25 Trent Street, Oamaru
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 Barnardos Early Learning Centre Oamaru are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Barnardos Early Learning Centre Oamaru is part of the nation-wide charity Barnardos New Zealand. A service delivery manager oversees service operations, and a centre manager is responsible for
day-to-day management. All teachers are certificated. The service provides education and care for children from birth-to-school-age.
Children are actively involved in a wide range of learning experiences that include promoting physical, social, and emotional competency. Kaiako work in partnership with parents and whānau to support children’s learning and wellbeing. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves, others, and the environment. Their mana is fostered within a culturally responsive, play-based learning curriculum, underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Kaiako provide caring and nurturing interactions to support a positive sense of belonging for infants, toddlers, and young children. They use a range of strategies to encourage children to be confident to explore, experiment, problem solve, and express their ideas. Children with additional needs are well supported to succeed.
Leaders and kaiako are committed to practices which promote success for Māori children however these are in the early stages of implementation. Some kaiako naturally integrate te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into day-to-day practice, intentionally supporting Māori learners to succeed as Māori. Understandings of te ao Maori are variable within the team and intentional teaching practices have yet to evaluated for their impact on outcomes for Māori learners. Kaiako value and celebrate Pacific and other diverse groups of children.
Recent involvement in professional learning has supported kaiako to improve their understanding of the learning outcomes from Te Whariki. Kaiako are beginning to make the learning outcomes more visible in individual children’s planning and assessment records. The intended learning outcomes are not clear in group planning. The languages, cultures and identities of children are not consistently prominent in children’s learning records.
Leaders foster relational trust to support collaboration and change. They work closely with kaiako to develop and enact the service’s philosophy, vision, and goals, including recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Kaiako have good opportunities for professional learning, mentoring, and coaching to develop knowledge, skills, and confidence in evaluation and inquiry. Strategic planning and evaluation, internal evaluation, appraisal, and curriculum design processes are new and at the early stages of being embedded.
Barnardos Early Learning Centre Oamaru will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Barnardos Early Learning Centre Oamaru 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
2 July 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Barnardos Early Learning Centre Oamaru |
| Profile Number | 83063 |
| Location | Oamaru |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 12 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
72 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 15, NZ European/Pākehā 45, Other ethnicities 12. |
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Review team on site |
May 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
2 July 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2016; Education Review, February 2013.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Barnardos Kidstart Childcare-Oamaru Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
This centre is part of Barnardos Kidstart, a nation-wide charitable trust that specialises in educational programmes, care and support for children and their families. As such, the centre receives a range of professional leadership support from Barnardos that is focused on continuing to improve outcomes for all children.
Care and education programmes for children from birth to school age are provided in two separate areas. Programmes are based on Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum. Planning is currently underway to update the outdoors environment.
Staff are a mix of fully registered teachers, new graduates and teachers in training. Since the 2013 ERO review, cultural diversity has continued to increase. Daily meals for children are prepared by an experienced cook. The centre actively promotes healthy food and physical activity.
Progress has been made in addressing the areas identified for improvement in the 2013 ERO report. Good progress is evident in some areas while others continue to be a focus for ongoing attention.
Children benefit from the nurturing care and support they receive from teachers who know them and their families well. The frequent links teachers make between the centre and home help to build relationships that are warm and responsive to the needs of children and their parents. Children’s wellbeing remains a key and shared priority for all staff. Centre leaders seek extra support for children who have particular learning, social or health needs.
Children are encouraged to choose learning activities that are of interest to them and are supported to become increasingly independent. They have ongoing opportunities for settled and sustained play. Teachers’ constant conversations with children and open-ended questioning support oral language development and help to build children’s confidence in expressing ideas. Children learn ways of playing with their peers and resolving conflict through the ways teachers model and reinforce positive choices and behaviours.
Centre leaders and staff actively value children’s diverse cultures and languages. They think deeply about cultural values and ideas. This is strengthening aspects of the programmes and practices for Māori and Pacific learners. Centre leaders and teachers welcome parents into the centre. They seek and respond to parents’ feedback and work closely with them to support children.
Some well planned, large-group programmes are in place. The best examples of these make the intended learning clear and identify the strategies teachers will use to support this learning. Improvements to the way group programmes are evaluated will considerably strengthen current practice.
Infants and toddlers in the under two’s area are well nurtured and cared for. Teachers are responsive to children’s verbal and non-verbal cues and encourage gradual independence. Routines for young children are flexible and responsive to their needs. Early literacy is promoted through music and movement.
Staff are well supported by their professional and early learning managers. Useful Barnardos systems and structures support internal evaluation and health and safety practices. Appraisal processes promote teacher reflection, especially in regard to professional readings and their links to teaching practice. The professional learning programme is well linked to centre goals and other practices and systems that promote children’s learning and wellbeing. Recently a developed guidelines and templates to further strengthen internal evaluation have the potential to considerably improve outcomes for children’s learning.
ERO and centre leaders agree on the following priorities for improvement. These are:
Once the current review of the centre’s philosophy has been completed, it would be timely to evaluate progress in other areas against the updated philosophy’s aspirations and goals. Focus areas could include the indoors environment and centre programmes such as readiness for school and support for children with English language needs.
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 Barnardos Kidstart Childcare-Oamaru Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
29 June 2016
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 |
Oamaru |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
83063 |
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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 |
44 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
84 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 42; Girls 42 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other |
11 60 8 5 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2016 |
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Date of this report |
29 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO reports
|
Education Review |
February 2013 |
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Education Review |
August 2009 |
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Education Review |
May 2006 |
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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 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.