Tamariki Station Ltd

Education institution number:
46477
Service type:
Education & Care Service
Total roll:
43
Telephone:
Address:

31 Station Road, Paeroa

View on map

Tamariki Station Ltd

Akarangi | Quality Evaluations evaluate the extent to which early childhood services have 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 and Early Childhood Education (ECE) Improvement Framework (teacher led services) are the basis for making judgements about the quality of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Evaluations for improvement | Ngā Aronga Whai Hua is integrated across all of the above domains.



 

Tamariki Station Ltd

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 Tamariki Station Ltd are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learnersWhakatō Emerging

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakatō Emerging

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakatō Emerging

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakatō Emerging

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakatō Emerging

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakatō Emerging

2 Context of the Service

Tamariki Station Ltd is one of two privately owned services located in the Paeroa area. The recently appointed centre manager leads a new teaching team of six teachers. Three are qualified, and three are in training to become qualified early childhood teachers.

3 Summary of findings

Children and their whānau experience warm and positive relationships with teachers. Leaders and teachers engage in informal conversations about learning with whānau. Parents have opportunities to share their children’s home lives through an online platform. Some parents are sharing their aspirations for their child’s learning. Valuing and including parent voice through planning, assessment and other operational systems is yet to be established. Children benefit from relationships where parents are confident to share their individual child’s needs.

Leaders and teachers are in the early stages of developing their cultural competence. Māori whānau are starting to contribute their cultural expertise to the programme. Te reo Māori is evident in assessment documentation. Leaders have self-identified the need to develop their bicultural curriculum and practices. All children’s language and culture are yet to be effectively reflected in documentation and the teaching and learning programme.

Infants, toddlers, and young children engage in a programme that successfully responds to their care needs. Teachers work alongside parents and external agencies to enhance learning opportunities for children with additional needs. Children play and grow in an environment that respects their choices and promotes independence. Teachers and leaders are yet to explore children’s developing capabilities in relation to the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Service leaders have begun to develop some systems, processes, and practices to promote equitable outcomes for children. The centre owner is developing her understanding of the stewardship role. The recently updated appraisal process supports collaboration and teacher inquiry. Leaders model expected practice to build teacher capability and enhance children’s learning. New leadership are fostering relational trust across all levels in the service. Strategic internal evaluation for improvement and innovation is not evident. Children are beginning to benefit from an emphasis on better practice.

4 Improvement actions

Tamariki Station Ltd will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • develop and embed evaluation processes that promote centre wide improvements for children and their whānau
  • develop assessment, planning and evaluation processes that utilise the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki to inform curriculum priorities that support intentional teaching and learner focused partnerships
  • clearly define roles and responsibilities of governance, management and leadership to ensure equitable outcomes for children
  • continue to develop leaders and teachers’ cultural competence to provide a localised bicultural curriculum.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tamariki Station Ltd 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.

6 Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

  • ensuring the service implements an ongoing process of self-review and evaluation that helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA6].

Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

3 August 2021 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service NameTamariki Station Ltd
Profile Number46477
LocationPaeroa
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2.
Percentage of qualified teachers80%+
Service roll43
Ethnic compositionMāori 18, NZ European/Pākehā 19, Other ethnic groups 6.
Review team on siteJune 2021
Date of this report3 August 2021
Most recent ERO report(s)Education Review, November 2017.

Tamariki Station Ltd

1 Evaluation of Tamariki Station Ltd

How well placed is Tamariki Station Ltd 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

Tamariki Station Ltd is a new privately owned service located in Paeroa. It is licensed for a maximum of 40 children, including up to 10 under the age of two years. A significant majority of the roll identify as Māori. There are two age group areas inside, one for young children and the other for infants and toddlers. There is a shared outside play area where both age groups play together. This is the first ERO review of the centre.

The management structure comprises a centre owner/manager and a manager who has professional oversight of the centre. A head teacher leads the centre's curriculum practices. Since opening the service in 2014, leaders and teachers have been focused on developing a shared vision and values for providing high-quality education and care. They have continued to develop and refine centre practices and systems. Teachers have accessed professional development and put in place processes for monitoring and improving service operations.

The centre's philosophy is to provide a service that reflects the value of whanaungatanga (relationships), which promote a sense of belonging for children and their families. Management and teachers believe in providing an environment that fosters whakaute (respect) for culture in an atmosphere of manaakitanga (caring) and kotahitanga (togetherness).

The Review Findings

The centre is well placed to sustain practices that promote positive outcomes for children. Children and their whānau are warmly welcomed into an inclusive, friendly environment. There are high levels of relational trust between leaders, teachers, children and their whānau. Trusting, respectful and responsive relationships effectively support children's wellbeing and learning. The centre's philosophy value of whanaungatanga is effectively embedded in practice and successfully fosters a sense of belonging for all.

Children confidently engage in meaningful and sustained learning. They enjoy learning through their play, interests and strengths. Literacy, mathematics, science, the arts, and other curriculum areas are naturally interwoven in children's self-selected activities. Children can actively investigate and explore high-quality equipment and resources that are readily accessible. Learning is further extended through outings within the community, visits to the local library and school. Teachers have developed highly-effective transition processes to sensitively support children's transition into the centre and between age-group areas. Children are becoming familiar with the school environment and their transition to school is well supported. They have many opportunities to revisit prior learning experiences, helping them to develop knowledge, skills and strengthen learning dispositions that support and promote life-long learning.

Teachers are highly responsive to the personalised care needs of infants and toddlers. They are attuned to their interests, temperaments and personalities. Small adult-to-child ratios ensure infants and toddlers receive quality one-to-one interactions with teachers who work in close partnership with their families. Teachers are skilled at supporting and developing oral language, social and communication skills and competencies.

Children are empowered to develop as capable, confident explorers and learners. Teachers in both age-group rooms are skilled at observing children and use intentional teaching strategies to extend their thinking. Learning conversations provoke children's curiosity and encourage them to problem solve and helps them make sense of the natural, social and physical world. Tuakana tenia relationships, where children share their knowledge and support others' learning is encouraged by teachers. Children have many opportunities to think critically, use their imagination and be creative.

Children's language, culture and identity is valued and celebrated. Teachers actively seek ways to maintain children’s connections to their cultural identity. Children are proud to share their culture. Partnerships with whānau lead to reciprocal information sharing around culture, interests and home experiences. Te reo and tikanga Māori is a normal part of the daily programme. All children benefit from these experiences and Māori children are well supported to experience success as Māori.

Individual assessment portfolios provide a rich record of children's learning and progress overtime. Teachers have also developed a useful assessment summary for children and their families to share with new entrant teachers to help support children's learning pathways during their transition to school. Children, teachers, parents and extended whānau are involved in setting learning goals and can contribute to assessment on-line. Teachers skilfully include children's whakapapa and unique attributes they bring to their learning. Children's holistic development is well supported through these practices.

The centre has effective systems for evaluating learning and teaching. These well established processes and practices result in continual improvement to the quality of education that promote positive outcomes for children. Teachers are currently inquiring into the revised Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum 2017, and further implementing the document in centre practices.

Key Next Steps

The centre now needs to strengthen internal evaluation by developing long term strategic goals that align with planned reviews. This should enable leaders and teachers to evaluate how well they are achieving the centre vision, goals and philosophy and make decisions about ongoing improvement.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tamariki Station Ltd 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 Tamariki Station Ltd will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

27 November 2017

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

LocationPaeroa
Ministry of Education profile number46477
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Service roll47
Gender compositionGirls 25 Boys 22
Ethnic compositionMāori
Pākehā 
Other
24
19 
4

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:3Better than minimum requirements
Over 21:8Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteSeptember 2017
Date of this report27 November 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

No previous ERO reports 

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews/h2>

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.