2 Horne Street, Melville, Hamilton
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ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Not meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Not meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
Sunny Side Early Educare is privately owned. The service owner manages and leads a teaching team of six teachers. Children learn across two aged-based areas catering to a multicultural community. A large number of Filipino and Indian children attend, along with a small number of Māori, Pacific, and others.
The service curriculum respects and supports children to be confident in their own cultures and encourages them to understand and respect other cultures. The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is acknowledged. Children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour is supported. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Children are provided with a range of indoor and outdoor experiences to enhance their learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups appropriate to their age and ability.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
ensuring records of regular excursions include the names of adults and children involved, the time and date of excursion, the location and method of travel, assessment and management of risk, and the signature of the person responsible giving approval for the excursion to take place
ensuring records for special excursions include evidence of parental approval of adult child ratios
providing opportunities for parents to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education & Care Services 2008, HS17, GMA4].
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
All children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
31 August 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Sunny Side Early Educare |
|
Profile Number |
46502 |
|
Location |
Hamilton |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
42 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
54 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
31 August 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, October 2018; Education Review, March 2017 |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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 certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
discussions with those involved in the service
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
The centre owner and teachers have established an inclusive multi-cultural environment that responds to the diverse nationalities of families. Relationships with children, families and amongst staff are affirming, respectful and supportive.
Sunny Side Educare would now benefit from external support to strengthen significant aspects of governance and management, professional leadership and curriculum implementation.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Sunny Side Early Educare is a privately owned full-day early childhood service located in a redeveloped premises close to Waikato Hospital. The centre was opened in 2014 and received a full licence in early 2016. It is licensed for 42 children, including 12 children under the age of two. At the time of this ERO review there were 49 children on the roll. A feature of the roll is the number of different nationalities of families attending.
The centre operates in an attractive, home-like setting with two separate, age-based areas. The centre owner is also the manager with responsibility for centre governance. The head teacher shares responsibility for day-to-day organisation. There is a commitment to employing qualified teachers. The centre philosophy aims to provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment where children can develop physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually in a holistic way. It makes a commitment to respecting the individual nationalities of children and their families, and responding to their aims and aspirations.
This is the first ERO report for the centre.
Children experience a programme that is predominately teacher-led with opportunities for child-initiated play through the day. Teachers plan and prepare the environment to give children a choice from pre-selected, good quality equipment and materials. There are opportunities for children to play and participate in a morning mat time as a mixed-age group, which is promoting their belonging and wellbeing. Older children demonstrate high levels of consideration and support for younger siblings during these times. The curriculum requires further development to provide children with improved access to a wider range of equipment, materials and experiences that add challenge, engage and extend active learners, particularly for boys.
Literacy learning is fostered through children's access to an appropriate range of writing materials, sharing reading with teachers, and learning songs and finger plays. Older children engage in dramatic and role playing together. Children are encouraged to express their creativity through experiences of different media. These contributions are well displayed in the centre. Teachers plan regular trips and excursions into the local and wider community, and invite the participation of families. Children are building their social skills, expressing themselves creatively, and learning about the wider world.
A particular strength of the centre is the priority placed on acknowledging and affirming the many cultures, nationalities and languages of children and their families. Many families benefit from being able to communicate in their own language with the centre owner and staff. Cultural celebrations such as Diwali are a regular part of the centre programme. This is providing children with many experiences to enrich their understanding and respect for other cultures.
There is an ongoing commitment to including aspects of tikanga and te reo Māori in the daily programme. Children's pepeha are displayed, they share karakia before meals, learn waiata and enjoy growing and sharing food from centre gardens. Matariki is celebrated each year. Children are learning about bicultural New Zealand. Children would benefit from further, regular opportunities to learn about the stories and visit the places of local significance to Māori.
Toddlers are confident and settled. They benefit from a home-like setting with two dedicated teachers. They are able to actively explore in an interesting and safe environment. Parents spoken to by ERO appreciated the regular communication with teachers that promotes consistency of care and routines between home and the centre. ERO observed babies receiving nurture from teachers and experiencing calm and unhurried care. Teachers need to ensure they quickly provide soothing and comfort for babies who show signs of stress.
Children's learning and development are recorded in attractive portfolios, accessible to families. There are good examples of teachers recording learning stories where children's interests were recognised and responded to over time. Attractive centre displays make learning visible for families. Children would benefit from a more planned approach to sharing portfolios with families, teachers and their peers. Teachers should continue to explore ways to further engage families in developing goals and sharing their aspirations for children.
Transitions into the centre are well planned with good information and support for children and their families. Children under two years benefit from shared learning spaces that supports their transition into the older children's area. Older children move on to many different schools and parents take responsibility to manage these transitions. Teachers are planning to strengthen the relationships and information sharing between schools and the centre.
The centre owner and head teacher have undertaken a variety of roles as qualified early childhood teachers. They have a long-established, professional and respectful relationship. In a relatively short time, centre leaders, teachers and staff have developed a positive and cooperative teaching team. It is important to more clearly define the roles and responsibilities for all staff. This is likely to strengthen day-to-day organisation and improve outcomes for children and families.
The teaching team meet regularly to discuss organisational matters for the running of the centre. Consideration should be given to allocating specific time for professional discussion and sharing amongst the teaching team. Teachers would benefit from having more adequate and professional spaces for planning and withdrawal from children. In addition, teachers need to develop a shared and agreed understanding of best practice in the early childhood setting, and receive regular feedback from centre leaders and peers about their practice in relation to these criteria.
Recent self review, undertaken with the support of an external provider, has focused on positively guiding children's behaviour and transitions. This has resulted in a more consistent approach and a calm and settled atmosphere within the centre. There is a need to develop a strategic approach to self review to ensure the centre is meeting Ministry of Education regulatory requirements.
Important next steps are for the service provider to:
establish clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the centre manager, head teacher and teachers
implement robust systems and processes for effective appraisal, attestation and the induction and mentoring of provisionally registered teachers
build teacher capability by developing and implementing clear expectations for effective teaching practices that support positive learning outcomes for all children
develop and implement effective self-review processes to strategically guide centre development and improvement.
This is likely to promote ongoing centre sustainability, support the service to meet legislative requirements, and contribute to achieving the aims of the Sunny Side Educare philosophy.
Before the review, the staff and management of Sunny Side Early Educare 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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA6, GMA7, C9, PF4]
ERO recommends that the service consult with the Ministry of Education and plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Sunny Side Early Educare will be within two years
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
23 March 2017
|
Location |
Hamilton |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46502 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
42 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
49 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 27 Girls 22 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Indian Filipino Pākehā African Chinese Fijian Canadian |
18 11 11 4 2 2 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
23 March 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
No previous 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.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Sunny Side Early Educare is a privately owned, full day education and care service located near the Waikato hospital in central Hamilton. The centre is licensed for 42 children including 12 up to the age of two years. Its roll of 50 includes two Māori, 17 Indian and 13 Filipino children.
The centre owner is a fully-qualified early childhood teacher. She undertakes the role of centre manager and is supported by an experienced head teacher to provide professional leadership to the teaching team. The centre operates two age-based rooms for babies and toddlers, and pre-schoolers. Both rooms share the same outdoor environment.
The centre philosophy expresses commitment to providing a fun, creative and friendly environment that celebrates and values diverse cultures. Children are encouraged to respect others, use their initiative and to develop self confidence and a positive attitude towards learning.
The centre owner has accessed external advice and guidance to support the centre to address areas for development identified in the 2017 ERO report. This has resulted in the development of a more robust performance management process, meaningful self-review systems and clear human resource policies and practices.
The centre manager is promoting a collaborative and well-considered approach for centre-wide improvement. She has established clearly defined roles and responsibilities for staff, implemented an ongoing process for self review and has developed a useful appraisal process for teachers. Centre leaders model good-quality teaching practices and access relevant professional development opportunities for teachers. Well-informed leadership is contributing to improved outcomes for children. Leaders should consider accessing further guidance to support the implementation of the revised NZ early childhood curriculum Te Whariki.
The responsive curriculum is promoting positive learning outcomes for children. Child-led programmes encourage the development of independence. Tuakana teina relationships are promoted by toddler's ready access to the older children’s room and the shared outdoor play space. Teachers successfully integrate aspects of reading and numeracy into daily programmes. A range of appropriate resources support children's learning and development. Individual portfolios are easily accessed by children and are well used to identify individual progress and achievement. These are also available for parents in a digital format. Cultural celebrations including Matariki and Diwali effectively support children’s sense of belonging.
Teachers work well together in the best interests of children. They plan together to respond to children's interests and wellbeing. Positive relationships have been established between teachers and children, parents and whānau. Teachers have an understanding of each child as a unique learner and effectively support children’s sense of belonging. Children benefit from the variety of strengths and abilities teachers bring to the centre and enjoy participating in individual, group and whole-centre activities.
The provision of education and care for children up to two years of age is positive, sensitive and responsive. Teachers recognise learning opportunities and integrate learning in care routines. They interact with young children in a calm, unhurried way giving them time and space to lead their learning. Purposeful resourcing supports children’s learning.
Parents spoken to by ERO were well informed about their children's learning and wellbeing. They expressed high levels of confidence in teachers to provide an environment where each child is respected and valued as an individual.
ERO and centre management agree that the key next steps are to:
further build teacher capability to implement programmes that fully engage and extend children in meaningful learning
continue to strengthen the integration of bi-cultural and multi-cultural perspectives in daily learning experiences
develop the centre’s outdoor environment to provide greater opportunities for children to explore and experience safe physical challenge.
Before the review, the staff and management of Sunny Side Early Educare 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.
In order to improve current practice the centre owner and teachers need to design and implement a schedule for regular policy reviews.
The next ERO review of Sunny Side Early Educare will be in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
3 October 2018
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 |
Hamilton |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46502 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
42 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
50 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 27 Boys 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
August 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
3 October 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2017 |
|
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:
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.