12 Gumdigger Place, Raumanga, Whangarei
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 and Robin Early Childhood 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 |
Christopher and Robin Early Childhood Centre is owned by Potential Plus Education Limited. The centre manager is a registered teacher who leads a team of six qualified teachers, three unqualified teachers and two support staff. Children of Māori heritage make up almost half of the roll.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They are settled and confidently explore their learning environments. Teachers support children’s developing social competence and verbal language through nurturing positive relationships. Similarly, infants and toddlers experience calm, and unhurried routines. Children with additional learning needs are well supported in an inclusive curriculum.
Leaders and teachers demonstrate whanaungatanga and manaakitanga in meaningful ways with whānau. The individual needs of children and their whānau are responded to and foster equitable opportunities for learning. Whānau aspirations for the learning of their children are gathered in informal ways to inform planning and assessment. This information could now be used to enhance the development of a learning focused partnership in planning for individual learners.
The centre’s bicultural programme is developed with the support of a whanau member who is the local kaumatua. This has been beneficial in strengthening teaching practice. Some teachers are skilled in using te reo Māori in the context of children’s play. Staff are well positioned to increase their knowledge and skills in this area of their practice.
A newly developed system for programme planning, and evaluation is at an early stage of implementation. This planning process is yet to include the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the evaluation of its impact on children’ learning and development.
Good quality policies and procedures have been established to guide staff. Internal evaluation is a collaborative process that is focused on improvements. Teachers are yet to demonstrate how effective their teaching strategies are in supporting children’s learning. Leaders ensure teachers have good access to relevant professional learning opportunities to build on their shared understanding.
Christopher and Robin Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Christopher and Robin Early Childhood 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 February 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Christopher and Robin Early Childhood Centre |
| Profile Number | 25405 |
| Location | Whangarei, Northland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 75 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 50 |
| Review team on site | November 2023 |
| Date of this report | 13 February 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, December 2019; Education Review, July 2016 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Christopher and Robin Early Childhood Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Christopher and Robin Early Childhood Centre provides full-day care and education for 75 children, including up to 25 aged under two years. Children are grouped according to age in two separate learning spaces. About a third of enrolled children are of Māori heritage.
The centre is privately owned by a company. A director of the company provides governance support. The teaching team has been through a restructure. New centre leaders have recently been appointed and include a manager and two head teachers. They lead a team of six other qualified teachers, two teachers in training and a teacher aide.
The philosophy is underpinned by Christian values. The focus is on empowering children to take ownership for their learning in partnership with teachers and whānau. The values of generosity and community-mindedness are encouraged.
The 2015 ERO report highlighted the calm and settled environment and positive interactions between children and teachers. Bicultural practice was recognised as a strength. These good practices have been maintained. Areas for review and development included strategic planning to promote Māori success and expectations of high-quality leadership and teaching practices. Strategic planning is an area for continued development.
Children experience positive respectful interactions with adults. They confidently approach adults for conversation and support, and have opportunities to lead their play and learning. Children care for each other and have developed strong friendships.
Teachers provide individual care for infants and toddlers. A 'key teacher' system enables teachers to build deeper relationships with children and their whānau. Key teachers ensure each child's care needs are met, which promotes children's wellbeing and sense of belonging in the centre. The infants and toddlers teaching team has benefited from specialised professional learning that has prompted reflective thinking and evaluation about the impact of current processes and practices on outcomes for younger children.
Te ao Māori is evident in centre practices and documentation. Two teachers are supporting the team to strengthen bicultural practices. Leaders and teachers have identified as a key next step, the development of kaiako and tamariki pepehā and mihi whakatau.
Leaders have recently established a centre-wide approach to programme planning based on teachers' observations of children's learning dispositions, strengths and interests. Each child has an individual assessment portfolio. Parents' aspirations for their children's learning are becoming more evident in portfolios. Teachers have started using Te Whāriki (2017), the early childhood curriculum, to promote continued review and improvement of programme planning processes.
Indoor learning environments are well set out by teachers and invite children's exploration. Outdoor areas are currently under review. Leaders and teachers need to ensure outdoor play surfaces are fit for purpose and provide protection from injury. A comprehensive centre-wide audit of equipment and learning resources needs to occur to ensure children can choose from a wide range of resources, experience challenge, and engage in more complex play for sustained periods of time.
Leaders and teachers are currently undertaking a review of the centre's philosophy to ensure it reflects the beliefs and practices of the current teaching team. An organisational culture of ongoing improvement is becoming established. The new leadership team is promoting deeper thinking about quality outcomes for children through robust internal evaluation. The team could now consider ways to bring more cohesion to the service's guiding documents through closer alignment of strategic goals, annual plans, appraisal goals and internal evaluation projects.
Key next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Christopher and Robin 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:
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
19 December 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 | Raumanga, Whangarei | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 25405 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 75 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 years | ||
| Service roll | 76 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 48 Girls 28 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā other ethnic groups | 21 47 8 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | October 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 19 December 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | February 2015 | |
| Education Review | September 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.
| Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Christopher and Robin Early Childhood Centre is located in a commercial area in Raumanga on the outskirts of Whangarei. It caters for children from birth to school age in a spacious and well maintained facility. The centre provides nutritious meals for children, including breakfast and a late afternoon tea for those remaining at the centre until 5.30pm. The majority of children attending the centre are either Māori or Pākehā.
The centre is divided into two separate areas, one for infants and toddlers, and one for preschool children. Both areas have their own outdoor space with equipment, resources and teaching approaches appropriate for the ages and stages of children. Younger children transition through to the preschool area when they are ready from two years upwards.
The centre philosophy is based on Christian beliefs, and values of acceptance, generosity, reflection and respect. The two rooms operate using carefully selected early childhood educational approaches for the different age groups. Infants and toddlers experience calm, relaxed and respectful approaches inspired by Magda Gerber. Approaches used for older children are based on the Reggio Emilia theories and practices. Teachers are well qualified and most are fully registered or are training for their qualifications. Along with capable centre leaders, they ensure that teaching and learning approaches meet the individual needs of all children.
In November 2014 the centre changed ownership. Until this time the centre had been owned and operated by the same experienced owner/director since it opened in 2008. This long serving centre director has been contracted by the new owners to remain in the centre for 12 months to ensure a smooth transition to new ownership. The 2011 ERO report identified many positive aspects in the centre that continue to be evident.
Children are settled, calm and confident in their centre environment. They have positive interactions with their teachers and are kind and friendly to each other. Babies and toddlers benefit from having a primary caregiver, and from teachers whose approaches are gentle, inclusive and unhurried. As a result, younger children have a strong sense of security and are confident to engage with other adults and children. Older children are equally confident. They experience long periods of uninterrupted play and have ready access to good quality equipment and resources.
Teachers are highly skilled and plan learning programmes based on their knowledge and understanding of how each child best learns, and on children’s individual interests, talents and gifts. These personalised approaches are well balanced by group projects that provide very good opportunities for older children to be further challenged and extended.
Teachers carefully integrate elements of science, mathematics, literacy, technology and the Arts into project work. They use children’s learning stories as a planning tool to revisit children’s key learning experiences and identify their strengths. Parents are well engaged in the programme and have trusting relationships with teachers. As a consequence of these good practices, children are highly engaged in their learning.
Teachers affirm Māori children’s language, culture and identity throughout the programme. Some teachers are particularly confident and skilled in using te reo Māori and promoting Māori concepts. Centre leaders are now keen to further promote a bicultural focus in all aspects of the centre’s curriculum design and delivery. They are also keen to promote a greater connection between the Reggio Emilia and Magda Gerber philosophies that underpin practices for the two different age groups. Leaders believe, and ERO agrees, that this next step would provide even better transition for children as they move through the centre.
Teachers intentionally foster children’s language development and use open-ended questioning that allows children to express their ideas, thoughts and opinions. Children also have meaningful learning experiences from well planned trips to places beyond the centre.
Teachers are respected and valued as highly professional educators. The experienced centre director is committed to promoting positive outcomes for children and to continually improving educators’ learning. She is generous with time and resourcing to promote teachers’ professional knowledge and to grow teachers as leaders throughout the centre. The director, very capable team leaders and teachers work collaboratively to promote ongoing change and improvement. This good work includes teachers reflecting on and critiquing their own practice.
The centre’s strategic plan is clearly aligned to teacher appraisal goals and professional learning provisions. Leaders and teachers understand and use self review very well to improve the service. As part of this improvement, centre leaders have identified that an important further development is to further promote partnerships with parents, including with whānau Māori. This would allow staff to incorporate the aspirations and goals that parents and whānau have for their children into the centre’s strategic planning.
The centre director, leaders and ERO agree that, in order to sustain the centre’s high quality and clear vision for the centre, key next steps for the centre include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Christopher and Robin 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:
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 Christopher and Robin Early Childhood Centre will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
25 February 2015
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 | Raumanga, Whangarei | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 25405 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 75 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 73 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 38 Boys 35 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Pākehā Māori Other | 42 26 5 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates | 80% | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:9 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | December 2014 | ||
| Date of this report | 25 February 2015 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | September 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:
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.