11 Bailey Avenue, Enderley, Hamilton
View on mapDomains: Ngā Akatoro | Below the threshold for quality | Above the threshold for quality | ||
The learner and their learning He Whāriki Motuhake | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
Collaborative professional learning and development builds knowledge and capability Whakangungu Ngaio | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
Leadership fosters collaboration and improvement Kaihautū | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
Stewardship through effective governance and management Te Whakaruruhau | Improvement required | Working towards | Embedded | Excelling |
For an explanation of the judgement terms used and of the evaluation process please refer to the last page of this report. These judgements are based on the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.
| Children’s health and safety | Improvement required | Taking reasonable steps |
Akarangi | Quality Evaluations evaluate the extent to which early childhood services have 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 and Early Childhood Education (ECE) Improvement Framework (teacher led services) are the basis for making judgements about the quality of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Evaluations for improvement | Ngā Aronga Whai Hua is integrated across all of the above domains.
Sparrows Early Learning Centre is a mixed-aged early childhood service previously known as Little Sparrows Educare. This is the first ERO evaluation since a change of ownership in September 2023. The owners maintain responsibility for centre finances. Curriculum oversight, leadership of teaching practice and day-to-day-operations are the responsibility of the new centre manager. Staff are supported by a recently appointed team leader. The centre philosophy aims to foster creative risk takers who are socially competent.
The July 2021 ERO report identified three improvement actions related to cultural competence, intentional teaching, and definition of governance and management roles and responsibilities. Limited progress has been made due to significant staff changes and all remain a priority. In February 2024 the centre was placed on a provisional licence as a result of compliance concerns identified by the Ministry of Education during the change of ownership process. The centre manager facilitated the centre’s return to a full licence within three months.
High level judgment statement drawing from the improvement framework – admin to delete this prompt.
The centre is in the early stages of developing a curriculum that reflects the depth and breadth of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Leaders and teachers are beginning to take steps to improve their professional knowledge of curriculum, teaching practice and assessment for learning.
The new leadership team are in the early stages of establishing the conditions to facilitate shared understanding, collaboration and reflection on teaching.
Systems, processes and practices with a focus on improved quality provision for children are being developed.
Before the review, the staff and management of Sparrows Early Learning Centre completed and 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 system for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children’s health and safety:
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Sparrows Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its quality improvement planning:
Activities undertaken by the evaluation team
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Further information about how ERO evaluates early childhood services is available here.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
4 October 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Sparrows Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 46343 |
| Location | Enderley, Hamilton |
| Service Type | Education and care service |
| Number licenced for | 30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Ethnic composition Using rounded percentages | Māori 19%; NZ European/Pakeha 50%; Indian 9%; Latin American 6%; South African 6%; Chinese 6%; Australian 3% |
| Service roll | 32 |
| Review team on site | July 2024 |
| Date of this report | 4 October 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report (s) | Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, July 2021; Education Review, March 2018 |
ERO’s judgements are based on Te Ara Poutama and the Early Childhood Education Improvement Framework (teacher led services).
Above the threshold for quality | |
Excelling | The service is excelling in the learning and organisational conditions to support high quality education and care for children |
Embedded | The service has embedded its learning and organisational conditions to support ongoing improvement to the quality of education and care for children. |
Below the threshold for quality | |
Working towards | The service is working towards establishing the learning and organisational conditions to support improvements in the quality of education and care for children. |
Improvement required | The service has not yet developed the learning and organisational conditions to support quality education and care for children. |
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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.
Little Sparrows Educare is a privately owned and operated mixed-age, all-day education and care centre. It is situated in a residential suburb of Hamilton. It is licensed for 30 children from three months to school age, including up to ten children under two years, and ten who identify as Māori.
The centre's philosophy aims to provide children with quality education and care. Staff aim to provide inclusive learning environments that support children to develop positive attitudes towards life-long learning.
Since the last ERO review in 2015, centre leadership and the staffing team has remained constant. There is a commitment for all staff to be fully qualified and registered teachers. Whānau involvement has increased through the use of online portfolios, creating stronger ties with the child's wider family. Strategic planning has improved to include priorities and a clear direction for centre development.
Children experience an effective and inclusive learning environment. Learning is built on the knowledge of what children and their whānau bring to the centre. Positive and affirming relationships with parents and whānau promote the aspirations they have for their children’s learning. Children's rights are respected and they are encouraged to take risks and set their own learning challenges. Children are confident and competent and are encouraged to actively explore the environment.
The curriculum is responsive to all age groups, cultures and abilities. Children with additional learning needs are effectively supported to access all areas of the well-resourced curriculum. Information about children's interests and strengths are shared well between teachers, fostering a collaborative approach to learning and teaching. Children under the age of two years are encouraged to learn in a calm and nurturing environment. Their sense of curiosity, safety and well-being are fostered.
Literacy and numeracy is effectively promoted through a child-led learning approach. This follows children’s abilities to make decisions and choices about their learning. Planning, assessment and evaluation has been developed and improved. However, aspects of documenting children's learning through the online portfolio system needs to be strengthened. Children are supported to become leaders and are thought of as capable and self-managing learners.
Karakia and waiata are used to support tikanga Māori. Te reo is spoken and heard in the centre. Pacifica children benefit from a Samoan teacher who regularly shares music and language from the islands. The centre acknowledges that strengthening cultural practices is an ongoing area for development. Learning follows the interests of the children, and is supported by a strong tuakana-teina approach through mixed age group learning.
Leadership promotes positive and reciprocal relationships through effective communication. A collaborative approach where all staff are encouraged to lead aspects of the programme has been implemented. High relational trust has been established between leaders and teachers and gives a strong sense of belonging and welcome to all. A culture where all children are valued and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning is evident.
Effective learning outcomes for children are promoted through the centre's philosophy, vision, systems and processes. These are current and support daily operations of the centre. The provision for resourcing, maintenance and decision making follows a collaborative approach. Self review has been strengthened, processes and systems have been embedded and it is improvement focussed. Children experience an environment where management focusses on quality opportunities that effectively supports their learning.
In order to improve practice, leaders and teachers have identified that:
continued review around language culture and identity will further support Māori achieving success as Māori
further development of the appraisal process is required to include clear links to the professional standards, a more formalised approach to teacher observations and specific monitoring of progress of teachers’ goals
review and centre professional learning and development about the online programme planning system should include links to children’s goals, and individual learning through assessment to show their learning and progress over time.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Sparrows Educare 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 Little Sparrows Educare will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
29 March 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 |
46343 |
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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 |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
42 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 23 Boys 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2018 |
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Date of this report |
29 March 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
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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.