41 B McIntyre Road, Mangere Bridge, Auckland
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 Spotted Frog Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Spotted Frog Preschool is a privately owned service that provides for children aged two to five years. It offers full-day education and care in a semi-structured, play-based curriculum. The centre director and head teacher lead a team of four registered teachers and three support staff. The service is part of Te Iti Kahurangi Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning network.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They express their feelings and thoughts confidently. Teachers use Pacific languages and cultural practices to promote children’s participation and learning. Children from diverse cultural backgrounds are aware that their identity, culture and language are valued.
Teachers are committed to promoting success for Māori children. They are initiating practices consistent with the Tātaiako cultural competencies framework for teachers of Māori children. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are becoming an integral part of the learning programme.
Children’s learning and development are supported through caring and positive learning experiences with teachers. Oral language is given priority, and teachers understand the importance of how this contributes to the development of each child’s identity. Children’s learning preferences are met within the well-resourced and flexible indoor-outdoor flow of the day. The service provides a carefully managed and supportive transition to school through the strong relationships it has with local schools.
It is acknowledged that teachers are in the early stages of implementing a local curriculum that is aligned with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Parents who spoke with ERO were positive about the education and care their children receive. They value the staff relationships and communication between the service and home. Teachers seek the views of parents about strategies for responding to children’s cultures and identities. This has impacted positively on outcomes for children’s learning.
Leaders model and encourage collaboration in the teaching team. Teachers reflect on their teaching practices to ensure meaningful learning outcomes for children. Ongoing internal evaluation informs change and improvement. The implementation of the Professional Growth Cycle, as aligned with Teaching Council expectations, should further strengthen teacher inquiry and evaluation.
Leaders have established strong whānau and community relationships. They actively collaborate with local community networks, as well as government and social service agencies to support positive outcomes for children.
Spotted Frog Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Spotted Frog Preschool 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-compliances:
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
24 September 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Spotted Frog Preschool |
| Profile Number | 46797 |
| Location | Mangere Bridge |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
50 children |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
73 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 13, NZ European/Pākehā 34, Indian 7, Chinese 4, |
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Review team on site |
May 2021 |
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Date of this report |
24 September 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 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.
Spotted Frog Preschool provides all-day education and care for up to 50 children over two years of age. The centre is privately owned and operates from a new purpose-built facility in Mangere Bridge, Auckland. Most children attending are Pākehā, together with a small number of Māori and Pacific children.
The director has a clear vision for the centre and ensures that the centre's philosophy is reflected in practice. She is a registered teacher, and the day to day manager and leader of the centre. She is supported by a head teacher. Qualified teachers make up the teaching team.
Children are cared for and learn in a mixed-aged setting. They play in well organised and attractive indoor and outdoor areas.
Spotted Frog Preschool opened in September 2015. This is ERO's first review of the centre.
Children are settled and have trusting and warm relationships with teachers. They play together happily in mixed age groups. Teachers' interactions with children and families are nurturing, affirming, and respectful. Teachers provide children with good opportunities to collaborate, negotiate, and problem solve together.
Children are confident speakers, and they share their ideas with teachers and peers. Teachers support children to build their vocabulary and understanding by reading with them and engaging them in conversation. Mathematics and science concepts are integrated into the daily programme.
Children have good access to high quality resources. The outdoor area is attractively set out. It offers children choice of play with access to a range of activities to help them to develop their physical skills and confidence. The indoor environment offers spaces which invite children to play. Local excursions and walks extend children's physical movement and knowledge, and their confidence in the local community. Groups of children regularly visit the Mangere Mountain.
Bicultural practice is developing. Teachers are committed to using te reo Māori as part of their daily routines. Teachers plan further work to build their confidence in te reo and tikanga Māori.
The centre owner/director has a clear vision and sets the direction for the service. The teaching team have developed a good professional work culture. They collaborate well and work towards shared understandings about effective practice, with a focus on improvement. The distributive sharing of responsibilities is developing.
Teachers have established planning and evaluation frameworks. They plan activities from observing children's emerging interests, and considering their common interests. Teachers should plan more deliberately for children to lead their own learning, and generate their own thinking. They should support children to work together to extend and create more challenge and complexity in their play.
Teachers have built close relationships with families. Parents share with teachers their aspirations for their children's learning. Teachers use an online portal to communicate with parents about their children's development. Teachers could reflect on the intent of individual children's portfolios, and ensure that children's cultures and languages are acknowledged. Portfolios should show the learning journey of each child, and the development of their interests and strengths over time.
Parents are important contributors to the centre's operation and development. They regularly participate in the centre, attend information evenings, and their opinions are sought through surveys. They regularly respond to their children's experiences through the online portal, and informally during drop off and pick up times.
Teachers have built good relationships with the local school. Children and families are well supported through effective transition to school practices.
Internal evaluation processes and operations are well established. Leaders use internal evaluation to ensure there is a focus on improvement. The recent review of the centre's philosophy statement is purposeful, and includes indicators that can be used to reflect on centre practices.
The centre is consolidating its effective practices. Key next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Spotted Frog Preschool 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 Spotted Frog Preschool will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
7 February 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 |
Mangere Bridge, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46797 |
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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 aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
79 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 45 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2017 |
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Date of this report |
7 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
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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:
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.