Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre Inc.

Education institution number:
52548
Service type:
Education & Care Service
Total roll:
24
Telephone:
Address:

9 Tokomaru East Road, Tokomaru

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Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre Inc 

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.


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Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre Inc.

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.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

During the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

This service is a rural, community-based centre governed by a parent committee. Of the 28 children enrolled 12 children identify as Māori and a small number as Pacific. This is the service’s first ERO review in its re-located premises. The team includes a centre manager, head teacher and three teachers.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s curriculum is informed by systems for assessment that align to Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum. Parents and whānau have opportunities to be involved in their child’s learning. Children are involved in decisions about their learning and their preferences are respected . Their developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour are supported by teachers.

The design and layout of the premises supports the provision of different types of experiences. Children have opportunities to develop an understanding of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Parents and whānau have opportunities to contribute to the services operations.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • strengthen the extent to which children’s learning experiences respond to their identity, language and culture

  • continue to develop the local curriculum to reflect the things that are important to children and their families, to kaiako and the wider community.

Actions for Compliance

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6)

  • when children leave the premises on a regular excursion a record of the excursion includes the names of children involved (HS17).

Next ERO Review

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

19 September 2022 

Information About the Service

Service type
Education and care service

Early Childhood Service Name

Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre Inc.

Profile Number

52548

Location

Tokomaru

Number licensed for

28 children aged over 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

28

Review team on site

July 2022

Date of this report

19 September 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, December 2019; Education Review, November 2016

General Information about Assurance Reviews

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 license to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • 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 license

  • that have been re-licensed due to a change of ownership

  • where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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.

Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre Inc - December 2019

1 Evaluation of Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre

How well placed is Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre is not well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre is a community-based service catering for children up to school age. It is an all-day licensed service for 22 children aged over two years. Of the 21 children enrolled five identify as Māori.

The centre is governed by a small committee of parents. Significant change has occurred, activated by the longstanding head teacher/centre manager resigning at the end of Term Three 2019. A newly appointed manager with a primary teaching qualification and full certification oversees centre operation. She supports the fully certificated, early childhood qualified head teacher to guide curriculum delivery. The head teacher and one educator have had a long association with the centre.

The service's philosophy, reviewed in August 2019, reflects the values and beliefs of teachers, families and whānau.

The November 2016 ERO report identified strengthening was needed in: assessment, planning and evaluation; appraisal; and culturally responsive practices to promote culture, language and identity. Clarification of governance and management responsibilities was also required.

The Review Findings

Following the previous ERO report an action plan was developed to support addressing key next steps resulting in some positive progress. During 2019 some of these improvements have regressed.

Improvement is needed to support leaders understanding and documenting of health and safety requirements. Development of these records is required to ensure staff understand service expectations and Ministry of Education regulatory requirements. Committee members should investigate undertaking training in order to better define governance roles and responsibilities and support the sustainability of operation.

Practices to support continuing improvement and evaluate progress require strengthening. Strategic planning provides some useful direction for centre operation and teaching and learning. Further consideration should be given to reviewing the desired objectives in the strategic plan and how these contribute to improving outcomes for children.

Building staff capability through regular appraisal and programmes of professional development needs consistent implementation for all staff. While some Teaching Council information has been accessed, documents need to be fully updated and systems consistently implemented to ensure that appraisal and certification requirements are met.

Children enthusiastically engage in an inviting variety of child-initiated, play-based experiences. Teachers select and introduce a range of learning opportunities as part of group programme planning. Observations of children in everyday activities are beginning to build a picture of how teachers notice, recognise and respond to learners' interests and ideas. Teachers should continue to seek support and guidance to build their capability in assessment, planning and evaluation.

Relationships between children, staff and parent helpers are nurturing and positive. Children communicate with confidence and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing. Many participate in purposeful learning for sustained periods.

Te reo Māori is at times incorporated into conversations with children. Children confidently contribute to the ritual of mihi whakatau. Māori symbols and natural resources enrich the environment. Teachers should continue to develop culturally responsive practices including extending their knowledge of children's culture, language and identity and local contexts to contribute to programmes.

Thoughtfully considered approaches support children and their families’ induction into the service. Children’s transitions to school are acknowledged and celebrated. Teachers should consider further ways to share information so that children’s confidence and capability at the centre transfers to the new entrant classrooms.

Priorities for the service to improve outcomes for children include:

  • continuing to develop assessment, planning and evaluation for children's learning.

  • implementing appraisal for all staff

  • building governance and leadership capability in a deliberate, systematic way

  • the monitoring of systems and practices, particularly those for health and safety to track operational expectations and meet regulatory requirements

  • internal evaluation, to know the impact of teachers’ practices on children’s learning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre 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.

Actions for compliance

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

  • completing records of all medicine given to children attending the service

  • ensuring equipment, premises and facilities are checked every day of operation for hazards to children

  • implementing a system of regular appraisal for all staff

  • implementing appropriate selection and appointment processes, including Safety Checking in accordance with the Children's Act 2014.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS28, HS12, GMA7, GMA7A, Children’s Act 2014]

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows appropriate systems have been developed but are yet to be implemented. These relate to:

completing records of all medicine given to children attending the service (HS28)

  • recording and keeping results of safety checks while the person is employed at the service in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A)

  • checking equipment, premises and facilities every day of operation for hazards to children (HS12)

  • ensuring appropriate selection and appointment processes, including Safety Checking in accordance with the Children's Act 2014. (GMA7)

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Tokomaru Early Childhood Centre. ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

4 December 2019

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

Location

Tokomaru

Ministry of Education profile number

52548

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

22 children aged over 2

Service roll

21

Gender composition

Female 13, Male 8

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Other ethnic group

5
14
2

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

October 2019

Date of this report

4 December 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

November 2016

Education Review

July 2013

Education Review

June 2010

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

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

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed

  • Well placed

  • Requires further development

  • Not well placed

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.