102 Scott Street, Blenheim
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 Little Footsteps – Scott Street are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakatō Emerging |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakatō Emerging Whakatō Emerging |
This is one of three Little Footsteps centres. Daily operations are the responsibility of a centre manager, supported by the owner. Its new purpose-built building opened in May 2023. A small number of enrolled children are Māori. Since ERO’s 2018 report, there has been significant staffing changes and little progress has been made on identified key next steps.
Children experience a play-based curriculum which provides challenges for all children to explore and become fully involved in learning. Infants’ and toddlers’ transition into the centre are well supported with a teacher assigned for each child. Older children are extended through regular activities based on literacy, mathematics and a current topic of focus.
Some aspects of a culturally responsive curriculum are evident. There are opportunities for children to hear and use te reo Māori within daily activities. Places of importance to mana whenua are not yet integrated within the programme. Some children’s cultures are celebrated and reflected in the environment.
Assessment for children’s learning does not effectively support their learning progress and developing capabilities or respond to the goals parents have for their children. The curriculum policy provides insufficient guidance to staff. The team has not fully explored the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to understand them and apply them through planning and assessment. Teachers are describing what children are doing but are yet to consistently recognise and respond to children’s learning.
Systems and processes to support and maintain improvement require stronger implementation. Leaders identify the need to review and enact the service’s philosophy, vision, plan, and priorities for improvement, in collaboration with whānau. Clear expectations of consistency and content of reporting on operations and curriculum from centre leaders to the owner requires strengthening. Appraisal and professional growth processes are yet to:
Little Footsteps – Scott Street will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Footsteps – Scott Street 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.
ERO identified the following area of non-compliance:
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure non-compliances identified in this report are addressed.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
26 April 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Little Footsteps – Scott Street |
| Profile Number | 65503 |
| Location | Blenheim |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 42 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 42 |
| Review team on site | February 2024 |
| Date of this report | 26 April 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, March 2018; Education Review, March 2015 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Little Footsteps Scott Street is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Footsteps Scott Street is a family owned and administered business. It is licenced to provide mixed aged education and care for up to 26 children aged from birth to school age.
The service has had two owners since the previous 2015 ERO review. A new centre manager was appointed in 2016. Half of the qualified teaching staff are also new. Most teachers are qualified early childhood teachers. The centre owners have made a number of improvements including a considerable upgrade of the outside environment.
The owners and management team have addressed a number of the areas identified for improvement in the 2015 ERO report. They have established a strategic plan, improved assessment and planning and evaluation of learning programmes for individual children. A management team of owners and the managers from both centres has recently been established. New policies and systems have been introduced and are in the early stages of implementation.
This review was part of a cluster of two Early Learning Centre reviews in the Little Footsteps (VJDJ Limited) Organisation.
Teachers effectively affirm, encourage and support children to make positive choices and explore new learning opportunities. They ably focus on the holistic care of children by effectively responding to the learning and wellbeing needs of individuals.
Managers and teachers foster care and respect for one another and for children. The centre's philosophy promoting whanaungatanga, a sense of family, is actively promoted by teachers who recognise positive relationships as being key to children's learning. New staff are well supported by more established teachers, who know the children well, to build productive and caring connections with centre families and children.
Teachers plan collaboratively, sharing ideas to promote positive outcomes for children. They are beginning to make good use of a new assessment, planning and evaluation process. Some very good examples clearly capture children's voice, their learning journeys and progress. Parent aspirations and feedback is sought and valued.
The curriculum provides many opportunities for children to follow their interests and develop friendships. Children are well supported to problem-solve and develop increasing independence. The outside area appropriately provides children with challenge and promotes exploration and imagination. A range of learning experiences in and beyond the centre extends children's understanding of the world around them.
Infants and toddlers under two years of age are specifically nurtured and cared for by designated teachers. Teachers prioritise the wellbeing and sense of belonging at the centre for these younger children.
Teachers actively foster children's knowledge and use of te reo Māori as part of everyday conversations. They teach aspects of tikanga and te ao Māori within curriculum programmes. Teachers appreciate the knowledge and skills Māori whānau share with them in support of children's learning.
The management team have a shared commitment to ongoing improvement. The collaboratively- developed strategic plan is improvement focused, known to staff and clearly outlines the direction of the service. They have introduced a number of useful processes to guide centre operations, further develop teaching practice and promote positive outcomes for children. Centre owners actively contribute to enabling the centre's vision, values and strategic priorities to be realised.
External professional development is well used by teachers to extend their professional practice and children's learning. This is particularly evident in the way teachers are exploring strategies to further engage parents as partners in their child's learning.
ERO and the service's management team agree that the key next steps for the centre are to continue to:
In addition, ERO recommends that leaders and teachers evaluate the effectiveness of the children's sleep area that is being used as a shared administration space for teachers.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Footsteps - Scott Street 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.
The next ERO review of Little Footsteps - Scott Street will be in three years.
Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
13 March 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 |
Blenheim |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
65503 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
26 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
42 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 26: Girls 16 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 March 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2009 |
||
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.