- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
How well placed is Magic Garden Under 2's Care & Education Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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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.
Magic Garden Under 2's Care & Education Centre on Auckland’s North Shore, is one of three centres in the Magic Garden complex. It continues to provide high quality care and education for children up to two years old. The well established service has been overseen by the same service provider and long serving teachers for many years. The centre occupies well maintained premises with very good facilities for staff. Nutritious meals are prepared on site by the centre’s cook. The licensee regards the three licences as a single entity in many aspects resulting in administrative and operational systems that are common across the centres.
Successive ERO reports have commented on the positive and affirming relationships among teachers, children and families. They have noted how the child-centred programme nurtures children’s well being, sense of belonging and provokes children’s thinking through trusting relationships with peers and teachers. These positive factors continue to be significant features of the centre.
The centre has responded very well to the 2012 ERO report. Teachers have continued to develop their understanding of bicultural practice. The centre is forging a unique identity through a newly established kapa haka group and centre waiata developed with Māori whānau support.
The centre philosophy embraces Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and integrates aspects of Reggio Emilia, Magda Gerber and the RIE approaches in the programme. A recently designed ‘Priorities for Learning’ document guides teaching and learning. Teachers in the infant centre have also developed their own philosophy that includes promoting calmness, language and respectful care. Managers and teachers are in the process of reviewing the philosophy to further embrace other theoretical approaches.
Most of the enrolled children are from the local community and transition on to the over two centre. There are eight qualified teachers in the centre and one in her final year of training. Infants develop a special bond with two key teachers who support their child’s transition in to the centre and ensure that infants’ individual needs are met.
Infants and toddlers benefit from nurturing, responsive and respectful care. Teachers are aware of and acknowledge children’s culture, individual characteristics and preferences. Hygiene practices are implemented sensitively, maintaining children’s dignity. Children are confident and trusting with adults. They demonstrate a strong sense of attachment, familiarity and security in the centre.
Children play and learn at a relaxed paced in a carefully organised, extensively resourced environment. The environment reflects the centre philosophy and children’s interests, development and learning styles. A New Zealand context and valuing of natural resources is evident in the landscaped outdoor area and play equipment. Children are settled and have fun. Their curiosity and sense of themselves as young learners is fostered, as is their ability to play cooperatively and join in group play.
Teachers’ professional capabilities are fostered through appraisal, distributed leadership and ongoing professional development. Teachers are reflective, work collaboratively and benefit from the centre manager’s effective professional leadership. They are dedicated and improvement focused.
Teachers plan and implement a high quality curriculum. Planning is responsive to children’s interests and influenced by current theories and research. Children’s assessment portfolios are highly valued records of learning and development. Parents are provided with good information about the curriculum and encouraged to contribute their ideas and aspirations.
Teachers understand and provide well for the special characteristics and interests of infants and toddlers. Sensitive and supportive teaching practices affirm and reassure children and encourage them to develop independence. Teachers acknowledge children’s cultural backgrounds and include children’s home languages in greetings and conversations. Bicultural practices and use of te reo Māori is woven through aspects of the programme. Children’s transitions through the centre are carefully managed and are responsive to individual children’s and family needs.
The centre owner/manager has very effective management practices, policies and procedures to inform centre operations. Self review is robust and guides decision making. Parent and community partnerships are integral to the centre. Parents have the opportunity to contribute to self review across the centre. A centre focus on community involvement and valuing families underpins centre operations.
The centre manager and ERO agreed that teachers could continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Magic Garden Under 2's Care & Education 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 Magic Garden Under 2's Care & Education Centre will be in four years.
Dale Bailey Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
27 March 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.
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Location |
Northcross, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10336 |
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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 |
25 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
26 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 16 Boys 10 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Chinese British/Irish African other |
10 6 4 2 4 |
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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 |
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Review team on site |
February 2015 |
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Date of this report |
27 March 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2012 |
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Education Review |
March 2009 |
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Education Review |
February 2006 |
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.
