Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
46285
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
46
Telephone:
Address:

279 Mount Wellington Highway, Mount Wellington, Auckland

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Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre - 17/10/2019

1 Evaluation of Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

The Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre in Mt Wellington is one of three Piccolo Park services. It is licensed for up to 70 children, including 12 up to two years of age. There are three separate age-related groups known as Whenua, Wai and Ngāhere, all with easy access to the refurbished outdoor environment. Each room has a team leader to support the teaching team.

The centre employs eight registered teachers, who are supported by other teaching staff, an administrator and a cook. The staff reflect the ethnic diversity of the community. The directors hold the business, financial and assistant manager roles.

The centre's philosophy promotes a stimulating, respectful environment that supports children to be curious, capable and confident. A responsive curriculum recognises parents' values and aspirations for their children.

The 2015 ERO report noted that children were supposed to be self-managing, problem solvers and that teachers supported children's language, culture and identity. These features continue to be evident. ERO's report recommended reviewing aspects of the programme, growing leadership and establishing a formal strategic plan. There have been positive developments in these and other areas.

The Review Findings

Children are happy, and confident in the centre. They have trusting relationships with teachers and consistently engage in play that interests them. Young children and toddlers play enthusiastically in small groups as they explore the outdoors. They enjoy books and interact and have fun with their peers and teachers. They benefit from natural environments and equipment that reflect the value placed on "nature's gifts" and that support many creative and imaginative play experiences. Children's independence is fostered through opportunities to make choices and develop self-help skills.

Infants and toddlers enjoy nurturing care. Good adult-to-child ratios enable very young children to develop a sense of belonging in the centre. Programmes support children's developmental milestones. Teachers encourage children to explore independently, attempt physical challenges and develop relationships with others. Infants interact confidently with adults and make choices about their play. Toddlers frequently play with the older children as they develop mobility and social skills. This enables children to transition easily through the centre.

Teachers know children well. They respond to individual interests and are sensitive and responsive to children with additional learning needs. Adults' conversations with children encourage them to share their ideas and sustain their play for long periods. Teachers often integrate te reo Māori and foster the use of children's first languages. They support children to develop early literacy and numeracy skills in meaningful contexts.

Teachers in each room maintain extensive planning folders to document shared interests and highlights of children's play. They record individual learning in children's portfolios. These systems provide strong guidance for intentional teaching and continuity for children's individual learning. Leaders support teachers' ongoing evaluation of programmes.

Parents and whānau are an integral part of the centre and are encouraged to be active partners in children's learning. They are invited to participate in centre events and excursions, surveys and reviews, and to contribute to cultural celebrations. Inclusive systems and open communication enable families to share their photos, values, aspirations and information about home experiences. Parents respond positively to the digital programme that allows extended family members to receive and comment on children's learning stories and photos.

The centre is well managed. The manager and her leadership team are well supported by the centre director to operate the centre efficiently with a sound policy framework and effective health and safety systems. An extensive overarching strategic plan guides centre goals. It is timely for the leadership team to refine the strategic plan and to document progress and the achievement of their aspirations.

Key Next Steps

Managers agree that the key next steps for leaders are to:

  • lead the implementation of the centre's bicultural partnership and build teachers' understanding and confidence in using te reo Māori more in the programme and in documentation

  • ensure that portfolios continue to reflect children's learning over time with suggestions about next steps in their learning, and links to whānau aspirations.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Piccolo Park 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:

  • 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

17 October 2019

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

Mount Wellington, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

46285

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

70 children, including up to 12 aged under 2

Service roll

70

Gender composition

Boys 40 Girls 30

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Chinese
Filipino
Samoan
Indian
Middle Eastern
Sri Lankan
other ethnic groups

7
15
13
10
5
4
4
4
8

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

September 2019

Date of this report

17 October 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

November 2015

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.

Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre - 06/11/2015

1 Evaluation of Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre 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

Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre is a new, purpose built service that has been operating since November 2013. The centre provides full day and sessional care and education for up to 70 children, including a small number less than two years of age. Children are organised into three separate age-related groups known as Whenua, Wai and Ngahere. The two older groups share some facilities and their outdoor play area. This is the first review of the centre.

The centre is owned by an extended family. Two family members work collaboratively with the head teacher to manage the service. They have strategically staffed the centre with a multicultural team of teachers who reflect several of the cultures in the diverse community they serve. Most staff members are registered teachers. Managers support the ongoing professional development of staff and are committed to maintaining strong relationships with families.

The centre philosophy embraces Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and expresses commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Managers and teachers’ aim for children is for them to ‘acquire the skills that are needed to become confident and competent learners’.

The Review Findings

Children are well settled in this welcoming environment. They enjoy warm relationships with teachers and interact well with their friends. Children’s learning is enriched by the cultural diversity of the centre and by teachers who know what it is like to be a second language learner. Children confidently make choices about their play and engage well in ongoing projects that support their interests. They would now benefit from more consistent challenges in their learning programmes.

Infants and toddlers in Whenua are generally content in the care of attentive teachers. Adults provide individual support for unsettled babies and they respect them as capable learners. There is good communication with families and transition to the Wai room is thoughtfully managed in consultation with parents. A planned review of the teaching philosophy in this room should include further consideration of the ways the Whenua programme, including the outdoor environment, meets the needs and interest of children under two years of age.

Teachers support children to use resources and engage in prepared activities. Teachers enthusiastically lead mat time activities and frequently incorporate te reo Māori in their interactions. They encourage children to use their home languages and provide effective cultural support through programme activities and the celebration of special events. The head teacher models strategies for teachers to extend children's learning very well. Her open questions foster complexity in children's play and encourages them to solve problems.

Teachers are developing new processes for managing the play programmes. They meet regularly to discuss children's interests and have used related topics to provide aspects of science, literacy and numeracy in activities and resources. A recent change to provide multiple perspectives in children’s portfolios is a positive step towards making documentation more meaningful. Identifying specific strategies that will help guide teachers’ work with children could enhance the programme plans and result in more challenging learning experiences for children.

The centre provides attractive and spacious indoor environments for children. Natural wood furniture and lockers for children contribute to their sense of wellbeing and belonging. The 'L' shaped outdoor area has been carefully laid out to maximise the use of space. Teachers should continue to review and develop their supervision practices and plans for this area to ensure that the full range of play options is regularly available and that children, including babies, can play safely and confidently outdoors.

The managers are capable leaders and thoughtful employers. They have established a sound policy framework, developed effective health and safety practices and implemented positive personnel systems. Ongoing self review is highly valued as a means to enhance practices and improve outcomes for children. Managers put considerable effort into involving parents and staff in reviews. They encourage teachers to reflect critically on practices through meaningful appraisal and feedback processes.

A professional development programme for all staff, focused on improving the kaupapa Māori lens in teachers’ practice, is about to get underway. This demonstrates managers’ belief that biculturalism should underpin the diversely multicultural opportunities the centre provides.

Key Next Steps

The centre leaders agree that the next steps for centre development should include:

  • ongoing development of individual planning to strengthen guidance for teachers’ roles in the programme
  • reviewing aspects of the programme including the provision for infants, mat times and the extent to which children are engaged in meaningful learning
  • considering leadership roles for teachers to enhance their sense of ownership and responsibility for programmes
  • establishing a formal strategic plan to guide the long-term development of the centre.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Piccolo Park 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:

  • 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 Piccolo Park Early Learning Centre will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

6 November 2015

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

Mount Wellington, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

46285

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

70 children, including up to 12 aged under 2

Service roll

88

Gender composition

Girls 53 Boys 35

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Indian

Tongan

Samoan

Chinese

Filipino

Cambodian

other

2

19

19

9

8

6

5

4

16

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

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2015

Date of this report

6 November 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

No previous ERO reports

 

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.