26 Campbell Street, Ahuriri, Napier
View on mapAkarangi | 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 Port Ahuriri Children’s Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
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 |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Port Ahuriri Children’s Centre is one of two services under the governance of the Napier Community Childcare Centres Trust. The service is led by a centre manager supported by leaders across three age group areas. The centre philosophy highlights relationships as a core value in the care and education of children.
Strong relationships underpin children’s experiences and learning. Parents and whānau are recognised as experts about their child. Collaborative relationships with parents and whānau assist the sharing of priorities for children’s learning. Infants, toddlers, and young children experience rich connections with each other and teachers. Children’s individual care needs are based on parents’ identified priorities. Teachers explore how to deepen their response to this information. Children benefit from teachers and whānau strengthening their partnership to support ongoing learning and development.
Children experience a responsive curriculum skilfully supported by teachers. They lead their own learning and are encouraged to engage in sustained, uninterrupted periods of play. Child agency is fostered as teachers promote independent exploration of the environment. Teachers use a range of strategies to enhance communication and social competence. Transitions within the centre are unhurried and based around individual needs. There is some reflection of individual language, culture, and identity in assessment practices. Children’s holistic wellbeing is supported as they learn.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are increasingly part of teaching and learning. Leaders and teachers are exploring how to strengthen this through the development of their local curriculum. This work involves deepening teaching practice to explore the local people, places and stories that are of significance to them. Internal evaluation foci have been developed to establish and embed what matters for tangata whenua, parents and whānau. Children experience a growing bicultural curriculum.
Equitable outcomes for children are a priority for centre leadership. Leaders successfully promote relational trust and collaboration amongst the teaching team. Teachers are improvement focused. They work with the governing body to access professional development to strengthen their practice, leading to positive outcomes for children. Children’s learning is enhanced by a growth focus and a cohesive team environment.
Port Ahuriri Children’s Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Port Ahuriri Children’s 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.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
11 August 2021
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Port Ahuriri Children’s Centre |
|
Profile Number |
55051 |
|
Location |
Napier |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
63 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 3, NZ European/Pākehā 56, Other ethnic groups 4. |
|
Review team on site |
June 2021 |
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Date of this report |
11 August 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018; Education Review, October 2014. |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Port Ahuriri Children's Centre is a community-based, not-for-profit service. It is one of services governed by the Napier Community Childcare Trust Incorporated. The Trust philosophy states that teachers will "let the uniqueness of the child guide their journey".
The centre offers education and care for children from birth to five years of age. It is licensed for 50 children, including 12 aged up to two years. A quarter of the children currently attending the service identify as Māori. For much of the day children are separated into three age-defined groups.
A board of trustees sets strategic direction and the managing supervisor oversees the day-to-day management of both centres. Together with the assistant supervisor, she is responsible for curriculum, teacher development and compliance. An acting assistant supervisor has been in place for 2017.
As a result of the recent review of City Children's Centre, the managing supervisor is due to undertake SELO (strengthening early learning opportunities for children, whānau, families and communities) funded professional learning in the areas of assessment, planning, evaluation, culturally responsive curriculum, and leadership. It is expected that this learning will be used within Port Children's Centre.
The ERO October 2014 report identified key next steps around assessment, planning, evaluation, self review and appraisal. Progress has been made in all these areas.
The play-based curriculum strongly reflects children's interests. Children make choices about their play and teachers follow their lead. Social competence is fostered by teaching strategies that encourage children to self-manage and problem solve. Children demonstrate confidence and a sense of belonging.
Teachers effectively promote development of children's oral language. Children engage in in-depth and sustained conversations. Literacy and numeracy are integrated throughout the programme.
Curriculum that promotes children's connection to their individual culture, language and identity requires further development. Staff should:
strengthen their understanding of educational success for Māori as Māori
consider how the other cultures in the centre are represented within the programme.
Some teachers weave te reo Māori into conversation and aspects of tikanga are integrated into practice. Teachers recognise the need to continue to build bicultural practices.
Teachers have warm, responsive and respectful relationships with children. Infants are free to explore in a nurturing environment that is well suited to their needs. Toddlers have increasing opportunities to use open-ended resources. Regular information sharing between rooms helps to maintain children's sense of belonging during transitions.
Staff proactively seek external support for children with additional learning needs. They collaborate to ensure the full participation of these children in centre life.
Recent changes to planning and assessment have improved identification of individual children's interests and learning. Parents regularly share children's interests from home. This increasingly leads teachers to build a programme that extends and challenges children. Teachers should further strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation to:
identify and extend children's ways of learning
show how learning is progressing over time
gather and respond to parents' aspirations for their children's learning
evaluate how planning and intentional teaching is contributing to children's learning outcomes.
Increased opportunities for leadership occur. Recent changes to the leadership structure have resulted in improved communication and collaboration. Teachers are encouraged to take on leadership in areas of interest. A next step is to continue to grow professional leadership to effectively share good practice that improves the quality of teaching and learning across the centre.
Recent changes to the appraisal process have provided clearer job descriptions and more opportunities for teachers to be involved in discussions. The managing supervisor should now create and implement a documented appraisal procedure that meets the Education Council guidelines.
Review of policies and procedures is not of sufficient quality to effectively manage health and safety in the service. A priority is to create a systematic and timely approach to review that successfully responds to changes in regulations and legislation.
Teachers have progressed their understanding and use of self review to expand learning opportunities for children. Further developing shared understanding of internal evaluation processes and practice should contribute to deeper knowledge about the impact of actions on children's outcomes.
Clearer guidelines and expectations are required to strengthen governance of the centre. A recently completed strategic plan provides aspirational objectives. Additional work is required to improve the plan's focus on children's outcomes. Monitoring of progress towards these should be aided by:
creating relevant, achievable actions and indicators to achieve strategic objectives
reporting from the centre supervisor that focuses on the quality of teaching and outcomes for children.
ERO has identified that key next steps are for leaders and teachers to further develop:
a programme that promotes children's connection to their individual culture, language and identity
assessment, planning and evaluation
leadership that supports professional practice and promotes quality education and care
understanding and use of internal evaluation
and for managers and governors to:
strengthen responsiveness to changing regulations and legislation
identify and monitor strategic goals that are focused on outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Port Ahuriri Children's 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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance. The service provider must ensure that:
a written child protection policy and safety checking procedure are created that meet the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS31, GMA7A]
daily hazard checking covers all aspects required by licensing criteria to minimise risk to children.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS12]
To improve current practice, the early childhood service management should:
ensure parental acknowledgement of accidents, illnesses and administration of medication is obtained
document and implement a regular appraisal system that meets Education Council guidelines.
The next ERO review of Port Ahuriri Children's Centre will be in three years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
16 February 2018
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 |
Napier |
||
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Ministry of Education profile number |
55051 |
||
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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 |
50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
60 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 32, Girls 28 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
15 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
December 2017 |
||
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Date of this report |
16 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
September 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2008 |
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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.