51 Davies Road, Wellsford
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.
ERO’s judgements for Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre is a privately owned centre. Children are cared for and learn in a mixed-aged setting. The qualified co-owners lead a team of two qualified kaiako and three unqualified staff. The centre philosophy is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They learn in a play-based context. Kaiako foster tuakana/teina relationships for children through different learning opportunities. Calm and affirming learning environments help young children feel relaxed and secure. Children are well supported to transition into, within, and from the centre.
Children have easy access to a wide variety of resources in a well-presented learning environment. The spacious outside area offers a range of challenges that promote risk taking and the development of children’s physical skills.
Parents and whānau have opportunities to be engaged in their children’s learning. Parents who communicated with ERO expressed an appreciation of the positive and trusting relationships they experience, and the genuine interest and care kaiako have for their children.
Kaiako, parents and whānau collaborate to ensure children with diverse learning needs have access to inclusive education and care. They work with relevant agencies to support children’s learning and wellbeing. A significant feature of the centre is the affirming ways kaiako encourage children to learn the New Zealand Sign Language.
Kaiako value te ao Māori concepts. They provide opportunities for children to hear and learn te reo Māori and tikanga in ways that are respectful to Māori culture.
Kaiako planning frameworks have been revised and now include explicit learning activities. Children’s assessment portfolios contain meaningful information for parents that show their child’s learning and development over time.
Kaiako work collaboratively to share ideas to inform programme planning. Leaders acknowledge the need to share the centre’s strategic intentions with kaiako. Developing indicators to measure how well the centre is progressing towards and achieving the strategic intentions would be useful.
The centre is establishing frameworks and processes to do and use evaluation for improvement. Appropriate tools are used to collect a range of evidence to inform evaluation information. Leaders now need to build the capability and collective capacity to support kaiako to participate in the evaluation process.
Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Natural Wonders Early Learning 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.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
8 November 2021
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre |
|
Profile Number |
46763 |
|
Location |
Wellsford |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable) |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
44 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 12, NZ European/Pākehā 20, Asian 4, Pacific 4, |
|
Review team on site |
July 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
8 November 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, May 2018 |
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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.
Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre (ELC) is a privately owned and operated centre in central Wellsford. This service provides full-day education and care for up to 30 children, including up to 12 aged up to two years.
A family-focused and collaborative philosophy supports children of all ages to play and learn together using a tuakana/teina approach. Approximately half of all children who attend the centre are Māori, or have a Pacific heritage.
This is the first ERO review of Natural Wonders ELC, established in July 2015 by the owner/managers.
The centre philosophy is evident in promoting wellbeing, and supportive and respectful relationships at all levels. Teachers know children well, and use this knowledge to creatively provide interesting and inviting resources for them to investigate. Some good examples of skilful teacher questioning prompt children's deeper thinking as they play and explore. This also builds children's awareness of other children's play, and helps them manage their social interactions with a strong sense of belonging.
Leaders and teachers have placed great emphasis on meeting the needs of infants and toddlers within a mixed-age setting. They promote a tuakana/teina culture where children support their younger peers as they learn through play and familiar routines. Great care is given to supporting infants and toddlers through a nurturing primary caregiver approach, and teachers are highly responsive. Teachers and parents work closely together to support transitions for these youngest children.
The curriculum design is developing, and aligns with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Leaders demonstrate commitment to professional development and research-based teaching approaches. Teachers share their knowledge of children and their interests, through attractive portfolios. These records are individualised to highlight children's personality, preferences and developing dispositions for learning. A growing bicultural commitment is fostered through
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa professional development that supports teachers' use of te reo Māori.
The ELC owners work in partnership with their parent community to achieve the best outcomes for children. Leaders are strong advocates for the wellbeing of children and their families, and teachers have received targeted training to support them in promoting this. Very sound systems are in place to ensure that administrative and legal requirements are met. A clear structure and consultative approach are in place to foster positive outcomes for all.
Centre leaders are focused on ongoing improvement, and are reflective thinkers. They have created a strategic plan for property developments, and an annual plan that outlines timelines for other key activities in 2018. These guiding documents could provide a foundation for internal evaluation of the programme, if more deliberately aligned to the vision, philosophy and centre values. A more planned, streamlined approach would help leaders to prioritise areas for curriculum improvement and coordinate their activities in enhancing the programme. This planning should also define specific goals and actions that formalise and clarify their bicultural commitment.
Leaders are keen to enhance their approach to internal evaluation so that they can identify the extent to which key aspects of programme and practice are promoting the service philosophy and values. They have an appropriate focus on developing a robust, planned approach to internal evaluation for sustained improvement.
Appraisal processes continue to be developed with greater alignment to staff job descriptions and to align with 2017 requirements of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession. A formalised approach for mentoring staff, could provide opportunities for sharing positive practices, and continuing to grow consistency in planning, teaching and assessment.
Before the review, the staff and management of Natural Wonders Early Learning 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 Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
7 May 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 |
Wellsford |
||
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46763 |
||
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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 |
30 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
42 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
15 |
|
|
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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
April 2018 |
||
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Date of this report |
7 May 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
||
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.