21a Wilson Street, Cambridge
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.
Tree Town Early Childhood Centre and Preschool is a privately owned education and care service located in Cambridge. It is licensed for 90 children including 20 up to the age of two. The current roll of 104 includes 22 children who identify as Māori. The centre provides a full day service and is open from 7.30am to 6.00pm on weekdays. There are four age group spaces - ranging from babies to pre-school.
The centre philosophy encourages children to explore and challenge themselves through respectful reciprocal relationships and the provision of a safe environment.
The centre owner also manages the centre. A newly developed operations manager supports her in this role. The four age group spaces are led by head teachers who are also part of the senior leadership team. Over 80% of teachers are qualified early childhood educators.
The centre has recently opened a large new space for older children and significantly upgraded the outdoor environments for all of the age group spaces.
Most aspects of the previous report remain areas for further development particularly in responding to the language, culture and identity of Māori children, strategic planning and curriculum, planning and assessment.
Children enjoy many opportunities to learn through play in spacious and well-designed environments. Particular curriculum priorities valued by the centre are evident in and consistent across all the rooms. These include children learning about values and virtues, children making choices about their own learning and teaching practices which emphasise respectful care. Children have access to a rich range of natural resources, open-ended equipment and materials which promote choice, self-management and challenge. There are opportunities for children to problem-solve and extend their thinking. Mathematics and literacy learning are naturally integrated into children's play. Children's oral language development is well-supported. Children are learning in a safe and secure environment where high levels of engagement and enthusiasm are evident.
There is support for Māori children and their whānau through positive relationships. Aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori are included in meaningful ways. Children up to two years of age benefit from responsive and secure relationships with consistent teachers. These children are confident explorers in a calm, unhurried environment. Teachers work effectively with specialist agencies to provide targeted teaching and support for children with additional needs. They are well supported within an inclusive centre culture.
Teachers make consistent use of practices that promote positive outcomes for children. Primary caregiving, where one teacher becomes the main provider of nurture and care, is an important strategy used by teachers to promote a strong sense of belonging and well-being in children and whānau. Many aspects of respectful care are evident in teacher practice. Positive guidance strategies encourage children to interact positively with their peers. Teachers effectively and positively integrate learning into everyday care routines. The transitions children make from one room to another and one primary caregiver to another are managed at the children's own pace. Children benefit from positive, sensitive and responsive relationships with teachers.
There is a well-considered approach to appointing experienced leaders and fostering emergent leadership across the service. There is a strong focus on continual improvement. They have set expectations that teachers will inquire into their practice as part of the new appraisal process. Leaders build staff capability through collegial, professional relationships and by modelling best practice.
There are strong and effective systems and processes that underpin centre operations. A clear philosophy guides centre practice. It is regularly reviewed to ensure it reflects current teacher practice. There is ongoing internal evaluation into many aspects of centre operations which leads to centre development and improvement. This good governance is sustaining a valued community service.
ERO and centre leaders agree there is now a need to focus on review and development in the following areas.
Key aspects of centre operations need to be improved. These include:
continue to rationalise and streamline strategic planning systems and processes
document and fully implement the newly developed appraisal process
further develop the curriculum to be more responsive to the language and identity of Māori and other children
teachers considering taking a more individual approach to planning and assessment.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tree Town Early Childhood Centre and Preschool 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 Tree Town Early Childhood Centre and Preschool will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
11 June 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 |
Cambridge |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30086 |
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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 |
90 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
104 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 56% Girls 44% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
21% |
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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 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
March 2018 |
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Date of this report |
11 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2015 |
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Education Review |
August 2011 |
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Education Review |
October 2008 |
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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.
Tree Town Early Childhood Centre and Preschool is a privately owned, all-day education centre located in Cambridge. It is licensed for 65 children including 15 under the age of two years. At the time of this review, there were 91 children on the roll, including 10 who are identified as Māori.
Children learn and play in three age-related areas, each overseen by a head teacher. The licensee/owner has established a long-standing and well-respected teaching team who warmly welcome children and their families into the centre. She has supported teachers to gain their qualifications, and all are now qualified and registered. Support staff and educators regularly undertake professional learning and development.
The centre has had a positive reporting history with ERO and has made progress in response to the recommendations in the 2011 ERO report. Significant refurbishments of the outdoor play spaces in each of the areas have enhanced learning opportunities for children. The centre enjoys positive relationships with the local schools and community.
Teachers plan and prepare interesting and stimulating environments and programmes for children across the centre. Babies benefit from primary care-giving relationships which are unhurried and responsive to their own rhythms, and meet the requests of their parents. Children can safely explore their environment, both independently and alongside others, in a family-like setting.
Teachers effectively support and extend children’s interests and promote their independence. Children with diverse needs are skilfully managed and included. Care routines and meal times are sensitively managed, and nurture and comfort are readily offered. Teachers model rich language and respond to the verbal and non-verbal cues of children. Children were observed to be confident communicators.
The centre provides children with good quality, age-appropriate resources and equipment which teachers attractively present to encourage children to play and learn. Children have good opportunities to engage in creative activities and imaginative play. Literacy, mathematics and science are strongly evident across the centre and there is an increasing focus on the natural world and sustainable practices. Teachers respond to children’s interests and preferences, and encourage them to lead learning in their preferred ways. Children are sensitively supported as they transition into and within the centre, and on to school.
Children and their families regularly enjoy events and celebrations of learning that teachers organise and share with them. Aspects of children’s learning and development are well recorded in learning portfolios and on centre walls. Portfolios are accessible to children so that they can revisit their learning. Teachers use the learning stories to help inform their planning.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are taught through waiata, karakia and everyday conversations. Teachers and children could further explore aspects of Māori history and mythology in relation to the local area and context. They could also show children’s culture and identity in the learning portfolios.
Centre leaders have established respectful and responsive relationships with children and their families. They regularly share information about the care and learning that is happening for children. Leaders work effectively and collaboratively with their teams of teachers ensuring that each age-related area runs smoothly. They model professional learning and enthusiasm, and share their practice and values. Teachers reflect on their practice as part of their professional learning and development.
The centre licensee/owner works closely with her leadership team and has developed shared understandings that inform decision making, reflection and improvement. She encourages leadership in others and supports teacher training and professional development. There are clear policies and procedures that guide centre operations and support a safe inclusive culture for children. Parents are regularly surveyed, and their ideas and suggestions are used to inform decisions about how to improve outcomes for children.
The centre leaders and teachers are currently reviewing the centre philosophy. This should help them better align the philosophy with centre practice.
ERO and the centre leaders agree that to improve their strategic and annual planning, an appropriate framework needs to be developed that:
Continued next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tree Town Early Childhood Centre and Preschool 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 Tree Town Early Childhood Centre and Preschool will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Northern Region
18 February 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 |
Cambridge |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30086 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
65 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
91 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 46 Girls 45 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian South East Asian Other European Other |
10 73 2 2 3 1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2014 |
||
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Date of this report |
18 February 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2005 |
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.