28 Colombo Street, Newtown, Wellington
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Adelaide Early Childhood Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Adelaide Early Childhood Centre is a community-based service in Newtown, Wellington. It provides all-day education and care for a maximum of 35 children over two years old, within a mixed-aged environment.
The centre is governed by a parent cooperative as an incorporated society. The key governance roles are undertaken by a core group of parents who work closely with the head teacher. The day-to-day operation and running of the centre is the responsibility of the head teacher, assistant head teacher and an office manager.
The leadership and teaching teams have remained consistent and include experienced early childhood teachers. Some of the newer staff are undertaking centre-based training.
The recently reviewed philosophy is evident within the programme. It gives emphasis to positive respectful connections and relationships; providing engaging and interesting learning experiences for children; nurturing children’s positive sense of self and sense of belonging; encouraging and supporting active exploration and risk taking. The positive impact that ‘fun’ has on learning is emphasised.
Since the February 2017 ERO review, progress has been made in most of the areas identified for further development. In particular there has been improvement in: governance and leadership structures; assessment of and for children’s learning and documentation reflecting children’s home language, culture and identity.
Leaders and teachers provide a welcoming, caring and supportive environment that strongly encourages positive relationships between teachers, children and their families. There is collective understanding of ways of working with children to actively promote their learning, social competence and wellbeing. Children are well supported to take responsibility for themselves and to be caring and empathic towards others. Inclusive practices ensure that diversity is valued and celebrated by both adults and children.
Children learn in a child-led, rich, interesting and fun learning curriculum. Teachers are responsive to the individual interests, strengths and capabilities of children, with an emphasis on developing children’s positive sense of self and sense of belonging. There is a focus on active exploration, expression and discovery. Aspects of literacy, mathematics, science, arts and sensory learning are integrated within the programme in authentic ways. Children have many opportunities to learn about sustainable practices and the natural world.
Teachers prioritise knowing the learner in the context of their family and community. The languages, cultures and identities of children and families are valued and celebrated. Bicultural practices and perspectives are integrated in ways that are meaningful for children and respectful of Māori culture. Te ao Māori values are embedded in daily practices.
Strong connections to local community enrich children’s learning. Purposeful links to local schools helps to support positive transitions.
Leaders and teachers work closely with parents and whānau to foster reciprocal supportive parent partnerships. Parents are well informed about centre operation and programmes and their children’s learning. Well-written learning records capture children as curious and competent learners.
The experienced teaching team is developing reflective practices and focusing on continuous improvements to teaching and learning that promote positive outcomes for children. At the time of this review leaders were in the early stages of developing and implementing a new performance management system.
A useful process for spontaneous self-review results in improvement. A better framework for in-depth evaluation would help to formalise practices and understandings of internal evaluation across the centre.
A review of the governance structure has improved understandings of roles and responsibilities. Leaders are promoting distributed leadership and building capacity across the teaching team. Good use is made of individual teacher strengths to build teacher capacity.
Centre leaders and ERO agree that the key priorities are to continue to further develop:
strategic and annual planning, including monitoring evaluating and reporting on key priorities
a framework and process for undertaking in-depth internal evaluation for improvement of centre practices that aligns to annual and strategic planning
appraisal and inquiry processes and practices, including updating the procedure to clearly reflect and align to Teaching Council requirements for appraisal and attestation
assessment planning and evaluation to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching practices on outcomes for children and clearly incorporating parent aspirations for children’s learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Adelaide 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:
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.
During the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety in the following areas:
sleeping children are checked for warmth, breathing and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs
parental acknowledgement that medication has been given.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS9, HS28
Since the onsite phase of the review, the service leaders and managers have proactively taken steps to address these areas.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
23 June 2020
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.
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Location |
Wellington |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60241 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
35 children aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
51 |
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Gender composition |
Female 28, Male 23 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2019 |
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Date of this report |
23 June 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
ducation Review |
February 2017 |
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Education Review |
March 2014 |
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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 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.
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.
Adelaide Early Childhood Centre is a community based centre in Newtown, Wellington which is managed by a parent cooperative as an incorporated society. It offers all day care for a maximum of 35 children over the age of two years. It is well supported by the local diverse community and consistently has a full roll.
The centre operates in a house gifted to the cooperative and developed to suit the centre’s needs. The day-to-day operation and the running of the centre are the responsibility of the team leader and an office manager. The governance role is undertaken by the core group of volunteer parents who are supported by the team leader.
The centre philosophy is well understood by all stakeholders. Reviewing it in consultation with staff and the parent community should establish whether it reflects current values, beliefs and aspirations of all families.
The centre's teaching team provides a range of experience and diversity. There are high ratios of teachers to learners, with most adults qualified, registered teachers or in training.
The centre has developed positive relationships and promoted a sense of belonging with its community. Organised events are well attended. Building partnerships with local early childhood centres and schools has been a focus.
Areas identified for review and development in the March 2014 ERO report continue to be areas for improvement.
The centre curriculum supports children to learn and develop in a range of planned and spontaneous activities in the centre and the community. Teaching and learning are underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A range of excursions enrich the curriculum. The centre staff take full advantage of good access to city centre places and events that provide valuable learning opportunities for children.
The centre’s philosophy aims for children to develop a strong sense of self and to promote the attitudes and dispositions required for children to reach their potential. Teachers and parents have expressed that they want children to become confident and competent learners and citizens who are able to relate positively to a diverse range of people and in a diverse range of contexts.
Warm, reciprocal and respectful relationships are evident across the centre. There is a positive tone and an inclusive culture. Teachers know children well and promote plentiful opportunities for learning. Children follow their interests and determine the direction of their own learning. Parents have opportunities to contribute to their child's learning and share their progress.
Children successfully develop knowledge and attributes through sustained learning episodes. Teachers participate in child-initiated activities, supporting learning through meaningful conversations that extend and add depth to children's experiences. The centre reflects a range of cultures, and promotes positive connections with the wider community. There is a focus on a bicultural approach, with te reo and te ao Māori part of children's experiences.
Teachers collect information about children's learning, sharing observations and reflections of children's experiences. Emerging interests are noticed and planned for, with some examples where complexity is increased. Learning stories are well presented and provide a good record of children's collective experiences in and outside of the centre, with occasional narratives describing individual learning. Improving these to include more frequent individual records of children's learning and progress is a next step.
Transitions to school continue to be well considered and supported. Good communication has been established between contributing early childhood centres and new entrant teachers in local schools. A proposed review of transitions should further develop how well the partnership between centre, school and families promotes a smooth pathway to children's next phase of education.
Teachers and parents work collaboratively to support the operations of the centre to promote good educational outcomes for children. The core group of parents are clear about their roles and responsibilities. All parents have the opportunity to contribute to the cooperative governance.
The strategic and annual plans articulate centre direction and priorities. Aspirations and outcomes are expressed and underpinned by a strong commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. Making the plan more specific and measurable should assist the committee and team leader to measure the progress towards achieving their goals. A range of guiding policies are reviewed on a regular cycle.
A performance management system is in place that supports teachers to reflect on some aspects of their practice. Links with the Practising Teacher Criteria are beginning to be developed. Teachers engage in professional learning responsive to the centre's and children's needs. The appraisal process needs strengthening and to be fully implemented to include:
a more robust and rigorous framework
teachers inquiring into the effectiveness of their practice in promoting outcomes for children
providing evidence of teachers meeting requirements of the Practising Teacher Criteria
next steps for teachers' development.
A framework for self review is in place, with some aspects used more effectively than others. However, the framework is not always fully implemented and processes do not generally lead to improvements for children. Strengthening the process for internal evaluation is needed. This should include:
establishing a shared understanding of what is effective self review
showing the impact of changes made on improving outcomes for children,
measuring the effectiveness of practices and programmes.
Leaders and ERO agree the next steps for improvement are to:
further develop assessment of children's learning and progress
strengthen the response to children's culture, language and identity
further develop and fully implement performance management processes
strengthen governance
develop processes to build leadership
continue to develop internal evaluation that promotes improvement of outcomes for children
review the centre philosophy.
Before the review, the staff and management of Adelaide 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:
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.
Improvements to the centre's policy and procedural framework are required. Review and development should include:
increasing the committee's awareness of legislative obligations
ensuring policies and procedures reflect centre and current best practice
developing policies and procedures to meet the legislative requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 and Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Since the onsite phase of the Education Review the parent committee have taken steps to begin addressing the areas for improvement outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Adelaide Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
16 February 2017
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 |
Wellington |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
60241 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, aged over 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
55 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 30, Girls 25 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnic groups |
3 50 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2016 |
||
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Date of this report |
16 February 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
December 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2007 |
||
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 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.