479 B Ormiston Road, Auckland
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 (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 Li’l Champs Educare 3 are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Li’l Champs Educare 3 is one of three early childhood services under the same ownership. The director and an experienced manager are responsible for governance of the service. The teaching team includes six qualified teachers and five unqualified staff. A small number of children enrolled are Māori. The centre serves a culturally diverse community.
Children and families benefit from a curriculum that celebrates and responds to their languages and cultures. Leaders and teachers have the cultural expertise to provide an inclusive curriculum for all children. They could extend their knowledge of effective ways to work with and alongside children with Pacific heritages.
Aspects of tikanga Māori are integrated into teaching practices and daily routines. Leaders and teachers recognise they could strengthen their use of te reo Māori in their interactions with children.
Children’s developing social competence and emotional wellbeing are very well supported. Infants and toddlers experience positive and caring interactions with teachers. A calm and well-paced programme supports these younger children to have space and time for their learning. Older children have frequent opportunities to engage in a wide variety of learning experiences, to make choices about their play and to actively participate in the curriculum.
Leaders and teachers develop respectful relationships with parents and whānau. Parents’ ideas contribute to a curriculum that positively supports children’s learning and development. Leaders and teachers have a clear focus on implementing a curriculum that aligns with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and that promotes literacy and mathematical learning. Teachers advocate for all children to have access to high-quality, inclusive education and care.
Leaders implement effective systems and processes to guide service operations. Feedback from children, parents and whānau and the community informs the service’s improvement priorities. Leaders maintain a positive working environment that empowers staff to enhance their teaching practices and to implement and promote the delivery of a high-quality curriculum. The service’s shared leadership approach enables teachers to take responsibility for aspects of teaching.
Li’l Champs Educare 3 will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Li’l Champs Educare 3 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
9 August 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Li’l Champs Educare 3 |
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Profile Number |
46869 |
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Location |
Flatbush, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
55 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
62 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 3, NZ European/Pākehā 2, Chinese 21, Indian 16, |
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Review team on site |
June 2021 |
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Date of this report |
9 August 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2018 |
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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.
Li'l Champs Educare 3 opened in 2016, and is one of three Li'l Champs services. Located in a purpose-built facility, it is licensed to cater for 45 children including up to 15 under the age of two years. There are currently no children under the age of two enrolled at the service.
The owner and centre manager are supported by six registered teachers in two age related rooms. A cook provides daily meals. There have been three centre managers since opening in 2016. The current manager was employed in mid-2017.
The centre's philosophy is based on the values of learning, love and laughter, and to equip children as life-long learners. It incorporates both the principles of Montessori and Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood curriculum.
This is ERO's first review of the centre.
Children display respect and independence in their play. Teachers place a strong emphasis on these values in the programme. Children spend the majority of their time engaged with Montessori activities that support and help develop their fine motor control. They confidently revisit activities previously modelled by teachers. Children are able to choose from a variety of activities offered by teachers, who support them to independently complete these tasks.
Teachers offer a curriculum that includes multiple philosophies. It is strongly influenced by the Montessori programme, and is increasingly offering a more child-initiated curriculum. Teachers' assessment of children's learning is heavily focused on their completion of Montessori activities. Teachers are beginning to plan to extend children's learning by identifying and using children's interests and dispositions for learning. However, this is more noticeable in the younger children's room.
The centre manager promotes the importance of parents as partners in their children's learning. Partnerships are enhanced by inviting parents to share their aspirations through surveys, formal interviews with teachers, and through input into policies and practices. Teachers support parents' understanding of learning by highlighting how children are learning in displays of photos of children engaged in play.
The centre manager has a strong commitment to supporting teachers to include aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori in the daily programme. Children and teachers participate in waiata, karakia and basic instruction in te reo Māori. Children's home languages are valued and encouraged in order to develop children's confidence in learning English. Children have many opportunities to experience a variety of cultural celebrations. Children with additional needs are very well supported. Teachers work closely with external agencies when extra support and expertise is required.
The owners of the three centres have made good progress with implementing documentation that guides all of the centres operations. Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, is now included by the centre in useful performance management documentation and processes. Education Council Standards for the Teaching Profession are included in the appraisal process. The centre owner and manager are keen for staff to participate in professional learning around incorporating Pacific language and culture into the programme.
Teachers participate in external professional development to increase their understanding of internal evaluation. The centre manager has developed useful templates to guide internal evaluation processes. These support teachers with self-review of programmes and teaching practices. They also support the centre manager with planning for the future direction of the centre.
The owner and centre manager agree that key next steps include:
further increasing the variety of resources that challenge and encourage problem-solving, cooperation and relationship building especially in the outdoors
embedding the principles and strands of Te Whāriki into the programme consistently and throughout the centre with a focus on identifying ways to further extend children's individual interests and learning dispositions
building teachers' reflective practice and evaluative thinking
continuing to enhance teacher's knowledge and use of te ao Māori in the programme
ensure that children's individual portfolios reflect and celebrate their cultural backgrounds.
Before the review, the staff and management of Li'l Champs Educare 3 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.
In order to improve current practice the owner should clearly articulate and include reference to the Treaty partnership in the service philosophy.
The next ERO review of Li'l Champs Educare 3 will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
13 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 |
Flat Bush, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46869 |
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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 |
45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 25 Girls 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
NA |
|
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
January 2018 |
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Date of this report |
13 March 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
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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.