Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
47096
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
50
Telephone:
Address:

8 Ngutumanga Road, Te Aroha

View on map

Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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.

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whāngai Establishing
Whāngai Establishing

ERO’s judgements for Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre are as follows:

2 Context of the Service

Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre philosophy values the use of open-ended materials and unhurried learning. A fifth of learners currently enrolled are identified as Māori, and a small number are of Pacific heritage. Children learn in two separate age-based environments and have access to a large, well established outdoor area.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience an unhurried curriculum that fosters their curiosity, imagination, independence and confidence. A language-rich learning environment promotes oral language development. Respectful teacher practice enables younger children to have time and space to lead their own learning. Transitions into, through and out of the service are responsive to children’s individual needs.

There is some inclusion of Māori culture within daily experiences. Teachers are beginning to develop cultural knowledge to be able to respond to all children’s cultures, languages and identity. Learning is supported through a range of play-based experiences.

Positive relationships with parents and whānau create opportunities for them to contribute to planning with a focus on children’s learning and development. There is some consideration of children’s cultures in gathered information. Assessments demonstrate children’s progress over time. Teachers are at an early stage in developing a shared understanding of the valued outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in relation to children’s learning.

Leaders are establishing the conditions that enable collaboration for improvement. Relational trust between leaders and teachers aids an openness to change. Professional development and collaborative reflections on teaching practice are contributing to ongoing growth of knowledge. Internal evaluation is undertaken within a useful framework. The service has yet to consider the impact of shifts in teaching practice on learning outcomes for individuals and groups of children over time.

Governance initiatives promote aspects of equity for participation and inclusion of children and their families. Children’s wellbeing is at the centre of decision making.

4 Improvement actions

Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Build teacher understanding of how identified priorities for learning align to Te Whāriki learning outcomes to better inform curriculum decisions and associated planning.

  • Deepen an understanding of individual children’s languages, cultures, and identities, and use this knowledge to inform curriculum, planning and assessment.

  • Strengthen internal evaluation to be able to identify the impact of improvement actions on outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Inspiring Minds Early Learning 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:

  • 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)

  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

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)

28 June 2023 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

47096

Location

Te Aroha

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 15 children aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

68

Review team on site

May 2023

Date of this report

28 June 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku | Assurance Review, September 2022. Education Review, June 2018

Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre

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.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

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.

Background

Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre is privately owned and operated. The current roll of 53 includes small groups who identify as Māori or Samoan learners. Tamariki learn in two separate age-based environments and have access to a large, established outdoor area.

Summary of Review Findings

The design and layout of the premises include quiet spaces, areas for physically active play and space for learning experiences appropriate to the number, ages, and abilities of tamariki attending. The service curriculum provides tamariki opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development both indoors and outdoors. Kaiako providing education and care engage in meaningful positive interactions to enhance the learning of tamariki and nurture reciprocal relationships. A philosophy statement guides the service’s operation.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • Increase the opportunities tamariki have to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts.

  • Strengthen the extent to which information documented about tamariki learning reflects their identity, language and culture.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • All children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Vulnerable Children Act 2014. Every children’s worker must be safety checked every three years. Safety checks may be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf. 

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7A]

Next ERO Review

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

19 September 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

47096

Location

Te Aroha

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

53

Review team on site

July 2022

Date of this report

19 September 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2018

General Information about Assurance Reviews

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.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • 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.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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.