320 Malfroy Road, Rotorua
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 Little Troopers Early Learning 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 |
Little Troopers Early Learning Centre highlights relationships with community and children’s wellbeing as central to their philosophy. Almost half of the enrolled children are Māori, with a small number of Pacific learners in the ethnically diverse roll. Little progress has been made against key next steps identified in previous ERO reports.
A calm learning environment clearly supports children to develop relationships, problem-solve and grow their social competence. Strategies used by teachers to respond to children’s emotional needs are consistent and contribute to children’s wellbeing.
Te reo Māori and elements of tikanga Māori are integrated into the daily programme. However, the implementation and documentation of the curriculum does not adequately capture the unique cultural and learner identities of the children.
The curriculum does not reflect the depth and breadth of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The process of planning for each child's learning and development is not clearly defined. Progress against previously identified key next steps in ERO’s 2022 report has been greatly hindered by the capability of both leadership and teachers.
The service has not yet developed systems and processes for knowing about, and reporting on, learning priorities for children aligned to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki.
Centre leadership is in the very early stages of establishing the conditions to support teachers to build their professional capability. Teachers are individually responsible for continuously improving their professional knowledge and skills. There is some evidence that teachers’ professional learning is having a positive impact on how children experience the daily curriculum. Relational trust, collaboration and implementation of effective improvement strategies are areas that still need development.
Current early childhood education knowledge and expectations are not reliably drawn on for ongoing development of systems and procedures to direct operations. This has resulted in inconsistency as these procedures are interpreted in different ways. Although there are governance measures in place to facilitate children's access to learning, it is uncertain whether decisions made at this level are strategically and specifically aimed at promoting children's education and wellbeing.
Little Troopers Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Troopers Early Learning 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.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008; HS7.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
13 August 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Little Troopers Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 47519 |
| Location | Rotorua |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 100% |
| Service roll | 30 |
| Review team on site | May 2024 |
| Date of this report | 13 August 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, December 2022; 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.
Little Troopers Early Learning Centre, previously known as Kids Count Rotorua, changed ownership in September 2021. A director works alongside a fully qualified teaching team, providing education and care for children from infants to school age. Almost half the roll identifies as Māori or Pacific, with several other ethnicities represented.
The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children are given opportunities to develop an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
A range of experiences and opportunities is provided to children to enhance and extend their learning and development – both indoors and outdoors. The programme is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning. Their developing social competence is supported.
Next steps include:
continuing to increase the range of opportunities children and families have to share aspects of their culture
strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their language, culture, and identity
strengthening the use of the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki in relation to the priorities of the service through assessment, planning and evaluation.
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
14 December 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Troopers Early Learning Centre |
|
Profile Number |
47519 |
|
Location |
Rotorua |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
|
Service roll |
31 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
14 December 2022 |
|
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 |
Not meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
This is the first ERO review of Kids Count Rotorua that opened in August 2018. It is part of the Kids Count organisation, a family-run business. The recently appointed and fully qualified centre manager and head teacher, lead a team of three qualified and two unqualified teachers.
Children experience meaningful and positive relationships with their teachers, enhancing their learning and nurturing reciprocal relationships. Their social competence is supported within a language-rich environment. Children are seen as capable and competent, and their choices are respected. The curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children’s interests and needs. The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is evident in the programme and children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of both parties of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Regulatory standards are not being fully met.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8, HS27, HS28, HS29, GMA4, GMA8]
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.
The next ERO review of Kids Count Rotorua will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
29 October 2020
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Kids Count Rotorua |
|
Profile Number |
47519 |
|
Location |
Rotorua |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
26 |
|
Gender composition |
Male 16, Female 10 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 15 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2020 |
|
Date of this report |
29 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: