11 Kinross Street, Blockhouse Bay, 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 (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 Learning Curves Childcare Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Learning Curves Childcare Centre caters for children up to six years of age in a mixed-age setting. A centre development manager supports the newly appointed kaitiaki who oversees daily operations. There are seven registered teachers and four support staff including a cook. This is the service’s first ERO review under new ownership and management.
Children initiate their own play and conversations with each other. They are keen learners and engage well in a range of activities provided. Children are confident and have a strong sense of belonging in the centre. Teachers allow time for children to explore the environment and support children well to develop their independence.
Teachers provide an environment that is welcoming, caring and accepting of the cultural heritage of individual children. Effective and inclusive teaching practices affirm and build on children’s strengths. The mixed-age setting supports children’s learning and development well. Tuakana/teina relationships between older and younger children foster empathy, tolerance and patience in older children.
Infants and toddlers receive nurturing care responsive to their individual learning and developmental needs. Teachers maintain a calm, slow pace that provides younger children with space and time to lead their own learning. A separate indoor space is provided for uninterrupted play.
Transitions into the centre are well managed. Effective strategies are used to respectfully settle children and their families. Teachers know children and families well. They communicate with children and whānau in their home languages, which promotes strong parent relationships and communications.
Children respond positively to teachers incorporating waiata, and te reo Māori during mat-times and as part of outdoor activity. Teachers continue to build their confidence to use te reo Māori and include aspects of te ao Maori in the programme. Children from Pacific heritages and other diverse cultures experience time when their cultures are celebrated.
Leaders work well together. They have developed a positive working environment that is conducive to building quality adult to child relationships. Leaders empower teachers to choose from a wide range of professional learning opportunities that support their personal growth. It would now be timely to take a more targeted approach to professional learning to build teachers’ shared understanding of quality practice identified by the service.
Learning Curves Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Curves Childcare 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
27 May 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Learning Curves Childcare Centre |
| Profile Number | 20494 |
| Location | Blockhouse Bay, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
41 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 5 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
27 May 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2016 |
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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.
Learning Curves Childcare Centre, located in Blockhouse Bay is a family owned service providing care and education for children from around two years old to five years of age. The centre is licensed for 39 children. The capable teaching team caters for individual children in a mixed age environment.
The centre is well led by the owner and has long term staff who are well qualified, effective practitioners. Staff continue to build strong partnerships with families and whānau.
The centre has a history of positive ERO reports. The good features noted in the 2012 ERO report remain evident in this review. Managers promote ongoing centre improvement and have continued to develop self-review processes across centre operations. Programme evaluation has also improved and is contributing to strengthened teaching approaches and positive learning outcomes for children.
Children show high levels of engagement in group and individual play. They have many choices within the broad range of opportunities provided. Teachers are proactive about and responsive to children’s interests, needs and strengths. They use questioning and conversations well to extend children’s thinking, knowledge and curiosity. Children are encouraged to participate in decision-making about programmes and routines.
The learning programme is based on Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum and aligns well with the centre’s values and priorities. It incorporates bicultural perspectives that provide relevant learning contexts for Māori and all other children. Teachers are clear about what they value in the curriculum. Te reo Māori, waiata and tikanga are integrated in the programme and children are encouraged to participate in pōwhiri on special occasions. Children know the importance of powhiri for introducing and getting to know visitors.
Teachers plan collaboratively and use good processes for evaluating the effectiveness of the programme. Good records of this work show how teachers build on children’s interests and use these as the basis for the learning programme. Children are experiencing more consistent teaching approaches as staff build on and sustain their good practices.
The centre environment offers children appropriate indoor and outdoor challenges. The centre layout and equipment invites exploration and caters well for children's interests. Teachers encourage children’s creativity and make good use of centre resources to extend their learning. Literacy and mathematics concepts are incorporated in both indoor and outdoor activities and enhance children's learning through a variety of play.
Teachers communicate with parents, including Māori whānau, about their aspirations for their children. They know parents well and are responsive to their feedback. Teachers' bicultural professional development has supported more meaningful interactions with Māori children and their whānau. A well-considered programme has been developed with neighbouring schools to support children’s transition from the centre to school.
The centre owner has a strategic approach to leadership and professional learning. She has developed good processes to enable teachers to reflect on the centre's provision, including opportunities for children in the mixed age group setting. Staff have many opportunities to participate in centre evaluation, develop their leadership skills, and make use of current education research. They have access to a range of professional learning opportunities to extend their own learning and qualifications.
Teacher development is guided by a good appraisal process that is well linked to the learning programme and centre goals.
The centre is well managed. Ongoing and well documented self-review occurs across all areas of centre operations. The annual management plan is comprehensive and relevant. Good processes are maintained for developing and reviewing centre policies and procedures. The effective management of health and safety practices is evident.
Centre leaders have identified relevant development priorities that include a refocus of the strategic plan to better reflect the centre’s long term direction. ERO supports the owner's goals to continue to distribute leadership opportunities within the staff and to continue strengthening the centre’s bicultural and transition to school programmes.
Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Curves Childcare 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.
The next ERO review of Learning Curves Childcare Centre will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
19 February 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.
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Location |
Blockhouse Bay, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20494 |
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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 |
39 children, including up to 9 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
41 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 23 Girls 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian Asian Fijian Samoan |
6 21 7 5 1 1 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
January 2016 |
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Date of this report |
19 February 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
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|
Education Review |
October 2006 |
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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:
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.