55 Meadowood Drive, Unsworth Heights, Auckland
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 Meadowood Community Creche are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Meadowood Community Creche is a non-profit community centre, owned by Meadowood Centre Incorporated. A long-standing centre manager oversees day-to-day operation and is supported by a well-established service provider and board. A small number of Māori and children of diverse ethnic backgrounds attend the centre.
Children are capable and confident, including peers in their play. Teachers intentionally promote oral language. As a result, children use oral language for a range of purposes. Children understand how things work and can adapt to changes.
Infants and toddlers use gestures and movements to express themselves. They experience a calm, slow pace that gives them space and time to lead their own learning. Outcomes for young children are reported to management who have identified that teachers are to continue to build their capability of intentional teaching for this age group. All children have access to intentional teaching through multi-faced literacy. Leaders and teachers consider all aspects of equity. The programme promotes equity of access and experience despite their age, needs and capability in the mixed-age environment.
The service is deliberate in using learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children’s assessment information shows the breath, depth and complexity of children’s increasing capability over time. Teachers capture children’s interests and respond to them in meaningful ways.
Learning-focused partnerships with parents are evident in regular opportunities for whānau to share their voices. The curriculum is culturally responsive which is highly evident through the service working with tamariki Māori and Pacific children. The service teaching practices reflect Māori and Pacific values. Leaders self-acknowledge that assessment records could be further strengthened to reflect all children’s cultures, languages, and identities.
Teachers are supported to build their knowledge through a newly established professional growth cycle and extensive professional learning. Ongoing mentoring from management, and constructive feedback, promote capability building within the team.
A well-developed internal evaluation process reports learning outcomes and progression for all children, including those for infants and toddlers. Monitoring the implementation of improvement actions and their impact could provide useful data to inform decision making.
Meadowood Community Creche will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Meadowood Community Creche 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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
30 August 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Meadowood Community Creche |
| Profile Number | 10090 |
| Location | Unsworth Heights, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 100% |
| Service roll | 34 |
| Review team on site | June 2024 |
| Date of this report | 30 August 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, March 2021; Education Review, May 2016 |
Akarangi | 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 Meadowood Community Creche are as follows:
Outcome Indicators | ERO’s judgement |
| What the service knows about outcomes for learners | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | ERO’s judgement |
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Meadowood Community Creche operates under the governance of Meadowood Community House Incorporated. Children are from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. A small number are Māori. The centre manager is supported by a parent committee and chairperson. All the teachers are qualified and registered.
Children at the creche demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They use a wide range of strategies to communicate and socialise well with their peers and adults. Children demonstrate respect for the rules and rights of others, and they take care of their environment.
Kaiako thoughtfully provide opportunities for children to learn about their local and wider communities. The learning environment promotes children’s curiosity, persistence and decision making. Opportunities for children to extend their literacy and mathematical skills are purposefully incorporated in the curriculum. The programme enables infants and toddlers to participate and explore.
Teachers integrate aspects of tikanga and te reo Māori in the programme. Te ao Māori concepts, such as manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga are promoted through children’s curriculum experiences.
Tuakana/teina relationships between older and younger children are highly visible.
Kaiako recognise the diversity of children with Pacific heritages. They seek ways to maintain children’s connections to their home language and cultures. The intentional, inclusive curriculum provides very well for children with additional learning needs. Teachers are responsive to children’s individual requirements. Children have opportunities to learn multiple languages, including Makaton.
Leaders and kaiako have the knowledge and skills to respond meaningfully to children’s interests and strengths. Professional development in relation to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, has enabled the teaching team to extend and deepen their understanding of effective curriculum and assessment practices.
Leaders implement policies, procedures and practices that support positive learning outcomes for children. There is a strong focus on continuous improvement as a result of effective internal evaluation processes.
Meadowood Community Creche will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Meadowood Community Creche 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
31 March 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Meadowood Community Creche |
| Profile Number | 10090 |
| Location | North Shore, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2. |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
| Service roll | 39 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 4 NZ European/Pākehā 21 Asian 11 other ethnic groups 3 |
| Review team on site | February 2021 |
| Date of this report | 31 March 2021 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, May 2016 Education Review, December 2012 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Meadowood Community Creche provides high quality early childhood education and care that promotes the wellbeing and learning of all children attending the crèche.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Meadowood Community Creche operates under the guidance of Meadowood House Incorporated. It is a non-profit community early childhood centre that provides sessional, mixed age education and care for more than 100 children a week. The centre is licensed for 25 children per session and operates with four qualified teachers. At present most children attend the centre only once or twice a week.
The philosophy for the centre is under review at present with the appointment of a new staff member this year. The original philosophy statement has been regularly updated to reflect the team's understanding of the values and aspirations that underpin and their guide practice. Parents are consulted about the philosophy statement before it is finalised.
The manager and the teachers together undertake the day-to-day management of the centre. They are supported by a parent committee. The manager reports monthly to the committee. The centre receives regular support from the committee chairperson.
The centre serves a diverse community and caters for a number of children with identified special needs. The teachers have developed good relationships with external support agencies.
Meadowood Community Creche has a positive reporting history with ERO. The 2012 ERO report noted the nurturing and respectful relationships between children and teachers, and the strong partnerships with parents. These positive features remain highly evident.
Meadowood Community Creche provides high quality education and care for children in a calm, peaceful learning environment. Inclusive and respectful relationships with families and children support children's sense of belonging and wellbeing in the centre. Children play in friendly groups. Teachers work closely with children and foster independence and learning through play. They have authentic and meaningful conversations with children that help them to make decisions about their learning.
Children benefit from teachers' learning about Te Ao Māori, te reo and tikanga Māori. Teachers' use of te reo Māori in waiata, daily conversations and retelling of legends is working positively to support children's knowledge of, and connection with, New Zealand's dual cultural heritage. Children are beginning to use Māori words as part of play. Support and encouragement from Māori whānau has helped teachers to interweave into programmes a focus on manākitanga, wairuatanga, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga. The centre environment includes teachers' written affirmation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a formative document that supports their values.
Teachers intend continuing to learn about the values and cultures of their families with Pacific Nations heritage. They already ensure that centre practices affirm and support children from the Solomon and Cook Islands and Samoa. The centre's programmes demonstrate to children and their families that their cultures are valued and important. Teachers use some words in children's home languages. They are also adept at using Makaton signing and gesture to communicate when children have English as an additional language. The environment reflects the varied cultures of the families using the centre.
Curriculum design and implementation are led effectively. Teachers' assessment is purposeful, and continues to grow in depth and understanding. Professional reflection linking assessment and planning has helped teachers to maintain quality programmes for individual children. Many parents comment in their children's portfolios about children's learning and adventures at home. Frequent sharing of information helps teachers to set learning goals based on parent's aspirations.
Teachers' planning is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They promote children's rights to learning and play. This has helped them to develop a quality programme for infants and toddlers. Teachers work effectively alongside the families of children with diverse needs. The strong focus on inclusion and respect makes this an affirming environment for all children.
Children use literacy, numeracy and science concepts and thinking in their play. Teachers support children to develop this foundational knowledge by providing appropriate resources and support.
Management systems are well established and efficient. Strategic and annual planning are linked, and contribute to planning for the programme. Performance management procedures are regularly undertaken. This helps teachers and managers to select and provide appropriate professional development. The employment of an administrative assistant has helped to ensure that documentation and review is timely and efficiently organised.
The long-serving and dedicated manager provides strong leadership, mentoring and guidance for staff. She manages the centre calmly, supporting emergent leadership and collegiality. She also provides opportunities for families and children to take some leadership roles. The centre is well poised to continue to maintain and improve its high quality provision for children and families.
ERO and centre management agree that the next key steps for the centre are to; continue refining and developing the planning cycle, improve their understanding about Pacific Island cultures and complete the philosophy statement consultation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Meadowood Community Creche 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 Meadowood Community Creche will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
5 May 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.
| Location | Unsworth Heights, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 10090 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 100 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 56 Girls 44 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā German Cambodian Indian Indonesian Japanese Macedonian Middle Eastern Solomon Island other | 9 71 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | February 2016 | ||
| Date of this report | 5 May 2016 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review | December 2012 | |
| Education Review | November 2009 | ||
| Education Review | February 2007 | ||
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.