136 Richmond Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
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.
First Steps Ponsonby is situated in a converted house in a residential area of Ponsonby. The BestStart Education and Care organisation provides the overarching structure and support for governance and management. A longstanding centre manager and two acting head teachers work closely with a BestStart Management team. All teachers are qualified and permanent.
This service is licensed for up to 41 children, with a maximum of 12 aged under two years. Families have diverse cultural backgrounds. The ground floor is organised into areas for infants and toddlers and for those aged two to four years. A downstairs area is assigned to children aged over four, who also have free access to an outside play space. Other children use this space at selected times.
The 2013 ERO report noted that the centre's curriculum was well designed with a strong focus on wellbeing, high quality relationships and a settled environment. Planning, assessment, evaluation and strategic planning were identified as areas for further development. Improved access to the outdoor space for younger children was also suggested. The centre continues to work on these next steps, along with reviewing the quality of the learning environment, and the programme for supporting children as they transition to school.
Caring and trusting relationships between children, and with teachers, reflect a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing. Teachers are affirming, nurturing and warm. An inclusive atmosphere and a visible commitment to endorsing the culture, language and identity of each family is evident in programme, environment and practice. Te reo Māori is naturally integrated into the programme through conversation, waiata and karakia.
Children are engaged, happy and confident to explore the environment. Their interests and preferences guide their play, and they also learn through established care routines, which are respectfully and appropriately managed. Teachers promote literacy, mathematics, science and creative activities through the programme. Resources and materials are purposefully placed to encourage children's exploration and independence. Regular visits to a nearby park provide children with greater space and opportunity for learning. Managers continue to review the overall layout of the centre to ensure that children have equitable access to outdoor play.
Portfolios and interactive wall displays allow children to create and rearrange photos, pictures, words, and numbers and to revisit their past learning experiences. Teachers document children's key interests and activities in portfolios, which identify significant moments of learning for individuals and groups of children. In these documents, some teachers identify ways that they can support and extend learning in purposeful ways. This good practice could be extended for greater consistency in assessment, planning and teaching.
Families receive good information about the ways that children learn, in relation to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The centre has initiated a primary caregiver approach that supports teachers to build strong, trusting relationships with infants and young toddlers and their families. The centre plans to create further ways to engage meaningfully with parents about children's learning and care. This development includes teachers supporting the growing numbers of children and their families who speak languages other than English at home.
Strategic goals are focused on improving centre operations and the curriculum. BestStart provides appropriate professional development. Managers value self review, and have identified key areas for improvement. Regular staff meetings highlight information about children's interests, strengths and dispositions for learning. Managers encourage teachers to use this information to review the effectiveness of teaching and to share good practices.
Self review could be enhanced by the use of clear indicators of effective practice to measure the impact of teaching practices on children's learning. The centre should also now prioritise a formal review of the quality of the programme and suitability of the environment in the downstairs area, to improve and extend teaching and learning for older children.
The centre manager has identified the need to strengthen teaching consistency and capability. BestStart managers also agree that next steps for this service include reviewing and improving:
Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps Ponsonby 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 First Steps Ponsonby will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
28 October 2016
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 |
Ponsonby, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20123 |
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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 |
41 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
40 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 21 Boys 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Indian Asian African |
2 21 9 5 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 |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2016 |
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Date of this report |
28 October 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
July 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
July 2010 |
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Education Review |
June 2007 |
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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:
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.
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.
First Steps Ponsonby is an inner-city suburban centre that provides all-day education and care for up to 41 children, including 12 aged up to two years. The building is a road-front renovated house with distinct areas, including a central kitchen. The outdoor play area is accessed by steps on the side of the house. Young infants have their own space upstairs and toddlers are grouped next door to them. The older children have a well established preschool space downstairs.
The centre is part of Kidicorp Ltd and the company’s policies, procedures and practices underpin its operation. Business and professional support managers visit regularly to ensure that Kidicorp expectations are being met and to promote the ongoing development of the centre. A centre manager provides professional leadership for teaching and leadership teams.
Previous ERO reports have identified significant strengths in the centre, particularly in relation to the implementation of its philosophy. The centre has maintained its good practices and has responded positively to ERO’s recommendations and suggestions as part of its programme of continuous improvement.
The centre’s philosophy is very well reflected in practice. Long-serving teachers have maintained a settled and calm environment in the centre. Their high quality relationships with children, parents and each other:
The centre’s curriculum is well designed to support children’s overall learning and development. Programmes clearly reflect New Zealand’s bicultural heritage, Auckland’s strong multicultural make-up, and the culture, languages and identities of Pacific children.
The curriculum provides appropriate opportunities for children to enjoy a range of play that encourages their participation and exploration, and enables them to follow and develop their individual interests. Daily programmes include:
Programmes are well linked to what teachers notice about the interests and learning of children. Daily reflections on the programme are proving a useful means of following up these observations. Portfolios contain attractive records of children’s learning and development over time, and increasingly promote parent input.
The centre is very well managed and led. The centre manager is focused on extending the knowledge and practice of the teaching team. She and her head teachers model high quality teaching practices and work effectively with Kidicorp personnel to promote ongoing teacher development. Enhanced self-review processes are clearly resulting in ongoing improvements for children.
ERO and centre managers agree that the centre should follow through on plans to:
Kidicorp should also consider refining its personnel policy and procedural documents to better reflect the company’s desire to exceed minimum requirements and achieve high quality outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps Ponsonby 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 First Steps Ponsonby will be in three years.
Dale Bailey National Manager Review Services Northern Region
12 July 2013
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 |
Ponsonby, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20123 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
41 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
44 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 27 Boys 17 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Other |
38 2 4 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
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 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
12 July 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2004 |
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.
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.