23 Triton Drive, North Shore
View on mapAkarangi | 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Tots on Triton Early Childhood Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakatō Emerging Whakatō Emerging |
Tots on Triton is located in the business district of Albany. The centre is privately owned and serves a culturally diverse community. Teachers reflect the diverse backgrounds of children and families. Since ERO’s 2019 review, there have been leadership and teaching staff changes.
Children’s sense of belonging is nurtured through a calm and responsive environment. As a result, children are friendly, curious and confident communicators. They see images of themselves in displays around the learning environment as well as in individual assessment records. Children who require additional learning assistance are well supported.
Children up to the age of two years form secure attachments with teachers, who support their decision making and involvement with a wide range of learning experiences. Children’s language is extended by teachers who are responsive to their communication cues. Young children are well supported by teachers to transition into and within the centre.
Teachers intentionally provide an environment that is inclusive and accepting for children and their families. A priority for leaders is to purposely seek ways to acknowledge, respect and respond to the languages and cultures of children and whānau. Teachers use some te reo Māori and aspects of tikanga Māori in natural and inclusive ways with children.
Teachers actively follow children’s interests and seek their input to extend children’s thinking. The curriculum provides intentional opportunities for children to build their literacy and numeracy knowledge. Teachers could strengthen current practices further by aligning teaching intentions to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Review processes are in place to support teachers to reflect on and revisit their practices. Teachers are at an early stage of using internal evaluation for improvement. Leaders and teachers now need to consider how they use evaluation to assess how effectively the curriculum and teaching has impacted on each child’s learning.
The new centre leaders are working to develop a dedicated team culture. Their priorities include implementing professional learning opportunities for the teaching team and strengthening professional growth cycles to focus on improving teaching practices.
Tots on Triton Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Strengthen the teaching team’s understanding of Te Whāriki. This includes planning and evaluating children’s learning in response to children’s interests.
Build leaders’ and teachers’ internal evaluation capability to undertake evaluations that focus on the effectiveness of practice and its impact on children’s learning outcomes.
Continue to make more visible children’s cultures, languages, and identity in teaching practice and in recorded planning and assessment.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tots on Triton Early Childhood Centre completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
31 January 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Tots on Triton Early Childhood Centre |
|
Profile Number |
45200 |
|
Location |
Albany, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
100 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
22 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
31 January 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2019 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Tots on Triton Early Childhood Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tots on Triton is located in the business district of Albany on the North Shore in Auckland. It is licensed to provide education and care for up to 100 children, including up to 30 children under two years of age. The centre caters for local families, as well as those families who work in the area.
Children play and learn in four rooms for infants, toddlers or pre-schoolers. The centre serves a culturally diverse community with the bigger groups being European/Pākehā and Chinese. Teachers reflect the diverse backgrounds of children and families.
A recently reviewed and developed philosophy reflects teachers' vision for positive outcomes for children. At the heart of the philosophy is the importance of relationships with tamariki, whānau, teachers and the local community. It also promotes a caring and emotionally secure environment for children, where their self-esteem and self-worth are fostered. The principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are included in the philosophy, and guide teaching practices.
Since the 2014 ERO report the centre has had new leaders and teaching staff. The teaching team consists of 16 full-time staff and two part-time relievers. The centre manager is supported by the area manager. Seven teachers are fully qualified, and one is working towards full certification.
The 2014 ERO report noted positive teaching aspects that contributed to children's learning. Although the centre has new leaders and teachers, many of these good practices are still evident.
Children are viewed as capable learners who may lead their own learning. They enthusiastically engage in activities and find interests to explore. Children confidently converse with teachers and their peers. They work independently or in groups, and benefit from a rich variety of accessible resources. Inclusive practices support children to respect and value others. Children with additional learning needs are well supported and included in the programme.
Infants and toddlers enjoy an environment that is unhurried and promotes positive interactions. Teachers in the infant room practise primary caregiving, and prioritise meaningful relationships with children and their whānau. Teachers' responsive caregiving supports infants’ need for strong and secure attachments. They respond to children's cues, preferences and interests with respectful and caring interactions.
Older children benefit from a calm, caring environment that fosters their sense of belonging and purposeful engagement in play. Teachers model and promote respectful relationships. Effective teaching practices include:
knowing children well and responding to their learning needs and preferences
frequently interacting with children and modelling reciprocal conversation skills
using mat time activities, singing and story reading to support children's language acquisition
collaborating with other teachers to support seamless transitions through the day, and children's transitions between rooms.
The programme is child led, play is valued and the environment is viewed as the 'third teacher'. Teachers thoughtfully plan environments that provoke children's interests and support their engagement in learning.
Children learn about aspects of tikanga Māori and use Māori cultural resources. They have opportunities to sing waiata. Centre leaders plan to work with local whānau, iwi and marae to strengthen the centre's bicultural practices.
Parents are supported to be partners in their children's learning. Teachers respond to parents' aspirations, and value the skills and knowledge that families share. Families are well informed about children's learning through informal discussions, electronic communication, and attractive wall displays.
The centre is well led and managed. The centre manager focuses on building leadership capacity, and a collaborative team culture to achieve positive outcomes for children's learning and wellbeing. Leadership is team-focused, organised and systematic. A strong team culture fosters staff relationships and wellbeing. Teachers' strengths and interests are valued, and team leaders have leadership roles for planning and assessment in their respective areas.
Centre owners and leaders value high quality, centre-wide professional learning to support teachers to build their capability. Relevant appraisal processes support teachers to identify meaningful goals, and to be innovative and reflective in their teaching practice.
A clear framework for internal evaluation supports teachers to review a range of practices. 'Teaching as inquiry' is supporting teachers to critically reflect on areas of interest in their teaching practice or in the curriculum. These processes are helping to build sustainable leadership of the centre's developments and effective practices.
The centre has a strong vision and philosophy which underpins centre operations and practices. Strategic and annual plans provide clear direction for the centre's development. A sound policy framework guides leaders and teachers.
Centre managers agree that key next steps include:
strengthening bicultural practices
planning teaching strategies and learning outcomes to extend children's learning and individual interests
building teacher capability to extend children's thinking, and to engage them in more complex play.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tots on Triton Early Childhood 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
21 March 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.
|
Location |
North Shore, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45200 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
65 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 34 Girls 31 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
21 March 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
December 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2011 |
||
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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.
Tots on Triton Early Childhood Centre, a privately owned centre established in 2009, operates from a purpose-built facility in the industrial area of Rosedale, on Auckland’s North Shore. The centre offers all day education and care for up to 100 children, including 30 under two years of age.
The centre is capably led by two supervisors with the support of a contract manager. A high level of collaboration between teachers, parents and children helps to ensure the centre meets its goal of providing children and their families with high quality outcomes. The centre owners meet regularly with managers to monitor the strategic direction of the centre.
Children and teachers are from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, which are reflected in the centre curriculum. The curriculum is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and is influenced by teachers’ understandings of important early childhood education philosophies. The rich programme and resources invite children to explore at their own pace and to develop skills that support them to become independent and socially competent learners.
The positive features of Tots on Triton that were acknowledged in ERO’s 2011 report continue to be evident. In addition, much progress has been made since that time. Ongoing improvements have enhanced children’s learning experiences and contribute to the effective operation of an improvement-focused centre that provides a valuable service to families in its diverse community.
Children are confident and articulate, and love learning. They settle quickly into the centre environment and make good choices about their learning and play. They show respect for each other and for their environment. They show high levels of independence and social competence and are confident to manage themselves. Children enjoy making independent choices about their play. They are articulate and their views are sought and celebrated in the centre.
Children play collaboratively and in groups and enjoy sustained periods of extended play. They enjoy a strong sense of belonging and participate in lively and meaningful conversations with adults and each other. They are cared for by their teachers and enjoy support to explore their choices of play and their learning. Children are treated as capable learners. They explore at their own pace and revisit their learning. They are encouraged to be self motivated, make decisions, and challenge themselves to accomplish difficult tasks.
Teachers work alongside children and provide them with many opportunities to explore, experiment and to be creative. They work collaboratively to provide good quality outcomes for children, offering learning experiences and resources to provoke and extend children’s thinking and problem solving skills. Adventurous outdoor spaces are available for children to explore, including a wooden fort built in amongst native New Zealand plants.
Children up to two years old enjoy a calm and peaceful environment and benefit from the sensitive care teachers provide for them. They are encouraged to explore in an open space, with opportunities for physical play. The young children select the resources they want to play with and explore. Teachers in these rooms understand the concept of affectionate care and respond sensitively to each child’s changing needs and preferences.
Children move to the next room in the centre when they are developmentally ready. These decisions involve conversations with parents and careful consideration ensures that children make smooth transitions. A particular emphasis in the Years 4-5 room is placed on supporting children to be ready for school in their thinking, skills and levels of independence.
The curriculum is skilfully developed to promote appropriate programmes for older children and for infants and toddlers. Good systems are in place to enable teachers to plan for children’s interests and cater for their learning progress. Children’s learning journeys are recorded in portfolios. Plans are now underway to use more online communication with parents to strengthen home-centre partnerships.
The centre acknowledges the place of Māori as tangata whenua and continues to develop and strengthen its bicultural curriculum. Teachers have now gained a more in-depth knowledge of tikanga and te reo Māori. They are focused on further developing the bicultural curriculum and the use of the Ministry of Education resource, Tātaiako - Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, in the appraisal process.
Managers and supervisors support teachers’ professional learning and staff are encouraged to attend workshops, conferences and courses. Teachers use their learning to promote high quality practice and build stronger relationships with children and their families and whānau.
Leadership is promoted within the centre. Children have opportunities to lead their learning and to present their investigations to teachers. Teachers continue to take on leadership roles in areas of interest and have opportunities to develop their strengths and professional skills. Leaders are committed to helping teachers extend their understanding of the depth of children’s learning and investigations.
The centre is very well placed to sustain its strengths. High levels of self review have enabled staff and leaders to make notable improvements. Positive and professional dialogue has supported effective changes to systems and processes that build a culture of ongoing improvement.
Centre leaders and ERO agree that the centre should continue its very good progress in providing high quality early childhood for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tots on Triton Early Childhood 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 Tots on Triton Early Childhood Centre will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
24 December 2014
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 |
Rosedale, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45200 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
94 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 48 Boys 46 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Indian Korean Filipino Polish South African Taiwanese |
5 63 14 5 3 1 1 1 1 |
|
|
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 |
October 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
24 December 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
October 2011 |
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.