80 Central Park Drive, Henderson, Auckland
View on mapERO’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.
Olive Shoots Early Childhood Centre is a Christian service situated on the Laidlaw College Campus. Governance and management are provided by the college committee members and a centre manager. Staff include 10 qualified teachers. There are three areas for children from infants to school age. A small number of Māori children and children with Pacific heritages are enrolled.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures.
The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Teachers support children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.
Ongoing monitoring of practices and systems is required to ensure regulatory standards are maintained.
A next step is to increase the visibility of how teachers respond to parents’ aspirations, in assessment, planning and evaluation information.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Ensuring heavy furniture and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).
Ensuring relevant emergency drills are carried out with children on at least a three-monthly basis (HS8).
Ensuring children are checked for warmth, breathing and general wellbeing at least every 5 to 10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs. This includes maintaining an accurate record of the time each child attending the service sleeps, and checks made by adults during that time (HS9).
Having records that parents/caregivers have given prior written approval of the proposed ratio for regular excursions at the time of enrolment and special excursions prior to the excursion taking place (HS17).
Having a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medicine in accordance with the requirement for the category of medicine outlined in Appendix 3. This includes a record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service, the name and amount of medicine, and time to be given (HS28).
Ensuring that all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014. Safety checks must be undertaken, and the results obtained before the worker has access to children. Safety checks may be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf (GMA7A).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
31 July 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Olive Shoots Early Childhood Centre |
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Profile Number |
20327 |
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Location |
Henderson, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 years |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
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Service roll |
64 |
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Review team on site |
June 2023 |
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Date of this report |
31 July 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2019; Education Review, June 2014 |
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.
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.
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Olive Shoots Early Childhood Centre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Olive Shoots Early Childhood Centre operates on the Laidlaw College Campus in West Auckland. The centre provides education and care for the children of staff and students of Laidlaw College, as well as children from the wider community. It is licensed for 50 children, including 10 under two years of age.
The centre philosophy is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and integrated with Christian values and principles. It reflects a commitment to creating an inclusive learning community where children, teachers, families and whānau are valued and respected. The philosophy emphasises respect, trust and a focus on high quality early childhood education.
Centre leaders and staff work with a management committee from Laidlaw College who provide support for financial and personnel management. The centre reports to the committee monthly on curriculum, administration and centre events.
Since the 2014 ERO review the centre has moved location within the Laidlaw College Campus. This has provided more indoor and outdoor space for children and staff. Children are grouped into three large rooms and outdoor environments, according to age. Older children have access to an outdoor area alongside the centre that provides further opportunities for children's physical and imaginative play.
The 2014 ERO report noted that the centre provided high quality care and education for children. ERO suggested that teachers could continue to strengthen bicultural practices, refine and embed internal evaluation and implement a new appraisal system. Very good progress has been made in these areas.
Children are supported to be independent, confident and highly engaged learners. They settle quickly on arrival and are warmly welcomed by teachers. They lead the direction of their play, and choose play areas based on their interests. The indoor and outdoor environments offer creative and imaginative exploration and challenge for children of all ages.
Trusting and respectful relationships between children, teachers and families are highly evident. Teachers make time to discuss the valued contribution that whānau make to children's learning. They respond well to parents' requests and aspirations. They know children and their families well, and promote a strong sense of belonging to the Olive Shoots community.
Teachers plan skilfully for children's interests and capabilities. They work very effectively with the goals, dispositions and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki. Leaders and teachers provide a well-considered local curriculum that supports authentic learning. Children are well supported to problem solve, learn collaboratively and lead their own learning.
Children have ready access to a wide range of well-considered resources and a high quality learning environment. The environment is thoughtfully designed and presented to affirm and celebrate children’s interests, and extend their learning experiences. Natural resources are highly valued and used creatively throughout the centre.
Children are encouraged to follow their curiosity and develop their own understandings about the world. Children with additional needs are well supported and experience high quality care. Children under the age of two experience nurturing, calm interactions with teachers who know them well. They play and learn in an environment that promotes exploration and supports their development.
Teachers integrate tikanga and te reo Māori into the programme and environment. Well-established partnerships with parents and whānau provide opportunities for them to contribute as valued partners in children's learning.
The centre is very well led. The experienced and capable centre managers promote a collaborative culture that supports high levels of trust and professionalism among staff. Capable and knowledgeable teachers willingly contribute their ideas and talents to achieving positive outcomes for all children. They have opportunities to lead in different areas of centre operations.
Management and governance of the centre are highly effective. Centre managers work collaboratively with the governance committee, and decisions are based on what is best for all children. Their holistic view of the child and family influences the way staff work positively to create a caring and inclusive learning environment.
Internal evaluation is very well understood and is used well to inform the centre's ongoing improvement. The centre has a well-established policy framework and systems that guide its overall operation.
ERO endorses the centre's focus on continuing to enhance very good quality centre practices. Leaders and teachers are using internal evaluation well to identify appropriate next steps for sustaining and building on current highly effective practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Olive Shoots 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:
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
29 March 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.
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Location |
Henderson, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20327 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
82 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 48 Boys 34 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2019 |
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Date of this report |
29 March 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2014 |
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Education Review |
April 2011 |
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Education Review |
April 2008 |
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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:
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:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.