23-25 Archibald Street, Tinwald, Ashburton
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 Active Explorers Ashburton 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 |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Active Explorers Ashburton is a privately owned service governed by the Evolve Group. It provides full day care and education for children from infants to school age in three separate learning areas. A centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations supported by three Head Teachers and an Area Manager.
Leaders and kaiako work collaboratively to develop and implement a responsive play-based curriculum that is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A wide range of curriculum experiences support children to become independent learners. Literacy and oral language are promoted.
Kaiako and leaders effectively respond to children, parents and whānau. Transitions into and within the service are child and family focused. A strong emphasis on wellbeing and belonging supports children’s learning. Kaiako in the infants and toddler area are responsive to children's cues and gestures, setting a slower pace that meets individual needs and builds secure relationships.
New assessment for learning processes are being embedded and kaiako practice is not yet consistent. Assessment, planning, and evaluation documentation identifies children's interests’ strengths and capabilities and makes some learning visible. Kaiako are becoming increasingly intentional in using the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki. Documentation does not yet clearly show intentional teaching strategies designed to promote learning or evaluate how successful these strategies have been. They are yet to fully draw on the knowledge of whānau in relation to supporting their child’s learning and culture, language and identity and make this visible in assessment documentation.
The service philosophy forefronts te ao Māori values of Wairua, Āta and Āroha. These are evident in the environment and in service documentation. Kaiako integrate tikanga Māori into daily teaching practice and are increasingly using te reo Māori in daily practice.
Kaiako collaborate well with whānau to support children’s developing social and emotional competence. Clear policies and procedures guide kaiako practice and enable children with diverse learning needs to have equitable access to the curriculum. This supports them to succeed in their learning.
Effective systems and processes guide the operation of the service and provide assurance and accountability for children’s learning, safety and wellbeing. Professional learning and development is aligned to service priorities. Kaiako are reflective practitioners who are increasingly using internal evaluation to improve teaching practice with a focus on positive outcomes for learners. The kaiako professional growth cycle is aligned to strategic priorities and is being embedded.
Managers provide effective leadership through a culture of relational trust. This builds teachers leadership capability and collective capacity to sustain improvement that promotes positive outcomes for children.
Active Explorers Ashburton will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Active Explorers Ashburton 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
15 October 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Active Explorers Ashburton |
| Profile Number | 70566 |
| Location | Ashburton |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
71 children, including up to 20 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
106 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 21, NZ European/Pākehā 67, Indian 5, Other ethnicities 13. |
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Review team on site |
June 2021 |
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Date of this report |
15 October 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, September 2017; Education Review, March, 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.
Childs Play Pre-School Ltd is a purpose-built early childhood centre in Ashburton. Initially privately owned, it was purchased by the Evolve group in November 2016. The centre provides full-day education and care for up to 71 children from three months old to school age. There are separate areas for infants, toddlers and preschool children.
The centre's vision and philosophy are currently under review. One aspect of its vision is for teachers and managers to continuously seek to improve practices in order to provide a consistently high-quality service in all areas of the centre. This focus on continuous improvement was evident to ERO.
There is one centre manager, supported by three team leaders. Most of the staff are fully qualified teachers.
While there has been good progress since the last review, the quality of assessment has been greatly improved. However, some of the next steps in the September 2013 report remain. These include the need to continue to develop strategic planning and internal evaluation practices.
Children are empowered to take increasing responsibility for their own wellbeing and learning. There is a strong focus on communication and exploration, and deliberate development of a range of social skills, such as widening social interactions and sharing interests with others.
In the under-two room, responsive and consistent caregiving supports infants' need for strong and secure attachments. Teachers provide a calm, nurturing environment where children explore and move freely between the inside and outside areas.
Teachers are intentional in the way they recognise and respond to opportunities to engage in, and extend children's learning. They observe individual children and consult with parents to identify a specific learning outcome (LO) for each child. They then identify an appropriate range of teaching strategies to help the child achieve the LO, and document the ways the child has demonstrated that achievement.
Children have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of age-appropriate activities, within the rooms and in the large shared outdoor area. These include many areas that support the development of early literacy skills. In the extension room, the older children confidently engage with each other in activities that challenge them to further develop their skills as learners.
Teachers have continued to develop their level of confidence in te reo and tikanga Māori. The programme includes Māori concepts, knowledge, te reo Māori, customs and beliefs. Teachers have access to many prompts to support them in using te reo Māori phrases with the children.
Teachers share and demonstrate a philosophy and commitment to inclusive education. They help all children and families to celebrate their differences through involving children's wider whānau in activities to celebrate their cultures.
Transitions into the centre, between rooms and on to school are carefully planned and monitored. A detailed review of transition to school was undertaken in 2016. This identified, and ERO confirmed, the high level of social, independence and self-help skills that are evident among the older children. It also identified that communication with parents and schools could be improved. Steps have been put in place to address this issue.
There is a strong culture of reflection and a focus on continuous improvement. For example, the centre manager has set clear expectations of staff for children's portfolios. She regularly provides feedback to the teachers on how well these expectations are being met. The teachers in each room undertake detailed reviews of aspects of the programme and teaching practice. In some instances, these reviews could include a more formal evaluation once changes have been implemented.
The centre manager and team leaders are likely to benefit from the opportunities that the Evolve group will make available to them to develop as leaders in the centre. This, together with support from Evolve managers, will assist them as they move towards a more centre-wide approach to strategic planning.
It is now timely for Evolve and the centre manager to focus on developing a strategic plan to guide their future direction. The plan needs to identify long-term and short-term goals, and detail in an annual plan about how these goals will be achieved.
The appraisal process needs to be strengthened to incorporate goals based on the strategic plan. It also needs to include observations of teachers, and more formal feedback from appraisers.
Before the review, the staff and management of Childs Play Pre-School Ltd 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 Childs Play Pre-School Ltd will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern/Te Waipounamu
29 March 2017
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 |
Tinwald, Ashburton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
70566 |
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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 |
71 children, including up to 20 aged under two |
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Service roll |
116 |
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Gender composition |
Boys: 53%; Girls : 47% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific Other ethnicities |
9% 75% 5% 11% |
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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 |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2017 |
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Date of this report |
29 March 2017 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
September 2013 |
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Education Review |
February 2011 |
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Education Review |
February 2008 |
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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.