22 Ross Street, Dunedin
View on mapAkarangi | 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 Otago Childcare Centre Inc 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 |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakatō Emerging |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakatō Emerging |
|
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Otago Childcare Centre Inc is a not-for-profit community based early childhood service in Dunedin. It provides full-day education and care in a mixed-age setting. The values underpinning the curriculum are learn, connect and flourish.
Children are well supported by the caring and respectful relationships they have with their teachers. Teachers thoughtfully prepare the learning environment to support sustained engagement in play. There is a particular focus on fostering curiosity, literacy and social competence. Children are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. They demonstrate confidence and a strong sense of belonging at the centre.
There are many opportunities for infants and toddlers to explore the environment and physical development is promoted through careful resourcing. Teachers are attuned and responsive to children’s cues and there is a calm, slow pace to the programme and routines. Children’s trust in the environment and confidence as learners is fostered through this approach.
The bicultural curriculum is not strong. Some opportunities are provided for children to hear te reo Māori and experience aspects of tikanga Māori. A curriculum that reflects Māori ways of knowing, being and doing is not yet experienced by Māori children. There is not sufficient emphasis on valuing children’s home languages and cultures in the curriculum.
The newly implemented planning and assessment process has yet to be embedded in teacher practice.
Parents’ aspirations for their children’s learning are not used to inform decisions about planning for individuals. Assessment documentation does not clearly show how teachers are progressing children’s learning over time.
Self-review is collaborative, and improvement focused. While a suitable framework has been adopted to guide internal evaluation, the process is not well understood.
Leaders are in the early stages of mentoring and coaching teachers to build their teaching and leadership capability. Appropriate external expertise is sought to support this development which aligns to the centre philosophy and priorities for learning.
Governance provides adequate resourcing to provide support for children with additional needs and resources to reflect the service philosophy and professional learning and development.
Otago Childcare Centre Inc will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Otago Childcare Centre Inc 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008, HS27.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
25 February 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Otago Childcare Centre Inc |
|
Profile Number |
83021 |
|
Location |
Dunedin |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 16 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
32 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 8, NZ European/Pākehā 19, Other ethnicities 5 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
25 February 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2018; Education Review March 2015. |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Otago Childcare Centre Inc is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Otago Childcare Centre Inc is a not-for-profit community-based early childhood service in Dunedin. It provides full-day education and care for up to 35 children from birth to school age.
Recent changes to the service include the appointments of a new centre manager/head teacher and an assistant head teacher. There is a long-serving board and teaching staff. The centre manager/head teacher has focused on the development of operational systems and building a collaborative teaching team. There has been significant roll growth including an increase in the numbers of culturally diverse families.
The service has made good progress on addressing the areas for improvement identified in the March 2015 ERO report.
Children at Otago Childcare Centre Inc benefit from a learning environment where their language, culture and identity are valued. The leaders, with the support of external agencies, have introduced new and effective systems and processes for the daily operation of the service. The board, leaders and teachers have reviewed the philosophy. The next step is to consult with parents and whānau and include their views. The service is well supported by an experienced and capable board.
Positive relationships are evident amongst children, and between children and adults. Children are well settled and engaged in the programme. Each child's interests, needs and preferences are well known by teachers. Teachers use this knowledge to plan activities and routines, and to adapt the learning environment to support children's learning and development.
The curriculum is responsive to the strengths, needs and interests of children. Early literacy and numeracy are well supported by teachers, with a strong focus on building oral-language skills for children. There is a warm, inviting culture that supports inclusive learning opportunities and a sense of belonging for all children. The physical environment offers challenges and interests that invite children to explore and become fully involved in a wide variety of activities. Daily care routines are well managed by adults and understood by children.
Leaders and teachers have strengthened partnerships with families and whānau. There has been an intentional shift for teachers to know the children and their families/whānau well. Teachers maintain open and ongoing communication with parents in order to know about children's changing needs. Parents and whānau are involved in their child's learning through the effective use of learning portfolios.
Careful consideration is given to supporting children getting ready to go to school to develop the social and self-management skills they need to adapt well to a new environment. This is contributing to a successful transition-to-school process. Programmes include Māori concepts, practices, customs, values and beliefs. For example, kaupapa Māori concepts such as manaakitanga, wairuatanga, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga are strongly evident. This is supporting Māori children to know their language and that their culture is valued.
A deliberate focus on developing collaborative relationships amongst teachers has resulted in increased opportunities for shared leadership. Leaders and teachers are improvement focused. They plan programmes that link well to children's lives and build on children's interests. Teacher capability has benefitted from ongoing professional support from external agencies.
The board, the leadership team and ERO agree, that the key next steps to improve outcomes for children are to:
urgently implement a robust appraisal system that meets the requirements of the Education Council
strengthen the strategic plan to better reflect the centre's goals and priorities
develop an annual plan to manage the pace of change that aligns with the strategic goals and to identify activities for the year's strategic direction
strengthen internal-evaluation processes to evaluate the effectiveness of the valued outcomes, learning programmes, and strategic and annual plans.
Before the review, the staff and management of Otago Childcare Centre Inc 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.
The next ERO review of Otago Childcare Centre Inc will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
13 June 2018
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 |
Dunedin |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
83021 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
44 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls: 26 Boys: 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 June 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2011 |
||
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:
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 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:
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.