27-33 Ohinerau Street, Remuera, 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 (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. Information about Akarangi | Quality Evaluations can be found here.
ERO’s judgements for Remuera Discovery Express are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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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 |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Remuera Discovery Express is governed by a board of directors. The owners, who are the centre and business managers, are highly experienced leaders in the early childhood education sector. There are ten qualified and ten unqualified teachers, a cook and an administrator. The cultural heritages of the staff reflect the multicultural community served by the centre.
Children’s engagement in sustained periods of complex play of their own choosing supports their creativity and critical thinking. They use a variety of languages to question and express their ideas. Kaiako respect children’s preferences.
Kaiako and centre leaders actively promote te ao Māori. They regularly use te reo Māori in conversations with children and in curriculum records.
Children up to two years-of-age receive nurturing, respectful care. High quality interactions support children’s independence and learning. Their health and wellbeing are very well catered for. Children with additional needs receive equitable and excellent education and care.
Leaders and kaiako purposely seek the views of children, parents and whānau to inform curriculum decisions and planning. They view children as highly competent, capable learners. Kaiako skilfully incorporate children’s interests, strengths and abilities into curriculum planning to promote children’s deeper thinking. They provide opportunities for children to revisit and evaluate their learning. Children’s cultures and languages enrich a curriculum that honours diversity.
Evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building are sustained and supported by sound policies, systems, processes and practices. Children’s learning is enhanced through a collective commitment by staff to realise the service’s vision, values and goals.
High trust at every level supports collaboration and openness to inform insightful, deliberate change and improvement. Leaders effectively mentor and coach kaiako to develop their teaching and leadership capabilities. This professional support helps the induction of new staff and ensures consistency of teaching across the service.
The centre director and business manager have effectively facilitated collaboration between the service and relevant agencies, including community organisations. These connections have supported broader educational outcomes for all children. Policies and procedures prioritise children’s sense of security and sense of belonging.
Service leaders and the board of directors are vigilant in reducing risk with the aim of providing environments that are physically and emotionally safe for children and adults. They actively promote a positive working environment that sustains high quality adult-child relationships.
Remuera Discovery Express will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Remuera Discovery Express 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.
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
3 February 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Remuera Discovery Express |
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Profile Number |
45735 |
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Location |
Remuera, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
145 children, including up to 50 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
93 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 1 |
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Review team on site |
November 2020 |
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Date of this report |
3 February 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review June 2016 |
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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.
Remuera Discovery Express in Auckland is licensed to provide all day care and education for 145 children, including up to 50 children aged under 2 years. Infants and toddlers are cared for in their own separate indoor and outdoor play spaces, while older children have access to shared play areas. A feature of the indoor environment is a large room that has been set up as a gym. All children can access this space with their teachers.
The service is privately owned and administered by a board of directors. It is staffed by a team of fourteen qualified teachers, two teachers in training, two unqualified teachers and an administrative assistant. One centre owner is the teaching director and the other is the business manager. Both are highly experienced leaders from the early childhood education sector. The cultural diversity of the community is reflected in the teaching team.
The philosophy of the service recognises each child as unique. The aim is to provide a nurturing and caring environment that is stimulating and challenging, and that empowers children to build on their existing skills and knowledge. The provision of a teaching team that is dedicated, multicultural and professional underpins the centre philosophy.
The centre's 2013 ERO report endorsed the high quality programme provided for children of all ages. A positive culture of learning was evident and relationships between children and teachers were warm, supportive and respectful. High quality management systems and an inclusive curriculum were also key features of the centre. These positive aspects have been sustained and enhanced.
Areas for continued development in 2013 related to strengthening the assessment of children's learning and deepening the involvement of children in planning the learning programme. There have been very positive developments in these areas since that time.
The centre philosophy is very evident in practice. The family atmosphere of the centre is welcoming of all families and cultures. Parents appreciate the caring, inclusive and responsive teaching and management teams.
Infants and toddlers form secure attachments with teachers who support their wellbeing and belonging. The unhurried pace of the programme allows these young children time and space to direct their own learning. Teachers' interactions with infants and toddlers are sensitive, gentle and respectful.
Older children play together co-operatively for long periods of time. They are well supported by skilled teachers to develop social competence and have good opportunities to make choices and to be self-managing. Creative complex and imaginative play is promoted and friendships amongst children are evident.
Teachers are responsive to children's interests, providing resources, and using skilled questioning and conversation to extend their thinking. Very good teacher-to-child ratios across the centre allow teachers to respond in-depth to children's individual and group needs. Teachers' modelling of imaginative play supports the development of children's play. Children have good language skills and participate enthusiastically in the programme provided.
The programme for children is differentiated across all age groups. Strong links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, are evident and parents' aspirations for their child's learning are included in programme planning. Children are supported by teachers to set goals for their own learning. Their participation in the programme is captured in numerous photos which are well displayed throughout the centre for children and their whānau to revisit. The teaching team now plans to strengthen te reo, tikanga Māori, and te ao Māori perspectives in the curriculum.
Spacious and well resourced environments are provided for all children. They can participate in a wide range of experiences, and have good opportunities for physical challenge and play. Careful consideration is given to how space is utilised. Children's transitions into and within the various age groups and rooms are also well managed, helping to provide settled and seamless pre-school learning experiences for all.
Leaders encourage the individual professional growth of their teachers and support head teachers to experiment and develop their own ways of working. Robust systems for teacher performance appraisal support continuous improvement in teaching and learning. Teachers affirm the professional learning opportunities provided and the benefits these bring for continually improving practice.
Effective governance and management is informed by the outcomes of ongoing self review and professional development. The leadership team continues to work with teachers to promote continuing high quality programme provisions for children.
To enhance their high quality provision, leaders and teachers plan to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Remuera Discovery Express 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 Remuera Discovery Express will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
10 June 2016
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 |
Remuera, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45735 |
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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 |
145 children, including up to 50 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
115 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 57% |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3% |
|
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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 |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
April 2016 |
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Date of this report |
10 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 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.