- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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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.
Taupiri Educare Ltd is a purpose-built centre situated below Taupiri Maunga which has special importance for the Waikato-Tainui iwi. The service is licensed to provide all day early childhood education and care for a maximum of 75 tamariki, including 20 up to the age of two years. Just over a third of the roll identify as Māori. Tamariki learn and play alongside each other in semi-integrated areas. A van service provides transport for tamariki who otherwise might not be able to attend the centre.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, underpin the centre's philosophy. The philosophy states the centre's commitment to "value and respect tamariki as individuals guiding their developmental journey as they become confident, capable learners within a loving, friendly environment". The majority of kaiako are qualified.
Taupiri Educare Ltd is one of a group of 11 centres owned by the directors of Educare Early Learning Centres. The shared vision across this group is "Learn, Laugh, Play". The group's senior leadership team provides administrative and professional support. They also monitor and evaluate the centre's progress towards achieving centre-specific strategic goals aligned to the organisation's goals. Educare's focus over the past three years has prioritised professional learning and development (PLD) in leadership and te ao Māori as underpinning practices. More recently, PLD has included a focus on curriculum, and aspects of performance management.
The centre manager is new to this leadership role. Good progress has been made to improve programme planning and the assessment of children's learning, and internal evaluation as recommended by ERO's 2015 report.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Educare Early Learning Centres organisation.
Tuakana-teina relationships feature strongly in this centre. Tamariki of both age groups intermingle, playing and learning alongside each other. They demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and some older tamariki confidently take leadership roles in activities and events, including pōwhiri. Tamariki over the age of two play collaboratively or individually, often for sustained periods of time. They are friendly and enthusiastic.
Infants and toddlers up to the age of two benefit from caring kaiako who promote a calm and peaceful environment. Responsive caregiving supports their need for secure attachments with a small number of adults. Routines are respectfully managed. Kaiako work closely with parents to have a consistent approach with home rhythms and routines.
Toddlers happily play alongside each other. They freely access well-resourced play areas. The deck area for infants and toddlers is currently under review. Kaiako want it to better reflect the sensory development provocations strongly evident indoors.
Tamariki benefit from the attractive and spacious learning environments. These areas, and an abundance of natural resources, provide tamariki with good opportunities to explore and be creative. Special care has been given to create an outdoor environment that reflects the important landmarks of the Taupiri community. Tamariki enjoy excursions that reflect their interests and broaden their experiences. Kaiako plan to learn more about how they can deepen their conversations with tamariki and foster oral language development. The transition of tamariki into and within the centre, and to school are thoughtfully planned and inclusive of their families/whānau.
Tamariki enjoy warm, responsive and respectful interactions with kaiako. They are beginning to learn through an inquiry approach based on their interests. This approach encourages tamariki to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.
Kaiako know each child's interests, needs and preferences very well. They encourage tamariki to learn with and alongside others. Kaiako are increasingly planning programmes that link well to the lives of tamariki and build on their interests. They are beginning to document learning stories that show the continuity in the learning of tamariki. The teaching team is building a shared understanding of effective internal evaluation to improve outcomes for tamariki.
Kaiako commitment to a bicultural curriculum is building the experiences of tamariki in te ao Māori. This approach helps tamariki and their families/whānau to experience a strong sense of belonging. Leaders are keen to build the confidence and capability of kaiako to respond to the cultures, identity and languages of tamariki and their families, and to reflect these more consistently in assessment portfolios.
Parents' aspirations for their tamariki are becoming a valued component of their child's programme. These programmes are displayed for parents' knowledge and contributions. Parents appreciate the commitment of kaiako to their child's learning and development.
The centre is well led and managed. Kaiako have leadership opportunities within the centre. Kaiako mentoring, appraisal processes and opportunities for professional development contribute to ongoing improvement throughout centre practices. The recently reviewed appraisal system provides clear processes for the appraisal of kaiako that meets the legislative requirements of the Education Council. As founding members of the Huntly District Community of Learning|Kāhui Ako, the area manager, centre manager and teaching team are looking forward to developing meaningful learning pathways for their tamariki through positive and productive relationships with local schools.
The centre manager and Educare's senior leadership team agree that continuing to build internal evaluation capability focused on equity and excellence for all learners will be an ongoing priority.
Key next steps identified by the area manager and centre leaders include:
Educare Learning Centres managers are focused on improvement. They have identified areas they intend to strengthen across all of their centres. These areas include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Taupiri Educare 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.
The next ERO review of Taupiri Educare Ltd will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
7 May 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 |
Taupiri |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46277 |
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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 |
75 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
53 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 31 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
19 |
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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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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2018 |
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Date of this report |
7 May 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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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.