Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre - Hinds

Education institution number:
70121
Service type:
Education & Care Service
Total roll:
52
Telephone:
Address:

30 Rogers Street, Hinds

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Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre - Hinds

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 Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre - Hinds are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 
Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whāngai Establishing

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Leap Ahead Hinds is one of two, privately owned early learning services. The owner and an operations manager are qualified early childhood teachers and provide support to the centre manager. Children learn and play in two separate areas. The service roll is increasingly diverse. A small number of tamariki Māori attend the service. 

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a broad curriculum aligned with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They learn and play in well resourced, age-appropriate environments. Infants and toddlers have a dedicated area that is calm, slow paced, and designed to meet their needs. Independence is promoted for older children. They are encouraged to take care of their belongings, the environment, and each other. Teachers use intentional teaching strategies that support children to manage their feelings and emotions. Children’s developing social competency is fostered.

Leaders acknowledge inconsistencies in children’s assessment documentation and are building capability and consistency of practice. The learning outcomes from Te Whāriki are used but not yet explicit in children’s documented assessment. Likewise cultural identity is not visible for tamariki Māori or children with ethnic diversity. Recognition of learning is based on observing children’s interests, strengths, and abilities.  Parents and whānau have regular opportunities to share their values, beliefs, and perspectives.

Leaders and teachers are beginning to explore the localised bicultural curriculum. This includes taking steps to increase teachers’ use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori across the daily programme. Further work is required in this area to build all teachers’ capability.

Governance and management work collaboratively and are improvement focused. They provide professional mentoring and support for teachers within the service through the professional growth cycles. There is a clear focus on staff wellbeing. Allocated resources align to the service’s vision. The learning priorities are currently under review in consultation with teachers, whānau and the wider community.

Leaders acknowledge that the service is in the early stages of using internal evaluation for improvement.

4 Improvement actions

Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre - Hinds will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Build teachers’ capability to implement a bicultural curriculum that includes:
  • integrating the cultural stories and histories of mana whenua.
  • opportunities for children to hear te reo Māori being used more often across the daily programme.
  • Make the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki explicit in children’s documented assessments to clearly show their learning progression over time in relation to these.
  • Build collective capability to do and use internal evaluation for improvement.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre - Hinds 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 

Early Childhood Service NameLeap Ahead Early Childhood Centre - Hinds
Profile Number70121
LocationHinds
Service type Education and care service
Number licensed for 35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers 80-99%
Service roll64
Review team on siteMarch 2024 
Date of this report17 June 2024
Most recent ERO report(s)Akanuku | Assurance Review, February 2021; Education Review, December 2016

Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre - Hinds

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

Since 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

Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre-Hinds is a privately owned service in rural South Canterbury. The service was previously known as Head Start Learning Centre Ltd. It has been re-licensed under new ownership since July 2019. The teaching team is newly established. The owner is supported by two centre managers, a head teacher, 4 qualified teachers and 2 unqualified staff working in two
age-based learning spaces.

Summary of Review Findings 

Teachers engage in positive and meaningful interactions with children to enhance their learning. The services curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Its design and layout support a variety of learning opportunities and experiences for children. The outdoor areas are spacious providing physical challenges for the age and ability of children who attend. The philosophy reflects the service values and beliefs, these are enacted in practice and reflect the diversity of the community. There are suitable systems in place to govern and manage the service.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • mattresses are made of a non-porous material (that is, a material that does not allow liquid to pass through it) that protects it from being soiled and allows for easy cleaning (or is disposable) and does not present a suffocation hazard to children.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, PF30.

Key Next Steps

During the review ERO identified and discussed with service leaders the following key next steps to improve the curriculum:

  • increase opportunities children have to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts and reflect this learning in assessment documentation.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

19 February 2021 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre-Hinds
Profile Number 70121
Location Hinds

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

60

Ethnic composition

Māori 10, NZ European/Pākehā 38, Asian 6, Other ethnicities 6.

Review team on site

December 2020

Date of this report

19 February 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review December 16; Education Review, August 2013.

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 licence 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 licence
  • that have been re-licenced 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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.

Headstart Early Learning Centre Ltd - 20/12/2016

1 Evaluation of Headstart Early Learning Centre Ltd

How well placed is Headstart Early Learning Centre Ltd 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

Headstart Early Learning Centre Ltd is a small, rural centre catering for children from birth to school age. There are separate areas for infants and toddlers aged up to 3 years and for children from 3 years to school age. Each area has its own well-resourced outdoor play space. Most of the staff, including the centre owner and manager, are qualified early childhood teachers.

Staffing is now stable after significant changes in 2015. The centre has all new staff, including a new centre manager. Centre ownership remains unchanged since the 2013 ERO review. Teachers are enthusiastic and the centre owner and manager are focused on establishing a new team culture and shared understandings of teaching and learning.

The Review Findings

The centre's philosophy is well reflected in the daily learning opportunities provided for children. It accurately captures what the owner, manager and teachers value and prioritise as important in early childhood education and how they operate as a centre.

A recent extensive evaluation of the centre's philosophy by the manager, owner and previous staff, provides a good model and foundation for ongoing review with the new team.

The owner, manager and teachers ensure bicultural practice, including tikanga Māori and language, is strongly evident in the programme and centre practices. Managers make good use of teachers' skills to promote and sustain this focus. They are now planning a more formal review of how effectively they are promoting Māori children's success.

Children make choices and follow their own play ideas in a learning environment that is responsive to their interests. Routines provide them with good opportunities to develop their self-help skills and independence. Teachers interact with children in affirming and respectful ways.

Children's wellbeing and sense of belonging are well supported. The small group size and low ratios for the youngest children provide regular, sustained interactions between infants, toddlers and teachers and promote positive relationships.

Children's learning about environmental sustainability and the natural world is enhanced through regular opportunities to explore and use natural materials and resources within their play.

Teachers make good use of the local community to extend children's learning experiences, including helping children become familiar with the local school to support successful transitions.

The centre owner, manager and teachers value and promote effective partnerships with parents. They seek useful information from parents about their aspirations for children's learning. Parents have regular opportunities to provide feedback on aspects of service in a range of ways.

The diverse cultures of children and their families are responded to proactively. Teachers find out what is important to each family and support this within the programme. They make effective use of community resources to learn more about the cultures of children who attend their centre and to engage with families in their own languages.

Managers and teachers are responsive to and inclusive of children who require additional learning support. They work closely with their families and actively seek additional support, when necessary.

The owner, manager and teachers have recently made more effective use of internal evaluation to improve centre practices, promote team collaboration and support the development of shared understandings among staff. Their current evaluation practices include the use of professional reading to help them think more deeply about their teaching practices and give regular consideration to te ao Māori perspectives.

Managers have high expectations for teaching and learning. They know staff strengths and support staff to focus on continuing to improve teaching and learning practice. They are putting appropriate emphasis on the building of a collaborative team approach to support new teams and leaders.

The owner and centre managers have a clear vision for centre development. In collaboration with the teachers they have developed a useful strategic plan to guide future centre planning. This is regularly shared with parents. Leaders have identified areas for review to support centre improvement and are moving methodically towards implementing these in a well-considered manner.

Key Next Steps

With many teachers new to the centre and some staff in new leadership roles, ERO and the centre leaders agree the key next steps are to:

  • strengthen all teachers' capability to understand, contribute to and begin to lead internal evaluation
  • successfully embed newly-developed expectations for planning and assessment to ensure consistent practices and a shared team approach
  • strengthen staff appraisal processes to ensure that it is effectively contributing to high quality teaching and learning
  • continue to develop and support centre leadership roles.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Headstart Early Learning Centre Ltd 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 Headstart Early Learning Centre Ltd will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Te Waipounamu/Southern

20 December 2016 

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 

LocationHinds, Mid Canterbury
Ministry of Education profile number70121
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Service roll64
Gender compositionBoys 34; Girls 30
Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Filipino

Other Ethnicities

9

44

4

7

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:3Better than minimum requirements
Over 21:9Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteOctober 2016
Date of this report20 December 2016
Most recent ERO reportsEducation ReviewAugust 2013
Education ReviewJuly 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 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.