The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centre Takanini

1 Evaluation of The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centre Takanini

How well placed is The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centre Takanini to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centre Takanini is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centre Takanini is a new, purpose-built centre. It is one of four centres owned and managed by The Rainbow Corner Group of Companies, which also owns an increasing number of homebased education and care networks. This is the Takanini centre's first review.

Leaders and teachers provide education and care for infants, toddlers and young children up to school age. Children play and learn in two separate rooms. While all children have access to the shared playground, there are specific safe areas for the younger children.

Families from a range of cultural backgrounds attend the centre and staffing reflects this diversity. The majority have Indian heritage. For some children English is an additional language.

The centre manager has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the centre. Most staff are qualified early childhood teachers. They are supported by a small number of untrained staff. The service directors provide management and curriculum leadership across The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centres.

The Review Findings

Children are confident and show a strong sense of belonging in the learning environment. They are well supported to settle into the learning programmes and experience respectful, responsive, caring relationships with their teachers and other adults.

Teachers skilfully assist children to engage in the planned activities provided. Children have periods of uninterrupted play when they follow and extend their interests. They play cooperatively in pairs and small groups in the well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments. Some children work independently while exploring activities and equipment at their own pace.

Infants and toddlers are cared for in a calm, unhurried environment. They benefit from the small number of children in this room and time with attentive teachers. They are encouraged to explore the many easily accessible resources in the environment. Teachers follow children's interests and support their safety and wellbeing. As two-year-olds move to the older children's room, their play in the shared playground fosters a smooth, predictable transition.

Teachers are welcoming and inclusive. Transition into the centre is strongly focused on getting to know the children and their whānau. Parents who spoke with ERO said they appreciate the friendly, approachable teachers who take time to find out about their children.

Leaders and teachers have developed a close relationship with the local school. Older children regularly visit the school and participate in classroom activities. These experiences help support their successful transition to school. Excursions into the local community, including visits to the library and nearby park, enhance children's learning.

Teachers intentionally use Te Whāriki, the revised early childhood curriculum, as their guiding document. They regularly assess and plan for children's learning. Parents are encouraged to contribute goals and aspirations for their children's ongoing development. Teachers use these when planning for individual children.

Leaders and teachers participate in relevant professional learning and development. These opportunities are helping teachers to build their capability and develop shared understandings to benefit children's learning. They regularly engage in internal evaluation that results in ongoing improvement. Leaders could now strengthen evaluation by using evaluative questions to guide the process.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps for the centre include:

• further developing the centre's vision, philosophy and strategic goals to reflect the local curriculum and learning priorities for children

• refining assessment, planning and evaluation processes to include learning outcomes that guide children's individual education plans, and evaluating how well learning outcomes are met

• planning, implementing and evaluating strategies that add complexity to children's learning

• integrating early reading, writing and mathematics in meaningful play contexts.

Key next steps for the company include:

• strengthening appraisal processes by including regular, documented observations of teachers' practice with meaningful feedback to build teacher capability

• further developing strategic and related annual action plans to achieve the company's priorities.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centre Takanini 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

22 March 2019

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement

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.

Review Coverage 

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.