Nurture and Bloom Early Learning Centre-Te Rapa

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 Nurture and Bloom Early Learning Centre - Te Rapa are as follows:

2 Context of the Service

Nurture and Bloom is one of two services co-governed by qualified owners. A newly appointed centre manager has leadership oversight. The Christian philosophy prioritises respect, joy, connection and commitment. There has been significant staff increase since moving to a full license in August 2023. Serving a diverse community, one third of children enrolled whakapapa Māori, and a small number are from Pacific heritages.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a respectful curriculum of care. Very young children learn in a calm environment. Teachers support children to grow their social competencies. A collaborative approach enables children with additional needs to participate in the program. Opportunities for oral language are integrated into the curriculum through storytelling and musical experiences. Leaders are continuing to encourage teachers to provide more opportunities and resources for children to be empowered to lead their learning.

The service is in the early stages of designing and implementing a culturally responsive curriculum in partnership with parents. Selected cultural celebrations allow for the sharing of home languages and cultures that embrace diversity. Children experience some te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. Strengthening the visibility of childrens language and cultures through resourcing and planning is now needed.

Teachers and leaders are beginning to explore the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki the early childhood curriculum. However, they are not yet using these to identify priorities for learning. Group and individual assessment, planning guidelines and framework are established. Leaders recognise that refining the framework and building teacher capability in assessment practices is required to ensure children's progress and learning over time are visible.

Leaders are beginning to establish new systems to support teacher’s professional knowledge and growth. Evaluation practice is in its infancy. Building a shared understanding of evaluation and using it for improvement is a next step.

Leaders are enacting aspects of the services, values, philosophy, and plans. Governance is building relational trust and the foundations to ensure the systems and processes are sound and promote demonstrate positive outcomes for children and their whānau.

4 Improvement actions

Nurture and Bloom Early Learning Centre - Te Rapa will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

• Build a shared understanding of evaluation and use this knowledge to lead evaluations with a clear focus on positive outcomes for children and their whānau.
• Build teacher capability in assessment practices to show children’s learning and progress over time.
• Continue to explore the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki and use these to identify priorities for learning.
• In partnership with whānau increase visibility of children’s individual learner identity by incorporating their home languages and cultures into the curriculum.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Nurture and Bloom Early Learning Centre - Te Rapa 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)

17 June 2024

6 About the Early Childhood Service