4 Oteha Valley Road, Northcross, 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 The Junction Early Childhood Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
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Ngā Akatoro Domains |
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Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding |
The Junction Early Learning Centre is a family-owned centre providing full-day and sessional options for children up to five years of age. The service provider also owns a second centre. Children attending reflect the ethnically diverse cultures in the community. Many of the children, families and teachers speak more than one language.
Nurturing relationships with adults have supported children to develop a strong sense of belonging. Inclusive teaching practices encourage children to confidently initiate conversations with adults and other children.
The curriculum aligns with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the service’s philosophy, which includes a focus on empowerment and relationships. Teachers support children to take responsibility for their learning and to contribute their ideas. Children’s learning and their perspectives are included in wall displays and assessment records.
The environment is thoughtfully planned with meaningful provocations that reflect teachers’ ongoing commitment to extend children’s learning. The outdoor environment offers further play and exploration opportunities for children to develop their imaginative and physical skills. Teachers promote children’s oral language, numeracy and literacy by incorporating these into daily learning experiences.
The inclusion of karakia and waiata is an integral part of centre practices. Teachers confidently use kupu Māori (Māori words). Children understand and are responsive to teachers’ use of te reo Māori.
Teachers include a range of cultural experiences and languages in the programme. Displays celebrate the cultures of children attending. Teachers could improve assessment records by documenting how individual children’s languages and cultures are responded to.
Leaders support teachers to develop their leadership capability. A good level of relational trust is evident among the team. Ongoing professional learning and a useful teacher appraisal process also contribute to the development of teachers’ practice. Focusing on teachers’ use of evaluation findings to guide improved teaching practices is a priority action for leaders.
The owner’s clear vision to provide a quality early childhood education service is reflected in the learning environment and management of the centre. Strategic and annual planning is well developed and underpinned by a sound policy and management framework.
The Junction Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Document how the curriculum supports children’s home languages and cultural identities in teachers’ assessment of children’s learning.
Grow teachers’ evaluation of the effectiveness of their teaching practice on children’s learning.
Continue building teachers’ professional capability by providing opportunities for leadership.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Junction Early Childhood Centre 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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
9 November 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
The Junction Early Childhood Centre |
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Profile Number |
10332 |
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Location |
Northcross, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
48 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
27 |
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Review team on site |
June 2022 |
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Date of this report |
9 November 2022 |
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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 |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
Since 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.
The Junction Early Learning Centre is a family owned centre that provides full-day and sessional options for children aged 0 to 5 years. There are two separate areas for different age groups of children. This is the first ERO review of the service under new ownership.
Teachers provide education and care demonstrating an understanding of children’s learning and development. The service curriculum reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Te reo Māori is integrated into day-to-day teaching practices.
The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. These include quiet spaces, areas for physically active play, and space for a range of individual and group learning opportunities.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
10 December 2020
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Early Childhood Service Name |
The Junction Early Learning Centre |
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Profile Number |
10332 |
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Location |
Northcross, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
48 children, including up to 14 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
40 |
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Gender composition |
Female 22 Male 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 4 NZ European/Pākehā 6 Chinese 8 Pacific 7 South African 5 other ethnic groups 10 |
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Review team on site |
October 2020 |
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Date of this report |
10 December 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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First ERO review of the service |
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:
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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.
Junior Junction Northcross is privately owned and operates under the umbrella of Junior Junction Holdings Limited. The owner delegates responsibility for day-to-day operations to the centre manager. The centre offers all-day education and care service and day sessions for a maximum of 48 children, including up to 14 children aged under two. A well designed and maintained outside play area adds to the ambience of this centre.
A strong sense of whanaungatanga (relationships and connections), manaakitanga (caring and respect for one another), kaitiakitanga (providing a safe happy and purposeful learning environment) and mana tangata (empowering growth and learning for children) are valued in the centre. The philosophy states that teachers support confident young children to explore, create and innovate their learning to help develop an understanding of their place and themselves. Next steps identified in ERO's 2015 review of the centre were to develop performance management processes, enhance leadership, and strengthen planning, assessment and evaluation practices to improve the quality of learning outcomes for children. The owner, manager and centre staff have progressed these priorities well over the last three years.
The centre philosophy is well embedded in teachers' practices and contribute to positive learning outcomes for children. Children are well engaged in programmes with adults who show high levels of respect for them. Children are encouraged to take leadership roles, are capable learners and confidently interact with peers and adults. Parents appreciate their children's care and learning and the centre leadership.
Teachers have implemented a strong bilingual literacy learning component. Other community languages are also encouraged as families have a high number of different ethnicities.
Teachers use good strategies to encourage and enhance children's learning. They use an inquiry process, ask questions to extend children's thinking, and promote discussions on emerging topics of interest. Teachers offer a curriculum that is child led and responsive to children's needs.
Teachers are open to learning, willing to innovate, create, and explore new opportunities to extend children's learning. Teachers collaborate well and meet regularly for programme planning. Useful staff meetings are held monthly, or more often if required.
Good quality resources are well presented and enable children to make choices in their play. The environment is visually vibrant and stimulating. Teachers make learning exciting and fun.
Staff have worked with local schools to develop ongoing connections and transition to school processes. These practices have resulted in children experiencing positive transitions into school.
The centre manager leads with energy and an enthusiastic, positive attitude towards children, parents and staff. She is building the leadership of teachers through a distributed leadership model. Staff work collaboratively with a shared vision and children at the centre of their focus.
The appraisal process has been strengthened. The quality of teaching has been enhanced by effective appraisal and appropriate professional development in recent years.
The key next steps for the centre manager and teachers are to:
reflect further on children's learning over time to identify next steps for teaching
improve alignment between the annual and strategic plan
evaluate the impact of teaching practices on outcomes for children
continue to build on and document internal evaluation across all centre operations.
Before the review, the staff and management of Junior Junction Northcross 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 Junior Junction Northcross will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
27 June 2018
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 |
Albany, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10332 |
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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 |
48 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
45 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2018 |
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Date of this report |
27 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2015 |
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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:
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.