79 Alec Craig Way, Gulf Harbour, Whangaparaoa
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 Gulf Harbour Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Gulf Harbour Preschool is a privately owned, Reggio Emilia philosophy-based service that has served its community since 1996. The centre owner and long-standing centre manager, who are both registered teachers, run the service together. They lead a team of five qualified teachers and one unqualified staff. The service caters for children from two to five years of age from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Children are supported by professionally competent teachers who recognise that every interaction is a learning opportunity. They scaffold children’s learning through sustained, complex conversations and the intentional use of resources. Early literacy and oral language are strong focuses in the programme. Children have opportunities to learn about care for their environment. High ratios of staff to children enable consistent and attentive care.
Children are socially confident and highly engaged in the learning programme. Their mana is well enhanced through meaningful, learning-focused partnerships and generational connections with families. Ongoing engagement with whānau informs curriculum design. Children who require additional learning support are intentionally cared for, and the programme is tailored to meet their needs. Transitions to school are well supported by shared conversations and understandings between the service, the local school and each child’s family.
A feature of the service is the way teachers and leaders authentically promote and role model biculturalism and multiculturalism. Teachers collaboratively engage in critical reflections on Māori pedagogies and educational frameworks to support them to provide a culturally responsive and inclusive programme. Te reo and tikanga Māori are woven through conversations and routines. Children with Pacific heritage experience a programme that celebrates their language, culture, and identity.
Each child’s individuality is acknowledged and visible through high-quality assessment practices. Children’s learning progression and continuity are tracked through their individual portfolios. This information shows that children’s learning, including their numeracy and literacy skills, are enhanced through their participation in a meaningful programme.
A visible link is evident between strategic priorities and internal evaluation. Leaders actively research and implement current teaching theories. Teachers engage in professional learning that continually strengthens their practice with an emphasis on promoting positive learning outcomes for all children.
Service leaders have identified the need to upgrade their student Management System to ensure administrative tasks are met to allow them to continue their focus on providing high-quality education and care.
Gulf Harbour Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Gulf Harbour 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
11 November 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Gulf Harbour Preschool |
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Profile Number |
20560 |
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Location |
Whangaparaoa, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
30 children over 2 years of age |
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Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable) |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 20, Chinese 12, other European 6, other Asian 4, other ethnic groups 3 |
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Review team on site |
June 2021 |
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Date of this report |
11 November 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, December 2016 |
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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.
Gulf Harbour Preschool is located on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula north of Auckland. The centre integrates Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, with the Reggio Emilia approach which has a strong arts and environmental influence. The centre has a new purpose-built atelier derived from the Reggio Emilia tradition. This room is dedicated to art and construction. A teacher who supports learning and play through art, leads this area. The combined curriculum approach meets the needs of the local community, many of whom have longstanding relationships with the centre.
The centre is licensed for 30 children between the ages of two and five years of age. The centre has a positive reporting history and has addressed the recommendations from the 2013 ERO report. The centre owner is also a lead teacher alongside the centre manager. The majority of teachers are long serving and philosophically committed to the centre's child-centred learning approaches.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the centre. They are valued and respected as individuals who, with their families, actively contribute to the programme. Children are keen investigators who test and develop their skills and confidence as they play, explore and learn. They have meaningful conversations with each other and with adults and play cooperatively for sustained periods.
Importance is placed on listening carefully to children and their families. Teachers seek parents' aspirations for their children's learning. They build relationships and cultural connections that support everyone to feel welcome. These strong relationships with whānau help children to engage with learning and become confident and connected learners. Children are relaxed, happy and 'at home' in the centre.
Children's physical wellbeing is promoted. A teacher supports play and physical opportunity in the outside area where a climbing frame and adventure playground provide challenge for older children. Centre leaders plan to provide more unstructured, developmental activities in this area.
Teachers respond to each child with care and sensitivity. They work alongside children to guide and support their next steps in learning. Teachers provide children with opportunities to choose, make decisions, and make mistakes and learn from them. This enables children to develop a sense of mastery and self-management.
Children have many opportunities to lead and revisit their learning and engage as active inquirers in project work, searching for answers. There is good evidence of children's interests leading curriculum, planning and learning. Children also lead their families in learning about learning in areas of interest and this helps to forge strong home/centre relationships.
Children's learning records are of a very high quality. They have depth and provide good evidence of each child's learning dispositions and development. Selected pieces of work and the writing about them show teachers' understanding of the individual child. Teachers' knowledge of children helps them to include the voices of parents and whānau in their learning stories.
Children learn and play in stimulating and attractive indoor and outdoor environments which reflect children's interests and encourage them to investigate further. Teachers continue to refine their questioning with a conscious and deliberate use of language to enrich interactions with children.
Centre leaders consult with staff and parents as part of decision-making in relation to change management, practices, policies, and everyday matters. Parents report that this approach enriches their sense of belonging and positive experience at the centre.
Leaders and teachers are committed to acknowledging the distinct place of Māori as tangata whenua. Te reo and tikanga Māori are valued and integrated throughout the programme. Parents affirm the centre's positive approach to incorporating New Zealand's bicultural heritage. Biculturalism is integrated across the curriculum and can be seen and heard in the centre. Two teachers are fluent speakers of te reo and teachers' bicultural awareness is evident.
Highly effective internal evaluation is having a very positive impact on improved teacher practice. Leaders are committed to ongoing learning through professional development, to build the capability of individual teachers and the capacity of everyone in the learning community. Teachers are reflective and adaptive in their practice, work collaboratively and inquire into their practice to promote professional growth.
There is good alignment across all centre systems, including strategic and annual planning, policies, professional learning and internal evaluation. These inform the next steps in centre development. Centre leaders plan to provide more robust physical activities for children. They have identified that it is timely to review their risk analysis and management documentation.
ERO and the leadership team agree that next steps include:
refining the centre's philosophy to better reflect the centre's bicultural commitment
continuing to build the centre's professional learning community.
Before the review, the staff and management of Gulf Harbour 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:
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 Gulf Harbour Preschool will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
19 December 2016
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 |
Gulf Harbour, Whangaparaoa |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20560 |
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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 |
30 children, over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
53 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 28 Boys 25 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese European other Asian other |
4 28 10 6 4 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
October 2016 |
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Date of this report |
19 December 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
October 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
August 2010 |
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Education Review |
April 2007 |
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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 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.