16 Hilling Street, Titirangi, 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 Titirangi Private Kindergarten are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whāngai Establishing Whakatō Emerging |
Titirangi Private Kindergarten is one of two services under the same ownership. The qualified owners oversee governance. A qualified manager leads the daily curriculum. The service has recently reopened after being significantly impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. A small number of children in attendance are of Māori and Pacific heritage.
Children are provided with regular opportunities to engage in play which supports their developing understanding of scientific, mathematical, art and literacy concepts. Children’s interests are planned for using a mix of teacher and child-led learning strategies. The service is beginning to recognise and respond to inequities, especially for children with additional learning needs.
Children’s transition to school is well supported through networked relationships between the service and the wider community. The service owner is an established chairman of the local community of learning. This has enabled some alignment within the services philosophy, strategic plan and lived curriculum.
Leaders and teachers are building relationships with children and their parents. This is being supported through ongoing communication with families. A priority for this service is now to gather parent aspirations and use them to inform the curriculum.
A system of assessment and planning has been developed, although it is not yet consistently implemented for all children. Within it, teachers make visible the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. At this time the documentation does not yet show children’s learning progression against the learning outcomes, or over time.
The service is taking steps to develop their bicultural curriculum. This is being done through the integration of some basic te reo and tikanga Māori. Some of the cultural diversity within the service is visible through visual displays, songs, and cultural celebrations. The service is yet to plan for the individual child’s cultural identity or reflect Pacific values and knowledge.
The leaders are in the early stages of using evaluation for improvement. A shared understanding of internal evaluation practice among the team has not yet been developed. Leaders have recognised the need to develop a system of professional growth for the leadership team to support ongoing improvement in both governance and teaching.
Titirangi Private Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Titirangi Private Kindergarten 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)
13 August 2024
| Name | Titirangi Private Kindergarten |
| Profile Number | 20176 |
| Location | Titirangi, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 39 children over the age of 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 100% |
| Service roll | 30 |
| Review team on site | May 2024 |
| Date of this report | 13 August 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, August 2019; Education Review, June 2014 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Titirangi Private Kindergarten is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Titirangi Private Kindergarten is one of two privately owned centres. It provides sessional or all-day education and care for up to 39 children over two years of age. A small number of Māori children and a few from other diverse backgrounds, attend the centre.
The well-established, long-standing service has been providing education and care for children over two years of age, from Titirangi and the surrounding suburbs for over 30 years. The owner has a leadership role, working with local schools in the Kōtuitui Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.
The service's philosophy promotes children's confidence and acknowledges the importance of partnership between teachers and families. Teachers aim to provide predictable routines and encourage children to grow in knowledge and experiences in preparation for school.
The licensee holds a full practising teacher certificate and is responsible for the service's governance and management. She leads the teaching team and is supported by two recently appointed teachers and two other long-standing staff members.
The 2014 ERO report noted parents' enthusiastic involvement in centre events. It commented on children's confident leadership of parts of the programme, and teachers supporting them to expand their knowledge and thinking. The report recommended improving bicultural practices, teacher appraisal and incorporating community skills in the programme. While many positive practices continue to be evident, others have not been consistently sustained. Some progress has been made, but there is still work to be done, particularly in relation to teacher appraisal.
Children are greeted warmly by staff, settle well, and demonstrate a sense of belonging. They readily engage in play in the thoughtfully prepared, attractive learning environment. Children confidently converse with each other and approach adults for comfort, care and any individual needs.
Teachers are encouraging as they guide children’s learning. They enact their philosophy of providing predictable routines to support children's sense of security. Children play either inside or outdoors at set times each day.
Teachers know children and families very well and provide a language-rich curriculum. The structured programme prioritises oral language development, literacy, numeracy and social competence. Children participate in mat times, games and activities, and access a wide variety of resources.
Teachers promote the use of te reo Māori at mat times and sing waiata with the children. Children with additional learning needs are integrated into the programme. Teachers are inclusive and responsive, and work closely with parents and external agencies.
The supervisor, teachers and staff engage in informal, purposeful and ongoing daily evaluation. They have end-of-session meetings to discuss their observations, often with a focus on individual children's behaviour, and how to manage related concerns. Teachers should now focus planning and assessment on children's individual interests and dispositions for learning, and reflect Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, more visibly in their documentation.
The kindergarten has well-established leadership and extensive connections with local schools and wider educational community. Leaders and the teaching team are reviewing their strategic plan, which is closely aligned to their philosophy. They could consider how to better reflect Te Whāriki, through this review, leading to likely improvements in teaching practice and children's learning outcomes. As part of the centre's internal evaluation, increasing the rigour and analysis of regular parent surveys would also help to identify ways to enhance practices.
Most policies and processes guiding the kindergarten's practices have not been reviewed since 2016. Policies, practices and record keeping in a variety of areas have not been meeting current requirements. While some steps have been taken to address these areas, the implementation and impact of recent changes are not yet evident.
Leaders and staff would benefit from accessing external support to build capacity and improve practices across different areas of service operations, including internal evaluation, teaching and learning, governance, and management.
Leaders and teachers agree that their next steps are to:
Since the on-site phase of this ERO review, the owner has taken steps to address aspects of practice and documentation that did not meet legal requirements.
ERO has requested an action plan from the service provider that shows how priorities for improvement will be addressed. ERO will request progress updates against the plan.
Before the review, the staff and management of Titirangi Private Kindergarten 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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to curriculum, health and safety, governance and management. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C4, HS8,17,28,31, GMA6,7,7A; Children's Act 2014.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
2 August 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 | Titirangi, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 20176 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 39 children aged over 2 years | ||
| Service roll | 39 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 20 Boys 19 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā other ethnic groups | 1 30 8 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Review team on site | May 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 2 August 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | June 2014 | |
| Education Review | April 2011 | ||
| Education Review | April 2008 | ||
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.
| Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Titirangi Private Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Titirangi Private Kindergarten has been providing high quality education and care for the past 30 years. It is a family business that provides education and care for children, over the age of two years, who come from Titirangi and the surrounding suburbs. Families may to choose to send their children for sessions or have them stay for a longer day. The centre’s roll is full and it has had a waiting list from the time it originally opened. Most children and families are NZ European/Pākehā.
The centre philosophy was developed by the owners and the teachers. It reflects their belief that children must have a sense of self worth in order to be happy, learn successfully and behave appropriately. The philosophy also acknowledges the importance of partnership between teachers and families.
The 2011 ERO report commented favourably on children’s confidence and competence. It also recognised that appropriate changes had been made in response to the 2008 ERO report. That report recommended improving the quality of planning for individual children and sharing this planning with parents. It noted that children could benefit from having longer periods in which to engage in child-directed learning. The owners and staff have addressed these recommendations.
Children and their families are greeted warmly and individually. This helps children to have a sense of themselves as special and valued members of the centre. This positive, respectful start to the day leads to children settling well, capably engaging in play and confidently conversing with other children and with adults.
Children make choices about the activities they want to pursue. Many games on offer have components of literacy and numeracy. Children select from a series of games and are eager to continue to learn about phonics, letter names, sequences of numbers and mathematical concepts. All of this learning is incorporated in activities that encourage children’s sense of competence and enjoyment. Children lead parts of the programme confidently and well.
Teachers work well as a team, guiding children’s learning with enthusiasm and pleasure. They are quick to celebrate children’s participation and successes. Creativity and dramatic play give children opportunities to develop collaborative play and to plan together. Children are highly motivated to take part in activities.
Teachers respect children’s ability to make choices about what should be available for play outdoors and move furniture if necessary. The centre is set amongst trees. There are natural spaces for children to explore and make discoveries. Teachers provide tools such as magnifiers to enhance children’s opportunities to study and observe the natural features of the garden. Teachers stay close and support children during these times using technology and conversation to help children expand their knowledge and thinking. Children thrive in this atmosphere of shared interests.
The centre has a very small percentage of Māori families. Conversations with these families and surveys undertaken with all parents indicate that the centre provides a good programme for affirming and supporting children’s understanding of New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage. All children are acknowledged for their cultural heritage.
Self review is well established and meaningful. Teachers constantly engage in forms of self review in order to ensure positive outcomes for children. They have end of session meetings to discuss their observations of the day and to plan for individual children. Monthly meetings are used to plan for centre-wide topics based on children’s interests. More detailed self review is used to investigate how teachers can support children more effectively. Teacher’s knowledge about their own professional strengths is a positive force in driving the programme.
The owners are working towards giving responsibility for aspects of centre management to teachers. Professional development is centre-wide and aimed at supporting teachers to continue to enhance provision for children. Centre policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated and guide centre practices.
Parents continue to value the centre as an effective and caring educational start for their children. They support the centre whole-heartedly by fund-raising to increase resources, and contribute to the work around the property. The owners are conscious of economic constraints and are generous in their provision of services that recognise the additional needs of some families.
ERO and the centre managers agree that the next steps for teachers include to:
Before the review, the management of Titirangi Private Kindergarten 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 Titirangi Private Kindergarten will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
26 June 2014
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 | Titirangi, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 20176 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 | ||
| Number licensed for | 39 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 79 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 53, Girls 26 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indian Polish | 1 75 2 1 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates | 80% | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | ||
| Over 2 | 1:6.5 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | April 2014 | ||
| Date of this report | 26 June 2014 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review | April 2011 | |
| Education Review | April 2008 | ||
| Education Review | June 2005 |
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.