2 Burnham Street, Petone, Lower Hutt
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 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 Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whāngai Establishing |
This is one of two centres under the same ownership. A new team leader and small teaching team are supported by the owners who manage both services. A fifth of enrolled children identify as Māori, and a quarter are of diverse cultural ethnicities.
Children experience an authentic curriculum that aligns well with the centre philosophy of sustainability and community. They have many opportunities to explore areas within the local area. Community events strengthen connections between home and the centre, and reciprocal relationships with families. Transitions into the service support children’s wellbeing.
The curriculum fosters independence and exploration, supporting the development of children’s social and emotional skills. They are given space and time to lead their own learning. Teachers provide opportunities for children to make links across time, place and activities by revisiting their experiences, ideas and interests. There are inconsistencies in showing the progression of children’s learning over time.
There are meaningful opportunities for children to develop an understanding of their own culture and the cultural diversity of other children and families. Teachers incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into the daily curriculum. Cultural events at the centre and within assessment documentation acknowledge and support children’s sense of belonging and cultural connectedness.
Leadership is establishing the conditions to support teachers to build their professional knowledge. Distributed leadership is fostered. An internal evaluation framework is in place, however the process is not yet fully implemented. Leaders and teachers are yet to build an understanding of internal evaluation to better identify the impacts of new initiatives and learning.
Managers and leaders are working to enact the organisations plans and priorities for learning. There are limited opportunities for whānau Māori to contribute to the curriculum and discuss priorities for their children’s education.
Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd 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:
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.
During and since the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008, GMA7A, HS7, HS17.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
5 July 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd |
| Profile Number | 50049 |
| Location | Petone, Lower Hutt |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 20 children aged 2 years and over |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 24 |
| Review team on site | March 2024 |
| Date of this report | 5 July 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, August 2022; Education Review, May 2019 |
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.
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.
Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd, previously known as Rainbow Early Learning Centre, is one of two early childhood centres under common private ownership. This is the centre’s first ERO review since a change of ownership and licence in May 2021. The owners manage both services. A head teacher leads the teaching team.
Children experience a curriculum where their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their participation and learning. A range of learning experiences are provided. Positive steps are taken to acknowledge aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. There are opportunities for children to develop an understanding of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
A policy framework and long-term plans guide centre operation and direction for development. Internal evaluation is becoming established to support decisions about change and improvement.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
the temperature of the rooms used by children are kept at a comfortable temperature no lower than 18 degrees C (at 500 mm above the floor) while children are attending [HS24].
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
8 August 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Imagine Childcare Alicetown Ltd |
|
Profile Number |
50049 |
|
Location |
Lower Hutt |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
20 children aged 2 and over |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
25 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 10, Indian 4, Chinese 4, Other ethnic groups 3 |
|
Review team on site |
June 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
8 August 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, May 2019; Education Review, June 2016 |
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.
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.
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.
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Rainbow Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Rainbow Early Learning Centre is privately-owned and licensed for 20 children aged over two years. At the time of this review 23 children are on the roll, five of whom identify as Māori.
The head teacher manages the day-to-day operation of the centre. She works collaboratively with the centre owner to support the teaching team. Most teachers are qualified.
The June 2016 ERO report identified areas requiring further improvement. These included: purposeful interactions with children to deepen learning; supporting children’s social competence and their readiness for school; understanding of the assessment, planning and evaluation cycle; development of the bicultural programme and exploring how success for Māori children as Māori and success for Pacific children can be promoted and building internal evaluation capacity.
A plan to address the key areas requiring improvement was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Education (MoE). The service received targeted support through the MoE funded programme, Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities (SELO). Good progress has been made in addressing the findings from the previous ERO report. Areas of non-compliance have been addressed.
Teachers use a range of effective strategies with children to support sustained play within a play-based programme that reflects children's interests. They experience warm and respectful relationships.
The centre’s philosophy has been successfully reviewed by leaders and teachers. A next step is consult with parents, whānau Māori and their Pacific community to determine what educational success looks like for their children and combine these views into the philosophy. Leaders, with teachers should develop indicators of good practice that will enable the philosophy points to be enacted. Undertaking this work as a team should build a shared understanding of expected good quality practices that teachers can implement.
Working independently or in small groups are a key feature of the programme. Children’s cultures are evident, valued and celebrated in the centre. Teachers use a range of kaupapa Māori concepts that enriches the learning programme for children. Teachers should strengthen their use of te reo Māori in all aspects of the curriculum. In addition, leaders should consider ways in which they can weave a localised curriculum that promotes and celebrates te ao Māori places that are unique to the centre into the learning programme.
Children with additional learning needs are identified, planned for and well supported. External agencies are used when required.
Well-established learning-focused partnerships is enabling parents, whānau and teachers to co-construct meaningful learning goals for their child’s individual needs. This forms the basis for both individualised and group planning. The teaching team develop and implement learning experiences and intentional teaching strategies focused on dispositional learning. Leaders have identified that formally assessing and evaluating children’s learning more regularly requires further development.
Successful transitions to school are strengthened by effective relationships with parents and whānau. Useful assessment information about children's skills, interests and dispositions are documented by teachers for parents and whānau to share with the child’s school.
Leaders and teachers are improvement focused. A key next step is to continue to build teachers knowledge and understanding to effectively use internal evaluation to improve practice and inform decision making that promotes positive outcomes for all children.
An appropriate appraisal system is in place to support teacher practice. This provides useful information that identifies areas for growth and development. Professional learning and development are valued and used well to build capability. To improve this process the centre should ensure that:
The centre’s policies and procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure that these are up-to-date and meeting legislative requirements. Leaders and teachers show an increased understanding of the operational requirements of the centre to support sustainability and improvement.
ERO and the centre leaders agree that their priority next steps are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Rainbow 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:
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.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
8 May 2019
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 | Lower Hutt | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 50049 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 20 children aged over two years | ||
| Service roll | 23 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 13, Girls 10 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnic groups | 5 9 9 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Over 2 | 1:6 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Review team on site | March 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 8 May 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | June 2016 | |
| Education Review | January 2013 | ||
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 will depend on how well the service promotes 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.