Beachcomber Kindergarten

Education institution number:
25007
Service type:
Education & Care Service
Total roll:
32
Telephone:
Address:

95 Hutchinsons Road, Howick South, Auckland

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Beachcomber Kindergarten

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama- indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Beachcomber Kindergarten are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whāngai Establishing

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakatō Emerging

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Beachcomber Kindergarten is a privately-owned service providing education and care for children in an increasingly multicultural community. The centre manager oversees operational systems and curriculum delivery, she is supported by the office administrator and the service owner. Six qualified teachers and two unqualified staff make up the teaching team. Many are long-serving staff.

3 Summary of findings

Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the service. They settle quickly into their play and initiate conversations with their peers and teachers, confidently sharing their feelings and thoughts. Teachers provide a programme that allows children to engage in activities of their own choosing for sustained periods of time, and to lead their own learning.

Children have opportunities to hear and speak te reo Māori and their own home languages during mat-times. Some children also confidently use New Zealand Sign Language. Teachers could now consider how well the curriculum responds to the languages, cultures and identities of all children and their families. The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua could be more strongly reflected in the curriculum.

Teachers meaningfully promote science, literacy, and mathematics in the context of children’s play. Good teaching practices encourage and extend children’s oral language development and bring complexity to children’s thinking and learning. The learning programme includes a focus on recycling, and children show respect in looking after their environment.

Parents who spoke with ERO appreciated how teachers provide a curriculum centred on children’s exploration and interests. They felt well informed about their children’s learning and have good opportunities to participate in a variety of centre events, including excursions.

Teachers are establishing a range of practices to enhance children’s learning and development. Practices include curriculum planning, evaluation and strategies to strengthen learning partnerships with parents and whānau. Teachers and leaders have yet to evaluate the effectiveness of these new initiatives.

External professional learning could help develop shared staff understanding of the effective use of internal evaluation for ongoing improvement. It could also support the centre manager to grow in her role as a leader of the service. The development of strategic planning would help to inform the service’s future direction.

4 Improvement actions

Beachcomber Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Continue to develop a culturally responsive learning programme, aligned with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
  • Develop an understanding of internal evaluation that involves deeper analysis and focuses on the effectiveness and impact of teacher practices on outcomes for children’s learning.
  • Ensure that all policies and procedures continue to meet current regulatory requirements.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Beachcomber Kindergarten 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.

6 Compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • Evidence of review of the emergency plan on at least an annual basis and implementation of improved practices as required (HS7).
  • A record of emergency drills carried out and evidence of how evaluation of the drills informs the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS8).
  • The procedure for monitoring children’s sleep (HS9).
  • A documented risk management system that isolates, minimises, and eliminates hazards (HS12).
  • A record of excursions that includes an assessment and management of risk and the signature of the person responsible giving approval for the excursion to take place (HS17).
  • When children travel in a motor vehicle while in the care of the service, the written permission of a parent of each child is obtained before the travel begins (unless the child is travelling with their parents) (HS18).
  • A policy that ensures that no person on the premises uses, or is under the influence of, alcohol or any other substance that has a detrimental effect on their functioning or behaviour during the service’s hours of operation (HS33).

Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

8 November 2021 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Beachcomber Kindergarten

Profile Number

25007

Location

Howick, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

30 children over two years of age

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

38

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā 21, Chinese 8, other Asian 7, other ethnic groups 2

Review team on site

August 2021

Date of this report

8 November 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, May 2018
Education Review, December 2014

Beachcomber Kindergarten - 09/05/2018

1 Evaluation of Beachcomber Kindergarten

How well placed is Beachcomber Kindergarten 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

Beachcomber Kindergarten is a well established early childhood education and care service in Bucklands Beach. It has strong links within the local community and intergenerational associations with many families. Families in the centre are from a variety of cultural groups.

The centre operates during school terms. It offers sessional and full-day programmes for children aged over two years. The centre is very well staffed with an on-site owner/manager, experienced registered teachers, and good ratios of adults to children. 

The centre's philosophy focuses strongly on supporting children's independence, fun and creativity. It promotes learning in a home-like environment where children are encouraged to make decisions and actively participate in the centre. Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, underpins teaching approaches.

Since the 2014 ERO review the teachers have strengthened internal evaluation and management practices. They have introduced a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) and documenting how these are included naturally in the programme. The centre has continued effective management practices and strong partnerships with parents/whānau.

The Review Findings

Children learn in an attractive well resourced learning environment that supports their sustained engagement in play. Children have very good opportunities to explore and be physically active in the carefully organised outdoor area. They engage in complex imaginative play and are able to be creative through an extensive variety of art, dance, and music activities.  They are capable, confident learners.

Children show a strong sense of belonging in the centre. They display independence and freely access a wide range of resources. Children make choices about their play. They settle quickly, play well alongside each other and enthusiastically join in group learning experiences.

Teachers' play-based philosophy underpins the responsive, child-led programme. Documentation shows how children’s interests and strengths, and parent aspirations guide the programme. Children’s portfolios/growing books are highly valued and include children’s input and parent contributions.

Teachers affirm and build on children’s ideas in ways that promote investigation, exploration and discovery. They integrate literacy, mathematics, science and technology into planned activities and spontaneous opportunities throughout the day. Teachers foster the successful inclusion of children with additional needs. They have a genuine commitment in developing a more bicultural curriculum.

Respectful relationships and children’s wellbeing continue to be nurtured by skilful teachers who plan and develop programmes that respond to children's physical emotional and learning needs. Teachers encourage children to self-manage, initiate play with others, build friendships and be resilient. Development of these skills should assist children when they transition to school.

Teachers collaborate well, communicating with each other and responding quickly to children’s learning needs. They make good use of open-ended questioning that encourages children’s thinking and exploration. Children’s language skills are extended in meaningful contexts and sustained conversations with their teachers.

Shared leadership and areas of responsibility enable the long-serving staff to work well as a collaborative team. Teachers have a deep understanding of and strong commitment to the centre's philosophy of teaching and learning. Their high quality curriculum practices encourage children to become capable and confident, lifelong learners.

The centre is very well led and managed. Rigorous performance management and strong professional leadership enable the managers to maintain the focus on providing high quality early childhood education and care. Positive working relationships, mentoring and collaboration between management and staff help create a culture of trust and respect.

There is effective recordkeeping, a comprehensive framework of policies and procedures, and regular self review. Establishing the practice of deeper evaluative inquiry would help managers and teachers to continue building on existing good practices in a purposeful and evidence-based approach.

Key Next Steps

The centre leaders agree that next steps include developing:

  • more culturally responsive practices that better reflect the growing community diversity
  • internal evaluation that involves deeper analysis, and focuses on the effectiveness and impact of teacher practice on outcomes for children
  • a long-term strategic plan to guide centre direction. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Beachcomber Kindergarten 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 Beachcomber Kindergarten will be in three years.

Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

9 May 2018 

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

Howick, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

25007

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, over 2 years of age

Service roll

55

Gender composition

Boys      28
Girls       27

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Chinese
Indian
Tongan
Fijian
other European
other

  2
34
  5
  3
  2
  2
  5
  2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49%       50-79%       80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

March 2018

Date of this report

9 May 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

December 2014

Education Review

August 2011

Education Review

August 2008

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.