29 Essex Street, Philipstown, Christchurch
View on mapAkarangi | 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 Grow Active Essex Street are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
Grow Active Essex Street is one of three early childhood services operating under Grow Active Canterbury Ltd. There has been significant restructuring within the organisation since the 2022 ERO review. The owners are supported by a regional manager. Centre business managers and curriculum leaders are responsible for the day-to-day operations. This centre’s roll is culturally diverse and includes a small number of tamariki Māori, and children of Pacific heritages.
Parents and whānau have regular opportunities to contribute to the curriculum. They share their home languages and engage in kai and cultural celebrations. The bicultural curriculum requires further development. Aspects of tikanga Māori are evident in practice. Some use of te reo Māori is evident in practice and in some assessment documentation.
Infants and toddlers experience calm and unhurried routines. Teachers are responsive to their verbal and non-verbal cues. Older children benefit from teachers with expertise in early intervention. Teachers effectively integrate New Zealand Sign Language within the curriculum. Established positive relationships with outside local agencies inform the delivery of the curriculum .
Teachers are more confidently using the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to plan for children’s learning and show progress overtime. There are however some inconsistencies in assessment documentation across the teaching team. Service leaders agree that this is an area for ongoing refinement.
Leaders are improvement focussed. Professional development is provided to build leadership capability. There are planned opportunities to share learning among the teaching and leadership team. Teachers are supported in their personal growth cycles by the leadership team.
Those responsible for governance and management systematically monitor regulatory and professional requirements. Resourcing aligns to the service’s philosophy, vision, and goals for learning. Internal evaluation is not yet well understood across the organisation. A stronger focus is now required on learner outcomes, to support decision making.
Grow Active Essex Street will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Grow Active governance will include in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Grow Active Essex Street 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:
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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
2 May 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Grow Active Essex Street |
| Profile Number | 47841 |
| Location | Philipstown, Christchurch |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 98 |
| Review team on site | February 2024 |
| Date of this report | 2 May 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, November 2022 |
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 |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Grow Active Essex Street is one of six early childhood services owned and governed by a private company. A centre manager, supported by a senior team leader, have responsibility for daily operations and curriculum provision. A significant number of children enrolled in the service identify as Māori and the roll is culturally diverse. This is the centre’s first ERO review.
Children experience a curriculum that is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It is responsive to children as confident, competent learners. Teachers provide children with a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their learning and development. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. Teachers and children are developing an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to the Treaty of Waitangi.
A policy and procedure framework and annual planning process guide the service’s operation. Parents have opportunities to contribute to the development and review of operational documents, and to their child’s learning.
Next steps include:
continuing to extend assessment processes and practices to include timely revisiting and evaluation of individual children’s learning and progress over time
making children’s languages, cultures, and learner identity more visible in their learning documentation
implementing ways children can independently access their learning records to revisit their learning continuity and progression.
Next ERO Review
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
21 November 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Grow Active Essex Street |
|
Profile Number |
47841 |
|
Location |
Christchurch |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
96 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
21 November 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
First ERO review of the service |
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.