55 Sainsbury Road, Mt Albert, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Active Explorers St Lukes is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Active Explorers St Lukes (previously operating as Lollipops St Lukes) is licensed to provide full-day education and care for 100 children, including up to 40 aged under two years. Children are grouped according to age into four separate learning spaces. Children and their families come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, and many speak more than one language.
A centre manager and two head teachers lead a team of five qualified and five unqualified teachers. While the centre attempts to recruit more teachers, a small group of long-term relievers completes the team. The centre is owned by Evolve Education Group (EEG). Visiting personnel from EEG support the centre manager with day-to-day operations and long-term planning and development projects.
The recently reviewed centre philosophy is focused on creating an environment that fosters individual learning and success, through positive, respectful relationships with whānau. The key dispositions of confidence, curiosity, independence, creativity, perseverance, empathy and resilience are held in high regard. The Treaty of Waitangi is recognised as a guiding document.
The 2016 ERO report acknowledged the respectful relationships with children and families and the calm, unhurried environment for infants and toddlers. Areas for development in the 2016 report included strengthening self review, bicultural understandings and practices, and building teachers professional knowledge, capability and teamwork. There has been good progress in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of ten reviews in the Evolve Education Group.
Children are settled. They make choices about their play. Teachers are responsive and engage them in positive, supportive interactions. Older children involve themselves well in a wide range of experiences and imaginative play with a good variety of resources that enable them to sustain their engagement. Effective questioning from teachers promotes more complex thinking.
Infants and toddlers receive gentle care from teachers who are aware of their individual needs. Consideration could be given to the learning resources in the infants and toddlers spaces and how effectively children engage with them. Indoor environments centre-wide are attractive and inviting. Outdoor environments are more challenging, and plans are in place to make these more open and accessible to children and to ease supervision for teachers.
Te reo and tikanga Māori are woven throughout centre practices. Te ao Māori is evident in programme planning to varying levels, but is particularly strong for the older children. This is being led well across the centre by the recently appointed centre manager.
Leaders and teachers reflect the cultures of the children. They use children's home languages in day-to-day interactions and include songs, music and cultural celebrations in the programme in authentic ways. Leaders and teachers are using the Ministry of Education's Tāpasā framework to strengthen teachers' knowledge and understanding of Pacific learners.
Parents and whānau contribute very well to the programme, the environment and support centre events. Teachers actively and successfully seek whānau feedback and this is included in the development of centre practices and documentation.
Teachers successfully implement effective strategies to support children's developing social competence. They place emphasis on enabling, through communication, children's understanding of each other and what is happening around them. Teachers skilfully include science, mathematics and literacy in the programme in meaningful ways.
Teachers plan and evaluate meaningful programmes for individuals and groups of children based on their observations of children at play. Assessment practices enhance children's identity as successful learners. Whānau voice is included in planning for children's learning.
EEG leaders have established an effective process for centres to implement internal evaluation. They have provided effective professional development that has enhanced this centre's leaders' understanding of the process, and this is driving improvement. Leaders have collaboratively established strategic and annual plans to guide the centre's direction.
EEG provides a framework of policies and procedures to guide centre practices. This framework continues to be reviewed. An effective process for staff appraisal is in place. EEG need to ensure managers are implementing this process effectively.
Key next steps include:
providing professional learning and development for teachers in the infant and toddler rooms specific to quality care for children under two years
continuing to promote teachers' understanding and use of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to enhance programme planning and evaluation processes.
Evolve Education Group Senior Managers have agreed that key next steps include:
ensuring the company's vision and values, goals and principles reflect the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
addressing staffing issues in some centres to ensure quality teaching practices are evident, promoting positive outcomes for all children and ensuring sustainability of quality practice
reviewing how effectively the levels and quality of learning resources in centres promote collaboration amongst children and promote more complex thinking
providing professional learning and development for leaders and teachers to ensure a deeper engagement with Te Whāriki.
Before the review, the staff and management of Active Explorers St Lukes 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.
To improve current practice, Evolve Education Group Senior Managers must take steps to ensure that health and safety policies and procedures are implemented rigorously across all services.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
19 December 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.
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Location |
Mt Albert, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45567 |
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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 |
100 children, including up to 40 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
73 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 42 Girls 31 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2019 |
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Date of this report |
19 December 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2016 |
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Education Review |
December 2012 |
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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:
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Lollipops Educare Centres (St Lukes) is a purpose-built centre located above commercial premises in the suburb of St Lukes, Auckland. The centre provides all day education and care services for infants, toddlers and young children up to five years of age. Different age groups are catered for in four rooms with access to outdoor play areas. Children and their families come from diverse cultures and many speak multiple languages.
The centre is licensed for 100 children, including up to 40 children under the age of two years. It operates as part of Lollipops Educare and the Evolve Education Group. The Evolve Education Group provides comprehensive policy frameworks and guidance to support the centre’s operation and development.
The centre’s philosophy is based on the belief that children learn best through respectful and reciprocal relationships with interested adults. The programme aims to foster children’s learning dispositions and interests, and to empower them to develop a life-long love of learning.
The ethnically diverse teaching team bring a variety of experiences and knowledge about early childhood education to the centre. They understand their children and their families well.
Since the 2012 ERO review a new Centre Director has been appointed. He has a strong vision and positive expectations for the centre. Staffing changes, including changes to team leaders, have resulted in a time of transition for the centre.
This is the centre’s second ERO review. The 2012 ERO report noted several performance strengths. These included the centre’s philosophy being highly evident in centre practices, children benefiting from warm and respectful interactions, the nurturing care provided for infants, and teachers’ responsiveness to children’s interests. Managers have responded positively to recommendations in the 2012 report and have developed long-term and annual planning, and worked on building family partnerships.
Teachers and managers have developed respectful relationships with children and families. Their philosophy of teaching and the principles of Te Whāriki, the early child curriculum, are evident in practice. There is a need to better support children’s language development by ensuring children have frequent and relevant learning conversations with teachers.
Infants and toddlers enjoy a calm and unhurried environment. Infants benefit from individualised care and responsive attention from staff. Infant programmes and routines are flexible to cater for children’s interests, developmental stages and parents’ preferences. The centre director recognises that toddlers would benefit from teachers increasing their focus on children’s nonverbal cues to respond to their needs. Teachers encouraging more conversations with these young children would also enrich opportunities for language learning.
The centre’s physical learning environments are attractive. Outdoor areas have been carefully considered and include plenty of natural plantings. It is now timely to review and replenish all learning areas with high quality resources that are easily accessible to children to support their play.
Transitions into, through, and out of the centre are well managed to cater for children’s and families’ needs. Children have regular opportunities to establish relationships with teachers and with children in the room they will next transition to. This work to build familiarity with people and settings helps children to confidently transition to the next phase of their education.
Teachers need to continue to develop their knowledge and children’s awareness of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Recently, there has been a strategic appointment of a staff member to help teachers better understand te Ao Māori perspectives. Leaders should also ensure that each room is resourced with materials and artefacts that enable teachers and children to grow their knowledge and understandings of New Zealand’s bicultural practices.
Individual planning approaches and assessment practices have been established and generally guide programmes for children. Teachers now need to use these approaches and practices to better respond to children’s interests and to cater for their diverse needs. Planning is well documented and visible for children and parents. Curriculum documentation gives parents some good information about children’s learning experiences.
The centre director has recently experienced a high turnover of staff and is now working with a range of teachers with varying backgrounds and experiences. The challenges at this stage are to provide curriculum leadership to guide teachers and develop teamwork. The centre director should continue to develop distributive leadership approaches with staff to promote shared understandings, improve the implementation of systems and processes, and build teacher capability.
Centre managers are committed to ongoing self-review to benefit children’s learning and teaching development. Self review is resulting in positive developments in the centre’s programmes, environment and operations. Appraisal processes support teachers to reflect on and improve their teaching practices. The programme for children, and teachers’ roles in facilitating learning, are continually refined as a result of this reflection.
The centre director recognises the need for a continuing emphasis on strengthening teaching and learning through whole centre professional development in order to extend teacher knowledge and maintain high teaching standards. Re-establishing a greater focus on child–centred practices is a further need identified by centre personnel. Developments in these areas should increase opportunities for children to follow their interests and increase their engagement in learning.
Centre leaders have identified the following areas for further development:
Before the review, the staff and management of Lollipops Educare Centres (St Lukes) 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 Lollipops Educare Centres (St Lukes) will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
22 February 2016
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 |
St Lukes, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45567 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
100 children, including up to 40 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
97 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 51 Boys 46 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian Chinese Samoan other |
2 31 26 22 2 14 |
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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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 February 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2012 |
|
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.