55 Vine Street, Mangere East, 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 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 Happy Learning are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakatō Emerging |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakatō Emerging Whakatō Emerging |
Happy Learning is one of two services under the same ownership. It was previously known as Kea Kids Childcare Vine St and then Creative Wonders. This is the first ERO report of this service since the most recent change of ownership in 2022.
A qualified centre manager oversees daily operations. She leads a team of four registered teachers, three teachers in training and two support staff. The centre is culturally diverse with most children enrolled being of Pacific heritages.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and ownership of the centre. Their emotional wellbeing is supported through caring and responsive relationships with staff and other children. Infants and toddlers benefit from nurturing, individualised care and are treated with kindness and respect. Children’s play-based learning is valued and guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. This enables children to make choices and show their capability as independent learners.
Children’s cultures, languages and identities are respected and affirmed. Teachers integrate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into their teaching practices and daily routines. Children’s home languages, particularly those from Pacific nations, are used in conversations.
Teachers record assessment that acknowledges children’s play, learning and successes. They are yet to document children’s developing capabilities in relation to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki. Leaders are aware that children's languages and cultures could be more evident in assessment and planning information.
Leaders provide supportive guidance to teachers and prioritise the wellbeing of children. A positive working environment supports team-building and collaborative ways of working. The service is at an early stage of implementing new operational systems. Building collective understanding and capacity to use internal evaluation for improvement is required. This includes evaluating and monitoring improvements made, and how these changes have impacted on children’s learning.
Happy Learning will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Happy Learning 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.
Since the onsite review, the service provided ERO with evidence to show the following non-compliance has been addressed:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS17.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
11 June 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Happy Learning |
| Profile Number | 47093 |
| Location | Mangere East, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 50 |
| Review team on site | March 2024 |
| Date of this report | 11 June 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, January 2019 |
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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.
Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street opened in April 2017. This is the first ERO evaluation of the centre.
Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street is one of five centres owned and operated by Ferns Education Trust under the Targeted Assistance for Participation Programme (TAP). The centre is licensed for up to 70 children, including 16 up to two years of age in a purpose built facility. Three separate rooms cater for different age related groups of children. Most of the children who attend the centre are of Pacific heritage. A small number of children are Māori.
The Kea Kids philosophy and vision guide all practices and developments at the centre. The philosophy acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua and a strong commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand. The centre's commitment of inclusion, equitable opportunities for children and respectful relationships are underpinned by the importance of whānau. The centre approach values tamariki as special and unique individuals. Staff are exploring aspects of the Reggio Emilia philosophy to align with their existing philosophy, vision and values.
The centre director, area manager and operation manager have oversight of centre governance and management. A centre manager and three team leaders share the responsibility for day to day operations. A key feature of the centre is the active approach taken by management and teachers to establish learning partnerships with whānau. The formation of a parent/whānau hub is currently underway to further strengthen whānau involvement in their children's learning.
The centre networks with the Mangere Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning (CoL) that includes local schools in the area.
Children and parents/whānau are warmly welcomed into the centre. Staff know children well and support families in a caring and homely learning environment. This helps to create and maintain a sense of belonging. The centre's atmosphere and teachers' interactions with children are gentle, respectful, unhurried and calm.
The learning environments are spacious and well-resourced. Learning areas are well set out and include natural and other resources. Children enjoy good access to a wide range of equipment and have many opportunities to make choices about their play. They are busy, active and engaged in their learning. Children are well supported as they move between learning areas and play cooperatively. Their cultural backgrounds are richly reflected in the environment. The many languages spoken by staff, parents and children are valued and respected.
Infants and toddlers experience caring and nurturing practices. Responsive interactions with adults support children aged up to two years to be confident in their surroundings. Teachers are sensitive to the needs of the children. Their gentle and attentive approach respects the individual child's cultural and developmental needs.
Teaching practices are respectful and responsive. Te reo and tikanga Māori is woven through the programme. Children's languages and cultures are recognised and celebrated within the centre's routines and culture. Kaiako have developed trusting relationships with children and support their emotional wellbeing. Children with additional learning needs are well supported in an inclusive learning environment.
Kaiako have developed a curriculum that stems from the centre philosophy, which promotes knowing all children and providing programmes that meet their cultural and learning needs. Children are encouraged to engage in creative play, pursue physical challenge and develop literacy, numeracy and science understandings. Teachers have established a cycle of assessment, planning and evaluation. They are beginning to extend their understanding of the revised Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum, to provide positive outcomes for tamariki.
Staff carefully consider transitions into, within and beyond the centre. Children and whānau benefit from well planned and unhurried transitions between rooms. It is now timely to further develop strategies that support children's transitions onto school. The relationships teachers are developing with a local primary school will be helpful in this process.
The area manager supports a culture of ongoing improvement by ensuring that the centre manager and kaiako have access to relevant professional development. Teaching teams within the centre, and across the five Kea Kids centres, work collaboratively and share in professional dialogue to grow their skills, understanding and capability. After a period of staff changes due to an increase in the roll, the centre is now consolidating and building a team ethos to ensure consistency of practice across the three teams.
The centre is well governed and managed. A strong kaupapa and philosophy guides centre practice and operations. The strategic direction of the centre is well documented and a good policy framework is in place and reviewed. New procedures for performance management and teacher appraisal are currently being introduced. Teachers will need ongoing support as these new systems are embedded in the centre.
Centre leaders agree that next steps include continuing to:
broaden teacher understanding of the revised Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum
deepen the evaluation of the impact of initiatives and programmes on outcomes for children
provide relevant support to embed the new teacher appraisal process.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street 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 Kea Kids Childcare Vine Street will be in three years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
17 January 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 |
Mangere East, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
47093 |
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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 |
70 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
52 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 27 Girls 25 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2018 |
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Date of this report |
17 January 2019 |
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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.