Busy Bees Tāhunanui 150 Tāhunanui Drive, Tahunanui, Nelson
View on mapERO’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 | Meeting |
| 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.
At Eden Early Learning a centre manager and head teacher are responsible for the day-to-day operations. Almost a quarter of children are Māori, and a small number have Pacific heritages. The service returned to a full licence in March 2023.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Teachers’ practice demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning and nurtures reciprocal relationships.
The service provides a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning. The curriculum promotes children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.
The design and layout of the premises:
Next steps include:
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
18 December 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Eden Early Learning |
| Profile Number | 45156 |
| Location | Nelson |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 76 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 83 |
| Review team on site | November 2023 |
| Date of this report | 18 December 2023 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, May 2022; Education Review, December 2017 |
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 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
Akarangi | 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 Eden Early Learning are as follows:
Outcome Indicators | ERO’s judgement |
| What the service knows about outcomes for learners | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | ERO’s judgement |
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning | Whakaū Embedding |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement | Whakaū Embedding |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement | Whāngai Establishing |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management | Whāngai Establishing |
Eden Early Learning is a family-owned and operated service providing full-day education and care for tamariki from birth to school age. Tamariki are grouped according to age in separate learning areas. The centre owner has responsibility for day-to-day running as the centre manager. There have been a number of new staff appointments since the last ERO review in 2017.
Tamariki are well supported to learn and develop in a respectful environment. Kaiako are intentional and plan a learning environment where tamariki can be confident in building knowledge and creating new understandings. The free-play curriculum provides opportunities for tamariki to explore at their pace within a responsive context.
Infants and toddlers are viewed as capable and competent and encouraged to build their natural curiosity as they explore and discover the world around them. Their independence is fostered through secure relationships with their key kaiako within a core curriculum based on respect and care.
Kaiako observe tamariki, identify their interests and learning needs and use this information to extend learning. Teachers are beginning to use the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Further work is required for all teachers to consistently use the learning outcomes to design a responsive curriculum for all children. Reciprocal learning-partnerships with whānau and parents are fostered. Kaiako welcome and encourage whānau to contribute to and participate in learning experiences within the daily curriculum.
Children have opportunities to develop their understandings of the cultural heritages of both parties to The Treaty of Waitangi. A recent internal evaluation led to teachers engaging in further learning to build their capability to speak te reo Māori and implement some tikanga Māori. Leaders and teachers need to deepen their understanding of the Māori concepts that underpin their philosophy and then reflect these through the curriculum provided.
Leadership deliberately fosters trusting relationships and provides opportunities for kaiako to explore and share their interests. Internal evaluation practices are being established and continue to be refined to strengthen outcomes for tamariki.
Eden Early Learning will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. These are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Eden Early Learning 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
9 May 2022
| Early Childhood Service Name | Eden Early Learning |
| Profile Number | 45156 |
| Location | Nelson |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 76 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 93 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 21, NZ European/Pākehā 46, Pacific heritage 3, other ethnic groups 23 |
| Review team on site | December 2021 |
| Date of this report | 9 May 2022 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, December 2017; Education Review, March 2014 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Footprints Early Learning Centre (trading as Eden Early Learning Ltd) is a family-owned and operated service providing full-day education and care for 76 children from birth to school age. Children come from a diverse range of cultural and family backgrounds. Nearly 20% identify as Māori.
Children are grouped according to age and play and learn in three areas. The Pūkeko room is for toddlers and at the time of the review was preparing to provide for children under two. The Kea room is for children aged two to three and a half and the Tui room for children aged four years to school age. There are two outdoor play areas and a centre carpark that is often used for bike riding.
At the time of this review the service had just been purchased by new owners who will be fully involved in the management and daily running of the service. One of the owners is an experienced and qualified early childhood teacher who will work with three team leaders to support the teaching team.
There has been a number of staff changes since March 2014 ERO review, including the centre manager who left in early 2016 but returned in 2017 to assist with the sale of the service and support the transition process for the new owners. Some progress has been made on the recommendations identified in the last ERO report.
Children at this service show a sense of belonging and wellbeing. They benefit from caring relationships with their teachers and play and learn in calm environments. Transitions into and within the service and to school are carefully planned and well managed. Teachers provide a variety of interesting experiences, including visitors to the service and many local excursions to support and extend children's learning. These aspects are contributing to the way this service promotes positive outcomes for children.
Teachers notice and effectively respond to children's interests. They provide programmes that include a number of identified priorities. These priorities include children:
These priorities now need to be more clearly identified in documentation such as, group and individual planning, and in the service philosophy.
All children in the service have some opportunities to hear and use te reo Māori and gain an appreciation of Māori perspectives. However, this is an area that still requires more work so that Māori children and their whānau can be supported to experience success and pride as Māori.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported. The service has collaborative relationships with agencies and works together with them and families to develop planning and interventions to help children in their learning and development. Teachers identify early, and provide for those children that need it, a specific programme to build oral language.
There is a well-established system in place for regularly planning, assessing and evaluating the learning of groups and individual children. Profile books are a rich record of children's experiences in the centre and are frequently added to. The next step for teachers, is to strengthen the focus on learning in group planning and improve aspects of individual planning. In particular individual records need to:
An effective leadership structure and established systems support the smooth operation of the service. The team leaders, manager and teachers work collegially together. Teachers are encouraged to work to their individual strengths and interests, which enriches the learning programme.
The current manager has worked productively with the new owners to help a smooth handover. The newly written philosophy and strategic plan give sound focus for the new owners to further develop the service. They agree that the next steps are to:
A culture of reflection and improvement is evident. The new owners, with the teachers, need to develop a schedule of internal review and use internal evaluation for improvement and to monitor the impact of changes and key centre priorities.
The key next steps for the owners, head teachers and teachers are 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 Little Footprints will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
8 December 2017
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 | Tahunanui, Nelson | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45156 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 76 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 65 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys: 32 Girls: 33 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Pacific Other | 11 40 4 10 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:5 | Meets minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | October 2017 | ||
| Date of this report | 8 December 2017 | ||
Most recent ERO reports
| Education Review: | March 2014 | |
| Education Review: | June 2011 | ||
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.