52 York Place, Dunedin
View on mapKiddies Campus Early Learning Centre
Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre
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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakatō Emerging |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakatō Emerging |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakatō Emerging |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
2 Context of the Service
Kiddies Campus is a privately-owned education and care service for children from birth to school age. It is located in the inner city of Dunedin. It is governed and managed by the owners who are supported by a newly appointed head teacher and a second in charge position. Families attending the centre represent a diverse range of cultures. The service has made progress towards the recommendations in the last ERO report.
3 Summary of findings
Tamariki have strong relationships with kaiako who know them and their whānau well. Kaiako are responsive to tamariki cues and support them to make choices about their participation within a curriculum that supports both free choice and structured learning experiences. There are regular opportunities for physical activity, music, and movement in the outdoors. Te reo Māori me ōna tikanga is heard and used naturally by kaiako in interactions with pēpi and ngā tamariki.
The newly formed learning priorities of numeracy, literacy, independence, sustainability, and cultural inclusion are visible in the daily curriculum. Kaiako are yet to align these priorities to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and evaluate how well all children are learning in relation to these priorities. Further work is required to build all kaiako understanding of how to effectively interpret and use the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki.
Pēpi learning and wellbeing are well supported in a calm and caring environment. They have many opportunities to explore and be involved in a variety of learning experiences. Kaiako are responsive to their verbal and non-verbal cues.
Assessment for learning practices require strengthening. Tamariki learning and development is evident in assessment documentation. Kaiako seek learning and cultural aspirations from whānau, however they do not consistently make these visible in documentation of individual learning.
There is a new internal evaluation process in place. Further work is required to build the collective capability of all kaiako to understand and make effective use of internal evaluation to make improvements to practice and to show how changes made, improve outcomes for children. Internal evaluation does not yet focus on matters that make the most difference for children’s learning.
The governance and management structures are being refined with the appointment of a new leadership team. These roles are designed to provide an opportunity for the owners to strengthen the strategic direction and policies and practices that guide the service operation.
4 Improvement actions
Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
- leaders and kaiako to explore the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki and use these to inform assessment for learning processes
- kaiako to strengthen the visibility of parents’ aspirations and children’s language, culture, and identity in assessment documentation
- develop kaiako understanding and use of effective internal evaluation to make improvements and focus on matters that make the most difference for children’s learning; this includes using quality indicators of effective practice in internal evaluation processes to know what “good” looks like.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Kiddies Campus Early Learning 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
22 December 2021
6 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre |
Profile Number |
65151 |
Location |
Dunedin |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2. |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
Service roll |
56 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 6, NZ European/Pākehā 31, Other ethnicities 19 |
Review team on site |
September 2021 |
Date of this report |
22 December 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, January 2015. |
Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre - 13/06/2018
1 Evaluation of Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre
How well placed is Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Kiddies Campus provides full-day education and care for up to 50 children from birth to school age. It is privately owned. The staff are qualified early childhood or primary school teachers.
Since the 2015 ERO review, the outdoor areas have been further developed and include a separate area for children under two years old.
The centre supervisor has been building a collaborative teaching team and strengthening the way teachers evaluate the impact of their teaching on children's learning. Aspects of internal evaluation, the centre's strategic planning, and assessment and planning have been strengthened and remain areas for continuing development.
The Review Findings
Children and their whānau are made to feel welcome, well supported and are actively encouraged to be involved in the centre. Teachers use a range of ways to communicate with parents and know the children well as individuals and learners. Children's needs and interests are identified and quickly responded to. Teachers successfully extend children's skills and knowledge through well focused conversation and planned exploration. They interact positively with the children and make the learning fun, safe and engaging.
Children experience a wide range of activities, in the indoor and outdoor areas. The programme reflects a strong commitment to Aotearoa/NZ's rich bicultural heritage. All children, and in particular Māori children, have many opportunities to learn aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori. The wider cultures of children and teachers are also valued and celebrated.
Children's transitions into, across and out of the centre are well managed. Children with additional needs are well supported and experience positive outcomes. Babies and toddlers enjoy respectful and nurturing interactions with their teachers.
Parent input into their child's learning is actively sought in a variety of ways. There is a good level of communication between staff and parents focused on children's learning and wellbeing. The expertise of parents and local community is sought to enrich the learning programme.
The centre supervisor has strengthened teaching and learning practices. Teachers work collaboratively and support each other to extend their professional learning. Good systems are in place to monitor and build teacher capability and for effective operation of the centre.
Key Next Steps
ERO and centre leaders agree that the key next steps for teachers are to:
-
show the depth of rich learning occurring within the learning areas
-
assess and evaluate the progress children are making in their learning against identified goals.
Aspects of internal evaluation need to be strengthened so the service knows that its desired outcomes for children are being achieved. To do this the centre needs to:
-
simplify the centre philosophy to more clearly show the key valued outcomes for children
-
improve strategic planning to better reflect the key valued outcomes and how these are to be achieved over time
-
more regularly monitor and review progress in meeting the strategic goals.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Kiddies Campus Early Learning 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.
Next ERO Review
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Kiddies Campus Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
13 June 2018
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 |
Dunedin |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
65151 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
59 |
||
Gender composition |
Girls: 30 Boys: 29 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
|
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 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
March 2018 |
||
Date of this report |
13 June 2018 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2015 |
|
Education Review |
September 2011 |
||
Education Review |
May 2008 |
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.