169 Moore Street, Howick, Auckland
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 |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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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.
The Learning Ladder is a privately owned education and care service. The centre manager is a registered early childhood teacher. She leads a team of five qualified teachers, five teachers in training, and five support staff. Children from diverse cultural backgrounds and a small number of Māori children are enrolled.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The practices of adults providing education and care demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development.
The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. The service curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development.
Leaders need to monitor the implementation of operational systems and processes to maintain regulatory standards.
Next steps include:
improving the extent to which assessment information shows children’s learning and progress over time
strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, languages and cultures.
Since the onsite review, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following areas of non-compliance:
Having a current fire evacuation scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service (HS4).
Ensuring the temperature of warm water delivered from taps that are accessible to children is no higher than 40°C, and comfortable for children at the centre to use (HS13).
Ensuring water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14).
Keeping a record of excursions that includes the time and date of the excursion, assessment and management of risk, parental approval of child: adult ratios, and evidence the excursion has been approved by a person responsible (HS17).
Having records of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service. Records include the date and time medicine was administered and by whom, and evidence of parental acknowledgement they were advised medicine had been administered to their child (HS28).
Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked and a record of all safety checks and the results is kept. This includes having a written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers before they have access to children that meets the safety checking requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
Having an annual budget that includes professional development costs, equipment and material costs for the ongoing purchase of new equipment and consumable materials, provision for operational costs (such as electricity, telephone, food purchases, and other day-to-day items), and maintenance of the premises as appropriate (GMA9).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
10 October 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
The Learning Ladder |
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Profile Number |
45905 |
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Location |
Howick, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Review team on site |
August 2023 |
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Date of this report |
10 October 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, October 2019 |
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.
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
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:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
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:
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 certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
discussions with those involved in the service
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
The Learning Ladder is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
The Learning Ladder is a small, privately-owned centre located in a refurbished commercial building. The centre provides education and care for up 40 children with a maximum of 14 up to two years of age. Families from a range of cultural backgrounds attend the centre and staffing reflects this diversity. Some children are learning English as an additional language.
Children play and learn in two separate rooms specifically organised to meet the needs of the age groups. They have access to an inside gym space with climbing equipment, as well as a shared outdoor area.
The centre's philosophy emphasises the importance of a happy, nurturing environment that promotes mutual respect of each other, family and other cultures. It fosters a programme based on learning through play that encourages curiosity and imagination while supporting children’s growing confidence.
Since the 2016 ERO review, there have been a number of personnel changes. There has been a shift in ownership to a sole director responsible for the day-to-day operation of the centre, and a new centre manager has been appointed.
Centre leaders and teachers have made useful progress towards addressing the key next steps from the 2016 ERO report. Many of the positive features identified in the report have been maintained.
Children are well supported to settle into the learning programme. They experience respectful, caring relationships with each other, their teachers and staff. This helps to foster children's sense of belonging and wellbeing while at the centre.
Children confidently engage in their chosen activities. They have many opportunities to work cooperatively in small or larger groups and to play with resources that invite their curiosity. Some children work alone while exploring activities and equipment at their own pace. They have regular access to the gym space that promotes physical development and challenges.
Teachers are welcoming and inclusive. They know children and their whānau well. Teachers value children's cultural backgrounds and languages. Some teachers speak with children in their home language as well as English. Centre leaders have identified that teachers are at the early stages of incorporating te reo and tikanga Māori into the daily programme and will continue providing appropriate support for further development.
Teachers recognise children's strengths, interests and abilities and document these in attractively presented portfolios. They use a range of approaches to encourage their participation. Teachers skilfully use questions to help children think more deeply about their learning and to extend their oral language development. Teachers offer a variety of experiences that foster physical development and creativity. Centre leaders are aware that they need to ensure that the transition to school programme for older children reflects the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, more closely.
Infants and toddlers benefit from the small number of children in this room. They experience calm, unhurried relationships with nurturing adults. They have opportunities to explore and choose their interests from an appropriate range of easily accessible resources.
Transitions into and within the centre are based on the needs of each child and family. Centre staff build positive relationships with parents and whānau. This encourages them to be involved in children's learning and contribute to the centre. Parents who spoke with ERO said they appreciate how teachers care for and interact with their children and maintain friendly relationships.
There is a clear governance and leadership structure to support centre operations. The strategic plan, and policy and procedure framework, guide processes and practices. Centre leaders have identified that the appraisal process could be further strengthened to more clearly reflect Teaching Council guidelines.
Centre leaders agree that the key next steps include:
continuing to evaluate the philosophy and make the centre's commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and bicultural practice more evident
further developing assessment, planning and evaluation processes and practices to make learning and teaching more visible
ensuring that the transition to school programme reflects the principles of Te Whāriki
aligning the strategic and annual action plans more meaningfully and reporting on how effectively the goals are achieved
using evaluative questions to build internal evaluation capability across the centre.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Learning Ladder 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
31 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.
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Location |
Howick, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45905 |
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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 |
40 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
52 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 28 Girls 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā |
25 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2019 |
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Date of this report |
31 October 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2016 |
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Education Review (as Adventure Discoveries Early Learning Centre) |
October 2013 |
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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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.