204 Rotokauri Road, Te Rapa, Hamilton
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 Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri - Early Learning 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 |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakatō Emerging |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri – Early Learning Centre is a privately owned and operated centre, located in a semi-rural area of Hamilton. Children learn in a mixed-age setting. One centre co-owner manages the day-to-day operations and leads a team of qualified and unqualified teachers.
Māori learners experience success as Māori. Te reo Māori is interwoven authentically throughout the daily programme. Teachers facilitate tuakana teina relationships and encourage children to take care of their own learning and that of others. The centre’s philosophy reflects teachers’ understanding of tikanga Māori and Māori world views, empowering children’s mana and learning. Children are respected, understood, and cared for in an environment that is culturally responsive.
Children benefit from reciprocal and responsive interactions with teachers. Relationships between families and teachers are affirming, respectful and highly valued. Positive and engaging interactions between teachers and children support social competence. Parents contribute to and participate in the centre programme on a regular basis.
Learning portfolios reflect children’s engagement in the life of the centre but are yet to reflect children’s learning and development over time. The service is beginning to explore the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki and how it relates to deliberate plans for children’s learning. Children with additional learning needs are well supported with ongoing external guidance.
Children lead their learning in a flexible, calm and unhurried environment where teachers foster independence. A wide range of learning opportunities are accessible to all children. The outside environment supports risk taking and problem solving and caters for a range of interests and skill development. Children enjoy learning in meaningful contexts.
The service is at an early stage of using internal evaluation to identify what is and is not working to promote positive learning outcomes. Leaders and teachers actively seek the perspective and cultural expertise of parents and whānau and incorporate these into the service’s vision, goals and priorities for the children and their learning.
Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri - Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri - Early Learning 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.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure non-compliances identified in this report are addressed.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
19 July 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri - Early Learning Centre |
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Profile Number |
30306 |
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Location |
Te Rapa, Hamilton |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
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Service roll |
35 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 32, NZ European 1, Other ethnic groups 2. |
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Review team on site |
May 2021 |
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Date of this report |
19 July 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, June 2015 |
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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.
Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri – Early Learning Centre is a privately owned and operated centre located in a semi-rural area of northwest Hamilton. It is licensed to provide all-day education and care for 35 children, including up to 10 under the age of two years, in a mixed-age setting. The current roll is 38, of whom 32 identify as Māori.
One centre co-owner manages the day-to-day operations and in conjunction with the second co-owner shares the business and governance role. Currently two of the five teachers are fully registered early childhood educators and one teacher is in training.
Since ERO’s last ERO review in June 2015 there have been some changes to the teaching team. Some of the key next steps identified in the 2015 ERO report about teaching and assessment practices are yet to be fully addressed.
The centre’s philosophy places priority on incorporating te ao Māori perspectives into the programme, and working in partnership with parents, whānau and the community to 'nurture the mana of every tamaiti through an environment full of aroha and manaakitanga'.
The curriculum effectively promotes positive outcomes for children. Māori children's language, culture and identity is well supported by:
the inclusion of whakapapa as central to children’s learning
concepts of manaakitanga, kotahitanga and whanaungatanga as integral to everyday practice
valuing of tuakana teina relationships
teachers' meaningful integration of te reo and tikanga Māori into the day-to-day life of the centre.
The whānau based, home-like setting supports the transition of children and their whānau into the centre. Useful partnerships have been developed with local schools to support children's transitions.
Children have easy access to an appropriate range of good-quality equipment and resources. Centre-wide planning is well documented and linked to children’s prior learning. Children and whānau have access to well-presented individual portfolios. Leaders agree that further consideration needs to be given to strengthening assessment, planning and evaluation for individual children.
Children with special needs benefit from an inclusive approach. Leaders and teachers access external support to develop meaningful individual education plans that guide teachers to meet the child's learning and development needs.
Children under the age of two years enjoy respectful, caring and nurturing relationships with their teachers. Their individual care needs are well met through the implementation of flexible routines. Primary care-giving practices support infants and toddlers' sense of wellbeing and belonging.
There are some good models of teaching practice which promote positive learning outcomes for children. Practices observed by ERO include:
strategies that positively guide children’s behaviour and foster and promote social competencies and self-management skills
waiata, books and conversations to promote literacy and early mathematical knowledge
active participation of teachers alongside children in meaningful play.
Leaders acknowledge that priority should be given to extending and strengthening these teaching strategies across the centre.
Centre leadership is well informed. The co-owners utilise complementary strengths and work effectively in the best interests of teachers, children and whānau. They have effectively developed a shared commitment to the centre's philosophy within the team and community. The centre manager works in an open, respectful and collaborative manner with teachers and whānau. She has established a strong culture of care within the centre. High levels of mutual respect and collaboration contribute to children’s wellbeing and belonging.
The centre manager and teachers have a good understanding of the purpose of self review. They now need to implement and embed a more strategic approach to self review that reflects current research and best practice.
Effective systems, processes and frameworks guide centre operations. The centre manager consulted with whānau and teachers to review and develop the centre's philosophy. This philosophy is informing the centre's strategic direction for improvement. A comprehensive policy framework, including recently reviewed performance management systems, are in place. The service's vison and philosophy underpin the centre's commitment to positive outcomes for children.
Centre leaders must now place priority on:
strengthening strategic planning
further developing the consistency of high-quality teaching practices, including assessment, planning and evaluation processes for individual children.
In addition, priority should be given to:
embedding self-review process aligned with the centre's strategic goals
developing a local curriculum that reflects the centre's context and the requirements of the revised Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum.
ERO recommends that the centre access external professional learning and development for teachers to address the key next steps in this report.
Before the review, the staff and management of Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri - Early Learning 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:
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 Imagine Kids Care Rotokauri - Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
12 June 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 |
Hamilton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30306 |
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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 |
35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
38 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 20 Girls 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
32 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
50-79% |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
April 2018 |
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Date of this report |
12 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
February 2009 |
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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.