89 Naylor St, Hamilton East, Hamilton
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
The Park Early Education Centre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Park Early Education Centre is located in the suburb of Hamilton East. It provides full day education and care for preschool children from three months of age. The centre is a modern, purpose-built facility divided into four specific age groups. It is licensed for 82 children with a maximum of 25 infants and toddlers, up to two years of age. The roll is multi-cultural and reflects a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, including five Māori children.
There is a lead teacher for each room, and an assistant manager and centre manager provide overall leadership. The service operates under the umbrella of Early Education Waikato (EEW) which provides governance for seven centres in Hamilton. Management, who are also responsible for the Waikato Kindergarten Association (WKA), consists of a CEO, two education managers, human resources and administration personnel.
The vision 'Every child reaching their full potential' guides the strategic direction for the entire association. The centre philosophy has a documented commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi. Teachers aim to provide and environment that reflects the values of whānaungatanga and manaakitanga through child-initiated learning and play.
Children learn in a high quality learning environment. They enjoy close, trusting, and respectful relationships with kaiako and their peers. Each child and family is allocated a key teacher whose role is to support children's emotional wellbeing, particularly during transitions into the centre, between learning rooms and onto school. The centre culture is inclusive and underpinned by values of whānaungatanga and manaakitanga. Children's wellbeing and belonging is strongly fostered.
Teachers understand the importance of valuing children's culture, language and identity. Te reo and tikanga is naturally interwoven throughout the day. Teachers value what children know and bring to their learning. Positive and equitable learning opportunities nurtures all children's wairua and holistic development.
Children have extensive learning opportunities through a well-designed, quality curriculum. They have access to an extensive range of resources to actively explore and make discoveries. Children learn respect for the environment and sustainable practices for the care of the natural and living world. They can engage in sustained and self-directed play. Children's culture is woven into learning. Families with English as a second language are invited to share their cultural beliefs and celebrations, enriching the learning for children and are supported by teachers who speak other languages.
Children are encouraged to view themselves as successful capable learners. Assessment and planning documentation provide a rich record of children's achievements over time. There are extensive opportunities for children to revisit past experiences, reflect and celebrate learning with others. Older children receive a progress summary when they move onto school. Children who require extra support receive additional targeted planning based on their needs. Home and centre experiences are reciprocally shared between whanau and teachers. Families contributions demonstrate the holistic and collaborative learning approach between the centre and home.
Children's learning is skilfully extended by kaiako through positive relationships and responsive interactions. Teachers notice, recognise and respond to individual interests, strengths, and care needs. Children are supported to think critically, problem solve and develop learning dispositions that they can draw on to inquire and extend their own learning.
Strengths of teaching and learning include high levels of responsive teaching practice that reinforce positive learning outcomes for children in:
literacy, oral language and communication
social competencies and emotional intelligence
opportunities for creativity, investigation and further inquiry into areas of interest.
Infants and toddlers receive personalised education in calm, unhurried environments. Kaiako implement respectful care where learning is maximised within care routines which empower children to have choice and make decisions.
Centre leaders are highly effective and make time for teachers to critically reflect on their practice. Internal evaluation processes ensure centre systems and practices sustain high quality education and lead to continual improvement. Internal evaluation is systematic, robust, and aligns to the services overall vision. Governance and management provide a clear vision, goals and systems that are highly effective in promoting positive outcomes for children and their families. Education managers provide strong professional leadership building the centres capability to achieve the organisations vision and goals.
Continue to strengthen teachers understanding and use of te reo and te ao Māori in curriculum planning and practice and make more visible in assessment.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Park Early Education 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
18 September 2019
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 |
Hamilton, East |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45254 |
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Licence type |
Free Kindergarten |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
82 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
97 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 51 Girls 46 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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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 |
1:7 toddlers 1:10 young children |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2019 |
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Date of this report |
18 September 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
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Education Review |
March 2012 |
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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:
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.
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.
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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.
The Park Early Education Centre is located in Hamilton East and provides full day education and care for pre-school children aged from three months. The centre is licensed for up to 82 children with a maximum of 25 children up to two years of age. At the time of this ERO review, 94 children were enrolled, of whom 13 are identified as Māori, 10 Chinese, 7 Pacific, and 13 of other ethnic groups. The centre operates in four age group rooms.
Staffing since the last ERO review has changed with the appointment of a new centre manager and new team leaders. The centre has a high number of qualified teachers, and operates adult-to-child ratios that exceed minimum requirements. The centre has a positive reporting history and has responded well to the areas for review and development identified in the 2012 Education Review.
The centre operates under the umbrella of Early Education Waikato (EEW), which is a limited liability company with charitable status. The strategic direction of EEW is guided by the overarching vision ‘Every child reaching their full potential’. Early Education Waikato has a commitment to providing a quality, sustainable organisation that effectively meets the diverse educational needs of all children attending and provides strong outcomes for children’s learning.
Early Education Waikato designs centres with multiple child spaces and large playgrounds that can provide specific equipment, resources and physical and educational challenges to support children’s learning outcomes and fun.
Early Education Waikato is managed effectively and efficiently by an experienced leadership and administration team who also manage the Waikato Kindergarten Association. A kaumātua from Tainui provides advice, guidance and support about Māori language, culture and identity.
The centre benefits from the EEW clear guidelines and expectations for practice and the availability of good self-review processes for monitoring and evaluating the quality of education and care it provides for children.
The Park Early Education Centre management and teachers provide high-quality and responsive education and care to their children and families. They view children as capable learners and use a wide range of highly effective teaching strategies to promote children’s learning. Children and their families are welcomed into a positive culture where relationships are respectful and caring. At all age levels children experience sensitive and trusting relationships with teachers, fostering their sense of belonging and well-being.
Young babies and toddlers enjoy an unhurried, relaxed environment. They benefit from personalised care routines from key teachers who work in close partnership with family/whānau. Teachers carefully manage children’s transitions between the four age group areas. They are responsive to individual children’s readiness to move. A key teacher works closely with the over-two children, promoting their wellbeing and ensuring that family aspirations are reflected in children’s care and education.
The centre’s curriculum strongly reflects the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the socio-cultural approach to teaching and learning. Particular strengths of the programme include:
Children experience extensive opportunities to be engaged in sustained, enjoyable and complex play and learning.
Māori children’s sense of culture and identity is supported by the increasing use of te reo Māori and the inclusion of waiata and karakia. Teachers incorporate Māori language and culture into the learning programme for children. They make strong connections with whānau and are responsive to parent’s aspirations for their children. An additional feature of the centre is the highly inclusive practice and the responsiveness to the many other ethnicities and cultures of children and their families.
Highly effective and professional leadership is being provided by the centre manager and team leaders. They have designed and implemented very effective and well-developed, self-review processes that focus on continual improvement to the quality of the environment, management systems and teaching practice. A shared leadership model is developing and teachers have opportunities to extend their leadership skills in a variety of areas. Parents and children also act as leaders, and the notion of tuakana/teina and ako are very evident in the centre.
The centre manager and teachers have successfully established a collaborative, reflective team culture that is focused on best outcomes for children, families and the community. They work well together, and their strengths and passions are embedded in their teaching practice.
ERO supports management’s intention to refine and rationalize centre-wide self review.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Park Early Education 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.
The next ERO review of The Park Early Education Centre will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
4 May 2015
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 |
Hamilton East, Hamilton |
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|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45254 |
||
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
82 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
94 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 51 Boys 43 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Pacific Other Asian Other |
13 51 10 9 4 7 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
4 May 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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 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.