31 Augustus Street, Carterton
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 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 Carterton Preschool Littlies 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 |
Carterton Preschool Littlies is one of two privately owned services. It provides education and care for infants and toddlers. The service is managed by the two owners and a recently appointed assistant head teacher. A small number of children enrolled are of Māori or Pacific heritages. Most children transition to Carterton Preschool.
The philosophy, vision and priorities of the service create a sound foundation to promote positive experiences that challenge and inspire children’s learning. Parents and whānau actively contribute to an inclusive programme that values, recognises and includes their goals for their children. Teachers and leaders know children and their families well in the context of their home environments. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging.
Children are viewed as capable, competent learners and engage with creativity and wonder in unhurried, play-based contexts. Those with additional learning needs are well supported. Teachers respond intentionally to individual children’s cues and rhythms. Oral language and non-verbal language are fostered.
Learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are interwoven through assessment and planning. Teachers create environments for infants and toddlers that encourages their exploration and promotes their independence. They build children’s confidence to participate in the programme.
Children and their whānau experience some te reo Māori, waiata Māori and tikanga Māori through inclusion in the daily curriculum. The service continues to build teachers’ culturally responsive practices to provide a curriculum that reflect each child’s culture, languages and identity. Children’s mana is upheld.
Team relational trust enables collaboration and ongoing improvement of systems and processes. Teachers contribute to and engage in collaborative professional learning. Leaders are growing their understanding to use the service’s internal evaluation framework for improvement.
Carterton Preschool Littlies will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Carterton Preschool Littlies 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:
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 service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS7, GMA7A, GMA8.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
29 July 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Carterton Preschool Littlies |
| Profile Number | 46203 |
| Location | Carterton |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 30 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 33 |
| Review team on site | May 2024 |
| Date of this report | 29 July 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, October 2021; Education Review, December 2017 |
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 Carterton Preschool Littlies 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 | Whāngai Establishing |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability | Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement | Whāngai Establishing |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement | Whakaū Embedding |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management | Whakaū Embedding |
Carterton Preschool Littlies is one of two early childhood centres under common private ownership. This service provides education and care for infants and toddlers. Many children move on to the sister centre, Carterton Preschool, which caters for children over three years. Two owners and a head teacher manage the operation and the teaching team of eight.
Infants experience nurturing relationships with teachers, who are suitably responsive to their preferences and interests. The development of secure, trusting attachments between teachers and children is well supported by the organisation of caregiving and routines. Teaching practices promote children’s engagement and leadership. Their identity as capable learners are highly respected.
Teachers' confidence and competence in the use of te reo Māori is developing. Waiata is sung and simple commands are used with aspects of tikanga Māori woven through the curriculum. Establishing a localised curriculum has been a collaborative focus within the centre. Leaders now need to engage with their community and whānau Māori to get their input into this work.
The teaching team is becoming increasingly intentional with building shared understandings about how the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are used in assessment and planning. There is sufficient focus on supporting the progress of individual children to enhance their mana and identity as learners. There continues to be variability in the way assessment practices respond to children’s cultural identity, parents’ aspirations and agreed learning priorities.
Leadership is improvement focused in relation to teaching, learning and service operation. Teachers work collaboratively to identify strategies to promote outcomes for children. Trusting relationships at every level supports collaboration and openness to change and improve. The self-review process is enabling the team to identify improvements to practice. Internal evaluation as a process for ongoing improvement is not yet understood.
The centre is well led and efficiently managed. Leadership has established clear expectations for collective responsibility for the wellbeing and learning of all children. Appraisal is effectively implemented to build teacher capability and team capacity. Opportunities are provided for teachers to build their knowledge in areas agreed as priorities.
Carterton Preschool Littlies will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Carterton Preschool Littlies 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 requirement.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
15 October 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Carterton Preschool Littlies |
| Profile Number | 46203 |
| Location | Carterton |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 30 children, including up to 20 aged under 2. |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
| Service roll | 40 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 30, Other ethnic groups 5. |
| Review team on site | June 2021 |
| Date of this report | 15 October 2021 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, December 2017; Education Review, September 2014. |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Carterton Preschool Littlies is a privately owned centre located in Carterton. It is operated by two experienced, registered early childhood teachers.
The centre is licensed for up to 25 children, including 15 aged up to two years. At the time of this review there were 34 children enrolled, with most being between 0 and 3 years of age. The mixed age learning centre provides two separate areas for these age groups. Many children at the age of three transition to Carterton Preschool.
A manager works closely with the lead teacher to provide early childhood care and education grounded in a practice of care, and Te Whāriki the early childhood curriculum. The staff consists of eight teachers and most are qualified and registered.
The philosophy highlights commitment to providing a caring and nurturing environment for tamariki and whānau. Primary caregiving upholds infants' and toddlers' needs for strong and secure relationships. An emphasis is placed on respectful interactions.
The September 2014 ERO report identified that teachers needed to improve their self review and evaluation, appraisal and bicultural practices. Professional development has been undertaken by staff in response to ERO's findings. Progress is evident.
The centre philosophy is effectively implemented in practice. Children lead their learning as they actively explore, problem solve and investigate both independently and alongside others. Indoor and outdoor spaces are spacious and well-resourced to encourage children's participation.
Independence and self-care is well supported through routines that give children choices about their participation. Infants and toddlers experience respectful, reciprocal relationships. Their individual strengths, interests, preferences and care needs are effectively responded to. Babies engage and participate in the programme at their own pace. Interactions are respectful.
A clear framework guides programme planning and centre practices. There are clear links to the strategic direction, philosophical values and Te Whāriki. Assessment information includes children’s dispositions, relationships, continuity of learning and progress over time.
Parent aspirations and children's interests inform and guide the curriculum. It is consistent with the intended learning outcomes of Te Whāriki. Children engage purposefully with literacy, mathematics, science, creative arts and physical exploration opportunities. Children's sense of self, belonging and wellbeing is upheld. The inclusive environment is affirming of children and families.
An online platform has been introduced to encourage parents' input into their children's learning programmes. The interests, strengths, needs and preferences of individual children and groups are identified and inform planning. Leaders have identified that assessment of individual, Māori and Pacific children’s learning should be strengthened by increased knowledge and understanding of children's culture, language and identity. ERO's evaluation affirms this.
Programme evaluation occurs regularly. Implementing monitoring systems with measurable intended outcomes should be useful in guiding further planning for learning.
Te ao Māori is woven well through centre values and practices. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori is implemented through rituals, learning experiences and Māori cultural events. Iwi links have positively informed teachers and initiated improvements for children. A next step is to continue to develop te reo Māori implementation across the centre.
The centre has well-considered transition processes into, within and onto other preschool services.
Teachers are improvement focused. Systems to build their capability to promote positive outcomes for children are in place. The appraisal framework is a useful guide. Implementation of targeted observations with links to teachers' goals and Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners should strengthen the approach. ERO agrees with leaders that a next step is to clearly show the impact of teachers' goals and improved teacher practice on children’s learning outcomes.
Internal evaluation is informed by research, includes multiple voice, evaluative questions and indicators. A next step to develop this process is to more deeply analyse and make sense of evidence collected within evaluations. Review requires more explicit evaluation against measurable intended outcomes that support positive learning impacts for children.
There is clear strategic direction and alignment with the vision and philosophy. The centre is well governed and managed.
Leaders and ERO agree that management and the teaching team should continue to develop and implement systems that support sustainability of practice and improve outcomes for children in the following areas:
Before the review, the staff and management of Carterton Preschool Littlies 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.
The next ERO review of Carterton Preschool Littlies will be in three years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
13 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 | Carterton | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 46203 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 34 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 17, Girls 17 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnic groups | 1 29 2 2 | |
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 | 1:6 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | November 2017 | ||
| Date of this report | 13 December 2017 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review | September 2014 | |
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.