information shared by parents to inform planning.

A useful framework is in place to guide internal evaluation. However, leaders and teachers need to strengthen their understanding of how to effectively do, and use, evaluation for improvement. This includes posing evaluative questions, developing clear indicators of quality to guide the process, and monitoring changes made to know what is working, or not, and for whom. The professional growth framework has yet to be fully implemented. Reporting to the owner requires strengthening. This reporting should better inform how performance is tracking in relation to the vision and goals, and about maintaining compliance with the regulatory standards.

4 Improvement actions

Little Beans Preschool Limited will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Fully implement the guidelines for assessment and monitor practice to ensure this aligns with expectations.

  • Further develop and implement a bicultural curriculum informed by mana whenua that reflects the stories and histories relevant to the area and integrates meaningful use of te reo Māori.

  • Build leaders’ and teachers’ capability to do and use effective internal evaluation to better know how changes made have improved outcomes for individuals and groups of children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Beans Preschool Limited 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

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following areas of non-compliance:

  • Ensuring items intended for children to sleep on (stretchers) are securely covered with, or made of, a non-porous material that does not allow liquid to pass through it.

  • Having records that show equipment, premises, and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008; PF30, HS12].

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

1 August 2023 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Little Beans Preschool Limited

Profile Number

 47014

Location

Christchurch

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

36 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

38

Review team on site

May 2023

Date of this report

1 August 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku | Assurance Review, November 2020
Akanuku | Assurance Review, May 2019

Little Beans Preschool Limited

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Little Beans Preschool Limited is a privately-owned service in Christchurch. All the teachers are qualified. This is the second ERO review within 18 months. The service has been involved in a range of professional development from external advisors.

Summary of Review Findings

Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the RIE/Pikler theories underpin the centre programme. Infants, toddlers and older children experience positive, respectful interactions with adults. Positive steps are taken to communicate with families and support them to be involved in the decision-making concerning their children’s learning. The premises and facilities, indoors and outdoors are resourced to provide for the learning and abilities of the children attending.

A policy framework and annual planning guide centre operations. The service is establishing processes and procedures for internal evaluation, and the assessment, planning and evaluation of key learning priorities.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:  

  • evidence that parents have been informed of any accident while their child is at the service
  • parent acknowledgment that they have been informed of any medication administered while their child is at the service.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education & Care Services, 2008, HS27, HS28.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
3 November 2020 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Little Beans Preschool Limited

Profile Number

47014

Location

Christchurch

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

36 children, including up to 10 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

53

Gender composition

Male 29, Female 24

Ethnic composition

Māori 8, NZ European/Pākehā 41, Other ethnicities 4

Review team on site

September 2020

Date of this report

3 November 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 Akanuku | Assurance Review, May 2019

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
  • previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
  • that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
  • that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

  • discussions with those involved in the service
  • consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
  • observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.