Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre

Education institution number:
46461
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
31
Telephone:
Address:

8 Spedding Road, Tikipunga, Whangarei

View on map

Three Little Birds Childcare and Education Centre

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Three Little Birds Childcare and Education Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Three Little Birds Childcare and Education Centre is one of four services under the same ownership. The owner has an active role in governance and management of the service. A professional leader provides mentoring and supports an onsite manager with daily operations. Most of the tamariki enrolled are Māori, and a small number have Pacific heritages.

3 Summary of findings

Kaiako are deliberate and intentional in their strategies to support the learning of tamariki Māori. Kaupapa Māori values of manaakitanga, wairuatanga, whakawhanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga are woven through the curriculum design and decision making. The mana and sense of identity of tamariki Māori are enhanced through the curriculum provided.

Infants and toddlers experience close relationships with kaiako in a calm, unhurried environment. Continuity of care ensures individual needs are responded to with aroha and respect. The curriculum supports opportunities for tuakana |teina relationships between older and younger children that supports their play and learning.

Kaiako intentionally focus on learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, that help to prepare tamariki for more complex learning. Kaiako know their community well and explore various ways to engage with whānau to ensure their views are included in curriculum design. All tamariki are viewed as confident and capable learners.

Kaiako thoughtfully prepare the learning environment to encourage exploration that is meaningful and enjoyable for all tamariki. The curriculum includes long periods of uninterrupted play and supports tamariki to imagine, invent, experiment and make discoveries.

Effective processes are in place for governance and management of the Three Little Birds services. The centre owner, professional leader and centre managers meet regularly and work collaboratively to promote valued teaching practices and consistency of care across all services.

A useful process has been established for internal evaluation, which guides kaiako to grow their teaching and leadership skills. The learning and wellbeing of tamariki, and promoting their success as ākonga Māori are primary considerations in decision making.

4 Improvement actions

Three Little Birds Childcare and Education Centre will include the following action in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Consider ways to make the contributions of whānau to curriculum design more visible within the assessment records of tamariki.

As an organisation Three Little Birds will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Improve internal evaluation processes by monitoring how changes made are impacting on the learning of tamariki.

  • Continue to motivate and mentor teachers to build effective teaching and leadership capabilities with a focus on improving professional practice and learning outcomes for tamariki.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Three Little Birds Childcare and Education Centre completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

26 September 2023

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Three Little Birds Childcare and Education Centre

Profile Number

46461

Location

Tikipunga, Whangarei

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

39

Review team on site

June 2023

Date of this report

26 September 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, September 2016

Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre - 24/06/2020

1 Evaluation of Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre

How well placed is Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre provides full-day education and care for children from the local community of Tikipunga. The centre is licensed for 40 children, including eight up to the age of two years. It operates in a newly renovated house set in a large outdoor space.

Children are grouped according to their age for parts of the day, with infants and toddlers having a separate room and playground. Some children attend part-time.

The majority of children attending the centre have Māori or Pacific cultural backgrounds. The philosophy developed by staff includes reference to Māori values, responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and cultural inclusion. Teachers focus their teaching and learning programme around their local community.

The centre is privately owned and managed by an on-site manager. Teachers are supported by a professional leader to provide quality teaching and learning programmes for children. The majority of teachers are qualified and registered.

Positive features identified in ERO’s 2016 report have been sustained. Teachers have made very good progress with ERO's recommendations. Strengthening aspects of challenge in programme planning to better cater for individual children’s learning continues to develop.

The Review Findings

Children's individual wellbeing and care is prioritised by teachers through experiences of whanaungatanga and manaakitanga. Children are provided with nourishing, well-prepared food throughout the day. They are settled, confident and most are highly engaged in play. Teachers provide a variety of resources and support children to explore and take learning risks in enjoyable, meaningful activities. Children would benefit from the renewal of some resources.

Teachers' positive and responsive interactions help children to problem solve, develop relationships with others and become confident. Children are developing good oral language skills and a strong appreciation of books through shared reading with adults.

Teachers recognise the importance of culture, language and identity. They use te reo Māori and English naturally and consistently in the programme. Children also use te reo Māori in their conversations with friends. Children's cultural identity is celebrated and there is a strong focus on supporting children's understanding of te ao Māori.

Teachers' care for infants and toddlers is nurturing and responsive. They sing and talk to the children, maintain a calm and settled environment, and encourage them in their play. Children demonstrate trusting and confident relationships with teachers. Children with diverse needs are well supported.

Teachers manage children's transitions into and through the centre effectively. They visit the homes of all families and establish supportive and caring relationships. Staff see the pick-up and drop-off service as an opportunity to communicate with parents.

Transition to school is an area for development. This requires focused management by teachers and supporting parents to understand its importance to improve learning outcomes for children.

Individual children's learning stories could better highlight their developmental journey over time. Improved visibility of learning programmes built on children's recognised learning dispositions and strengths could guide teachers, children and parents towards shared meaningful goals.

The centre is well managed. Systems for the day-to-day organisation are effective. Managers encourage and promote leadership for teachers. There are good processes in place to enhance teachers' practices through regular professional development opportunities. The teacher appraisal process should be reviewed to include the requirements of the Teaching Council Aotearoa New Zealand.

Teachers and managers use internal evaluation for continual centre improvement. Improved documentation of meetings and the evaluation process would help teachers gain shared understandings about sustaining change.

Key Next Steps

To build on existing practices, the next steps for leaders and teachers include:

  • continuing to strengthen the implementation of individual planning and assessment systems

  • better documenting internal evaluation to sustain change

  • aligning the appraisal system with the requirements of the Teaching Council Aotearoa New Zealand.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Three Little Birds Childcare & 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:

  • 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 - Te Tai Raki

24 June 2020

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

Location

Tikipunga, Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

46461

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 years

Service roll

53

Gender composition

Girls 29 Boys 24

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
other ethnic groups

47
4
2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2020

Date of this report

24 June 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

September 2016

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.

Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre - 30/09/2016

1 Evaluation of Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre

How well placed is Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Three Little Birds Childcare and Education Centre provides a full day learning and care programme for children from the local community of Tikipunga in Whangarei. The centre is licensed for 40 children, including eight up to the age of two years, and operates in a newly renovated house set in a large outdoor space. This is the first ERO report for the centre.

Children are grouped according to age for parts of the day, with infants and toddlers having a separate room and playground. Not all children attend the centre for the whole week.

The majority of the children attending the centre have Māori and Pacific cultural backgrounds. In response to this, the philosophy developed by staff includes reference to the focus teachers place on Māori values, their responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and cultural inclusion. They see their work as being built around their local learning community which includes tamariki, kaiako, whānau, hapū and iwi.

The centre is a privately owned, and managed by an on-site manager. Teachers are guided by a professional leader to provide good quality teaching and learning programmes for children. The majority of teachers are qualified and registered.

The Review Findings

Children attending the centre are settled, confident and highly engaged in play. They are warmly and affectionately welcomed by teachers at the start of their day, and quickly connect with their playmates. Teachers provide resources and environments that encourage children to explore and take learning risks in enjoyable, meaningful activities.

Children are able to practise and refine skills and attributes with encouragement and support from teachers. Teachers' positive and responsive conversations with children are helping them to problem-solve, develop positive relationships with others and to become confident and capable.

Teachers recognise the importance of culture, language and identity. They use te reo Māori interspersed with English in the programme incidentally and consistently. As a result, children also use te reo Māori in their conversations with their friends. Children's cultural identity is celebrated and there is a strong focus on supporting children's understanding of tikanga, tuakana teina relationships, and te Ao Māori. Children demonstrate understanding and respect for these protocols.

Teachers' care for the infants and toddlers is sensitive and gentle. They know children well and are encouraging in their play. Teachers sing and talk to children, maintaining a calm and settled environment. Children demonstrate trusting and confident relationships with teachers. Children with diverse needs are also well supported by strong relationships between the service and external support agencies.

Teachers manage children's transitions into and through the centre effectively. They visit the homes of all families and establish relationships with whānau that are supportive and caring. Teachers believe that knowing children's whānau adds considerably to their ability to connect well with children. Centre staff provide a pick-up and drop-off service for children from home to the centre and back. They also provide nourishing, well-prepared food for all children throughout the day.

Assessment processes are regular, based on positive recognition and highly responsive to individual children's strengths, dispositions and interests. Teachers manage and organise teaching and learning programmes using approaches that foster positive behaviour and pleasure in learning. A sense of ako is deeply embedded in the ways that children learn from teachers and vice versa. Leaders have established a culture in which children are valued, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning.

The centre is well managed. Systems and frameworks of policies, procedures, financial management and day-to-day organisation is efficient and effective. The appointment of staff has been strategic in order to strengthen collaborative thinking and practice across the teaching team. There are good systems in place to challenge and inform teachers' practices including appraisal and professional development. Management encourages emergent leadership for both teachers and children.

Teachers and management use self review to build their capacity for continual improvement. They are aware of their responsibility to advocate for infants, toddlers and young children. Centre practices actively promote the rights of all children to high quality and inclusive early childhood learning. There is a high level of relational trust amongst all involved in the centre. This is conducive to negotiation, problem-solving and critical reflection.

Key Next Steps

Three Little Birds management agree with ERO's suggestions about next steps for the centre. These include:

  • strengthening aspects of challenge in the programme to deepen the complexity of children's learning

  • including children in decision-making about resources and play

  • establishing a whānau group to further strengthen the centre's collaborative and communication strategies.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Three Little Birds Childcare & 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:

  • 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Three Little Birds Childcare & Education Centre will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

30 September 2016

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

Location

Tikipunga, Whangarei

Ministry of Education profile number

46461

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2

Service roll

69

Gender composition

Girls 37 Boys 32

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Samoan

Cook Island Māori

other

51

8

5

2

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:2

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

June 2016

Date of this report

30 September 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

No previous ERO reports

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 and Next Review

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: 

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education 

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.