23 Park Road, Rotorua Central, 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 Darlings Childcare Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
Little Darlings Childcare is managed by an owner who is a qualified teacher. Half of tamariki enrolled are Māori and a small number have Pacific heritages. There has been some progress since ERO’s previous reviews in 2021 and 2023. Tamariki now have more opportunities to be independent and learn through a localised curriculum.
Tamariki experience a curriculum where they have opportunities to lead their own learning in a play-based environment. Tuakana-teina relationships are promoted through younger tamariki having opportunities to learn alongside older tamariki. Leaders and kaiako work well with external agencies to support tamariki with additional needs. A large outdoor play area supports the inclusion and exploration of all tamariki.
The mana and identity of all tamariki, and specifically tamariki Māori is upheld, supporting their developing sense of belonging. They learn and lead pūrākau, waiata, poi, haka, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. The environment reflects both Māori and Pacific cultures. Leaders and kaiako have developed positive relationships with parents and whānau. This enables kaiako to respond to, and include, the valued knowledge of mātauranga Māori and other cultures in the curriculum provided for tamariki.
A range of initiatives supports team cohesion and promotes access to early childhood education for tamariki enrolled at this service. The service leader, with the support of an external mentor, is developing the conditions which enable collaboration for improvement.
There is an internal evaluation framework in place which shows some shifts and growth in kaiako practice. Use of the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, to monitor and evaluate the learning over time is not yet evident for individuals or groups of tamariki. This includes the visibility of the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki across all of the service’s systems and processes.
Little Darlings Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Darlings 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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
13 August 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Little Darlings Childcare Centre |
| Profile Number | 40059 |
| Location | Rotorua |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 20 |
| Review team on site | May 2024 |
| Date of this report | 13 August 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, January 2023; Akanuku | Assurance Review, February 2021 |
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 |
During the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Little Darlings Childcare Centre is a privately-owned service. The service has a high percentage of Māori tamariki and small numbers of Indian and Pākehā children. The philosophy focuses on tamariki being confident, articulate and kind. This is the service’s first ERO review since a change of ownership in April 2022.
The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum and is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation. This demonstrates an understanding of the learning, interests, whānau and life contexts of tamariki.
The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is respected with opportunities for tamariki to develop an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The curriculum supports the rights of each tamaiti to be confident in their own culture and encourages tamariki to understand and respect other cultures.
Positive steps are in place acknowledging aspirations by parents and whānau.
Next steps include:
Continue to develop the local curriculum as a newly established team.
Explore the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki in continuing to grow the autonomy of tamariki.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Maintaining a record of all safety checks undertaken for children’s workers in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7A]
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
25 January 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Darlings Childcare Centre |
|
Profile Number |
40059 |
|
Location |
Rotorua |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
20 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
|
Service roll |
17 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
25 January 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2021; Education Review, April 2018 |
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 |
Not meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Not meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Not meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Not meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.
Little Darlings Childcare Centre is a privately owned centre. Since the 2018 ERO review the number of children the service is licensed for has decreased upon request of the owner. The centre has not responded to strengthen areas identified in the previous report relating to self review and appraisal.
The service is not meeting regulatory standards in a significant number of areas.
The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children experience positive relationships with adults in a language-rich environment. The curriculum is non-compliant in relation to involving children in decisions about their learning experiences.
The service must ensure that outdoor equipment and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use. Effective governance and management systems have not been sustained. The service’s premises and health and safety processes do not meet regulatory standards.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C1, C7, HS1, HS4, HS7, HS8, HS17, HS27, HS28, HS31, PF5, GMA6, GMA7, GMA7a]
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.
The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
11 February 2021
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Darlings Childcare Centre |
|
Profile Number |
40059 |
|
Location |
Rotorua |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
12 children, including up to 5 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
7 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 3, NZ European/Pākehā 4 |
|
Review team on site |
1st December 2020 |
|
Date of this report |
11 February 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review, April 2018 Education Review, May 2014 |
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: