27-33 Ohinerau Street, Remuera, Auckland
View on mapACG Remuera Early Learning School
ACG Remuera Early Learning School
1 ERO’s Judgements
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 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 ACG Remuera Early Learning School are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
2 Context of the Service
ACG Remuera Early Learning School is one of seven services within the ACG Education Group. The service is purpose-built and has three separate areas for different age groups of children. A newly appointed centre manager supports 11 qualified teachers, and eight other staff. Most of the children enrolled are from diverse cultural backgrounds and a small number identify as Māori. This is the service first ERO review since a change of ownership in 2021.
3 Summary of findings
Children’s sense of belonging at this service is underpinned by reciprocal and responsive relationships between children, teachers, and parents. Teachers interact with children in respectful and caring ways. They foster trust and support children’s positive curriculum experiences.
Teachers provide children with regular opportunities to lead their own learning. These approaches support children’s creativity, curiosity, problem-solving and social skills. Infants and toddlers experience a calm and unhurried environment where they are treated with dignity and experience individualised care. Teachers and leaders foster equitable access to learning opportunities for all children, in sensitive and intentional ways.
The service is beginning to embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi through partnerships, plans, and practices. The centre environment reflects aspects of te ao Māori (the Māori world), and teachers use bicultural resources and te reo Māori in the curriculum. The cultural diversity of children and teachers is valued and promoted. Teachers are responsive to children’s home languages and cultures. They model children’s home languages and intentionally weave early literacy and numeracy into children’s play.
Leaders and teachers have developed positive partnerships with parents. Their aspirations, knowledge and ideas for their children’s learning are regularly sought and used by teachers to influence the curriculum provided. Assessment and planning records celebrate the learning progress of individuals and groups of children. Leaders and teachers now need to continue improving their shared understandings of how to effectively document children’s assessment and curriculum evaluation. This includes recording information about the impact of the curriculum and teaching practices on children’s learning.
Relational trust supports effective team collaboration. Leaders and teachers are provided with a range of professional development and mentoring opportunities. This has helped to grow their professional knowledge, expertise and cultural competence to design and implement the service’s curriculum.
A well-established internal evaluation process is in place that supports improvements to systems and practices. Improving the teaching team’s collective capacity to do and use evaluation for continued improvement is a priority.
4 Improvement actions
ACG Remuera Early Learning School will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
- Continue to strengthen leaders and teachers shared understandings of assessment, planning and evaluation to support positive outcomes for all children.
- For leaders and teachers to continue to foster collective capability to do and use internal evaluation processes that result in continuous improvement.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of ACG Remuera Early Learning School 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:
- curriculum
- premises and facilities
- health and safety practices
- governance, management and administration.
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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
- relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
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)
24 June 2024
6 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name | ACG Remuera Early Learning School |
Profile Number | 45735 |
Location | Auckland |
Service type | Education and care service |
Number licensed for | 145 children, including up to 50 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers | 50-79% |
Service roll | 94 |
Review team on site | March 2024 |
Date of this report | 24 June 2024 |
Most recent ERO report(s) | First ERO Review under new ownership |
Remuera Discovery Express - 03/02/2021
1 ERO’s Judgements
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. Information about Akarangi | Quality Evaluations can be found here.
ERO’s judgements for Remuera Discovery Express are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
2 Context of the Service
Remuera Discovery Express is governed by a board of directors. The owners, who are the centre and business managers, are highly experienced leaders in the early childhood education sector. There are ten qualified and ten unqualified teachers, a cook and an administrator. The cultural heritages of the staff reflect the multicultural community served by the centre.
3 Summary of findings
Children’s engagement in sustained periods of complex play of their own choosing supports their creativity and critical thinking. They use a variety of languages to question and express their ideas. Kaiako respect children’s preferences.
Kaiako and centre leaders actively promote te ao Māori. They regularly use te reo Māori in conversations with children and in curriculum records.
Children up to two years-of-age receive nurturing, respectful care. High quality interactions support children’s independence and learning. Their health and wellbeing are very well catered for. Children with additional needs receive equitable and excellent education and care.
Leaders and kaiako purposely seek the views of children, parents and whānau to inform curriculum decisions and planning. They view children as highly competent, capable learners. Kaiako skilfully incorporate children’s interests, strengths and abilities into curriculum planning to promote children’s deeper thinking. They provide opportunities for children to revisit and evaluate their learning. Children’s cultures and languages enrich a curriculum that honours diversity.
Evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building are sustained and supported by sound policies, systems, processes and practices. Children’s learning is enhanced through a collective commitment by staff to realise the service’s vision, values and goals.
High trust at every level supports collaboration and openness to inform insightful, deliberate change and improvement. Leaders effectively mentor and coach kaiako to develop their teaching and leadership capabilities. This professional support helps the induction of new staff and ensures consistency of teaching across the service.
The centre director and business manager have effectively facilitated collaboration between the service and relevant agencies, including community organisations. These connections have supported broader educational outcomes for all children. Policies and procedures prioritise children’s sense of security and sense of belonging.
Service leaders and the board of directors are vigilant in reducing risk with the aim of providing environments that are physically and emotionally safe for children and adults. They actively promote a positive working environment that sustains high quality adult-child relationships.
4 Improvement actions
Remuera Discovery Express will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
- continue to refine and use the established induction processes to guide and support new teachers.
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Remuera Discovery Express 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:
-
curriculum
-
premises and facilities
-
health and safety practices
-
governance, management and administration.
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
3 February 2021
About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Remuera Discovery Express |
Profile Number |
45735 |
Location |
Remuera, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
145 children, including up to 50 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
Service roll |
93 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 1 |
Review team on site |
November 2020 |
Date of this report |
3 February 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2016 |