Lollipops Patten Street

Education institution number:
70157
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
58
Address:

Lollipops Patten Street

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 Lollipops Patten Street are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakaū Embedding

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

Whāngai Establishing

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Lollipops Patten Street is located in East Christchurch and serves a diverse community. It is part of Lollipops Educare Centres Limited, which are part of the Evolve Education Group, a nationwide provider. An area manager has oversight of the service while a centre-based manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation. As part of its ethos of community support, the centre operates a community pantry which is available onsite.

3 Summary of findings

Leaders and kaiako have embedded responsive and reciprocal relationships with children, parents and whānau. Kaiako foster a holistic perspective of learning and development to ensure children have opportunities to lead their own learning within the daily programme. Intentional teaching approaches support children to cultivate caring and nurturing relationships with their peers. Kaiako view children as highly competent and capable learners.

Kaiako and leaders are continuing to develop assessment for learning processes to ensure a child’s culture, identity, and language is acknowledged. Planning for children’s learning priorities is undertaken in collaboration with parents, whānau and children and informs curriculum design. Children’s individual learning plans are interwoven into group planning. Te ao Māori is visible in wall displays throughout the centre and is an area of ongoing improvement.

Centre leaders have developed good working relationships with external organisations including educational settings to assist whānau and their children.

The centre manager and the area manager are building internal evaluation capacity and capability amongst the teaching team. There is a focus on ongoing improvement in all learning and organisational conditions to create equitable opportunities for all children. 

4 Improvement actions

Lollipops Patten Street will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • make visible children’s language, culture, and identity in assessment, planning, and evaluation of learning
  • build the capability of all kaiako to provide a language rich curriculum that includes the integrated use of te reo Māori
  • embed knowledge and understanding of effective internal evaluation across the team. In particular, strengthen questions that guide the internal evaluation process with a focus that results in improving outcomes for children. 

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Lollipops Patten Street 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

4 October 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Lollipops Patten Street

Profile Number

70157

Location

Christchurch

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

92 children, including up to 24 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

80

Ethnic composition

Māori 9, NZ European/Pākehā 49, Other ethnic groups 22.

Review team on site

June 2021

Date of this report

4 October 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, August 2017; Education Review, November 2013.

Lollipops Educare Patten Street - 11/08/2017

1 Evaluation of Lollipops Educare Patten Street

How well placed is Lollipops Educare Patten Street 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

Lollipops Educare Patten Street is a purpose-built centre providing full day education and care for up to 92 children from birth to school age.

The centre has five separate classrooms for specific age groups of children, each with its own directly accessed outdoor area. Each classroom has its own head teacher.

The centre has experienced significant changes since the last review. It is now part of the Evolve Education Group. A new centre manager was appointed in October 2016 and there have been a number of staff changes this year. An area manager visits regularly and provides guidance and support. Many staff are qualified early childhood education teachers.

Since the 2014 ERO review the managers and staff have improved significantly the transition to school programme.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from a wide range of learning experiences. They are engaged in their learning and work purposefully in groups or independently. They have easy access to suitable resources both inside and out that support and develop their interests and abilities and extend their learning.

The learning and wellbeing of all children, including those with additional needs, are well supported. Teachers have a well-planned and intentional focus on helping children to develop social competencies. They actively promote positive and caring relationships with children and families.

Children under two benefit from a calm environment and nurturing, respectful interactions. Teachers work with parents to ensure children experience familiar routines.

Leaders and teachers foster a sense of belonging for children through sensitive interactions and develop secure and trusting relationships. They are responsive to individual children’s interests, strengths and needs. Authentic learning opportunities are provided both in the centre and through visits to the wider community. Leaders and teachers work collaboratively with a wide range of outside agencies and expertise to achieve positive and equitable outcomes for all children. Purposeful links to the wider education community have been established.

Parents are well informed about their child’s progress. Parent aspirations and views are actively sought and incorporated in planning. Their participation in centre activities is valued and affirmed.

The centre is very inclusive and has a diverse range of families attending. Teachers are developing an understanding of bicultural practices and perspectives and are supported in this by Māori whānau.

The centre is well led and managed. The manager has a clear vision and high, explicit expectations for all aspects of centre organisation and outcomes for children. New strategic and annual plans focus on the centre’s philosophy and priorities.

The manager has implemented a range of effective systems and processes for quality assurance, accountability, internal evaluation and planning. Teachers benefit from initiatives to build leadership capacity and teacher capability. Regular professional support and mentoring is aligned with the centre’s goals.

Key Next Steps

The manager and ERO agree that the key next steps to improve outcomes for children are to:

  • ensure the centre philosophy is reflected in practices, programmes and the environment
  • further develop te āo Māori and the bicultural curriculum and increase the visibility in the environment of the language, culture and identity of all children
  • build consistency of best practice for assessment, planning and evaluation of teaching and learning
  • embed the new strategic and annual plans, including monitoring and evaluation of the impact of initiatives
  • fully implement the new appraisal and attestation process in line with Education Council requirements.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Lollipops Educare Patten Street 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 Lollipops Educare Patten Street will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer - Southern (Te Waipounamu)

11 August 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

70157

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

92 children, including up to 24 aged under 2

Service roll

109

Gender composition

Boys 64; Girls 45

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnicities

26
52
31

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

50-79%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

June 2017

Date of this report

11 August 2017

Most recent ERO reports

 

Education Review

November 2013

Education Review

January 2012

Education Review

November 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.