25B Umukaria Road, Hinemoa Point, Owhata, Rotorua
View on mapTiaki Early Learning Centre
Tiaki Early Learning Centre - 29/06/2020
1 Evaluation of Tiaki Early Learning Centre
How well placed is Tiaki Early Learning Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Tiaki Early Learning Centre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Tiaki Early Learning Centre is a privately-owned education and care centre located at Hinemoa Point in the Rotorua suburb of Ōwhata. It is licensed for 30 children including 10 children up to the age of two. The centre enrols children two years and older. The current roll of 42 includes 13 children who identify as Māori. The centre operates between 7.30am and 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday and from 7.30am to 3.30pm on Fridays. The children spend some time each day in activities organised specifically for their age and other parts of the day in a mixed-age setting. There are three age groups - pōtiki, (2 years old), teina, (3 years old), tuakana (4 years old).
The centre owner and a head teacher continue to manage and lead the centre while also working in a teaching capacity. Over 80% of teachers are qualified early childhood educators.
Through the centre philosophy teachers aspire to support young people to walk softly on the earth, to live consciously and respectfully with themselves and others and to journey comfortably in both the Pākehā and Māori worlds.
The Review Findings
The centre vision statement underpins a place-based, local curriculum. It focuses on outcomes for children under four pou. Through the pou of Te Puna o Te Aroha children learn self-management and social skills. A sense of social justice is encouraged and an appreciation of diversity. Through the pou of Ngā Āhuatanga hei Ako children develop foundational aspects of learning such as perseverance, confidence and curiosity.
Teachers use a range of highly effective teaching strategies across the four pou. In the Ngā Reo e Rua pou the history of Ngāti Roro o te Rangi and Te Arawa generally are taught through local pūrākau (stories) and waiata. This approach opens up opportunities for the development of foundation literacy skills. Regular, day long visits undertaken year-round to sights of local significance reinforce this local history in a meaningful context, as well as promoting a close affinity with nature.
The centre is growing its ability to respond to children of Pacific heritage by undertaking professional development in this area. Waka huia affirm children's identity and culture. An ongoing wetland restoration project begun by the centre and worked on weekly by the children contributes to environmental sustainability outcomes within a real-life context under the pou of Te Taiao. Children's involvement in maintaining the extensive centre vegetable gardens also contributes to learning under this pou.
The centre environment, which features a large grassed garden area with many mature trees, offers open ended and natural opportunities for sustained play. It encourages imagination, creativity and oral language development. Centre ratios and an emphasis on peaceful conflict resolution strategies contribute to a settled, calm atmosphere for play and learning.
Children benefit from respectful and reciprocal relationships with teachers. A range of effective positive guidance strategies ensure children's rights are respected and they are given a say in decisions which affect them. Strategies such as ako and tuakana teina give children opportunities to be the teacher and leader. Cooperation and team work are encouraged.
Assessment portfolios, called waka huia (treasure boxes), celebrate children's strengths and interests, mainly in relation to the pou.
After developing strong partnerships with parents and whānau, individual plans are written to respond to children with special needs.
A well informed and clearly articulated philosophy guides centre practice. It is well-aligned to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and reflects a strong commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. There are high levels of ownership of the philosophy amongst staff and it is highly evident in all aspects of centre operations. A well aligned strategic plan clearly identifies the service's priorities and associated goals towards achieving the philosophy.
Responsibility for internal evaluation is shared and is evident in all aspects of centre life. Ongoing development and improvement through internal evaluation is highly visible. Leaders and teachers have developed comprehensive guidelines which clarify how the centre policy framework should be implemented in practice.
Leaders ensure that parents and whānau are fully involved in major decisions that affect centre operations and their children's learning and well-being. They respectfully validate te ao Māori and create opportunities for the local hapū, Te Roro o te Rangi, to voice their views and shape aspects of the curriculum. They have developed strong relational trust with and amongst teachers and staff. There are opportunities to take responsibility and show leadership. There is a culture of critical reflection. The performance management system aligns with the requirements of the Teaching Council of New Zealand and supports teacher improvement. There are many opportunities for professional training and development both individual and centre-wide.
Key Next Steps
To sustain and improve on the good practice, the service and ERO agree the centre priorities are to continue:
- extending on the intentional approaches to the identification of individual learning goals in relation to the centre's local curriculum; and more clearly show how teachers plan to respond to these goals and monitor progress over time
- growing the use of te reo Māori by children, with the aim of extending their functional fluency by the time they leave for school. This would align with current government policy for Māori language revitalisation.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Tiaki Early Learning 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.
Darcy Te Hau
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
29 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 |
Ōwhata, Rotorua |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
40331 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
42 |
||
Gender composition |
Male 24 Female 18 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
13 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
N/A |
|
Over 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
February 2020 |
||
Date of this report |
29 June 2020 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2016 |
|
Education Review |
September 2014 |
||
Education Review |
March 2010 |
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.
Tiaki Early Learning Centre - 25/11/2016
1 Evaluation of Tiaki Early Learning Centre
How well placed is Tiaki Early Learning 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
Tiaki Early Learning Centre is located in a semi-rural setting in the eastern suburbs of Rotorua. It provides all-day education and care for children from two years to school age. The service is licensed for 30 children including up to 10 under two years of age. The service is currently going through a period of transition and review. The centre owner and staff, in consultation with parents, recently reviewed its license and a decision was made to no longer enrol infant children. Since the previous ERO review there has been a change in the governance structure with one of the owners now taking full ownership of the service.
The centre philosophy and vision for children are underpinned by the values of love, care and respect for each other, the community and environment. Strong emphasis is placed on recognising and promoting te Ao Māori and te reo. An ongoing focus for leaders and teachers has been to develop a placed-based curriculum. This involves the use of the extensive natural surroundings and local places of importance to Māori to enhance children's learning.
The Review Findings
Leaders and teachers effectively promote the service philosophy and vision. Respectful, trusting and reciprocal relationships are a feature of the centre. These relationships are underpinned by Māori knowledge and concepts of whakamana, mana whenua, taiao, ngā hongonga and mana aotūroa. The centre places great importance on environmental sustainability, bicultural practices and place based education. A feature of this programme is the frequent excursions into the local community, lake and marae. These trips are purposeful and extend children’s learning along with their language, culture and identity. Children are developing a strong sense of belonging and care for the environment and local places of significance.
Children are confident learners, and accepted and celebrated for who they are. Teachers are culturally responsive and support the culture and identity of each child. Kaupapa Māori concepts such as manaakitanga and whanaungatanga are integral to the curriculum, and te reo and tikanga Māori practices are used in the programme in authentic contexts. Tuakana/teina relationships are promoted where older children take responsibility to care for and support their younger peers. Parents acknowledge the way the individuality and identity of their children is affirmed, celebrated and fostered.
A welcoming, home-like, natural and well-resourced environment has been created. It offers challenge and promotes children's curiosity and interests. Children play and explore in both indoor and outdoor areas using their imagination and creativity in pursuing their interests. Literacy and mathematics, science and nature are effectively integrated into the programme. Teachers are strongly committed to providing children with meaningful, real-life experiences. Children are well supported to develop skills and knowledge that promote their development as independent, lifelong learners.
Interactions between children and teachers are respectful, responsive and calm. Teachers listen carefully to children's emerging understandings and ideas and give positive and affirming feedback. Teachers record children's learning in well-presented individual profiles and in an online assessment system. Parents access these profiles and are encouraged to make important contributions to their child’s learning.
The centre owner and head teacher provide strong collaborative leadership to the teaching team. They empower teachers to use their strengths and interests to confidently take on leadership roles. Self review is developing into a useful tool to guide centre operations and decision making. Leaders and teachers are reflective practitioners who are focused on providing meaningful rich learning experiences for children.
Key Next Steps
Teachers should continue to review and develop the assessment, planning and evaluation process, and build on the good examples in the centre that show how they are extending their children's learning. Consideration should be given to:
-
Developing teachers understanding, recognition and use of the learning dispositions in daily interactions with children and in learning stories.
-
Planning for the ongoing development of children’s oral language and communication skills and knowledge.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Tiaki Early Learning 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 Tiaki Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
25 November 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 |
Rotorua |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
40331 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
38 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 22 Girls 16 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other |
14 21 3 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
October 2016 |
||
Date of this report |
25 November 2016 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2014 |
|
Education Review |
March 2010 |
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.