220 Church Street, Palmerston North
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 Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust 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 |
Whakaū Embedding |
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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 |
Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust is a not-for-profit, community-based service. Morning and afternoon programmes cater for children from birth to five years. The philosophy forefronts Christian values, relationships and partnerships with families from a diverse ethnic community. The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum, underpin centre practices.
Children enjoy positive relationships alongside peers and adults. An inclusive environment reinforces social and cultural values and beliefs. Children communicate confidently and demonstrate a sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Transitions into the centre respond to individual children’s needs and are reinforced by teachers and parents. Infants and toddlers’ exploration is promoted within a nurturing environment. Additional learning support enables children’s full participation in a responsive curriculum. Their interests and wonderings are highlighted as they engage confidently to grow alongside others. Interactions foster children’s sustained dialogue and participation.
Teachers are refining and improving their evaluative lens to be increasingly responsive to learners. The planned curriculum prioritises learning outcomes for children. The progress of children’s interests, skills and dispositions are recorded in portfolio narratives.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are promoted through centre protocols, interactions and learning experiences. Te ao Māori curriculum and implementation are informed by iwi narratives. Children share their pepeha, use te reo Māori and enact Māori values and beliefs of manaakitanga, ako, tuakana teina and wairuatanga.
Quality education for children informs decisions to build teacher capability. The professional growth model is being implemented. Mentoring and learning is building critical reflection. Children’s learning is enhanced through differing teaching approaches.
Leaders are embedding evaluation and inquiry for improvement, that continues to be strengthened and developed. Gathering information and linking to identified strategies are yet to fully inform and support children’s learning and wellbeing.
Governance systems prioritise equity and social justice for all children and whānau. Parent aspirations inform the organisation’s philosophy, vision and plans. Children experience a responsive curriculum.
Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust 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.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
6 December 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust |
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Profile Number |
40249 |
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Location |
Palmerston North |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
86 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 64, Other ethnic groups 18. |
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Review team on site |
October 2021 |
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Date of this report |
6 December 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, October 2018; Education Review, October 2015. |
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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.
Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust is a not-for-profit, community-based Christian early learning service. It is licensed for 40 children, including 15 aged up to two years. The centre serves a diverse ethnic community. Of the 102 enrolled, seven identify as Māori.
The centre runs morning and afternoon programmes. The 'Explorers' group operates in the morning where children from birth to five years can attend with their parent. A separate programme, 'Bright Futures', is for older children who may attend all day. Flexible enrolment times are offered to families. Many children attend casually or part-time.
The centre is governed by a trust board and is part of the ministry of Crossroads Church.
There have been several changes in leadership since the October 2015 ERO report. The centre leader, appointed in 2017, is responsible for day-to-day operation and supported by five registered teachers, an employed kaitiaki and volunteers.
The philosophy emphasises the importance of Christian values, relationships and partnerships with families. The intent of the Treaty of Waitangi is acknowledged and valued.
Areas for development identified in the previous ERO report included evaluation of programmes and practices to determine their impact on children's learning; and implementation of bicultural practices. Recent progress has been made.
Children benefit from warm and respectful interactions. They freely access a good range of materials linked to their own interests and confidently participate in the learning programme. The outdoor area is well developed to support physically active play. Regular excursions into the local community and visitors to the centre add richness to the programme.
Teachers are kind, respectful and responsive to children and promote and sustain their interests. Developing learning partnerships with parents is well facilitated. Children with additional needs and those who are English as second language learners are well supported. Knowledge and use of external agencies is accessed when required.
Beliefs expressed in the philosophy strongly underpin practice and operation. As a next step, teachers should consider identifying valued learning outcomes for children and strategies used. These actions should support teachers to measure the effectiveness of programme implementation.
Teachers sensitively respond to infants and toddlers. These learners attend with parents from a young age for a few hours a week. This provides parents with an opportunity to engage with their child in the programme, as well as support for each other. Teachers should consider how to purposefully record the participation and learning of these children in their learning portfolios.
The Church and centre are very supportive of families, actively valuing their input. Employment of a kaitiaki is evidence of this strong commitment.
The daily programme is largely based on children's emerging interests and needs. Literacy, mathematics and arts are well integrated into learning experiences. A bicultural perspective is evident in the programme. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are valued. Leaders agree they should continue to build their approach by seeking suitable resources, information and iwi connections.
Teachers continue to develop their approach to planning for learning. Professional development is supporting implementation of the revised early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. The centre leader agrees that a stronger focus is required to consistently show:
individual children's strengths and interests
strategies teachers will use to progress children's learning and the impact of these
what learning is valued.
Attractive children's portfolios record narratives and photographs of their participation and aspects of their learning. Some links to the curriculum plan are evident. Teachers should consider:
increasing the visibility of children's cultures in documentation
deepening the analysis of learning in narratives
how well they are recording children's progress over time
strengthening the assessment process for children who attend the 'Explorers' programme.
A useful appraisal process, supported by recent Education Council professional development, is in place. The centre leader has implemented this well to build the quality of professional practice. A next step is to develop appraisal of the centre leader.
Children's transitions are carefully planned. The 'Bright Futures' group for older children specifically focuses on building their leadership and skills in making 'wise' choices, in readiness for school. Information from local schools is available for families to support the move to school.
Self review is becoming established as a tool to promote improvement. A next step is to embed understanding and use of the agreed framework and support teachers' shared understanding of internal evaluation.
The trust is well informed about teaching, learning and day-to-day management through centre leaders' reporting. A vision for the future operation that is more inclusive of church and centre relationships is being considered. A next step is to strengthen guidelines for governance roles and responsibilities to ensure sustainability of practice and operation.
ERO and management representatives agree that teachers, leaders and trustees should continue to strengthen:
planning for learning
cultural responsiveness
guidelines for governance
internal evaluation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust 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.
ERO identified non-compliance in relation to governance and management, and health and safety. The service provider must ensure:
The next ERO review of Crossroads Early Childhood Centre Trust will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
24 October 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 |
Palmerston North |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
40249 |
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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 |
40 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
102 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 55, Boys 47 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2018 |
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Date of this report |
24 October 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2012 |
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Education Review |
April 2009 |
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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.