30 Avalon Drive, Nawton, Hamilton
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 Avalon Childcare Centre 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 |
This centre’s philosophy is based on the aspiration that children develop independence and are caring towards others. A centre owner and centre leader manage operations and provide support for a team of qualified and non-qualified teachers. Significant staff changes and absence of the owner have impacted on the progress made against key next steps identified in ERO’s 2022 report.
Teachers have established relationships with parents and whānau. They use these to seek information about children’s cultures and identity. Despite significant staff change there is evidence that for some children, their cultural and learner identity is acknowledged. Children’s needs are mostly responded to through the curriculum, by supporting their wellbeing and fostering social skills.
Children’s learning and development are enhanced by deliberate improvement processes that the centre leader is putting in place. These processes are in the early stages of being implemented. They include the development of internal evaluation practices and a framework to support teacher’s professional growth.
Assessment practices are being strengthened and are beginning to make children’s learning evident. Through this work, the centre leader is growing teachers’ capability to assess children’s learning in relation to the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. As many of these elements are developing, the impact of shifts in teacher practice on outcomes for children is not known.
There is limited progress in strengthening organisational conditions of the centre. Priorities for improvement and decisions from governance are not strategically focused. Leaders are yet to clearly consider children’s learning and development or the ongoing sustainability of the centre’s staffing. Limited collaboration and communication from centre management to support growing capability in leadership, is hindering the key drivers of continuous improvement. These factors are therefore having a limited impact on progressing equitable learning outcomes for groups of children.
Avalon Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Avalon Childcare Centre 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.
ERO identified the following area of non-compliance:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that it shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure a non-compliance identified in this report is addressed.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
16 July 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Avalon Childcare Centre |
| Profile Number | 47279 |
| Location | Nawton, Hamilton |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 100% |
| Service roll | 34 |
| Review team on site | April 2024 |
| Date of this report | 16 July 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, January 2023; Akanuku | Assurance Review, October 2020 |
ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Avalon Childcare Centre is led by the owner, alongside a team of qualified teachers. The service philosophy highlights love of learning and independence. Among the ethnicities of children attending, are small groups of Māori, of Pacific heritage and Indian learners. The centre has addressed non-compliances identified in ERO’s 2020 Akanuku Review.
The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Teachers’ positive interactions enhance children’s learning. They support children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. A language-rich environment provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their growth and development.
The quantity and variety of equipment are appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending. A philosophy statement guides operation. The service takes all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of children attending.
Next steps include:
developing the local curriculum to reflect the things that are important to children, their families and teachers
increasing the involvement of families in the implementation and evaluation of the local curriculum
strengthening the extent to which the environment, curriculum and assessment of children’s learning reflects their identity, language and culture.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
18 January 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Avalon Childcare Centre |
| Profile Number | 47279 |
| Location | Nawton, Hamilton |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
|
Service roll |
40 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
18 January 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, October 2020 |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
discussions with those involved in the service
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.
ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards | ERO’s judgement |
| Curriculum | Meeting |
| Premises and facilities | Meeting |
| Health and safety | Not meeting |
| Governance, management and administration | Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
Avalon Childcare provides all-day education and care for children from birth to six years of age. The purpose-built facility has three age-based learning areas. The centre owner is responsible for centre operation and leadership. This is the centre’s first ERO review since a change of ownership.
Positive and meaningful relationships were observed among children and teachers. The service curriculum is responsive to children as confident and competent learners. A range of opportunities supports children’s learning and development, individually and in groups across all play areas. Parents are involved in decision-making concerning their child’s learning. The programme is inclusive of the individual needs of toddlers and young children.
Ongoing external professional development supports the centre’s evaluation and is helping staff to maintain and improve aspects of the centre.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS28].
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
The next ERO review of Avalon Childcare will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
28 October 2020
| Early Childhood Service Name | Avalon Childcare Centre |
| Profile Number | 47279 |
| Location | Hamilton |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2. |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
| Service roll | 27 |
| Gender composition | Female 15, Male 12 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 9 NZ European/Pākehā 4 Indian 4 Afgani 4 Other ethnic groups 6 |
| Review team on site | October 2020 |
| Date of this report | 28 October 2020 |
Most recent ERO report(s)
| First ERO review of the service |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through: