3 Gardner Avenue, New Lynn, Auckland
View on mapAkarangi | Quality Evaluations evaluate the extent to which early childhood services have 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 and Early Childhood Education (ECE) Improvement Framework (teacher led services) are the basis for making judgements about the quality of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Evaluations for improvement | Ngā Aronga Whai Hua is integrated across all of the above domains.
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 |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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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.
Nurturing Hearts Early Learning Centre is one of nine services governed by the Childcare and Learning group. A qualified operations manager and centre manager support the teaching team of five qualified teachers, and one support staff member. A small number of children attending are identified as Māori.
Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners.
Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development. Their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences.
Next steps include:
improving the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning over time
strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, languages, and cultures.
During and since the onsite review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are either made of safety glass or covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken (PF7).
Heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
4 October 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Nurturing Hearts Early Learning Centre |
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Profile Number |
20172 |
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Location |
New Lynn, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
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Service roll |
29 |
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Review team on site |
August 2022 |
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Date of this report |
4 October 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
First ERO review of the service |
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 regulatory 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Three Bears New Lynn Childcare is one of two centres owned and operated by the manager. It provides full-day education and care for children from two years to school age. The centre has 44 children on the roll. The other centre, Three Bears Titirangi, caters for children up to two years of age.
The philosophy of the centre is based around the teachings of Emmi Pikler and the Resources for Educarers (RIE) philosophy of respect, love and child-guided free play. The children are grouped according to age, but are able to move freely throughout the centre and play together outdoors. Teachers promote children as independent, capable self-directed learners and provide opportunities for uninterrupted play.
The centre caters for families from the surrounding suburbs, some of whom are from diverse cultures. The number of Māori children attending the centre is small, and a smaller number have Pacific heritage. It is the aim of the staff to be inclusive and sensitive to cultural beliefs and values as part of practice.
The centre employs five qualified teachers, one teacher in training and additional support staff. The owner has recently employed an administrator to provide day-to-day support.
The 2016 ERO report found that there was a need for external support for the centre to move forward. A change in philosophical approaches and building of team understanding has resulted in a new direction and goals for the teaching team.
Children are settled, busy and trusting with teachers (kaiako) and each other. They and their whānau are warmly welcomed and show pleasure at being in the centre. Kaiako know children well and organise the environment to be inviting and familiar for them. The programme follows children's lead and is play-based. Children make good use of the resources and experiences available. Friendships between children are evident as they play. The philosophy is clearly evident in the programme.
Kaiako place a strong focus on children's wellbeing and comfort. Noise in the centre is kept low and children are encouraged to play peacefully together. The sense of calm and quiet modelled by kaiako has a very positive impact on children's sense of the centre as a pleasant, supportive place. Children are independent and clearly focused on their own learning within the group. Transitions are sensitively managed.
Relationships are a strength of the centre. Kaiako work well as a team, with consistent and well-considered ideas about their impact on children and families. Their belief that "relationships are all" has helped them to generate respectful, reciprocal and responsive interactions with families that encourage the sharing of information about children. Kaiako have a particular and successful focus on welcoming Māori and Pacific whānau and learning about their aspirations for their children.
Kaiako expect that children will follow their own "biological urges" in their play and development. This is working effectively for most children. It would now be useful for kaiako to consider how well the programme is supporting and challenging those children nearing school age and to consider using more open-ended questioning, conversations and discussions around their interests.
Kaiako use te reo Māori frequently and naturally as part of conversations with children. Children sing waiata with understanding and enjoyment. Māori legends and stories form a regular part of mat time experiences. Kaiako understanding of Pacific languages and cultural knowledge is growing and they have identified both Māori and Pacific cultural responsiveness as areas they intend to strengthen.
Kaiako use of internal evaluation to help in decision-making has greatly improved. Discussion about the new strategic plan has become a platform for strengthening all aspects of teaching and learning as well as team aspirations for the future. Further work could now streamline and clarify timelines and persons responsible for actions to make the plan even more effective. Policies and procedures for health and safety are in place.
The owner and kaiako are working together on a model of shared leadership and recognition of kaiako strengths and interests. Kaiako are confident and committed to the growth and development of the centre and its children. The owner's generosity in providing many opportunities for professional learning and development for kaiako has helped to develop strong partnerships and mutual understanding within the teaching team.
Management of the centre is efficient and regularly updated. The addition of the new administrator should assist the owner to further develop and refine established policies, procedures and operations.
The centre manager agrees that next steps for the centre include continuing to:
deepen internal evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching and learning and how to record and link this knowledge over time
strengthen understanding of bicultural and multicultural practices in the programme
increase ways parents/whānau can contribute to internal evaluation and policy review
consider ways to provide learning challenges for the older children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Three Bears New Lynn Childcare 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:
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 Three Bears New Lynn Childcare will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
14 August 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.
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Location |
New Lynn, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20172 |
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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 |
40 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
44 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 23 Girls 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2018 |
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Date of this report |
14 August 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Supplementary Review |
January 2016 |
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Supplementary Review |
September 2012 |
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Education Review |
July 2011 |
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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:
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.