30 Marina View, Mana, Porirua
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.
Mana Early Learning Centre is situated in Mana, North Porirua. It is licensed for 77 children, including up to 25 aged under two years. Daily sessions operate from 7.30am to 5.45pm. The purpose-built centre is divided into four rooms catering to different age groups.
Governance and management changes have occurred since ERO's 2014 review. In December 2015, the centre was bought by Evolve Education Group, which owns early learning services nationally.
Evolve's area and regional management teams oversee a centre manager, who is responsible for day-to-day operation. She works as a support manager for five other Evolve services in the region. Some management duties are delegated to an assistant manager. Each of the centre's four rooms has a team leader. Most teaching staff are qualified. A cook and administrator are employed.
ERO's June 2014 report identified areas requiring improvement. These included aspects of teacher practice, internal evaluation, staff support systems, Te Tiriti-based practice, promotion of success for Māori children, and assessment, planning and evaluation. Some progress in these areas is evident.
New management has successfully established a positive team culture. Teachers regularly discuss their practice. A focus on ongoing improvement is evident.
Infants and toddlers benefit from child-led interactions. Teachers give them time and choices. They explore a well-resourced environment at their own pace. Teachers respond sensitively and respectfully to children’s non-verbal cues. Interactions are warm and play based. Oral language and social competence are supported. Teachers adapt their practice according to individual children's needs.
Teachers work alongside older children and actively encourage their self-help skills. Positive, caring relationships are evident.
A well-considered process supports transitions within the centre. Useful information is shared with children and whānau to support their sense of belonging and wellbeing at these times.
The centre has identified that transition-to-school processes require improvement. Teachers are committed to establishing relationships with local schools. They actively seek out best practice research and professional learning opportunities, and have recently joined with the Community of Learning│Kāhui Ako, North Porirua Cluster. ERO affirms that children and parents would benefit from the development of strategies to support transition.
Children's portfolios celebrate their engagement with the programme and emerging interests and friendships. Planning information is shared with parents, who have opportunities to contribute information from home into the process. An online tool supports this communication. Links are made to the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki.
Leaders have acknowledged that assessment, planning and evaluation processes require improvement. ERO agrees. Management should oversee the development and implementation of a robust cycle, which clearly demonstrates teachers' understanding of the purpose and use of assessment and planning for children's learning.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are evident in documentation and the environment. Leaders and teachers have been working to improve their bicultural curriculum. This has involved language courses, and working with Ngāti Toa through a Ministry of Education-funded programme, Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities. This is ongoing.
Teachers should continue to strengthen their positive relationships with families to inform culturally responsive practices. As these learning-based partnerships develop, they should consider how they can draw on cultural information to develop targeted strategies that promote the educational success of Māori and Pacific children.
Teachers liaise with whānau and outside agencies, where appropriate, to support children with diverse needs. A next step is to more clearly monitor these children’s progress through their assessment, planning and evaluation documentation.
Teachers regularly engage in self review as a platform to research and develop aspects of the programme. Leaders acknowledge that this process does not yet evaluate how well teachers' practice improves outcomes for children. Teachers require support to develop their understanding and use of internal evaluation as a tool for improvement.
A recently implemented appraisal process has yet to be embedded. As this process develops, leaders must ensure that it meets all requirements set out by the Education Council. Targeted observations of teachers' practice, linked to their goals, have yet to be implemented. Teachers should be supported to clearly document, with evidence, their progress in relation to the Practising Teacher Criteria. Management should increase monitoring at all levels of the appraisal and endorsement processes.
The centre was not able to show evidence that policies to support provisionally certificated teachers were being enacted in practice. Management has indicated this will be rectified. Guidance and monitoring of these teachers should be strengthened. Increased support is necessary to build leaders' and teachers' capability.
Increased support for leaders and teachers in this service is required to strengthen and improve practice in the following areas:
growing knowledge and understanding of the purpose and use of assessment, planning and evaluation
identifying priorities for children's learning in partnership with families
implementing strategies that promote the educational success for Māori and Pacific children
using internal evaluation for improved outcomes
building teacher capability through appraisal and systems that support provisionally certificated teachers.
Before the review, the staff and management of Mana Early Learning Centre 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 service will provide ERO with an action plan that shows how the priorities for improvement will be addressed. ERO will request progress updates.
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Mana Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
2 August 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 |
Porirua |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45059 |
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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 |
77 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
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|
Service roll |
96 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 50, Girls 46 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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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 |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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|
Review team on site |
June 2017 |
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Date of this report |
2 August 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
April 2011 |
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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.
Mana Early Childhood Centre is one of nine centres owned and administered by Artemis Early Learning Limited. Leadership of strategic planning, the education programme and the management of staff is the responsibility of the Centre Manager (CM).
A professional services manager located in Christchurch provides advice and support to strengthen practice and promote improvement. Registered teachers share the duties associated with implementing the programme. There are six provisionally registered teachers in the centre.
The centre’s philosophy recognises the role of families as the first teachers of their children. At Mana ELC children are grouped in one of four flexible, age-defined rooms. Each room has staff, resources and an environment appropriate to a specific age group. Daily sessions operate from 7.30am to 5.30pm, from Monday to Friday. The centre serves a diverse community.
The centre operates within a well-maintained purpose-built building in a property where children can access outside equipment and activities. Teachers place high value on the centre’s links with its community, using the local environment to support children’s learning.
At the time of the April 2011 ERO review this service was one of two licensed centres on the site. It is now amalgamated to one service. Areas for review and development in that report included consistency of learning journey books, a review of the strategic and annual planning and documentation for inducting new whānau to the centre. These areas are being appropriately addressed.
A nurturing environment supports a culture of care and learning. Children are confident and appreciate the opportunities to interact with adults. Appropriate ratios of adults to children promote opportunities for one-to-one interaction. Children access a suitable variety of learning materials and resources. Teaching staff know the children and their families well.
Building and maintaining positive and enduring relationships in the centre are highly valued. Staff are friendly and welcoming. They are inclusive of the cultures of children, providing space and time for all to participate in te ao Māori within the curriculum.
Leaders are committed to strengthening the team’s understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership and establishing what families aspire to, to achieve success for Māori children as Māori.
Provision for infants and toddlers varies. Children are generally encouraged to explore the play spaces and use a full range of learning materials. The room for the youngest centre members is suitably resourced for those children who are not yet mobile. Through a self-review process, changes made in that room have added value to the care and learning. The children show confidence in making choices and leading their learning.
The recent appointment of a CM and other staff has been well managed to minimise disruption to children and families. Staff demonstrate respect, trust and responsiveness to improvement. Teachers are considering and using practices of self review. They are beginning to use evidence to reflect on and improve their teaching.
The friendly culture and teachers’ support for each other fosters confidence and willingness to improve. They are reflective, committed and proud of their roles. It is now time to systematically and rigorously critique teaching in an intentional way.
The CM enthusiastically embraces new learning in her role of leading staff. She has developed a cooperative, collaborative team. Some areas of her work could be better supported by Artemis as she prioritises aspects that have the most positive impact on children.
This includes implementing professional support for provisionally registered teachers, strengthening the appraisal system to be more robust, focused and useful, evaluating the curriculum and conducting the formal induction of new staff.
The centre philosophy and values are reflected in practice. The programme is implemented with teachers playing a leading role. Managers and ERO agree a next step is to consider and develop a shared understanding of child-led play.
A stronger emphasis on identifying children's significant learning linked to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum should lead to outcomes that benefit children. Across the rooms, literacy and numeracy are well integrated into the programme in meaningful ways.
Teachers should continue to:
The centre owner should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Mana Early Learning Centre 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 Mana Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services Central Region
20 June 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 |
Porirua |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45059 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
77 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
109 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 55, Boys 54 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups |
10 89 2 8 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1 : 4 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1 : 8 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
20 June 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
April 2011 |
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.