65 Hakeke Street, Whanganui East, Whanganui
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 Love and Learn Care and Education 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 |
Love and Learn Care and Education is part of a community centre established by the owner. The philosophy of learning is underpinned by the principles of manaakitanga, whakawhanaungatanga, kotahitanga and rangatiratanga. Some progress has been made to respond to the previous ERO improvement recommendations. Almost all tamariki identify as Māori.
The service philosophy successfully guides practice. Ngā pepi (infants and toddlers) are nurtured within a curriculum of aroha, manaakitanga and care which reflects the respectful interactions of attentive kaiako. Tuakana (older children) are encouraged to support younger tamariki. The learning of tamariki is enhanced through an inclusive learning environment that supports whanaungatanga.
Assessment for learning practices actively involve tamariki and whānau. Deliberate teaching practices ensure Māori learners see themselves reflected through the implemented curriculum and assessment practices. Children’s progress overtime builds a picture of each child’s uniqueness and celebrates their achievements.
Useful tools that are inclusive of te reo Māori and sign language successfully support verbal and non-verbal tamariki to communicate with their kaiako and each other. Kaiako and whānau learn alongside each other to respond to the individual needs of tamariki who require additional support.
Well considered transition processes into, through and onto to school foster a sense of belonging within an inclusive community of learners. There is a clear focus on engaging with external agencies to support the health and wellbeing of tamariki and their whānau.
Leaders and kaiako work collaboratively to enact the service’s vision, plans and priorities for improvement. They regularly participate in evaluation, inquiry, and knowledge-building activities to identify and remove barriers to tamariki learning. The service has yet to evaluate the impact of actions taken to develop the local curriculum and to identify what is working well and for which groups of tamariki. Leaders and ERO agree, that it is timely to evaluate the effectiveness of practice to maintain consistent teaching practices overtime.
Love and Learn Care and Education will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Love and Learn Care and Education 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.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
The written procedure for monitoring children’s sleep ensures they are checked for warmth, breathing, and general well-being at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9).
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, 2008.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
11 July 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name: | Love and Learn Care and Education |
| Profile Number | 46759 |
| Location | Whanganui |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 56 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 56 |
| Review team on site | February 2024 |
| Date of this report | 11 July 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, May 2021; Education Review, April 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 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 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 Love and Learn Care and Education 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 | Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement | Whakaū Embedding |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement | Whakaū Embedding |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management | Whāngai Establishing |
Love and Learn Care and Education is part of a community centre established by the owner and located in Whanganui East. Since the April 2017 ERO evaluation, the licensed number of children has increased. The teaching team consists of a range of early childhood, primary trained teachers and teachers in training.
Children benefit from the established relationships between their parents and teachers. The service works collaboratively with external agencies and the local community to reduce challenges to children’s participation in learning. The development of a community centre provides parent programmes to support continuity for children between home and the centre. Children’s well-being and belonging are well promoted.
The service is working towards implementing a responsive curriculum. Infants and toddlers experience the space and time to lead their own learning. Kaiako are responsive to children’s verbal and non-verbal cues. Children experience opportunities to explore literacy and mathematical concepts within their play. They learn largely in an outdoor environment that reflects their local area and provides a stimulating and inviting range of curriculum activities. ERO observed while on site that children were not always able to choose to be inside or outside.
Children’s language, culture and identity is affirmed through the curriculum. Whanaungatanga is reflected in practice. Kaiako understanding of culturally responsive practice is well supported by external expertise.
Kaiako are beginning to explore the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki. There is evidence about developing capabilities in relation to these outcomes for some children. The service is beginning to consider this information in terms of equity. Increasing focus on recognising the learning that is happening for children is likely to guide kaiako to respond intentionally.
Leaders and kaiako work well together to inquire into aspects of their practice. Professional development opportunities are sought to build growth and to support community need. Child, parent, whānau and community voice is valued and gathered to inform priorities for improvement. Asking key questions is likely to support evaluation, allowing kaiako to evaluate their impact on learning outcomes for all children.
Love and Learn Care and Education will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Love and Learn Care and Education 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.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non -compliance:
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure non-compliances identified in this report are addressed.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
11 May 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Love and Learn Care and Education |
| Profile Number | 46759 |
| Location | Whanganui |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 56 children, including up to 15 aged under 2. |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
| Service roll | 54 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 45, NZ European/Pākehā 8, Other ethnic groups 1. |
| Review team on site | February 2021 |
| Date of this report | 11 May 2021 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, April 2017 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Love and Learn Care & Education is a privately owned, stand-alone service in Whanganui. It is licensed for up to 40 children, including 12 aged up to two years. The centre opens for mixed-age sessions, five days a week. At the time of this review, 27 children identified as Māori.
The owner and a staff co-manager oversee business operations and the day-to-day teaching of the learning environment. Two senior teachers are leading self review and another staff member is responsible for the infants and toddlers. Three teachers are working towards full registration.
The service philosophy draws upon te ao Māori values. These include: manaakitanga - respect for tamariki, whānau, community and our environment; whakawhānaungatanga - building strong foundations for relationships with people, places and things; kotahitanga - working in partnership and collaboration; and, rangatiratanga - growth for the individual and striving to reach one's potential.
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum guides and informs practices. The centre has a sustainability focus and is part of Enviroschools.
This is the first report for the service.
The centre philosophy is highly evident in practice where being part of a learning community is promoted. The extensive outdoor environment offers a range of leaning activities for all children. They are supported to be physically active and engage in exploration, creative arts and role play which incorporates and fosters numeracy and literacy learning. Positive, reciprocal relationships with peers and adults are nurtured.
Empathy and care for one another is reflected through children's interactions. They are familiar with rituals and routines, enacting their own rhythms as they lead their learning to decide, engage and complete activities.
A new approach to planning for learning for individuals and groups is being implemented. Individual parents' contributions clearly communicate their child's interests, strengths and goals. The curriculum is also informed by children's voice, their strengths and needs.
There is variability of teacher practice in the implementation of the process and documentation of planning. Providing clear expectations and moderating for consistency should strengthen the assessment for learning process and build shared understanding of good practice for teachers. Integrating and increasing early childhood approaches into the 'Think Tank' time should enhance children's learning.
Learning journals are attractively presented. These provide information about children's interests, learning, and progress over time. Teachers should continue to include and promote children's culture, language and identity in planning and assessment.
Te ao Māori values and beliefs are well reflected in the centre. Visual signposts include kupu Māori, artefacts, natural resources, books, puzzles and posters. Rituals appropriate for the centre are discussed, changed and woven through practices. Centre leaders acknowledge the need for members to continue to build te reo me ngā tikanga Māori capability.
An ethos of nurture and care affirms infants and toddlers as they engage fully in the programme. They are viewed as confident and competent learners. Teina are well supported by tuakana in collaboration and cooperative sharing of space.
Professional development has informed self review, leadership and systems documentation. A culture of continued improvement is modelled. Leaders have identified that building theirs and teachers' internal evaluation capability and capacity is an area for further development. ERO findings confirm this.
The appraisal process was introduced in 2016 and is yet to complete a cycle. It has the potential to enhance teacher’s professional growth and outcomes for children.
ERO and leaders agree that leaders and teachers should continue to build:
Before the review, the staff and management of Love and Learn Care and Education 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 early childhood service management should clarify with the Ministry of Education that they are meeting licensing requirements in using the unlicensed adjoining building.
The next ERO review of Love and Learn Care and Education will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
19 April 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 | Whanganui | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 46759 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 40 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 45 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 23, Girls 22 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Other ethnic groups | 27 15 3 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:3 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:6 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | February 2017 | ||
| Date of this report | 19 April 2017 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | This is the first report for this service | ||
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 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.