Changepoint 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 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 Changepoint Early Learning Centre are as follows:

2 Context of the Service

Changepoint Early Learning Centre is operated by the Changepoint Education Trust (CET), as part of the Changepoint Church. A centre manager provides operational leadership on behalf of the trust. Approximately a fifth of children attending are Māori, and a small number are of Pacific heritage.

3 Summary of findings

Children are empowered to learn through a faith-based curriculum. Infants and toddlers experience caring and nurturing relationships with teachers, which builds their emotional security. Teachers maintain a calm, slow pace that gives younger children time and space to lead their own learning. Children with additional learning needs are supported to learn alongside others. Children’s emotional wellbeing is supported. Through a daily bush programme, older children are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own and others’ wellbeing.

Positive relationships with parents and whānau support some opportunities for parents to be involved in their children’s learning. Gathering of whānau goals for children’s learning is variable, and these are yet to be used to inform curriculum decisions. The service is beginning to consider children’s learning in relation to the valued outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

The service is at an early stage of recognising and responding to children’s cultural identities. Some te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are included in the daily curriculum. Tuakana-teina (older-younger child) relationships are fostered within the mixed-age learning environment. Pacific cultures are beginning to be reflected within the curriculum.

Leaders and those responsible for governance are developing systems that promote positive outcomes for children. Relational trust between leaders and teachers supports openness to change. Professional development is contributing to ongoing growth of teacher knowledge. Internal evaluation is undertaken within a useful framework. The service is yet to consider the impact of shifts in teaching practice on learning outcomes for individuals and groups of children over time.

4 Improvement actions

Changepoint Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

• Build leaders’ and teachers’ understanding and use of Te Whāriki learning outcomes to support children’s progress in relation to these.

• Strengthen learning partnerships so families have more input into decisions that affect their children’s learning and development.

• Deepen understanding of individual children’s languages, cultures, and identity and use this knowledge to inform the curriculum.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Changepoint Early Learning 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.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

5 July 2023

6 About the Early Childhood Service