1 Cullimore Street, Pukete, Hamilton
View on mapEducare Pukete
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 Bright Babes Limited are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
2 Context of the Service
Bright Babes Limited is a privately owned, stand-alone centre. The centre owner and assistant manager lead a team of ten qualified and nine unqualified teachers. Bright Babes Limited caters for infants, toddlers and young children, in five developmentally based areas. The philosophy aims to support children as resilient, confident, curious achievers.
3 Summary of findings
Children experience a respectful and responsive curriculum. Transitions into, within, and from the service are well supported. Infants benefit from calm, highly responsive interactions. Toddlers experience nurturing interactions that scaffold them towards independence. Kaiako actively promote understandings of mathematical and literacy concepts for young children. Children are confident and engaged in their learning.
Strong relationships are embedded and valued within the service. Kaiako have ample time to develop positive learning-focused relationships with children, parents and whānau. The low turn-over of kaiako is conducive to embedding quality adult-child relationships. Children display a sense of belonging.
Contribution by Māori is valued. Leaders seek and create opportunities to practically incorporate their voice in the daily curriculum. The service has focused on growth in cultural responsiveness to whānau Māori since the previous ERO review. Māori children benefit from inclusion of Te Ao Māori within the curriculum.
Kaiako are beginning to explore the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Assessment information shows some evidence of children’s developing capabilities and is reflective of some children’s languages, identities, and cultures. Team leaders and kaiako are beginning to consider this information in terms of equity.
Service leaders engage purposefully with internal evaluation to increase teacher capacity. They gather and use a range of relevant data to identify priorities for improvement. Kaiako are at an early stage of implementing these priorities within the curriculum. Critical reflection and collaborative practice are encouraged. Leaders ensure kaiako have access to relevant, high-quality professional learning, both externally and in-house.
Management have established sound systems, processes, and practices. The learning and wellbeing of children are the primary considerations in decision making. Leaders facilitate collaboration between the service, nearby schools and relevant agencies and community organisation to support broader educational outcomes.
4 Improvement actions
Bright Babes Limited will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
- use the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki to inform planning and curriculum priorities towards equity
- build capacity of team leaders and kaiako to ensure assessments reflect the cultural contexts, languages and identities of all children
- evaluate sleep routines for toddlers to determine how effective these are in ensuring positive outcomes for all.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Bright Babes Limited 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
10 June 2021
6 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name | Bright Babes Limited |
Profile Number | 34070 |
Location | Pukete, Hamilton |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
99 children, including up to 25 aged under 2. |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
Service roll |
102 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 31, NZ European/Pākehā 44, Indian 9, Pacific 6, Chinese 4, Other ethnic groups 8 |
Review team on site |
April 2021 |
Date of this report |
10 June 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, April 2018; Education Review, March 2015. |
1 Evaluation of Bright Babes Limited
How well placed is Bright Babes Limited 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
Bright Babes Limited is a privately owned education and care service located in the north Hamilton suburb of Pukete. The centre offers a full day service from 7.30a.m to 5.30p.m each week day. It is licensed for 99 children including up 25 children under two years. The current roll of 105 includes 42 children who identify as Māori.
There are five age groups spaces - infants, little toddlers, big toddlers and two spaces for children from 3 to 5 years old. The leadership structure has recently been reviewed and now includes an owner/manager, an assistant manager and two team leaders. Over 80% of teachers have formal qualifications in early childhood education.
The recently revised centre philosophy emphasises a warm, welcoming and loving environment with positive relationships between teachers, children, parents and whānau.
Centre leaders have responded well to the recommendations of the 2015 ERO report. There are now strong systems in place which help to ensure professional practice is supported.
The Review Findings
Children, parents and whānau benefit from relationships with teachers that are warm, positive and inclusive. Children are given a range of choices in their play which empowers them to follow their own interests and lead their own learning. Their rights as independent learners are respected, by being given opportunities to be involved in decisions that affect them. Children's oral language development is well supported, effective positive guidance strategies and restorative practices support the development of their social skills. A culture of care and respect promotes a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing for children and their whānau.
Age groups are segregated in the centre. A separate infant space means babies grow and learn in a quiet environment. Teachers use care routines such as nappy changes and feeding times as opportunities to interact with children, supporting their oral language development and increasing their confidence to explore the world around them. Good communication with parents helps to ensure that care routines are responsive to each child's rhythms and needs. The centre works proactively with parents, whānau and outside agencies to identify and support children with additional learning needs. Leaders and teachers advocate for children and whānau.
There is an appropriate range of learning and play opportunities for children. Leaders and teachers have a commitment to ensuring that current curriculum emphases in early childhood education are reflected in centre practice. This includes sustainability education and using everyday materials to encourage imaginative play. There is some integration of tikanga Māori and some use of te reo Māori by teachers to support the sense of belonging and identity for Māori children. Leaders and teachers use parents and whānau well to inform and support their bicultural practice.
A recent review of planning has led to a more consistent approach across all the age related areas of the centre and a greater focus on priority learners. Learning stories provide a record for parents of the activities their children have been involved in at the centre. A strong relationship with the local school supports transitions from the centre to school. Transitions between the various age group spaces in the centre are well managed.
Centre leadership has been strengthened. This has led to more consistent practice and higher levels of collaboration amongst teachers. A well-developed strategic plan provides clear direction for centre development and improvement. Teacher professional development is now more aligned to strategic priorities. A newly developed, robust appraisal process is leading to improved teacher practice.
A clear philosophy guides teachers. Their work is also informed by well-developed, strategic internal evaluation. Centre leaders are reviewing and strengthening the policy framework. Active networking with other centres and early childhood organisations ensures these policies reflect current regulatory requirements.
Key Next Steps
ERO and centre leaders agree there is a need to:
- continue to evaluate assessment and planning practices to clearly show learning priorities and progress over time for each child
- continue to strengthen the bicultural curriculum with a focus on local iwi history and places of significance
- review the extent to which current organisation and practice fully enacts the philosophy of the centre
- review induction practices to ensure a greater depth of understanding by new teachers of the centre philosophy and how it might be implemented.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Bright Babes Limited 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 Bright Babes Limited will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
11 April 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 |
Pukete, Hamilton |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
34070 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
99 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
105 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 55% |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
40% |
|
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 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
February 2018 |
||
Date of this report |
11 April 2018 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
||
Education Review |
March 2009 |
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.