87 Sunset Road, Western Heights, Rotorua
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 |
| Curriculum | Meeting |
| Premises and facilities | Meeting |
| Health and safety | Not meeting |
| Governance, management and administration | Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
Amazing Place Preschool (Sunset Road) is one of four early learning centres governed by the Bethlehem Early Learning Centres Board. Children from 6 months to school-age learn and play in a mixed-aged setting. Of the 48 children enrolled in the multi-cultural Christian-based service, a small number are Māori. A centre manager leads a teaching team of seven.
The service curriculum is informed by assessment and planning. Children experience positive and respectful interactions with teachers to enhance their learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. They are responded to as competent and confident learners. A range of experiences and opportunities, enhance and extend their learning and development. A language-rich environment supports their learning.
Parent and whānau aspirations for their children are acknowledged. They have regular opportunities to contribute to the development of the service, and to decisions about their child’s learning. Information and guidance from agencies/services enable teachers to work effectively with children and their parents.
The service’s systems and processes guide day-to-day operations.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS4]
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.
The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
22 August 2022
| Early Childhood Service Name | Amazing Place Preschool (Sunset Road) |
| Profile Number | 30178 |
| Location | Rotorua |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 48 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 33 |
| Review team on site | July 2022 |
| Date of this report | 22 August 2022 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, October 2019; Education Review, July 2016 |
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.
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Amazing Place Preschool (Sunset Road) requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
The service needs support to further develop their curriculum, teaching and learning. There is also a need to improve systems and processes to ensure effective governance, self-review and day-to-day management of the service.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Amazing Place Preschool (Sunset Road) provides full day education and care for children from six months to school age. It is located in central Rotorua. The centre operates two aged-based areas with shared outdoor spaces. It is licensed for 48 children including 12 children up to the age of two years. The current roll of 40 children includes 16 children who identify as Māori and 24 children from a wide range of other nationalities including children of Pacific heritage. The teaching team are made up of qualified and unqualified staff.
Through their vision and philosophy, teachers aim to develop caring relationships with all children and their families helping them learn, thrive and to grow holistically.
Amazing Place Preschool (Sunset Road) is one of five early learning centres governed by the Bethlehem Early Learning Centres Board. The board provide an overarching governance and management framework that guides the strategic direction. The head teacher is supported by a company manager and teachers.
Teachers have responded to areas identified for development in the July 2016 ERO report. Progress has included a review of assessment, planning and evaluation with a focus on children's individual interests. Teachers have taken steps to include parent involvement in ongoing internal review.
Staff prioritise and value relationships and the provision of an inclusive environment where children and their families are welcomed. Teachers know children and their family connections well. Positive relationships promote children's sense of wellbeing and belonging. Teachers provide children with resources and activities for play. Whānau are encouraged to contribute their knowledge and skills to the programme. Children benefit from learning about their local and wider community with excursions and trips into the community.
Assessment and planning processes are being refined and require strengthening. A process based on individual children's interests has been re-introduced. Intentional teaching and strategies that support the progress of children's identified learning outcomes over time are not yet in place. Teachers have identified the need to integrate bicultural assessment approaches to support and respond to Maori learners and the cultures, language and identities of other learners.
Teachers are needing support to implement a curriculum based on current theories and practise. Leaders need to ensure infants and toddlers are encouraged to participate during daily routines and have suitable access to resources and spaces that invite their participation and learning.
Management should improve systems and processes that inform the centre's current and future direction and practices. This includes:
Priorities for governance, management and the teaching team's development include:
The appraisal policy has since been updated to reflect the Teaching Council standards and associated criteria after the time of the review.
Before the review, the staff and management of Amazing Place Preschool (Sunset Road) 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 governance and management. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
7 October 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 | Rotorua | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 30178 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 48 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 40 | ||
| Gender composition | Female 23 Male 17 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other | 16 16 8 | |
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 | 1:7 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | August 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 7 October 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | July 2016 | |
| Education Review | July 2013 | ||
| Education Review | March 2010 | ||
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.