216 Manukau Road, Epsom, 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 Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare Centre 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 |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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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 |
Uptown Kids is a well-established, privately owned centre. Full-day education and care is provided for 27 children. The modified house has a large outdoor area. Governance and management are shared between the owner and centre leaders. These leaders lead the curriculum and a fully qualified ECE teaching team.
Children are confident and settled within their environment. They demonstrate good social and emotional skills, initiate conversations and build friendships with peers. Infants and toddlers experience a calm, peaceful environment with caring and nurturing kaiako.
Kaiako are highly responsive to the culture, language, and identity of children and whānau. Well-established respectful and reciprocal partnerships enable kaiako to build secure and trusting relationships with children and their parents.
Children learn in a play-based environment where they are comfortable to explore, use their imagination and problem solve. Science, literacy, and numeracy concepts are woven through the learning programmes. Leaders and kaiako positively promote children’s independence to lead their learning. Tuakana/teina relationships between older and younger children are nurtured within the centre.
Leaders and kaiako have a good understanding of the service’s curriculum which links to the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They ensure the curriculum is culturally responsive to children and families. Leaders and kaiako respond meaningfully to children’s interests and strengths, and support their development.
Leaders ensure that ongoing internal evaluation is focused on continuous improvement. The effective use of professional learning and development strengthens leaders and kaiako evaluative capabilities and capacity. Leaders and kaiako share their professional knowledge through reflective inquiry and discussions. Parents are given opportunities to participate in internal evaluation and review. These participatory and collaborative processes support kaiako to be open to change.
Leaders advocate for all children to ensure they have access to inclusive education and care. Their collaborative leadership style builds capacity in others. Leaders implement policies and practices that have a positive impact on outcomes for children.
Governance and management operate within a high trust model. They enact the philosophy of the service which reflects a strong commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. The positive, professional working environment retains staff which supports a secure and consistent environment for children.
Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
20 July 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare Centre |
| Profile Number | 25408 |
| Location | Epsom, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
27 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
27 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 1 |
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Review team on site |
April 2021 |
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Date of this report |
20 July 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, July 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.
Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare Centre provides full-day education and care for up to 27 children, including up to 10 under two years of age. It is located in a modified house with a large outdoor area. Children under two years have their own indoor space and ready access to the shared outdoor area. Children of mixed ages play together throughout the day.
Since ERO's 2014 report, the centre has been purchased by a new owner. The centre manager is supported by a team of four experienced teachers.
The centre’s philosophy is aligned to the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It places value on providing a welcoming environment that caters for individual children's needs, and reflects the bicultural nature of Aotearoa New Zealand. The centre serves a multicultural community.
ERO's 2014 report recommended some improvements to management practices and strengthening planning for extending children's play. The centre has made good progress in these areas.
Children are happy, settled and actively engaged in play-based learning. They have a strong sense of belonging to the centre. Children have positive and respectful relationships with teachers and each other. Teachers view children as confident and competent learners.
Children play cooperatively and alongside their peers for sustained periods of time. They support each other in play through tuakana/teina relationships. Children have good opportunities to explore and be physically active in an environment that encourages critical thought and creativity. They are supported to develop independence and problem solving skills, and are empowered to take responsibility for themselves. Teachers provide a well-resourced, home like environment that reflects the centre's values.
Children have a strong sense of their cultural identity. Their cultural backgrounds are reflected in the learning programme and the environment. Children's home languages are valued and used to support learning. Tikanga practices and te reo Māori are fully integrated into daily routines, programme planning and reflect the team's strong commitment to a bicultural curriculum.
Teachers provide individualised and respectful nurturing care for infants. Routines are unhurried, allowing infants opportunities to explore and learn. Teachers respond to infants' early attempts at verbalisation, and use language to soothe and comfort.
Teachers effectively implement a programme that is very responsive to children's strengths and interests. They integrate literacy, mathematics and science into spontaneous activities throughout the day. Planning and assessment practices are effective, well-documented and include parent contributions. Children's assessment portfolios are valued records of learning. Teachers could now consider how to show the progression of children's learning over time.
The centre has effective professional leadership. The centre leader promotes collaboration and team work to support positive outcomes for children. Teachers have opportunities for professional growth through well targeted professional development. Leaders focus on continual improvement and growing teachers' leadership capability.
Sound policy frameworks and systems are in place for the efficient management of the centre. The strategic plan is comprehensive, regularly reviewed and links to the annual plan. Internal evaluation is used to raise teacher capability and inform centre improvements. Staff, parents and children's perspectives are reflected in reviews.
Centre leaders agree that next steps for continual improvement include strengthening:
internal evaluation, by evaluating and documenting the impact of teaching practices on outcomes for children
appraisal processes, through formal observations of teachers' practice that result in useful documented feedback.
Before the review, the staff and management of Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare 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.
The next ERO review of Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
22 August 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 |
Epsom, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25408 |
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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 |
27 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 years |
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Service roll |
23 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 13 Boys 10 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2018 |
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Date of this report |
22 August 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
September 2011 |
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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.