192 Cashmere Road, Hoon Hay, Christchurch
View on mapCashmere Early Learning Centre
Cashmere Early Learning Centre
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 Cashmere Early Learning Centre 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 |
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 |
Whāngai Establishing |
2 Context of the Service
Cashmere Early Learning Centre is a small, privately-owned early childhood education service. It is licensed to provide full-day education and care for up to 28 children. The centre serves families from a diverse range of cultures within its local community. All teachers are qualified and certificated early childhood teachers.
3 Summary of findings
Children have many opportunities to learn through a responsive curriculum that is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers enable children to explore their interests by providing a wide of range of experiences that foster creativity and exploration, early literacy, social skills and learning about the natural world. The philosophy values of manaakitanga (caring) and ako (teaching and learning) are evident in practice.
The bicultural curriculum is developing. Leaders and teachers acknowledge the language, culture and identity of each child and their whānau. Te reo Māori is used in daily interactions with children. Their mihimihi are displayed and they are encouraged with its use in the learning routines of the day. Significant cultural events are celebrated and connections with children’s home environments are nurtured. These approaches help to foster a sense of belonging for children and whānau. Children’s languages, cultures and identities are yet to be consistently reflected in assessment documentation.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Teachers work well with external agencies to develop and implement strategies to enable full participation in the curriculum.
Leaders and teachers, with parents and whānau, have begun to explore the learning outcomes from Te Whariki to determine the learning priorities that matter most for this community. They have yet to fully determine the key priorities for learning and show how all children are progressing in relation to these priorities.
Recent professional learning has resulted in a useful framework to guide planning, assessment and evaluation processes. Teachers seek and respond to parents’ aspirations for their children’s learning. Documentation shows children’s strengths and interests and is increasingly focussed on showing learning in relation to the learning outcomes. Leaders are beginning to analyse assessment information to determine the learning needs of groups of children.
Internal evaluation is well led. Leaders have developed a useful framework for internal evaluation and practice has strengthened over time. They are embedding all teachers’ capability to do and use effective internal evaluation to know the impact of improvements on outcomes for children.
Leaders promote a shared understanding of the philosophy vison and goals of the service. They have created a positive culture of collaboration and provide ongoing professional learning and support for the team. They recognise the importance of clarifying the differences in the roles and responsibilities between management and governance to continue ongoing effectiveness.
4 Improvement actions
Cashmere Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:
- continue to determine the key priorities for learning, in consultation with parents and whānau
- deepen teachers’ understanding of the Te Whāriki learning outcomes and overtime show how all children are developing in relation to the learning priorities and consider this information in terms of equity
- consistently show in assessment records how teachers value children’s languages, cultures and identities.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Cashmere Early Learning 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:
- 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
4 February 2022
6 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name | Cashmere Early Learning Centre |
Profile Number | 45406 |
Location | Christchurch |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
28 children two years and over. |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
Service roll |
26 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 1, NZ European/Pākehā 19, Other 6. |
Review team on site |
November 2021 |
Date of this report |
4 February 2022 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, December 2014. |
Cashmere Early Learning Centre - 06/06/2018
1 Evaluation of Cashmere Early Learning Centre
How well placed is Cashmere Early Learning Centre 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
Cashmere Early Learning Centre is a small, privately-owned early childhood centre. It is licensed to provide full-day education and care for up to 28 children, including 8 under two years. The centre serves families from a diverse range of cultures within its local and wider community.
The owner, a qualified teacher, manages the centre. She works collaboratively with the acting centre leader and the curriculum advisor in the day-to-day operation of the centre. The majority of teachers are qualified and certified early childhood teachers.
Since the 2014 ERO review there has been a change in centre ownership and management and some changes in teaching staff. Current leaders and teachers have been responsive to the key next steps from the previous report.
The Review Findings
Respectful and supportive relationships with children and their families promote a sense of wellbeing, inclusion and belonging in the centre. The child-centred curriculum encourages children to initiate learning, actively explore and problem-solve through exploratory play. The centre prioritises the learning aspirations of children and their families in the programme. The learning environment is well designed and resourced to meet children's interests and needs. Teachers are responsive to children's wellbeing and supportive of their learning through play.
The recently reviewed philosophy clearly states the centre's shared values, vision and expectations for learning and teaching. The philosophy is visible in the programme and has been collaboratively developed in consultation with teachers, children and parents.
Teachers are responsive to children's wellbeing and supportive of their learning through play. Children in the under-two year old area are guided by caring, nurturing teacher interactions. Teachers respond to non-verbal and other language cues from all children. Centre routines are well integrated and promote children's self-help skills and independence.
The specific needs of children with identified special needs are met, in conjunction with resource support from outside agencies. Māori children experience opportunities to succeed as Māori, and children from other cultures are supported to learn and achieve with confidence.
Transitions into, within and out of the centre are well-managed and reflect the needs of individual children and their families. Positive links with local schools foster and support these processes.
The centre communicates effectively with its families. Parents are invited to participate in decision-making about their children's learning and other centre priorities. For example, parents' opinions, aspirations and goals for their children are actively sought, and their opinions are included in assessment and programme planning. Centre wall displays and children's profiles keep parents well informed about their children's interests, skills and learning progress. Celebrations of the centre's diverse cultural heritages are important elements of the curriculum, and family contributions to these are acknowledged and valued.
Leaders and teacher have developed systems, internal evaluation processes and actions for strategic and annual planning. These processes are effective and promote positive outcomes for children. To build and sustain capability, leaders value and encourage collaborative teamwork and professional learning and development. Leaders acknowledge the expertise of teachers.
Key Next Steps
Centre leaders and teachers have identified, and ERO agrees, that the key next steps to promote positive outcomes for children are to focus on:
- further developments in the acknowledgement, knowledge and use of reo Māori and tikanga Māori
- embedding the current appraisal system to include observations of all staff
- strengthening the teaching team's understanding and knowledge of Te Whāriki Early Childhood Curriculum (2017).
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Cashmere Early Learning 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:
- 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 Cashmere Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
6 June 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 |
Christchurch |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
45406 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
28 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
42 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 19 : Girls 23 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
|
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 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
April 2018 |
||
Date of this report |
6 June 2018 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2014 |
|
Education Review |
January 2012 |
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.