27 Glanville Terrace, Parnell, 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 Akarangi Quality 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 Parnell Early Childhood Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Learning Conditions |
ERO’s judgement |
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Whāngai Establishing |
Organisational Conditions |
ERO’s judgement |
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Whāngai Establishing |
Parnell Early Childhood Centre is one of two services that operate under the governance of the Village Square Trust, a not-for-profit organisation. There are three rooms and two outdoor areas. A manager leads a team of four qualified teachers, and eight other staff, some of whom have early childhood qualifications.
Children at this service demonstrate a sense of belonging and trust in their relationships with adults and peers. Teachers support children to express their feelings and ideas and make sense of the world around them. They provide experiences that invite children to confidently explore and take appropriate risks. Teachers encourage children to develop respect for the centre’s rules and the rights of others. Younger children benefit from teachers responding to their non-verbal language and gestures.
Whānau who spoke with ERO, shared their appreciation of teachers’ communication about their child’s wellbeing and learning. They also appreciated the opportunities to talk with teachers about their languages and cultures.
Children preparing to transition to school, experience a programme that includes teacher-guided and
child-initiated experiences. It would be beneficial for teachers to continue building their understanding of practices that align with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Leaders and teachers have a wide range of teaching experience. They prioritise professional learning aimed at improving outcomes for children. The service’s philosophy has been collaboratively reviewed and now reflects the centre’s context and values.
An evaluation process has been developed. A priority is for leaders and teachers to increase their understanding of the purpose and use of internal evaluation for ongoing improvement. An annual plan guides the service to meet regulatory licensing requirements. Adding goals that focus on improving learning outcomes for children is a next step.
The wellbeing of children, whānau and teachers is a primary consideration for governance. Service operations are guided by established systems, processes, and planning.
Parnell Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Parnell Early Childhood 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.
The service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
21 March 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Parnell Early Childhood Centre |
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Profile Number |
25079 |
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Location |
Parnell, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
74 children, including up to 24 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
56 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 3, NZ European/Pākehā 26, Chinese 6, Indian 5, |
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Review team on site |
January 2022 |
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Date of this report |
21 March 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, August 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.
Parnell Early Childhood Centre operates in a refurbished building with three separate rooms for each age group. There are specific outdoor play areas for younger and older children. The centre is licensed for 74 children, including a maximum of 24 under the age of two years. This centre is one of three centres operated and managed by the Parnell Community Trust. The Trust continues to provide sound governance, administration and professional support services.
Key aspects of the centre's philosophy are to have children experience an enriching environment where they and their families feel valued, respected and empowered. The centre has a sustainability and healthy eating programme, Green Kids, maintained with the support of the Auckland Council and the Heart Foundation.
Since the 2014 ERO report, there have been significant staff changes. A new head teacher has been appointed, and has worked hard to develop a cohesive teaching team. The staff includes eight teachers, most of whom are registered teachers. A cook prepares nutritious meals on site. Many improvements have been made to the inside of the building and there are plans to upgrade the children’s outdoor area.
ERO’s 2014 report noted that the centre's priorities were to improve assessment and planning and to strengthen evaluation systems and processes. Children continue to enjoy friendly relationships with each other and show trust in their teachers.
Children are confident and eager learners. They are socially competent, play cooperatively and are caring of others. They move freely between the indoor and outdoor environments and are encouraged to be physically active, take care of the environment and make healthy food choices. Children’s wellbeing and their sense of belonging are nurtured through respectful relationships and teachers' valuing of cultural diversity. Children's transitions into and through the centre are well managed.
Teachers respect children as capable learners and value their play. Their interactions with children are affirming and supportive. They listen carefully to children and engage them in rich conversation that often includes children's home language. Teachers discretely offer resources and suggestions for extending children's play. Recent professional development has resulted in teachers using more open-ended resources that children can use in innovative, flexible and creative ways.
Teachers encourage children to make choices, solve problems and share ideas. They integrate aspects of science, literacy, mathematics and technology in meaningful contexts and foster children's creative expression through art, dance and imaginative play. Children have fun as they engage in purposeful play that supports their learning and development.
Infants and toddlers benefit from nurturing responsive care. Teachers create a calm, relaxed environment in which very young children have space and time to explore and play. They are aware of the individual needs and preferences of infants, plan in response to children's observed ways of learning and promote children's oral language. Teachers also provide good support for infants’ and toddlers’ need for strong and secure attachments and developing independence.
Teachers plan and implement a child focused programme, underpinned by the centre’s philosophy and the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. Healthy eating, learning through play and environmental sustainability are curriculum priorities. Parents' aspirations contribute to programme planning and children's voices are recorded. Assessment portfolios contain good information about children’s involvement in the programme. Effective use of online portfolios allows families to have ready access to information about their children’s learning.
Biculturalism is fostered through opportunities for children to become familiar with te reo and tikanga Māori in centre routines and as they play. Teachers are eager to strengthen their bicultural practice through increasing the inclusion of aspects of te ao Māori throughout the programme. This would enhance culturally responsive practices.
Centre leaders and teachers value partnerships with parents and whānau and aim to provide a 'home away from home'. They know children and their families well and there are many opportunities for parents to give feedback and contribute to the programme. Children are viewed as unique learners and supported to develop and learn at their own pace.
Centre leaders are developing an organisational culture based on trust and respect. There is a strong commitment to ongoing improvement. To support ongoing improvement teachers should consider more systematically evaluating their own practice and the impact that it has on outcomes for children. Teachers have good opportunities for professional learning and development to build their teaching and leadership capability.
The Trust has a clear vision, comprehensive management plans and a sound policy framework to guide the centre’s direction. Good systems to monitor health and safety are in place. Internal evaluation is established and improvement focused. However, parents, children and staff could be more involved in evaluating the effectiveness and impact of any changes on improving outcomes for children. This would give greater depth and focus to evaluations and further support ongoing improvement.
The centre leaders agree that next steps could include:
strengthening internal evaluation by more consistently documenting evaluative thinking and the outcomes for children
making child-led learning more visible in planning and programme evaluation
evaluating how effectively the environment challenges children's interests and curiosity
developing a centre specific annual plan with an increased educational focus that aligns to the centre's philosophy and includes outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Parnell Early Childhood 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 Parnell Early Childhood 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 |
Parnell, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25079 |
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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 |
74 children, including up to 24 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
57 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 27 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
42 |
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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 |
1:8 |
Better than 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 |
November 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.