109 Maire Road, Orewa
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Lollipops Orewa was previously known as Dragonfly Early Learning Centre. It has had a change of name and ownership since the 2015 ERO review. The centre is licensed for 50 children, including up to 16 aged under two years. Most of the children enrolled are of NZ European/Pākehā backgrounds. Infants and toddlers have separate indoor and outdoor play spaces.
The centre is led by a manager and two head teachers. Three more qualified teachers, and two unqualified teachers complete the newly established teaching team.
The service's philosophy is strongly underpinned by the value of respect. Leaders and teachers prioritise relationships with whānau and strive to provide an environment that inspires children to learn through exploration. Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi are acknowledged as guiding documents.
The 2015 ERO report noted that respectful relationships supported children to explore and learn. This positive aspect of practice has been maintained. Areas for development included internal evaluation, support for children's critical thinking, and planning for children's individual interests. There has been some progress in these areas.
The centre is owned by the Evolve Education Group. Evolve provides an overarching governance and management framework and visiting personnel to support the operation of each centre. A recent re-branding of centres has occurred, with a view to building a greater sense of unity across the organisation. Initiatives that have been recently introduced are intended to improve staff stability in centres, promote effective internal evaluation and lift the quality of teaching practices.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews in the Evolve Education Group.
Children settle quickly into their day and choose to play with friends or explore on their own. Teachers use effective strategies to support children's learning and wellbeing. These include:
well-considered learning environments that encourage exploration and provide easy access to resources that link to children's current interests
opportunities for children to revisit their play and learning
high levels of supportive care and a consistent teaching team for infants and toddlers
supporting children to develop the skills they need to initiate and maintain friendships
supporting children with additional learning needs to access all areas of the curriculum.
Teachers could now review daily routines to establish how effectively the length and content of group mat times support children's learning in meaningful ways.
The centre manager has made strategic staff appointments and developed teacher appraisal goals with the aim of strengthening the service's provision for Māori children. Teachers are beginning to use te reo Māori with children and are committed to deepening their knowledge and understanding of the Māori culture.
Teachers working with infants and toddlers have established a programme planning process that is focused on the learning dispositions of individual children. Teachers working with older children continue to refine their planning process, which currently has more of a group focus. A deeper engagement with, and understanding of, Te Whāriki 2017 would better support all teachers to:
develop a rich curriculum for each individual child
consult with parents and whānau to establish a curriculum that is meaningful in this context
build partnerships with whānau that are based on children's learning.
The centre is managed effectively. Annual centre audits established by Evolve help to ensure legal requirements are being met regarding policies, procedures and curriculum. Centre leaders and teachers have established a strategic plan to guide the centre's development. Leaders and teachers are open to learning, and continue to question and modify their practice.
The centre manager agrees that key next steps include:
establishing clear strategic goals for the centre, linked to those of the governing organisation
development of an annual plan that details the necessary steps to achieve the strategic goals
reviewing the centre philosophy against established indicators of quality practice, to ensure it is evident in teaching practices
strengthening internal evaluation to ensure it is guided by robust evaluative questions and reasoning.
Evolve Education Group managers agree that key next steps include:
ensuring the company’s vision, values, philosophy, goals and systems reflect the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
developing clear strategic goals to inform improvement focused annual plans at regional, area and centre levels, that include Te Whāriki 2017 and a strategy for supporting Pacific children and families
ongoing moderation and monitoring of the roles and responsibilities of personnel in positions of leadership, including centre managers
ongoing monitoring of appraisal practices to ensure effective implementation is lifting teaching practice
reviewing how effectively levels of resourcing in centres support children’s learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Lollipops Orewa 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.
The next ERO review of Lollipops Orewa will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
26 October 2018
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 |
Orewa, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10349 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
50 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 30 Boys 20 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2018 |
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Date of this report |
26 October 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
May 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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Dragonfly Early Learning Centre (ELC) provides full day education and care for up to 50 children, including up to 16 infants and toddlers less than two years of age. The centre is well established and was bought by Evolve Education Group at the end of 2014. This is the service’s first ERO review under the management of its new owner.
Improvements have been made to the leadership structure of the centre. A business manager and professional service manager (PSM) provide external support on a regular basis. A new head teacher position has been created to help ensure the smooth daily operation of the centre.
The majority of the regular staff are registered teachers and there are high ratios of teachers to children. Most children are of NZ European/Pākehā descent, and a small number of children from a diverse range of ethnicities also attend.
The 2012 ERO report recommended that teachers further support older children to develop more complexity in their play, problem solving, and thinking and reasoning skills. It also encourages teachers to refine the documentation of strategies to support and evaluate children’s learning, and critically reflect on their own practices.
In response to the 2012 ERO report, centre managers and staff have made some progress in improving self review, the environment and bicultural practices.
Children are happy and settled and are generally engaged in activities. They are developing self-help skills. Teachers promote respectful relationships throughout the centre. Interactions are friendly and sociable, providing children with good opportunities to participate in group discussions. Infants and toddlers are able to freely explore the indoor and outdoor learning environments.
Teachers plan topics to provide opportunities for children to increase their knowledge. They see children as capable learners. Their challenge is to now provide experiences that further encourage the development of children’s thinking and problem solving skills.
The centre’s learning philosophy is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The educational programme and environment for infants and toddlers are guided by RIE and Reggio Emilia approaches. Staff are continuing to learn more about the benefits of these approaches to support the younger children’s wellbeing and learning.
The centre’s bicultural curriculum continues to develop. Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnerships and the place of Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa/New Zealand are valued. Children learn about, and enjoy participating in, tikanga and using te reo Māori.
Teachers have recently focused more specifically on gathering information about parents’ aspirations for their children. Parents are encouraged to contribute their ideas to strengthen children’s learning records in their individual portfolios. A computerised record of children’s learning is being introduced so that teachers and parents can work together more readily to extend children’s learning.
Teachers place emphasis on helping children to develop positive attitudes to learning. They also focus on preparing older children for their transition to school. Teachers use current research to inform their thinking, and meet with teachers from the local primary school to develop shared understandings about the best ways to support this transition process.
ERO and the centre manager, team leaders and PSM agree that in order to continue enhancing the quality of learning provided for children they now need to:
Teaching staff should also consider long-term strategies to support the planned future directions for the centre.
Before the review, the staff and management of Dragonfly 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:
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 Dragonfly Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
27 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.
|
Location |
Orewa, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10349 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
76 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 41 Girls 35 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā African Chinese European South African other |
7 55 2 2 2 2 6 |
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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 |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
27 May 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 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:
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.