85 Charles Prevost Drive, Manurewa, 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 The Gardens ECE 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 |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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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 |
The Gardens ECE, in Charles Prevost Road, is one of three services under the same ownership. The centre has three separate areas for infants, toddlers and older children. Families and kaiako reflect the diverse cultures in the community. A small number of children are Māori, and 15 percent of children have Pacific heritage.
ERO’s 2018 report identified sound governance and positive relationships with families and children. This continues to be evident.
Children up to two years of age experience care that is responsive to their changing preferences and routines. Older children are confident communicators and engage well in conversations with peers and adults. Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Kaiako respect and respond in meaningful ways to the identities, languages and cultures of the children attending.
Planning and assessment practices are based on a kaupapa Māori approach to learning. Kaiako are knowledgeable about children’s learning and development. They identify each child’s varied strengths and interests. Kaiako could now focus on ways to extend and support children to deepen the complexity of their play and lead their own learning. Curriculum evaluation could focus more closely on the extent to which the curriculum is relevant and responsive to the children.
Kaiako provide parents with opportunities to share their aspirations for their children’s learning at enrolment and throughout their child’s time at the centre. Parents spoke with ERO about the close working relationships with local schools, that support children to transition to school.
Shared leadership and mentoring opportunities are growing kaiako knowledge and capability. A thoughtful process of long-term and spontaneous internal evaluation is well aligned with kaiako individual research inquiries. These processes are used by kaiako to grow their knowledge, challenge their professional thinking and make improvements to teaching practices.
The service provider and managers use their individual strengths and passions to operate the service effectively. A culture of positivity and high relational trust supports retention of staff.
The Gardens ECE will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of The Gardens ECE 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
20 May 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | The Gardens ECE |
| Profile Number | 10355 |
| Location | Manurewa, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
70 children, including up to 20 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
68 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 4 |
|
Review team on site |
January 2021 |
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Date of this report |
20 May 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018 Education Review, December 2014 |
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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.
The Gardens ECE in Charles Prevost Road is one of a group of three centres owned by The Gardens Early Childhood Education Limited. It is in a purpose built facility and offers either sessional or all day education and care for up to 70 children, including 20 up to two years old. There are designated areas for infants, toddlers and children over two years.
The centre caters for a culturally diverse community. The roll includes a large group of Indian children and smaller numbers of Māori, Asian and children of other ethnicities. The teaching team reflects this diversity.
An experienced leadership team provides support and guidance for the group of centres. Leaders have established a management framework and overarching policies and procedures to guide centre practices. They delegate many day-to-day responsibilities to team leaders.
Teachers are supported to participate in many professional development opportunities and to become reflective practitioners. Ten staff members are registered teachers. An external mentor supports provisionally registered teachers with their development. She also helps team leaders to develop their capacity to appraise teachers.
A shared philosophy to encourage children to work at their own pace, make choices and learn self-help skills, underpins the curriculum. There is also recognition of parents' role as primary caregivers and partners in children's learning.
This review was part of a cluster of three reviews in The Gardens Early Childhood Education Limited organisation.
Children enjoy each other's company and are confident in their learning and play. Warm, respectful relationships between parents and staff support children’s sense of belonging and self-worth. Children take turns and are cooperative in their play. They choose from different areas of play that cater for their current interests. Displays of children’s different languages and experiences reflect responsive teaching practices.
Provision for children up to two years of age is well considered and nurturing. Teachers are sensitive to children’s preferences and requirements. They interact with infants and toddlers in a calm, caring manner and provide them with opportunities for mixed-age play.
The centre's programme reflects the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A teacher focus on children's dispositions for learning has helped strengthen planning and assessment. This development should help teachers provide more continuity in assessment portfolios to show children's progress.
The centre’s commitment to biculturalism is evident in the willingness of staff to improve their use of te reo Māori and ways to include more aspects of te ao Māori in the programme. Māori children are well supported in their learning and development. Teachers' use of Te Whatu Pōkeka (Kaupapa Māori Assessment for Learning) has provided them with greater respect for children's mana and the knowledge they bring with them.
Very good trusting relationships with parents/whānau help teachers include family aspirations for their children in programme planning. Centre leaders and teachers have reviewed ways to build on these relationships to develop partnerships with parents and whānau that are focused on children's learning. This has been an ongoing focus for centre improvement.
The contributions of the culturally diverse community of children, teachers and parents supports a centre ethos of inclusivity. Children with additional needs are well catered for through the centre’s well considered approaches that are personalised for these priority learners. Where necessary, leaders and teachers access and use the expertise of external agencies.
Centre leaders have implemented an appraisal process that helps teachers become more effective in supporting children’s learning. With support from the centre leaders, teachers continue to develop their planning, assessment and evaluation processes.
Centre operations are guided by clear future planning and a shared vision. Teachers have responded positively to the supervisor's collaborative leadership by increasingly contributing to the centre's continuous improvement. Professional development encourages teachers to undertake individual inquiries into their practice.
The Gardens Early Childhood Education Limited organisation provides sound governance for the group of three centres. Leaders model the positive relationships that underpin the organisation's philosophy and have established a culture of meaningful internal evaluation. They are committed to the ongoing professional development of staff and to maintaining inclusive environments for diverse learners.
Leaders have identified continuing teachers' mentoring and leadership development as a key priority. This should include embedding the use of Te Whatu Pōkeka, helping teachers to develop a shared understanding of child-led learning, and a review of the ways learning environments are organised. Leaders are also supporting teachers to expand links with their communities.
Centre leaders agree that the key next steps for centre development should include:
considering strategies to more consistently extend children's learning
further developing teachers' reflective practices in relation to planned internal evaluation
growing leadership within the centre.
Before the review, the staff and management of The Gardens ECE 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.
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 The Gardens ECE will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
13 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 |
Manurewa, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10355 |
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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 |
70 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
74 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 37 Girls 37 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
27 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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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 |
13 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
December 2011 |
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|
Education Review |
September 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:
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.