277 Macandrew Road, South Dunedin, Dunedin
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 St Clair Corner Infants and Toddlers Centre Ltd are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
This is one of two adjacent and privately owned centres. The owner/director, a manager and curriculum leader work across both services. Children from diverse cultures, aged six months to about two years attend. They then transition to the centre for older children. All teachers are qualified and supported by a lead teacher.
Through close observation of children’s interests, needs and learning, and in partnership with parents, teachers skilfully plan and evaluate children’s learning in relation to the learning outcomes in Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum. Additional planning and support are provided for children with additional needs.
Infants’ and toddlers’ learning and wellbeing are very well supported, through nurturing and respectful relationships. Children play and learn in a calm and well-resourced setting. Teachers communicate closely with parents about their child’s care needs, wellbeing and learning, especially as they transition into and out of the centre. Leaders are yet to formally gather parent voice about the centre’s learning priorities.
Infants and toddlers benefit from high quality planning for individual and group learning. These plans guide teachers’ decisions about the strategies they use, and the resources and experiences provided. As a result, children experience a curriculum that is relevant, broad, play-based, and an appropriate balance of child-led learning and teacher provocation. Te ao Māori, including core values and language, are valued. However, the curriculum could better acknowledge Māori and other cultures.
Regular, relevant and collaborative professional learning has resulted in teachers continuing to build their knowledge and expertise, and in children experiencing a rich curriculum. Teachers are further supported by sound induction and appraisal processes, clear expectations for best practice and regular opportunities to discuss children’s learning and reflect on their teaching.
Leaders are improvement focused and prioritise what will make the most difference for children. They advocate for children and their families to ensure all children have access to high quality, inclusive education and care. Leaders and teachers use effective processes to evaluate children’s learning, aspects of the curriculum and other centre practices. These processes result in well-considered change and improvement.
Effective governance and management practices contribute to smooth centre operations, enabling leaders and teachers to focus on children and ongoing improvement. Leaders are strengthening aspects of strategic planning.
St Clair Corner Infants and Toddlers Centre Ltd will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of St Clair Corner Infants and Toddlers Centre Ltd 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
7 May 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | St Clair Corner Infants and Toddlers Centre Ltd |
| Profile Number | 80057 |
| Location | Dunedin |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
25 children aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
31 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 18, other ethnic groups 8 |
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Review team on site |
March 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
7 May 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2017; Education Review, May 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.
St Clair Corner Early Learning Centres are privately owned and are on two sites. The infants and toddlers are on one site and the older children on the other. Children come from a range of cultural backgrounds. This Infant and Toddler centre is licensed for 25 children, including up to 25 children under 2. There is one outdoor area for the young children.
Leadership of the centres include the owner, who is the director; the centre manager/supervisor, and the assistant supervisor. The director and the manager have shared responsibility for both sites.
Progress has been made in addressing the key next steps identified in the 2014 ERO report. Since the last review the owner, leaders and teachers have:
introduced an effective online planning, assessment and evaluation tool
embedded useful processes for evaluation
strengthened bicultural practices
sought and responded to parent and whānau views.
The shared mission and vision statements have recently been reviewed and promote a holistic play-based approach to learning with literacy and numeracy naturally integrated. Infants and toddlers have space and time to learn through free play. They experience warm nurturing interactions with adults. Teachers thoughtfully fit the care routines around the children's needs. They work closely with adults to ensure children's wellbeing and learning reflects routines from the home environment.
Teachers are committed to building strong and trusting relationships with children and their whānau. Teachers are strengthening their partnerships with parents. They are actively seeking further ways to give whānau a greater say in key aspects of the centre. These practices support Māori children and their whānau to feel valued and have a sense of belonging.
A strength of the service is the careful thought given to transitions into, within and out of the service. Teachers work collaboratively across both services and share knowledge and ideas to increase the quality of the teaching and learning programmes.
Teachers deliberately share and build their own capabilities in te reo Māori and culturally responsive practices. The leaders and teachers value and provide opportunities for families and children to share their culture language and identity. Children with diverse learning needs are well catered for.
The director and leaders have developed a well-used strategic plan to guide centre developments. This could be strengthened to reflect more explicitly professional development, actions and resources needed to achieve these objectives.
The owner and leaders have identified, and ERO agrees that the next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of St Clair Corner Infants and Toddlers 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 next ERO review of St Clair Corner Infants and Toddlers Centre will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)
13 June 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 |
Dunedin |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
80057 |
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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 |
25 children aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
25 |
||
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Gender composition |
Girls: 18 Boys: 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other |
12 20 1 |
|
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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 |
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Review team on site |
April 2017 |
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Date of this report |
13 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
May 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 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.