17 Mariposa Crescent, Birkenhead, Auckland
View on mapMariposa Kids
Mariposa Kids - 18/07/2019
1 Evaluation of Mariposa Kids
How well placed is Mariposa Kids to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Mariposa Kids is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Mariposa Kids in Birkenhead is licensed to provide education and care for 50 children, including 10 children under the age of two years. The roll reflects Birkenhead's culturally diverse community.
The centre's co-owners have responsibility for the daily management of the centre and work with a centre manager and seven teachers. Most of the teaching staff and one of the owners are registered teachers. The centre is organised into two learning rooms.
The centre's philosophy promotes a strong sense of identity for children. Welcoming, respectful relationships are valued. There is also a focus on partnerships with parents and whānau, and helping children develop fundamental skills for life. Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, guides the programme.
Centre leaders have responded well to ERO's 2015 report. They have made progress with strategic planning. Strengthening te reo and tikanga Māori in the centre has been an ongoing focus.
The Review Findings
Children benefit from friendly, trusting relationships in the centre. Families are greeted warmly and children settle quickly. Children seek out friendships, play cooperatively, and make choices from the variety of planned learning activities. They relate easily to adults and engage in activities for sustained periods. Teachers know the children and families well and there is a strong sense of respect and calmness in the centre.
Infants and toddlers enjoy nurturing care, and routines are unhurried. Respectful care practices foster children's oral language, social skills and independence. These children have a dedicated play space but benefit from the mixed-age play opportunities. Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress through daily communications.
Teachers work collaboratively and respond to children's needs. They engage children in conversation and support their play. Literacy and numeracy opportunities are integrated into day-to-day activities. Learning promoted through the play programme supports children's transition to school.
Teachers continue to develop their planning, assessment and evaluation processes. They observe and discuss children's interests, and plan activities and resources that relate to shared topics of interest. Shifting to a stronger focus on child-led learning, investigation and inquiry, would help to strengthen centre practices. Teachers should also consider how to extend and challenge children's creativity and imaginative play.
Teachers have made a determined effort to embed aspects of te ao Māori into the programme and learning environment. They confidently use words, phrases and songs in te reo Māori during the programme. Teachers respond to the multicultural community by sharing their own cultures and languages. These approaches help to promote children's identity and language development.
Relationships with parents and whānau are well established. Portfolios are an attractive collection of children's activities and experiences in the centre. Written surveys, informal discussions and electronic communications are used to support parents to be partners in their children's learning. Transitions between the rooms are personalised to meet children's needs.
Managers and teachers continue to refine their regular, formal, and spontaneous self review. An appraisal process supports teacher growth and professional development. Developing a comprehensive strategic plan outlining long-term goals would support ongoing improvements.
Centre operations are guided by a sound base of policies and procedures. Leaders benefit from the guidance of an external mentor. Teachers receive good support from the owners, who contribute their own individual skills to the operation of the centre.
Key Next Steps
Key next steps are to continue:
-
identifying ways to further extend and challenge children's creativity and imaginative play
-
deepening internal evaluation through robust evaluative questions and reasoning
-
planning and using deliberate teaching strategies to promote and support child-led learning and to extend children's critical thinking
-
recognising and responding more purposefully to children’s interests and prior knowledge.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Mariposa Kids 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
18 July 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
Location |
Birkenhead, Auckland |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
20035 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
57 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 29 Girls 28 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
April 2019 |
||
Date of this report |
18 July 2019 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2015 |
|
Education Review |
May 2012 |
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.
Mariposa Kids - 20/11/2015
1 Evaluation of Mariposa Kids
How well placed is Mariposa Kids 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
Mariposa Kids offers full day education and care for children up to school-age. The roll reflects Birkenhead’s diverse cultural community.
In 2015 the centre upgraded. Its licence now caters to 50 children, including 10 children under two. The centre is organised into two learning rooms and one sleep room. Children are able to access a variety of outdoor play options.
The centre philosophy emphasises nurturing children's individual learning and promoting a strong sense of self. There is also a focus on partnership with parents and whānau.
The owners and centre managers have responded positively to the 2012 ERO report. Improvements have included extending child initiated play opportunities, strengthening teacher reflections on their practice and developing programme planning.
The Review Findings
Children settle quickly into the programme and can confidently initiate conversations with adults and other children. They freely select from a variety of planned learning and play activities. Nurturing relationships with adults have supported children to develop a strong sense of belonging in the centre.
Children are well cared for throughout the centre. They relate easily to adults and act with care towards each other. Strong friendships amongst groups of older children allow them to engage in sustained periods of co-operative play.
Teachers support children to take responsibility for their learning and promote children’s input into the programme. They enable children to direct their own play for sustained periods and agree that a next step is teachers promoting opportunities for more complex play.
Planning and assessment practices continue to be refined to focus more on children's individual strengths and interests. Teachers’ timely programme reflections inform children’s next learning steps and planning is responsive to children’s learning needs. Learning environments are inviting and accessible for children. The centre agrees that a review of play resources is now needed.
There is good provision throughout the centre to extend and develop children's literacy, including books in children’s first language, as well as mathematical concepts. The centre's programme for readying children for school has identified appropriate skills and dispositions that children would benefit from as they transition to school. These skills are developed within responsive play contexts.
The owners and manager are committed to providing a quality programme for children. Teachers support each other and have children’s wellbeing as central to their practice. Teaching practices are very inclusive of children’s needs. This has a positive effect on outcomes for children and whānau. Community and family relationships are fostered, and parents regard this as a strength of the centre.
Centre leaders agree that ongoing professional learning will ensure that the centre's appraisal process continues to grow teachers' capacity and the development of teachers' practice.
Regular, formal and spontaneous self review is well implemented and informs ongoing centre developments. Leaders ensure that staff perspectives are reflected in reviews and a shared ownership of outcomes is evident. The self-review process could be further strengthened by documenting the impact of initiatives and strategies on children’s learning.
The centre has yet to develop a strategic plan to clearly identify the service’s priorities and associated goals towards achieving its vision. The centre agrees with ERO that this is a priority as it will bring together the key aspects that are influential in defining and leading the centre.
Key Next Steps
The owner and manager agree that the key next steps include:
- developing a comprehensive strategic plan to incorporate key components of centre functioning
- continuing to explore ways to deepen and provide complexity to children's play-based learning
- continuing to develop a greater understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori and fostering bicultural practices
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Mariposa Kids 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 Mariposa Kids will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
20 November 2015
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 |
Birkenhead, Auckland |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
20035 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
72 |
||
Gender composition |
Girls 41 Boys 31 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese African Indian Fijian Latin American Other European Other Asian Other |
1 51 5 4 2 1 1 5 1 1 |
|
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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
August 2015 |
||
Date of this report |
20 November 2015 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2012 |
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.