PORSE Wellington Q4

Education institution number:
30226
Service type:
Homebased Network
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
70
Telephone:
Address:

Level 1, 1 Kaiwharawhara Road, Kaiwharawhara, Wellington

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PORSE Wellington Q4 - 14/10/2019

1 Evaluation of PORSE Wellington Q4

How well placed is PORSE Wellington Q4 to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

PORSE Wellington Q4 is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

PORSE Wellington Q4, previously known as PORSE Lower Hutt Q1, is a homebased education and care network operating under the umbrella of PORSE In-Home Childcare (NZ) Ltd (the organisation). It is licensed for 80 children including 80 aged up to two. Of the 98 children currently enrolled, 17 are Māori children.

Since the May 2015 ERO report the organisation had had two changes of ownership. In 2015 it was sold to Evolve Education Group Ltd. In late 2018 it was purchased by Rainbow Group. There have been significant changes to leadership positions in community teams. A newly established role of curriculum and quality assurance coach supports the work of the national coach.

In PORSE Wellington Q4 four programme tutors, who are qualified and registered teachers, work alongside educators to assist them to implement care and learning programmes for children in homes. Programme tutors are supported by peer support coaches. A regional coach reports to the senior leadership team. Staffing has remained consistent in the last three years.

Two options for care and education are offered; the home educator model where educators work in their own home, and the nanny educator model where an educator works in the family’s home. In this network all educators have New Zealand Qualifications Authority-approved Level 3 qualifications in early childhood education and care.

The organisation’s vision is ‘expanding the hearts, minds and wellbeing of a nation through nurturing childcare in-home’. The current philosophy guiding teaching and learning highlights ‘natural childcare’ and an increased emphasis on authentic relationships, environments and learning experiences.

The 2015 May ERO report identified that improvement was required in the organisation' monitoring systems particularly in relation to health and safety, curriculum planning, including bicultural perspectives, staff appraisal, and self review. Progress has been made in some areas, while others remain priorities for improvement.

This review was one of 11 homebased networks in PORSE In-Home Childcare (NZ) Ltd, Wellington region.

The Review Findings

Children are provided with opportunities to participate in a wide range of learning experiences in educators' homes and the local community. Many attend PORSE-organised playschools and excursions. Music and movement groups are well attended. These provide them with interesting challenges and opportunities to socialise with peers.

A comprehensive and well–considered process to support children’s enrolment and transition into educator homes has been established. This helps them to settle and develop a sense of belonging and security. Educators encourage their emerging interests and celebrate achievements. Educators are responsive to the care needs of infants.

Educators are well supported through regular visits and communication with programme tutors. There is a strong focus on ensuring compliance requirements are met. Variability of programme tutor and educator practice is evident. Programme tutors should strengthen educators’ practice to be more responsive to children’s learning needs and parent aspirations. Next steps are to strengthen the assessment and planning documentation to better reflect Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and clearly identify children’s learning outcomes.

Children with complex or additional learning needs are well supported to participate. Programme tutors have access to a range of information and knowledge about external agencies which enable them to support educators with these children.

The organisation has strengthened its support for the provision of a more bicultural programme. A range of useful workshops and resources are available. Programme tutors and educators continue to explore ways to better integrate aspects of te ao Māori into the curriculum. They need to continue to build their understanding of Treaty of Waitangi based practices to encourage greater understanding and use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.

Appropriate processes are in place to appraise programme tutors. Plans are in place to develop a more inquiry-based approach. This along with more clearly articulated goals should make the process more meaningful for teachers. Guiding documents require further development.

The quality of the appraisal process for educators is variable. Support for appraisers to implement a more development-based process to strengthen educators' knowledge of Te Whāriki is required.

The organisation, at all levels should continue to develop understanding and use of internal evaluation. Programme tutors regularly carry out reviews aligned to organisational priorities, however their approach requires improvement. This should include more systematic gathering, analysis and interpretation of evidence to guide decision-making and ongoing improvement.

A well organised governance and management framework guides operation and practice. Reporting lines and responsibilities are clear. Quality assurance is prioritised, effective and well implemented. PORSE has a comprehensive range of up-to-date guidelines and management support to guide programme tutors and educators to successfully undertake their roles. New owners have determined that the existing philosophy and strategic priorities will be reviewed. This is timely given the recent changes to the organisation.

The newly appointed regional coach works collaboratively with her team to provide responsive support and promote improvement.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for organisation managers are to continue to:

  • support the implementation of Treaty of Waitangi based practice

  • revise the philosophy to reflect national and regional priorities

  • identify curriculum priorities and desired outcomes for children’s learning aligned to the outcomes of Te Whāriki

  • define the strategic direction to reflect national and regional priorities

  • provide professional development opportunities to build the capability of peer coaches and programme tutors

  • develop shared understanding and effective use of internal evaluation to improve outcomes for children.

Network leaders and programme tutors should:

  • develop consistent effective and documented practices for planning and assessment that better align with the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki

  • work with educators to evaluate the effectiveness of planned strategies and experiences in supporting valued outcomes for children's learning

  • strengthen processes for providing feedback to educators to improve their practice.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of PORSE Wellington Q4 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.

In order to improve current practice, the service provider should:

  • ensure all educators are supported by a suitable appraisal process.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

14 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 Home-based Education and Care Service

Location

Porirua

Ministry of Education profile number

30226

Institution type

Homebased Network

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2

Service roll

98

Standard or Quality Funded

Quality

Gender composition

Males 52, Females 46

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnicities

17
70
11

Number of qualified coordinators in the network

4

Required ratios of staff educators to children

Under 2

1:2

Over 2

1:4

Review team on site

July 2019

Date of this report

14 October 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

February 2011

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

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.

PORSE Wellington Q4 - 08/05/2015

1 Evaluation of PORSE Lower Hutt Q1

How well placed is PORSE Lower Hutt Q1 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 Lower Hutt Q1 is a home-based education and care network operating under the umbrella of PORSE In-Home Childcare. Qualified and registered programme tutors work alongside educators to implement and support learning programmes for children in homes. PORSE also supports families and educators with professional development, administration and payroll services. A national team provides governance and management support for all PORSE services.

PORSE offers two models of education and care: the Home Educator model, where an educator works in their own home; and a Nanny Educator model, where an educator works in a family’s home. PORSE provides a range of training programmes and workshops for home educators, nannies and parents. There are 43 children enrolled in this network and four identify as Māori.

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

This review is one of a cluster of six home-based network reviews of PORSE In-Home Childcare.

The Review Findings

Children can participate in a wide range of learning experiences in educators' homes and the local community. There is a focus on child-led learning that emerges from everyday events. Many children attend PORSE playschools, organised excursions and music sessions which provide new challenges and opportunities to socialise. Programme tutors are aware of local resources to support children with additional learning needs.

Programme tutors’ monthly visits and regular communication with educators give suitable attention to ensuring PORSE health and safety expectations are met, children’s interests are noted and educator practice is acknowledged.

Educators are purposefully supported by programme tutors to identify children’s interests and develop experiences to strengthen these. Children’s journals record special times and provide, along with educator notes, useful information for parents about their child’s play and learning. Extensive use of photographs supports children to reflect on their participation and aspects of their learning. Some educators are linking children’s learning experiences to the goals and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Promoting parent partnership is a development focus across the organisation. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are being explored to support parent participation and voice in children’s programmes. PORSE agrees that further work is required to identify and plan based on parent and whānau aspirations for their children. Whānau partnership and links with mana whenua, when well developed, should support understanding and implementation of practices that acknowledge success for Māori children as Māori.

Programme tutors encourage educators to be culturally responsive. PORSE is developing plans nationally, to strengthen participation of Māori and Pacific families in the organisation. A need to support children’s connections with their own cultural identity is acknowledged.

PORSE personnel are developing a more bicultural curriculum for children. Understanding about te ao Māori is actively facilitated. Ministry of Education resources have been accessed. PORSE has plans in place to support understanding and use of these resources to promote improved outcomes for Māori learners.

Further work is needed to develop assessment, planning and evaluation. Professional support is planned for programme tutors. This should include strengthening and clarifying:

  • guidance linked to Te Whāriki, especially in relation to using the document as a tool for planning and evaluating programmes for children
  • PORSE expectations for curriculum and assessment to guide programme tutors and educators, and support ongoing review and development of individual children’s programmes
  • evaluation of programmes to support identification of next development steps.

A wide range of learning opportunities, documentation and systems support educators and programme tutors to meet legislative requirements and the expectations of PORSE. Roles and responsibilities at various levels of the organisation are clearly defined. A supportive team culture is evident. Career pathways promote professional growth and reward study and achievement. Care is taken to protect the privacy of children and their families and whānau. PORSE continues to develop and refine resourcing to support education programmes in homes.

Programme tutors’ performance management process is being improved to include links to professional teaching requirements. Appraisals should also include regular constructive feedback linked to individual personal and professional goals and PORSE’s strategic intent. Development of systems to better monitor compliance with PORSE expectations is being considered.

PORSE values self review as a tool to promote improvement. Parents’ and educators’ views are regularly sought. Tools have been created and professional learning opportunities offered to support staff understanding. There is a need to further develop knowledge about, and use of, self review across the organisation. Using the existing framework in a more evaluative way to support decisions about development is an agreed next step.

A recent review has increased the focus on outcomes for children in the PORSE vision and strategic intent. PORSE should further unpack this strategic priority to support evaluation of the quality of the outcomes and measurement of progress.

Over the past 12 months PORSE has undergone significant change. A strong focus on developing new initiatives and resources to support a sustainable future continues. There has been increasing provision of ICT to support staff practice.

Key Next Steps

Priorities for the service provider and staff are to continue to develop:

  • educators' understanding of assessment, planning and evaluation, and use as a basis for children’s programmes
  • the bicultural curriculum
  • staff appraisal processes
  • self review
  • monitoring of PORSE systems and expectations, and unpack the strategic intent in relation to outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of PORSE Lower Hutt Q1 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.

In order to improve current practice the service provider should:

  • strengthen some aspects of quality assurance. While suitable procedures are in place to monitor educator practice, more formal systems that monitor programme tutors’ practice in homes, particularly in relation to health and safety, should be put in place.
  • ensure that children’s programmes are informed, and regularly modified, by processes of assessment, planning and evaluation linked to the principles and strands of Te Whāriki.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of PORSE Lower Hutt Q1 will be in three years.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central Select Region

8 May 2015

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Lower Hutt

Ministry of Education profile number

30226

Licence type

Homebased Network

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2

Service roll

43

Standard or Quality Funded

Quality Funded

Gender composition

Girls 24,

Boys 19

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Other ethnic groups

4

32

7

Number of qualified coordinators in the network

2

Reported ratios of staff educators to children

Under 2

1:2

Meets minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:4

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2015

Date of this report

8 May 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

February 2011

 

Education Review

June 2006

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.