4 Sherwood Avenue, Grey Lynn, 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 Christopher Robin Childcare are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whāngai Establishing |
Christopher Robin Childcare operates from a converted villa in a residential suburb. The owner is a qualified teacher, actively involved in management and teaching in the centre. She leads a team of two other qualified teachers and one unqualified. A small number of children of Pacific heritage are enrolled.
Children lead their learning in a carefully and thoughtfully set environment. The range and level of resourcing supports them to make choices, experience challenge and revisit prior learning. Intentional and sensitive interactions between teachers and children facilitate child-led learning. Infants and toddlers receive responsive, individualised, nurturing care. Children are relaxed and engaged in their play.
Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are intentionally woven throughout the environment and children’s portfolios. Good efforts are made by leaders and teachers to distribute their knowledge and create shared understandings of the language and culture with parents and whānau. Teachers’ knowledge and use of the language could be shared with children more in their everyday conversations.
Culturally responsive practice has been the focus of recent internal evaluation. Positive steps taken through this review included building stronger relationships through getting to know families at a deeper level, making sure all voices are heard.
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is visible throughout planning documentation and learning stories. Teaching practice demonstrates an understanding of the curriculum, and the way children learn. Teachers and whānau work in partnership to plan individual learning pathways for children. It is timely for leaders and teachers to evaluate the impact of teaching strategies and programme plans to better know about the impact of these on outcomes for children’s learning.
Leaders and teachers are establishing collaborative relationships to build professional knowledge through whole team involvement in internal evaluation, inquiry, and professional learning opportunities. A process for internal evaluation has been established. This requires refining to be more evaluative, and to ensure the implementation of improvement actions are monitored and evaluated.
Christopher Robin Childcare will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Christopher Robin Childcare 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 that shows it has addressed the following on compliances:
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
13 February 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Christopher Robin Childcare |
| Profile Number | 20036 |
| Location | Grey Lynn, Auckland |
| Service Type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 26 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 29 |
| Review team on site | November 2023 |
| Date of this report | 13 February 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, November 2021; Education Review, June 2019 |
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.
Christopher Robin Childcare is a small privately owned centre operating from a converted house. The centre provides a spacious outdoor area, shared facilities for all children and a different learning focus in each of the indoor rooms. The owner is supported by two qualified teachers and two other staff members.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful interactions which enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The 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 experiences.
Adults engage in positive interactions that support children’s learning. The curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. It provides children with a wide range of experiences and opportunities that enhance and extend their learning and development.
Service leaders review and update policies and procedures to ensure that these meet regulatory requirements.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
16 November 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Christopher Robin Childcare |
| Profile Number | 20036 |
| Location | Grey Lynn, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 26 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 30 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 3, NZ European/Pākehā 23, other ethnic groups 4 |
| Review team on site | August 2021 |
| Date of this report | 16 November 2021 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, June 2019; Education Review, April 2015 |
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:
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Christopher Robin Childcare requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Christopher Robin Childcare needs support to build staff capability in promoting and extending children's learning. Health and safety practices such as hazard management, supervision, hygiene and record keeping need to be improved.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Christopher Robin Childcare is a small centre, in a Grey Lynn villa. It is licensed for 26 children, including up to eight under two years of age. The centre provides for children in different spaces according to their age, and shared facilities for all children. The roll includes small numbers of Chinese and children from other ethnic backgrounds.
The centre is owned, managed and led by an experienced early childhood teacher, who is supported by one other qualified teacher, and five unqualified staff members. Since the 2015 ERO review, the centre has had significant staffing changes. The owner is seeking to recruit further qualified teachers.
ERO’s 2015 review identified positive aspects such as children being confident, making choices, and engaging in sustained play. These aspects continue to be present. Areas for improvement included extending children's learning, bicultural practices and strategic planning. While progress has been made with strategic planning, there is a need to continue improving in other areas.
Children settle quickly and demonstrate a sense of belonging. Some older children have formed friendships and play well together. They confidently approach adults to share their ideas and demonstrate good social skills. Older children are caring towards younger children and help adults to support them at meal times.
Children choose to play either inside or outdoors, and have easy access to resources and areas of play. The layout of the centre presents some challenges for supervision. Adults could consider where to place themselves, to enable effective supervision of children as they eat and access different areas of the centre.
Adults are kind and warm in their interactions with children. They know children's preferences and work with them individually. Having two teachers dedicated to working with children under two years of age, is a positive way to support and build strong trusting relationships. Adults working with older children could further extend children's learning and promote their thinking.
Children's cultures are acknowledged and the centre celebrates cultural events significant to the community. Teachers include te reo Māori in centre routines. A focus on building adult capability and consistency in promoting bicultural practice will help to improve outcomes for all children.
Programme planning and assessment processes are appropriate. Portfolios are well presented. There are some good examples of adults setting individual goals for children. Some teachers are more skilled at identifying and recording individual children's learning and progress. Planning has a focus on supporting individual children's interests through the provision of resources and activities. There is a need to continue improving the quality of assessment and planning documentation for all children.
The manager has a focus on ongoing centre development and there is a good framework to guide internal evaluation. The manager is committed to building staff capability and ensuring that all staff access relevant professional learning opportunities. She has established a strategic plan and is beginning to develop specific actions and goals. Continuing to develop this plan, and sharing it with staff could help them to understand their role in progressing the strategic goals.
Key next steps for managers and teachers are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Christopher Robin Childcare 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.
To improve current practices, the manager and teachers should review provisions for and records relating to health and safety, to ensure monitoring procedures are robust and all legal requirements are met. Areas to be reviewed and improved include:
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS1, 12.
ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
20 June 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.
| Location | Grey Lynn, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 20036 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 26 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 33 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 18 Boys 15 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese other ethnic groups | 2 20 6 5 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 50-79% | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:6 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | April 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 20 June 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | April 2015 | |
| Supplementary Review | June 2012 | ||
| Education Review | June 2011 | ||
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 will depend on how well the service promotes 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.