Otago University Childcare Association - Te Pā

1 Evaluation of Te Pā

How well placed is Te Pā to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Te Pā is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Te Pā provides full day education and care for children from birth to school age. It is located on the Otago University campus and is operated by the Otago University Childcare Association (OUCA). Children of University students and staff are given priority of attendance.

The service is one of two licensed services administered by the OUCA. A centre director oversees both licensed services under the governance of a board.

Te Pā is licensed for 150 children, including up to 50 children under two. The service has four centres on the same site, each offering a different learning context:

• Te Pārekereke o Te Kī - bilingual mixed age centre for children from birth to five years

• Te Maioha - two groups of children all aged under two years

• Te Puna - mixed age setting for children over two years who attend for shorter days

• Te Uru - mixed age setting for children over two years who attend for longer days.

The day-to-day operation of each centre is managed by a head teacher, supported by qualified and certificated teachers and teachers in training. This is intended to enable more flexible use of the learning spaces and support fluid transitions within and across each centre.

The service's mission statement aims to support all children in a community of excellence in early learning.

The service has sustained the effective practices noted in ERO's 2016 report and has made good progress with curriculum assessment, planning and evaluation practices, teacher appraisal and internal evaluation systems.

The Review Findings

Children are very well supported in their learning. Effective leadership, a rich and culturally responsive programme and intentional teaching practices promote positive learning outcomes for all children. There are strong systems and practices that support teaching and learning opportunities for all children including children under two years and priority learners.

Children experience a well-planned and resourced learning programme and environment that promotes their engagement, exploration and development of competencies across the breadth of the curriculum. The physical environment provides a range of challenging equipment and experiences.

Children play cooperatively and purposefully. They are confident and competent leaders of their own learning. Children experience calm, unhurried routines and interactions with teachers. Their learning is based on respectful relationships with each other and their teachers.

The association ensures consistency of practice across the services with a clear and strategic vision and direction. Leaders have a strong commitment to its philosophy and goals. Bicultural practices across all centres support Māori learners to achieve positive learning outcomes. These are well integrated into all aspects of the teaching and learning programme. There is a very strong and shared commitment from parents and whānau to provide opportunities for other parents and whānau within and outside of the association, to learn and grow their understanding and knowledge of te reo me ona tikanga Māori.

Learning-focused partnerships are well established between children, parents, whānau, teachers and the wider community. Parents are kept very well informed about their child's learning and development. Teachers value parents' views and seek their contributions to continually improve outcomes for children's learning and centre practices. Parents are actively involved in the programme and their contributions are valued and meaningfully integrated. Transitions into and from the centre are very well managed and meet the needs of children and their families/whānau.

Teachers know, understand and value children's language, culture and identity. They listen carefully to the verbal and non-verbal cues of children and respond appropriately to extend language learning and ideas in meaningful ways. Teachers use a wide range of relevant and appropriate intentional teaching strategies to support children's learning, development and wellbeing. Early literacy and numeracy is well integrated within the programme and promoted across a range of curriculum learning areas.

Teachers knowledge and experience has helped to strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation processes. These are clearly aligned to the association's strategic priorities and goals and linked to the association's curriculum guidelines, 'Te Rito'. Internal evaluation is used well by teachers to assess, plan and evaluate children's learning. The process is well understood and is used to identify successful practice and where improvements can be made.

The director, supported by the experienced head teachers, model a culture of positive, responsive and collaborative teaching. Teachers benefit from a shared leadership approach which supports professional practice and continues to grow capability.

Key Next Step

The service has identified, and ERO agrees, that teachers need to continue to strengthen and embed aspects of the appraisal system, including the implementation of targeted observations of teaching.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Te Pā 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.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

12 April 2019

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

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 Te Pā

How well placed is Te Pā to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Te Pā is one of two centres under the umbrella of the Otago University Childcare Association (OUCA). Both services use the same policy structure and strategic plan. Te Pā is licensed for 140 children with a maximum of 46 under the age of two. The service is made up of four separate learning environments. Each of these settings has unique characteristics. The teachers in each team work to beliefs and practices aligned with that setting’s individual philosophy. All settings under the Te Pā licence are located on one site.

Since the ERO report in 2012, the OUCA services have moved into purpose-built premises and combined several licences into one. The Te Pā licence now includes a bilingual service, Te Pārekereke o Te Kī. Three of the settings within Te Pā provide education and care for children under two and over two years of age in separate rooms. The fourth Te Pārekereke o Te Kī, combines the age groups.

The transition into new premises has been a major undertaking for the association. The director and teachers have managed the change well. The move has generated employment of additional staff and the formation of new teams. The teams are in the process of establishing shared understandings of how best practice will look in their particular setting.

At the time of ERO’s visit the OUCA director was completing her last week in the role. A new director was due to start the following week.

The Review Findings

Children have warm and trusting relationships with their teachers across the service. The assessment processes teachers use enable them to know the children well. Teachers are responsive to children’s emotional and care needs while supporting them to learn and develop. Children are settled and engaged. The well-designed natural environments allow children space to express themselves and explore.

Parents feel comfortable in the welcoming environment. Teachers communicate well with the diverse range of cultures and ethnicities in the community. They invite parents to contribute their knowledge and skills to the learning programme. Teachers value the opportunity to work in partnership with families to build teachers' understanding of each child’s unique character. The teachers encourage families to link with others for support. Events are organised to help families connect with the wider whānau. Parents and whānau involvement is highly valued. The sense of being a community of learners across the service is growing. The focus on establishing whanaungatanga (a sense of family) and manaakitanga (being caring and welcoming) is helped by the home-like feel of the new building.

Teachers make very good use of the teachable moment. They respect children’s choice and support learning through the children’s interests. Each of the settings is well resourced and the teachers provide a broad and rich curriculum. Teachers have strengths in providing programmes that support early literacy, mathematics and the creative arts. Children benefit from the interactions they have with their teachers. These conversations support their social development, build oral language and encourage children to think deeply about the world as they develop their working theories. Teaching strategies support children with problem solving and help build the child’s confidence to succeed. Teachers support children to become independent and to lead their own learning.

Children have a range of opportunities to build their sense of belonging within the wider community through regular excursions. These include exploring the bush and visiting the museum. Visitors come to share their skills and expertise to support children’s learning and broaden their interests. Teachers have established an effective transition to school process. They summarise children’s learning during their time at the centre. This information provides parents with a positive end to the child’s early childhood education and a place to start for teachers at the child's school.

Infants and young children are well cared for in safe environments. They enjoy calm, nurturing relationships with their teachers. Teachers sensitively and thoughtfully support their learning. Teachers respect the wants and needs of parents and fit in with children’s individual home routines. Learning programmes are developed that align with individual children’s strengths and interests. Teachers use daily routines as an opportunity for one-to-one conversations and to promote learning.

Leaders have introduced organisation-wide expectations for curriculum, assessment, planning and evaluation. In the best examples of this, the teachers clearly show how they use parents’ knowledge to plan for children’s learning. There needs to be more consistency in the documentation to show how well the teaching strategies and planned experiences extended children's learning and what teachers intend to do next to encourage further learning.

A key learning focus across the different settings is to build the inclusion of Māori perspectives into learning. Teachers use te reo and tikanga Māori practices throughout the day and promote an interest in the natural world and sustainability. Bicultural practices and the integration of Māori perspectives is a strength in Te Pārekereke o Te Kī, the bilingual setting. Teachers there provide education and care for children using Māori concepts and ways of being. This approach is valued in the other settings and teachers across the service are involved in professional development to increase their knowledge and skills in this area.

Teachers are skilled professionals. They regularly reflect on their practice. They are keen to debate and grow their knowledge and teaching abilities. They use self review to improve practice, however self-review processes could be further developed. The process needs to be more evaluative and include the use of indicators as examples of what best practice looks like.

The teaching teams are well supported by the director and governing committee. The governance committee includes a useful mix of experience and skill. The move to the new building has provided an opportunity to acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua and work with the mana whenua Ngai Tahu. This relationship is growing. An advisory group has been formed to provide ongoing support, particularly to support the development of the bilingual setting Te Pārekereke o Te Kī. The advisory group includes representation from the university's Māori department and Ngai Tahu.

Leaders have a strong focus on continual improvement. The recent move has required adjustment and revision. Leaders recognise the need to consolidate and look association-wide at the quality and effectiveness of the systems and processes recently established. A useful strategic plan provides guidance around priorities for the future. It is timely for the centre’s new director to develop the plan further to show how the goals will be achieved in the various settings. This will require ongoing monitoring, evaluation and regular reporting on progress from head teachers. The reports need to include evaluation of the effectiveness of curriculum, teaching and learning. Appraisal processes also need to be strengthened to ensure consistency and alignment with the centre’s future vision.

Key Next Steps

The leaders and ERO agree that the next steps in the OUCA improvement journey are to strengthen systems and processes to bring consistency of practice across the settings. Leaders at all levels should monitor and report on how well these systems and processes are enabling the association’s vision and expectations to be met.

Leaders should ensure each setting implements robust planning for groups and individuals in ways that meet the association’s guidelines and desired outcomes for children. This includes leaders monitoring the quality of planning to be assured that:

• the intended learning outcomes for children are clear in group and individual planning
• evaluations show how well the strategies and experiences have supported the intended learning
• records clearly show how teachers have worked in partnership with parents to determine next steps for children’s learning and ways that will help achieve the learning.

The effectiveness of the association’s strategic plan and goals would be strengthened by:

• developing plans for how these will be achieved within each setting
• ensuring that the reports the association receive show how well the vision and goals are being met.

Leaders and teachers also need to further:

• strengthen the performance-management system to ensure appraisals are carried out regularly, are robust and consistent throughout the settings
• develop their understanding of rigorous self review, including the use of evaluative questions and indicators to guide the process
• strengthen and build bicultural practices across the service.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Te Pā 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 Te Pā will be in three years.

Chris Rowe

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Acting)

14 January 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

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.