PORSE Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Q2

Education institution number:
30252
Service type:
Homebased Network
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
13
Telephone:
Address:

367 Cameron Road, Tauranga

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PORSE Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Q2 - 02/10/2018

1 Evaluation of PORSE Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Q2

How well placed is PORSE Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Q2 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

PORSE Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Q2 is a quality home-based education and care network operating under the umbrella of PORSE In-Home Childcare Network (NZ) Ltd. It is one of four PORSE networks operating in the Bay of Plenty/Rotorua area. Of the 54 children enrolled, 11 are Māori.

The PORSE vision is, ‘expanding the hearts, minds and wellbeing of a nation through nurturing child-care in-home’.

Qualified and registered programme tutors work alongside educators and nannies to implement and support learning programmes for children in homes with a focus on care and education. A national team provides governance and management support for all PORSE services.

PORSE offers two options for education and care. The home educator model where the educator works in their own home; and the nanny educator model where an educator works in a family’s home. In this network all educators have at least a level three qualification in early education and care.

Since the 2011 ERO review, PORSE In-Home Childcare Network (NZ) Ltd. has changed ownership. The Evolve Education Group Limited (EEG Ltd) purchased PORSE in September 2014. Existing structures for national and community team management have continued through the change of ownership. The PORSE senior leadership team, who are responsible for operations, report to the EEG Ltd board of directors.

The 2011 ERO report identified key next steps in relation to bicultural practices, self review, assessment practice, resourcing and health and safety. There has been significant development in relation to bicultural resources, health and safety systems and practices, and self review.

This review was part of a cluster four reviews in PORSE In-Home Childcare Bay of Plenty/Rotorua.

The Review Findings

Parent aspirations for their children are strongly reflected in the design of the curriculum and its implementation. Partnerships with parents and whānau are respectful and reciprocal. Programme tutors have a key role in facilitating responsive care arrangements between educators and families. These partnerships contribute to children's wellbeing and secure relationships with their educator.

Children benefit from child-centred teaching and learning practices in a small family-like setting. Relationships between families, children, educators and programme tutors are meaningful and affirming. Inclusive processes and practices ensure children with additional needs and their families are well supported. Individual needs are carefully considered when pairing educators and children. Transitions into and beyond the service are well managed. These are responsive to each family and support continuity of care and wellbeing for children. Experiences for children up to two years are enhanced through small and intimate home settings where a culture of respectful care is highly evident. Educators know children well and effectively respond to individual routines, needs and interests.

A feature of the PORSE curriculum are the real-life home experiences that promote meaningful literacy and mathematics learning to support and extend children’s emerging interests. Additional resourcing provided by PORSE is well used and supplement and enhance in-home learning. Programme tutors and educators also access a wide range of resources that support educators and children's learning about Māori language and culture. Children have extensive opportunities to make connections, explore and learn in the wider community. Participation in a number of organised groups and outings enables them to socialise, problem solve and try new things in a wider group of adults and children.

Assessment for learning is developing. Some individual assessment records provide good evidence of children’s identity, interests, dispositions and learning overtime. Assessment records are easily accessible to whānau and families who value the opportunity to view and reflect on their child's learning.

Regional leaders provide effective and targeted support and coaching for programme tutors. This fosters ongoing professional learning and leadership opportunities within the service. Leaders empower programme tutors to work collaboratively across networks, and to reflect on and growing their own and educators practice. The annual appraisal process further supports educators to develop their practice through self assessment, feedback from programme tutors and families, and goal setting. Leaders have a strong commitment to effective teaching and learning that contributes to positive learning outcomes for all children.

Strategic goals and self review clearly focus on enhancing positive outcomes for children and their families that is improvement focused. A range of relevant and up-to-date policies guide health and safety practices in homes. There are clear systems, framework and expectations for performance management. A deliberate and responsive approach to training for educators along with ongoing professional learning and development is growing the capability of educators to consistently promote positive learning outcomes for all children.

Key Next Steps

ERO and service leaders agree that PORSE needs to:

  • use self review to more deliberately to design and implement a localised curriculum in each network

  • formalise the attestation process for registered teachers, monitor appraisal goals in an ongoing way and ensure that evidence is linked to the appropriate teaching standards
  • review the service’s vision and philosophy to reflect the bicultural nature of Aotearoa and align to Te Whāriki 2017.

Service leaders and programme tutors need to strengthen:

  • advice and guidance to educators in relation to regulatory requirements and appraisal goals
  • the deliberate modelling of effective assessment for learning strategies.

Recommendation

ERO recommends that PORSE accesses professional learning and development for programme tutors to strengthen their understanding of New Zealand Education Council requirements for teacher registration and appraisal.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of PORSE Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Q2 completed an ERO Home-based Education and Care 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 PORSE Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Q2 will be in three years.

Adrienne Fowler

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

2 October 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 Home-based Education and Care Service

Location

Tauranga

Ministry of Education profile number

30252

Institution type

Homebased Network

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 40 aged under 2

Service roll

54

Standard or Quality Funded

Quality

Gender composition

Boys 30 Girls 24

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā

11
43

Number of qualified coordinators in the network

2

Required ratios of staff educators to children

Under 2

1:2

Over 2

1:4

Review team on site

August 2018

Date of this report

2 October 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

March 2011

Education Review

August 2006

Education Review

October 2003

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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014

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.

PORSE Mt Maunganui Q1 - 14/03/2011

1 The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

PORSE (Play, Observe, Relate, Support and Extend) Mt Maunganui Q1 is a network of home-based care and education centres that caters for children and families from the Mt Maunganui and Te Puke areas. The service has 31 educators who each provide care and education for up to four children at a time.

A feature of the service is the affirming and respectful relationships established between educators and children. Positive interactions within homes enhance children’s social and communication skills. Children confidently approach educators who are highly responsive to their interests and care needs.

The network programme tutors make regular home visits to educators and provide sound professional advice, guidance and support. They model effective teaching strategies to engage children in learning.

The organisation is committed to providing rich learning experiences that use the wider community. Children and educators benefit from an abundant range of learning opportunities that include playgroups and regular excursions to places of interest such as parks, beaches, libraries, shops and visits to other educators’ homes.

Families are kept well informed of events and activities through journals, newsletters and the service’s web-site. Educators talk regularly with parents discussing progress and sharing relevant information. Children benefit from this holistic approach to their care and education.

Centre staff have identified that there is a need to encourage and promote the integration of bicultural perspectives into daily programmes. Professional development planned for 2011 should enable programme tutors and educators to better promote and develop children’s understanding of the dual cultural heritage of New Zealand.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again within three years.

2 Review Priorities

The Focus of the Review

Before the review, the management of PORSE Mt Maunganui Q1 was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by PORSE Mt Maunganui Q1 to contribute to the scope of the review.

The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the service (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atPORSE Mt Maunganui Q1.

All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:

  • the programme provided for children;
  • the learning environment; and
  • the interactions between children and adults.

ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.

The Quality of Education

Background

PORSE Mt. Maunganui Q1 is a network of home-based care and education that caters for children and families from the Mt Maunganui and Te Puke areas. The service currently has 31 educators who provide for up to four children at a time. The placing of every child is determined after discussions between each parent, home educator and PORSE personnel. This allows each child and family to have their education and care needs addressed in their own, or educators, home. ERO reviewers visited a sample of educators’ homes chosen by PORSE.

The following comments about aspects of the quality of education and care are based on ERO’s observations in the homes of three educators and discussions with staff, coaches, programme tutors and educators. In addition, information about the service was gathered from parents and educators through a written survey.

Areas of good performance

Relationships: A feature of the service is the positive and respectful relationships established between educators and children. Positive interactions within homes enhance children’s social and communication skills. Children confidently approach educators who are highly responsive to their interests and needs. The small group size supports children to develop friendships and work cooperatively with others. Children’s learning benefits from the strong emphasis placed on fostering their emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging.

Leadership and management: Professional leadership and a cohesive team approach contribute to the quality of education and care provided for children and their families. A wide range of guidelines, policies and procedures set clear expectations, guide the management of the service, and provide educators with well-documented expectations. The network programme tutors visit educators regularly and provide them with sound professional advice, guidance and support. They model effective teaching strategies to engage children in learning. Educators have access to a wide range of workshops and training in current early childhood practice with an emphasis on understanding how young babies learn. Programme tutors ensure that children experience a safe and secure learning environment.

Learning programme: Educators prepare their family home to enable children to actively explore a wide range of stimulating learning experiences both indoors and outdoors. Children’s involvement in the day-to-day household routines and spontaneous outings supports them to develop as capable, confident and competent learners. Considerable thought is given to providing a programme that positively contributes to the social and academic development of babies.

Authentic learning: The organisation is committed to providing children with a rich range of learning experiences within the wider community. Children and educators can participate in playgroups and regular excursions to places of interest. Many children access additional early childhood education services and have regular outings to parks, beaches, libraries, shops and visits to other educators’ homes. This approach supports children’s engagement by providing an abundant range of learning opportunities.

Partnership with families: Educators, PORSE personnel and families have established open and trusting partnerships that are focused on providing the best outcomes for children. Families are kept well informed of events and activities through journals, newsletters and the services web-site. Educators talk regularly with parents, discussing progress and sharing relevant information. Children benefit from this holistic approach to their care and education.

Agreed area for development and review

Bicultural perspectives: Management and programme tutors have identified, and ERO agrees, that there is a need to encourage and promote the integration of Māori into programmes. The professional development planned for 2011 should enable programme tutors and educators to further promote and develop children’s understanding of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand.te reo me ngä tikanga

3 National Evaluation Topic

Overview

ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement.

Partnerships with whānau of Māori children in early childhood services

As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:

  • this service understands and values the identity, language and culture of Māori children and their whānau, particularly when the child and whānau transition to the service;
  • managers and educators have built relationships with whānau of Māori children; and
  • this service works in partnership with whānau of Māori children.

Area of strength

There are close relationships between parents, whānau and educators. Each educator is dealing with only two to four families. Regular contact keeps families and educators informed about developments, emerging contexts and aspirations. Parents are able to select the educator who they perceive to be best equipped to meet the aspirations and particular requirements for their children.

4 Management Assurance on Compliance Areas

Overview

Before the review, the management and staff of PORSE Mt Maunganui Q1 completed an ERO Home-Based CareManagement Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

  • administration;
  • health, safety and welfare;
  • personnel management; and
  • financial and property management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:

  • emotional safety (including behaviour management, prevention of bullying and abuse);
  • physical safety (including behaviour management, sleeping and supervision practices; accidents and medication; hygiene and routines; travel and excursion policies and procedures);
  • staff qualifications and organisation; and
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

5 Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again within three years.

Richard Thornton

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region

14 March 2011

About the Service

Licence type

Home-Based Care

Chartered under

Chartered under Education (Home-based Care) Order 1992

Roll number

118

Gender composition

Boys 62 Girls 56

Ethnic composition

New Zealand European/Pākehā 84

Other European 18

New Zealand Māori 7

Other 9

Review team onsite

January 2011

Date of this report

14 March 2011

Previous ERO report

Education Review June 2006

14 March 2011

To the Parents and Community of PORSE Mt Maunganui Q1

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on PORSE (Play, Observe, Relate, Support and Extend) Mt Maunganui Q1.

PORSE Mt Maunganui Q1 is a network of home-based care and education centres that caters for children and families from the Mt Maunganui and Te Puke areas. The service has 31 educators who each provide care and education for up to four children at a time.

A feature of the service is the affirming and respectful relationships established between educators and children. Positive interactions within homes enhance children’s social and communication skills. Children confidently approach educators who are highly responsive to their interests and care needs.

The network programme tutors make regular home visits to educators and provide sound professional advice, guidance and support. They model effective teaching strategies to engage children in learning.

The organisation is committed to providing rich learning experiences that use the wider community. Children and educators benefit from an abundant range of learning opportunities that include playgroups and regular excursions to places of interest such as parks, beaches, libraries, shops and visits to other educators’ homes.

Families are kept well informed of events and activities through journals, newsletters and the service’s web-site. Educators talk regularly with parents discussing progress and sharing relevant information. Children benefit from this holistic approach to their care and education.

Centre staff have identified that there is a need to encourage and promote the integration of bicultural perspectives into daily programmes. Professional development planned for 2011 should enable programme tutors and educators to better promote and develop children’s understanding of the dual cultural heritage of New Zealand.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again within three years.

When ERO has reviewed an early childhood service we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the service or see the ERO website, www.ero.govt.nz.

Richard Thornton

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:

  • improve quality of education for children in early childhood services; and
  • provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each service’s self review.

Review Focus

ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.

Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.

Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a service, may be included in the review. ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.

National Evaluation Topics – This strand contribute to the development of education policies and their effective implementation. The information from this strand is aggregated by ERO for its national evaluation reports. Topics for investigation are changed regularly to provide up-to-date information.

Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this service has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of service performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this service.

Review Recommendations

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a service is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this service.