30 Cook Street, Howick, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
The Childrens Corner Howick is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Childrens Corner Howick is a privately-owned centre providing education and care for up to 34 children from two to five years of age. The majority of children attending are from the local community and many have had family members previously in the centre.
The centre’s Montessori philosophy and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, inform the programme and teaching practices. The philosophy focuses on fostering children's confidence and independence in becoming socially engaged members of their community. Supporting children's transition to school continues to be a valued feature of the centre.
Since ERO’s 2016 review, there have been changes to staff, however the centre manager and owner have remained. Most of the teachers are qualified and registered.
The 2016 ERO report identified some good practices that have been maintained. Key next steps focused on strengthening teachers' understanding of Te Whāriki, enhancing responses to child-initiated learning and self review. There has been some improvement in these areas.
Children are caring, respectful and are encouraged to have a strong sense of belonging in the centre. They make choices and play cooperatively together. Teachers provide a programme where children can play and learn at a relaxed pace in a calm, purposefully resourced environment. Children's physical and emotional wellbeing are well supported.
Bicultural practices and use of te reo Māori are woven through aspects of the programme, and this is an area that teachers are continuing to strengthen. Teachers value children’s cultural backgrounds and affirm children's use of home languages. They are inclusive of all children and encourage them to contribute, take responsibility for their learning and develop independence.
Teachers have a shared belief in the centre's Montessori philosophy. They plan and implement a curriculum with a strong Montessori approach and an increasing focus on Te Whāriki. Their interactions with children are respectful and courteous. Teachers provide a high level of support for children to engage in and achieve success with Montessori materials and activities. There are many opportunities for children to use literacy, mathematics and science, and develop creativity through the Montessori curriculum and play.
Teachers know children and their families well. Frequent communication with parents ensures they are well informed about their child’s progress. Teachers are focused on building learning partnerships with parents and encourage them to share their aspirations, ideas and goals. They support individual children and families as they transition into the centre and on to school.
Leaders are actively involved in the centre and are supportive of teachers, children and families. Teachers are developing shared understandings of practices that benefit children's learning. Leaders have a clear vision for ongoing improvement.
Internal evaluation is developing and is beginning to guide decision making. Evaluating how effectively teaching practice promotes the centre values would contribute to improvement in teaching and learning.
Next steps for improvement include:
Before the review, the staff and management of The Childrens Corner Howick 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.
In order to improve current practice, centre polices could more clearly align with licensing criteria and centre practices to assure the service provider that policies meet licensing requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
12 June 2020
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 |
Howick, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10383 |
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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 |
34 children over the age of 2 years |
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Service roll |
28 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
January 2020 |
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Date of this report |
12 June 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
December 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
August 2009 |
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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:
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 ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes 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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Children's Corner Howick is a privately owned centre in Howick, Auckland that provides education and care for up to 34 children from two to five years of age. The majority of children attending are from the local community and some have had older siblings that have previously attended the centre.
The 2012 ERO report identified some good practices that have been maintained. Areas for development focused on strategies to strengthen assessment, planning and self review.
Since ERO’s 2012 review, there have been changes to staff and a new team is in place. The centre manager and owner have both provided continuity in personnel for the centre, and their commitment to providing high quality Montessori education and care continues. Teachers are all qualified and registered and continue to be involved in professional development.
The centre’s Montessori philosophy together with aspects of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, inform the programme and teaching practices. The philosophy focuses on fostering children's confidence and independence as socially engaged members of their community.
Children have fun and play cooperatively in a positive and supportive environment. They have very good access to outside learning experiences. Children approach teachers with trust and affection when requiring reassurance or assistance. They are settled, happy, and show respect for others.
Teachers show in-depth knowledge of the Montessori philosophy. Children's physical, emotional and social development is nurtured. Teachers unobtrusively support children to engage in activities and develop friendships. They have high expectations and view all children as competent learners. Teachers provide an inclusive programme for all children, catering for their varying abilities and stages of development, and maintaining the dignity of the child at all times. They provide good support for children’s oral language development.
Respectful and responsive relationships underpin the strong sense of community at the centre. Teachers value partnerships with parents and share information about children's learning. Frequent communication with parents ensures they are well informed about their child’s/children's progress.
Teachers recognise the place that Māori have as tāngata whenua and are increasingly using te reo in appropriate ways. They plan to continue developing their knowledge of tikanga and te reo Māori. Teachers encourage children to share their home languages and affirm children’s cultural identities.
Children are purposefully engaged in activities and explore at their own pace. They are developing a sense of personal and social responsibility. Support for children to have a smooth transition to school is a much valued feature of the centre.
Teachers know children and their families very well. They interact with children in ways that are affirming and responsive to children’s ideas. Teachers encourage children to make choices and problem solve. They include aspects of literacy, mathematics and science in the programme in meaningful ways.
The centre owner is actively involved in the centre and is supportive of the teachers. The centre manager provides strong professional leadership. Teachers are developing collaborative approaches to their work. They are enthusiastic about professional development and about contributing to centre self review. Better documentation of their thinking about the effectiveness of their teaching practice would help teachers to identify and develop strategies for promoting ongoing improvement in teaching and learning.
The centre leaders agree that next steps could include:
re-establishing a documented process of assessment, planning and evaluation that more consistently records how teachers extend children’s thinking and shows how their individual interests are developed over time
developing a more evaluative process of self review that involves deeper analysis and collaboration and focuses on effectiveness in improving educational outcomes for children
Before the review, the staff and management of The Children's Corner Howick 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.
The next ERO review of The Children's Corner Howick will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
1 June 2016
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.
|
Location |
Howick, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10383 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
34 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
47 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 24 Girls 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
February 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
1 June 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
December 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 2006 |
||
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.