Havelock North Village Kids

1 Evaluation of Havelock North Village Kids

How well placed is Havelock North Village Kids to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Havelock North Village Kids is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

Background

Havelock North Village Kids, previously Village Kids Havelock North Preschool, is a privately owned service licensed for up to 61 children, including 16 up to two years of age. At the time of this review there were 57 children enrolled, including 13 who are Māori. The centre provides two age-specific spaces.

The centre philosophy emphasises the importance of 'play based learning utilising the environment, acknowledgement of children's cultural heritages and knowledgeable teachers to extend children's learning'. The centre's 'PAUA' values are described as 'play, appreciate others, understand your attitude, attention to other's.

Since the February 2017 ERO report significant changes in operation have occurred. The centre became a stand-alone service in 2018. Previously the service was affiliated Village Kids Havelock North Baby Centre. Staff have been in a period of transition, as teachers and families of children under the age of two transferred to the centre and the new team was established. The license also increased from a maximum of 50 children to 61.

A centre director and centre manager are responsible for the ongoing management of the centre and provide support for staff. The manager is responsible for curriculum delivery and is supported by a head teacher in the younger children's room.

The previous ERO report identified that key next steps for the service were to improve culturally responsive teaching practices, assessment, planning and evaluation and the use of internal evaluation. Progress has been made, however these remain areas for further development.

The Review Findings

Children experience an environment that promotes child-led exploration, investigation, challenge and imaginative play. Teachers extend children's thinking and support their discovery of how the world works. Children engage in sustained periods of play.

The developing bicultural curriculum gives children opportunities to experience te ao Māori through activities and routines. Some teachers use te reo Māori meaningfully. Staff identify that deepening their knowledge of te ao Māori continues to be an area for improvement. Within this, they should further unpack teaching strategies to strengthen their culturally responsive practice and support Māori children's educational success.

A primary caregiving approach with younger children supports infants and toddlers to have secure attachments. Teachers work with parents to establish routines that respond to individual needs. These children take ownership of their play space and know the centre routines well.

Children with additional learning needs are well supported to engage in learning. Their sense of wellbeing and belonging is promoted through parent, teacher and external agency collaboration.

Staff continue to explore their philosophical approach to teaching and learning. A significant key next step is establishing their priorities for children's learning aligned to Te Whāriki's (2017) learning outcomes. These should be used to further develop the local curriculum and support teachers to enact this.

The new system for group planning is improving teacher collaboration. This aims to better respond to group interests, increase the visibility of planning and encourage contributions of children and parents. Teachers should continue to strengthen assessment, group planning and evaluation alongside developing the local curriculum to ensure:

• the centre's identified priorities for learning are achieved

• parent aspirations and individual children's cultures, languages and identities are made visible and responded to

• individual children's learning records shows progress over time.

Teachers engage in inquiry and appraisal processes that focus on improving practice. In maintaining a strategic approach to staff development consideration should be given to how professional learning opportunities:

• result in shared understanding of teaching and learning practices and promote the centre's learning priorities

• align to the individual development needs of teachers as identified through appraisal.

Leaders' and teachers' knowledge and understanding of effective internal evaluation for improvement is progressing. Focusing on outcomes for children and evaluating practices against what constitutes high-quality early learning, should further enhance decision making. As the centre becomes further established leaders should guide evaluation of how well the implementation of the local curriculum is achieving the identified priorities.

Key Next Steps

A significant key next step is to clearly establish priorities for children's learning and develop and document the local curriculum to promote these. This should include:

• strengthening te ao Māori and practices to promote educational success for Māori

• further developing assessment and group planning processes.

Priority should also be given to strengthening internal evaluation processes to support leaders to identify the impact of centre initiatives, including staff professional development, on children's learning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Havelock North Village Kids 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. The service provider must ensure that:

• furniture or equipment that could topple and cause injury or damage is secured

• there is a record of earthquake drills carried out on an at least a three-monthly basis and evaluation of these informs the annual review of the service's emergency plan.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS6, HS8]

Since the onsite phase of the review ERO has received evidence of how furniture has been secured (HS6).

To improve current practice, management should:

• consistently record health and safety management

• review the supervision plan.

Darcy Te Hau

Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)(Acting)

Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

25 February 2020

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		Havelock North
Ministry of Education profile number		55215
Licence type		Education & Care Service
Licensed under		Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for		61 children, including up to 16 aged under 2
Service roll		57
Gender composition		Male 32, Female 25
Ethnic composition		Māori NZ European/Pākehā South African Other ethnic groups	13 33 4 7
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates		80% +
Reported ratios of staff to children	Under 2	1:4	Better than minimum requirements
	Over 2	1:8	Better than minimum requirements
Review team on site		December 2019
Date of this report		25 February 2020
Most recent ERO report(s)		Education Review	February 2017
		Education Review	February 2014
		Education Review	March 2011

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.

1 Evaluation of Village Kids Havelock North Preschool

How well placed is Village Kids Havelock North Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Village Kids Havelock North Preschool is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.

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

Background

Village Kids Havelock North Preschool is licensed for up to 50 children, including 15 up to two years of age. At the time of this review there were no children under two enrolled. The roll of 66 includes 12 who are Māori. The centre provides two age-specific rooms.

Village Kids is privately operated by two directors, one for three early learning services and one for home based education and care.

Staffing remains generally stable. Two head teachers are responsible for the dayto-day running of the centre, and an administrator for centre operations.

An education manager, whose role was established in 2016, supports development of the three Village Kids' centres and the professional leadership of head teachers and their teams.

The outdoor environment reflects the centre's commitment to sustainability.

The centre has made good progress in addressing the areas for development identified in the February 2014 ERO report.

This review is part of a cluster of three reviews in the Village Kids Early Learning Services, including two based in Havelock North and one in Napier. 

The Review Findings

Leaders and teachers have a strong commitment to the philosophy, vision and goals of the service. This fosters an environment where children's wellbeing is valued and each child is affirmed for who they are. The centre philosophy is highly evident in practice. Teachers know children and their families well. Warm and respectful interactions support children's sense of belonging. Friendships amongst children are developed.

Children are celebrated as confident and capable learners. They settle quickly and are highly engaged in cooperative and sustained play, according to their choice. The increased focus on openended, authentic and natural resources fosters children's imagination, creativity and problem solving. Literacy, mathematics and science are well integrated into the programme.

The curriculum is guided by children's strengths and emerging interests, parents' aspirations for their children, and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children are empowered to lead their own play and experience a wide range of learning opportunities. Teachers are responsive to how children use the environment and resources to support their learning.

Programme planning is guided by teachers' discussion, reflection and assessment based on observations. This is revisited to capture children's development over time and to deepen the complexity of their learning. Teachers plan to review and further develop assessment, planning and evaluation practices, including how they reflect and respond to parents' aspirations.

Profile books are attractive and celebrate children's participation and engagement in the programme. Children enjoy revisiting and sharing their learning. Teachers report that the use of online profiles is making children's learning more accessible to parents, families and whānau. They plan to review how well the profiles support partnerships for learning.

Teachers have increased their responsiveness to the culture, language and identify of children. They acknowledge the need to further promote culturally-responsive teaching practices in relation to te ao Māori.

Transitions into the centre are well considered and responsive to the needs of children, parents and whānau. Continuing to strengthen relationships with local schools should assist children and their families as they move to school.

A thorough review of inclusive practices leads to children and families being supported by a well-considered planning process. Sound systems and processes, and collaboration with external agencies are evident. Individual plans have improved assessment of children's learning, and tracking and monitoring of their progress over time.

Teachers work collaboratively. Their communication ensures that the needs of children are responded to as they move within and between the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The service has strengthened the vision, philosophy and strategic direction to ensure positive outcomes for children. Continuing to grow the head teachers' professional leadership and the centre's use of internal evaluation should support coherent implementation of the service philosophy and processes.

Good progress is evident with the implementation of a suitable appraisal process to meet Education Council guidelines. This process includes teachers inquiring into the effectiveness of teaching strategies. Teachers are provided with access to a valuable range of professional learning and development. Continuing to embed teacher goal setting, reflection and sufficiency of evidence gathering in relation to each Practising Teacher Criteria, is an ongoing next step.

An established framework for internal evaluation informs centre developments. Continuing to extend the use of internal evaluation should assist ongoing improvements and promote positive outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

The centre director, education manager, head teacher and staff identify, and ERO's external evaluation affirms, they should continue to:

• improve culturally-responsive teaching practices to further promote te ao Māori

• strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation, particularly the response to parents' aspirations for their children

• improve their shared understanding and use of internal evaluation to determine the impact of centre developments on outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Village Kids Havelock North Preschool 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 Village Kids Havelock North Preschool will be in three years.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

21 February 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

Location		Havelock North
Ministry of Education profile number		55215
Licence type		Education & Care Service
Licensed under		Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for		50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2
Service roll		66
Gender composition		Boys 33, Girls 33
Ethnic composition		Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups	12 46 1 7
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates		80% +
Reported ratios of staff to children	Over 2	1:7	Better than minimum requirements
Review team on site		December 2016
Date of this report		21 February 2017
Most recent ERO report(s)		Education Review	February 2014
		Education Review	March 2011
		Education Review	July 2007

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 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.