63 Albert Street, Terrace End, Palmerston North
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. 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 Tui Early Learners Young Investigators are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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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 |
Tui Early Learners Young Investigators is situated in central Palmerston North. The service is one of seven family owned and operated centres under the Tui Early Learners umbrella organisation. An Educational Leader has oversight of teaching practice. A new head teacher (since the previous ERO review) has responsibility for a team of teachers.
The overarching Tui Early Learners umbrella philosophy statement and guiding strategic document effectively promotes consistent practices across the organisation. Children’s sense of security and holistic wellbeing are viewed as paramount to laying the foundations for learning. Strong reciprocal relationships with whānau, parents and children promote a sense of belonging.
An engaging, well-resourced environment successfully nurtures children’s exploration and inquiry. Kaiako work alongside children to extend their working theories. Effective strategies to support social and emotional wellbeing are evident. The Nature Explorer Programme (NEP) provides a
well-established transition to school process, to successfully support older children’s developing independence and confidence.
Aspects of te ao Māori are purposefully integrated within an inclusive environment, that acknowledges children’s cultures. There is a strong commitment at all levels of the organisation to enact the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Leaders and kaiako work in partnership with a Māori kaitautoko to deepen their understanding and to build their cultural expertise. This work should further support kaiako to implement culturally responsive practices, particularly for Māori children.
Learning assessment stories effectively acknowledge children’s challenges and successes. Teachers are increasingly using the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, within assessment practices to show progress of learning. Over time, individual assessment practices should be strengthened to reflect each child’s cultural identity as learners.
Leaders and kaiako work collaboratively to implement cohesive internal evaluations aligned to achieving the strategic goals, vision and philosophy and improving quality. To provide greater insight into how well changes in practice are contributing to achieving the intended learning outcomes for children, leaders and kaiako should evaluate the effectiveness of practice to identify what is working well and for which groups. This will support giving priority to areas for improvement within the annual plan.
Tui Early Learners Young Investigators will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tui Early Learners Young Investigators 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.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
1 April 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Tui Early Learners Young Investigators |
| Profile Number | 50037 |
| Location | Palmerston North |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
30 children, aged over 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
38 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 9, NZ European/Pākehā 18, Indian 4, Other ethnic groups 7. |
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Review team on site |
December 2020. |
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Date of this report |
1 April 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, December 2015; Education Review, December 2013. |
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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.
Tui Early Learners Young Investigators is situated in central Palmerston North. The centre provides all day care and education for up to 30 children over two years of age, and two are Māori. Children experience a well-designed curriculum linked to individual strengthens and interests valuing their active involvement in learning.
The centre is managed by the Tui Early Learners management group and is one of five centres in this organisation. A new head teacher was appointed in 2015. Areas of strength identified in the February 2013 ERO report have been sustained and areas for development addressed.
The centre philosophy is well enacted in practice. Children are competent learners initiating involvement in their interests during the day. Leaders and teachers respond to the emerging fascinations and wonderings of children through a wide range of responsive educational experiences. Respectful and nurturing interactions encourage children in their work and play.
Flexible routines suit individual needs, promoting independence and choice. Numeracy and literacy concepts are suitably included in learning contexts.
Staff provide responsive care to promote each child’s wellbeing and support their developing social and emotional competencies. A feature of the centre is the Nature Explorers programme. Regular farm visits encourage individuals to build valuable skills, knowledge and confidence in a rural context.
The physical environment maximises children’s engagement in learning. Areas of play are well resourced and motivate children to extend their thinking and exploration. Regular reflection by teachers ensures changes to the environment are responsive to children’s emerging interests.
Assessment of children’s learning effectively shows developing skills, knowledge and dispositions. Staff are highly collaborative. Increasingly, they are developing their collective capability to provide useful evaluation of each child’s involvement in the curriculum.
Centre leaders show a comprehensive knowledge about current teaching practices and ongoing areas to develop. Mentoring, linked to individual goals and indicators of desired teaching practice, encourages ongoing reflection about the impact of strategies used to influence a child’s learning.
Teachers demonstrate positive relationships with families and whānau based on listening and respect. Visual displays, learning narratives and emerging planning ensures parents are well informed about curriculum experiences. The use of electronic portfolios increasingly encourages closer links between experiences at home and in the daily lives of children.
Children requiring support for special and complex needs are fully included. Curriculum responsiveness ensures each individual’s strengths, needs and interests are addressed. External agencies are accessed when required to ensure all children can achieve success.
Māori learners’ culture, language and identity are suitably reflected in culturally responsive contexts for learning. Centre staff demonstrate a strong commitment to building sustainable bicultural practice. Relevant professional learning and development and thorough internal review have contributed to clear curriculum direction. Further development of the relationship with the local Iwi and this service, to support development of tangata whenuatanga, is a well-considered next step.
Organisational leadership is well defined and effectively promotes the centre's strategic direction. Curriculum change is appropriately informed by research and indicators of best practice. The management team and head teacher work collaboratively with staff, providing an emphasis on educational learning outcomes for children. Effective guidance, review and evaluation promote sustainable practice and ensure decision making results in improved outcomes for children.
Processes for self review are robust and clearly linked to the centre’s philosophy. Internal review is well established. The Tui evaluative appraisal process is highly effective in guiding staff to inquire into, and review, the impact of their practice on learning outcomes for children. Quality assurance processes are highly reflective and responsive to identified curriculum priorities.
Service leaders and ERO agree the next step for the centre is to further develop teachers' collective capability to undertake internal review to promote rigorous inquiry into practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tui Early Learners Young Investigators 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 next ERO review of Tui Early Learners Young Investigators will be in four years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
15 December 2015
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 |
Palmerston North |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
50037 |
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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 |
30 children, aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
37 |
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Gender composition |
Male 19, Female 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
October 2015 |
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Date of this report |
15 December 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2013 |
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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:
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.