27 Lunn Avenue, Mount Wellington, 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 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.
ERO’s judgements for Tiny Tuis Early Learning Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Tiny Tuis Early Learning Centre is one of two services under common ownership. An experienced centre manager and pedagogical leader oversee running of the service. Three additional head teachers and the service provider, support in managing a large team of qualified and unqualified staff. Families are from culturally diverse backgrounds, including small numbers of Māori and Pacific children.
Children are encouraged to learn with and alongside their peers. The environment is well-resourced, and children are provided with a range of experiences to enhance their learning. Transitions into and within the service respond to individual needs. As a result, children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They recognise and appreciate their own ability to learn.
Teaching practices demonstrate that care and aroha are understood to be an integral part of the curriculum. Through respectful interactions, kaiako respond in ways that weave te ao Māori principles into daily practices. Kaiako are intentional in their use of New Zealand Sign Language to support the inclusion of diverse learners. Leaders acknowledge the need to ensure children’s language culture and identity becomes visible within documentation.
A parent liaison group provides an innovative platform for whānau to contribute to the curriculum design and governance within this service. As a result, learning focused partnerships have been established. Leaders recognise the need to consider how well kaiako are responding to the aspirations of parents through children’s learning assessments.
Evaluation practices within this service express how the team plans for and takes action to realise their vision and philosophy. Relational trust at every level supports collaboration and an openness to change and improvement. Leaders are using the professional growth cycle to increase the capacity of the teaching team to do and use evaluation effectively. They are now looking to ensure outcomes for children are also captured within this system.
The long-standing leadership team work well together to implement operational systems. The recruitment and retention of qualified staff has created a positive working environment that facilitates sustained quality relationships.
Tiny Tuis Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tiny Tuis 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:
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.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
[Licensing criteria for early childhood education and care services 2008]
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
13 March 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Tiny Tuis Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 46095 |
| Location | Mount Wellington, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 100 children, including up to 35 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 114 |
| Review team on site | December 2023 |
| Date of this report | 13 March 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, November 2015 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Tiny Tuis Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tiny Tuis Early Learning Centre is licensed to provide full-time education and care for 100 children, including up to 35 under two years of age. Four learning areas cater for different age groups. Families are from culturally diverse backgrounds, including a small number of Māori children.
The centre is staffed by 17 registered teachers including the centre manager. In 2018 a full-time pedagogical leader role was established to support teachers in assessment, planning and evaluation of the curriculum. The owner remains actively involved in centre operations. A cook prepares meals on site.
The centre philosophy is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the respectful practices of Magda Gerber and Emmi Pikler. Values of respect, inclusiveness and partnership guide teacher practices and curriculum implementation.
Many aspects noted in ERO's 2015 report have been maintained, including positive partnerships with parents. Teachers engaged in professional development, strengthened internal evaluation processes and improved transitions through the centre, including primary caregiving for infants. The enrichment programme for older children continues to be a feature of the programme that is highly valued by parents.
Children are supported to be confident, independent explorers with a strong sense of belonging. They know teacher expectations, have a positive attitude to learning and relate well to others. They have fun as they learn through play.
Teachers understand the special characteristics of infants and toddlers. They maintain a calm environment in which these young children benefit from individualised nurturing and respectful care. Teachers provide well for toddlers’ needs for strong and secure attachments. Children have opportunities to try new things at an unhurried pace.
Children’s wellbeing and social competence are nurtured through affirming, supportive interactions and respectful relationships. Teachers are attentive and responsive to children’s ideas, needs and preferences. Transition into and through the centre is carefully managed, benefiting children and families.
Teachers know the children well. They listen carefully and encourage them to share ideas. Teachers skilfully foster children's oral language development and affirm children using their home languages. Some teachers talk with children in their home language. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to develop their physical skills and join in group activities. Literacy, mathematics and science concepts are integrated through spontaneous play and planned activities.
Children learn in a calm, aesthetically pleasing environment that reflects the values and learning priorities of the centre, and teachers' respect for te ao Māori and children’s family backgrounds. Vibrant and interesting displays show children engaged in learning with clear connections between assessment, planning and evaluation. Teachers work in partnership with families and external agencies to support children with additional learning needs.
Assessment records provide good information about children’s involvement in the programme. Effective use of online tools allows families to have access to information about their child's day and learning. Families frequently access this information, provide positive feedback, share aspirations and contribute to planning for their child's learning.
Teachers work collaboratively to enact the centre philosophy. They have good opportunities to take on leadership roles, attend professional development and share expertise.
There are well-established governance and management processes. A clear vision and a sound strategic plan guide centre development. Comprehensive policies and procedures guide health and safety practices. Centre leaders are proactive, and improvement focused with high expectations of positive outcomes for children. Internal evaluation informs decision making to enhance the programme provided for children.
The centre leaders agree that next steps include:
increasingly recording children's thinking and ideas about their learning and progress
continuing to evaluate how effectively teaching strategies and practices respond to the cultures, languages and identities of all children
increasing resources that enhance opportunities for children to be creative, imaginative and innovative.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tiny Tuis 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:
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 - Te Tai Raki
12 June 2020
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 |
Mt Wellington, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46095 |
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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 |
100 children, including up to 35 aged under 2 years |
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Service roll |
123 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 54% Boys 46% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8% |
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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 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2020 |
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Date of this report |
12 June 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2015 |
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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.