3 Beazley Place, Glendene, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Our Kids 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.
Our Kids Early Learning Centre is a small privately-owned service in Glendene, West Auckland. Children aged from birth to five years learn in a multicultural, mixed-age setting.
The centre's philosophy values positive, trusting relationships with children and whānau, and supports all children to develop to their potential.
The owner/manager and leaders have successfully addressed next steps from their 2015 ERO review. The owner operates a second Our Kids ELC based in Glen Eden. Teachers collaborate between centres to grow professional practice.
Teachers are highly responsive to children's care routines, interests, dispositions and developmental needs. The centre has a welcoming atmosphere where children are nurtured and show a deep sense of belonging.
Child-centred, respectful practices and strong community partnership underpin children's wellbeing and care. Staff and parents discuss, celebrate and support children's learning and successes. Information is shared openly and in a timely way.
A highly responsive and respectful curriculum supports the development of children's dispositions for learning. Children confidently explore the centre, leading their own learning through play. They engage enthusiastically with stimulating and open-ended resources. Teachers skilfully extend their learning, creativity and problem solving. Relationships of support are strongly evident between children. They are encouraged to develop self-management skills and to care for their environment.
Teachers are reflective practitioners, and use evaluation to guide ongoing improvements to the programme, recognising each child's potential. Their promotion of positive outcomes for children is central to decision making and evaluation. Coherent routines and systems support teachers to successfully enact the centre's rich philosophy.
A deep commitment to upholding the Treaty of Waitangi fosters equity for Māori children. The teaching team's growing confidence in using te reo Māori results from deliberate training and internal support. Aspects of tikanga Māori are embedded in centre practices and reflect shared values. Leaders plan to enhance this commitment in 2019, aligning appraisal goals and centre goals to highlight bicultural understandings and practices.
Change has been well managed. The leadership team has strengthened strategic planning. Goals with appropriate actions and outcomes provide clarity of purpose for staff. Reviewed and adapted policies and procedures guide the centre's practices.
Leaders maintain a strong focus on growing professional practice. They make good use of external advice and professional development opportunities to support improvement in the service's priority areas. Continuing improvements in teacher appraisal processes are promoting teachers' professional growth, and supporting the development of a collaborative, supportive team structure. Going forward, the manager plans to embed deeper teacher inquiry into professional practice.
Centre leaders have appropriate plans for:
enhancing teachers' appraisal and professional learning
aligning strategic goals for bicultural practice with the philosophy and teachers' appraisal goals.
Before the review, the staff and management of Our Kids 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:
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 Our Kids Early Learning Centre will be in four years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
19 February 2019
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 |
Glendene, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20055 |
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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 |
32 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
38 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 20 Boys 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
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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 |
December 2018 |
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Date of this report |
19 February 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
June 2013 |
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Supplementary Review |
May 2010 |
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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.
Our Kids Early Learning Centre is one of two privately owned centres. This is a small home-like centre operating near to Glendene School in Auckland. The centre caters for children from birth to five years in a mixed age learning environment.
There have been significant improvements over the last two years since ERO’s 2013 report identified concerns relating to the curriculum and self review. The centre is staffed by a team of three registered teachers. Recently an unqualified teacher has been appointed to provide greater staffing flexibility. Collaborative team work is being developed.
A well-focused professional learning programme has been undertaken to address development priorities identified in the 2013 ERO report. Positive and significant changes have been made to the learning environment, curriculum planning and leadership capability.
The manager and centre staff have been proactive in making positive changes in the centre. They have responded well to the external advice provided by the Ministry of Education, which has increased their professional knowledge. This support has encouraged them to reflect on the quality of their practice and has fostered valuable professional conversations. The owner and staff are developing a clear strategic direction for the centre.
Self review has been an area of improvement since 2013. Professional learning has supported the development of processes that help staff improve teaching practice. This is now having a positive impact on children’s learning outcomes.
The quality of the programme provided for children has improved significantly. Children enjoy a wide variety of resources to support their play. They can move easily between the indoor and outdoor areas. They are respectful of one another and the learning environment. Children are calm, independent and self-managing. Their approach to play is resourceful and imaginative. The programme has become more focused on learning, rather than on activities. Teachers are becoming excited about finding ways to plan more effectively to support children’s learning.
The centre owner/manager is early childhood trained and committed to providing a high quality programme for children. She has skilfully managed centre staffing to promote improvement. She has worked collaboratively with the other centre leaders and teachers to design and implement more robust strategic planning and management systems. Effective staff performance management processes are encouraging higher levels of professional practice. Coherent systems and shared understandings are supporting the smooth operation of the centre.
The centre owner and staff agree that key next steps include:
ERO recommends that the centre owner and staff should continue to implement systems and professional practices recently established as a result of external support.
Before the review, the staff and management of Our Kids 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 Our Kids Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
29 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 |
Glendene, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20055 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
32 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
40 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 21 Girls 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Cook Island Chinese Indian Samoan Filipino |
13 17 3 2 2 2 1 |
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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 |
May 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
29 May 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2013 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
May 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2009 |
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.