6 Methven Chertsey Road, Methven
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 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 Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Leap Ahead is a privately owned and operated early childhood centre. The owner supports a centre manager in daily operations. Seven teachers are qualified, and some are recent staff appointments. A small number of children with Māori whakapapa attend. Good progress has been made to address the key next steps identified in the 2019 ERO report regarding documented assessment and consulting with parents.
Children play and learn in a well-resourced, age-appropriate learning environment. The re-developed outdoor area for older children enables a broad range of experiences that extend play and support social and emotional competence. Infants and toddlers have a dedicated area that is calm, slow paced, and flexible to meet their developing needs. Intentional teaching strategies support children’s developing verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
Teachers are increasingly intentional in using learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in documented assessment to show children’s progression of learning. They understand that assessment should promote holistic learning and development. Parents regularly contribute to their child’s learning. Leaders are building capability and consistency of practice across the service.
Children have opportunities to develop their understanding of the cultural heritages of Aotearoa New Zealand. The bicultural curriculum is becoming more consistently evident in practice. Leaders acknowledge this area is now a priority for further exploration and development.
Improvement-focused governance and management have sound systems, processes and practices that support decision-making and strengthen the focus on what is happening for children. Allocated resources clearly align to the service’s vision and priorities for learning. It is timely, to engage with whānau and mana whenua to review the valued learning priorities for this learning community.
Further refinement of the internal evaluation framework is required. This includes ensuring there is an evaluative focus and measurable success indicators. Continuing to grow service-wide understanding of internal evaluation is needed to enable teachers to better identify the difference that new learning and actions taken have made on outcomes for identified individuals and groups of children.
Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Build teachers’ professional knowledge and practices to implement a bicultural curriculum that includes:
Before the review, the staff and management of Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre completed an ERO 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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
18 December 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre |
| Profile Number | 45720 |
| Location | Methven |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 41 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 66 |
| Review team on site | September 2023 |
| Date of this report | 18 December 2023 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, September 2019; Education Review, June 2016 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre is a privately owned and operated service in the rural township of Methven. It runs all-day sessions for a licensed maximum of 41 children, including up to 14 children aged under two. Children enrolled at the centre represent the ethnic diversity of the Methven community.
The owner and a manager have oversight of all aspects of governance and management. All teachers are qualified early childhood teachers. The centre's philosophy, influenced by Te Whariki, the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, has a focus on 'capable, confident children who can communicate, learn and work with others'.
Centre leaders have made very good progress in addressing most of the areas for further development identified in ERO's June 2016 report.
Children learn and play in two inviting and 'stress free' learning rooms. Teachers interact in a calm and friendly manner with children. Learning relationships with parents are valued, and the daily timetable has been structured to ensure that teachers have adequate time to talk with families. The environment is embraced as the 'third teacher', and children have easy access to a variety of indoor and outdoor activities with varying degrees of challenge.
A thoughtful transition process assists younger children to settle at the centre and move between rooms. Children with additional needs are well supported. The transition to school process is well informed and reflects the close connections the centre has with local schools and the other learning centre in the community.
The curriculum is thoughtfully constructed and responds well to children's needs, including health and wellbeing, and interests. Through effective modelling and guiding, the centre manager has developed consistency of practice in the way teachers plan and document children's learning. To ensure that there is appropriate curriculum coverage, the centre manager analyses learning stories to monitor the range of outcomes addressed, teaching strategies used and children's progress. She provides effective feedback to teachers about the quality of their planning and practice based on this analysis. Parent aspirations are captured and inform planning, which is highly visible in both of the teaching rooms.
The use of te reo and home languages, as part of everyday learning experiences, is developing. Intentional strategies for Māori children, and promoting language, culture and identity for other children, are areas for further development.
The centre leaders are improvement-focused. This focus is underpinned by a clearly articulated vision, effective strategic planning and useful internal evaluation practices which align with strategic goals and directions. Systems and processes are well understood, organised and implemented. Teachers are effectively supported by the manager to improve their practice, with an emphasis on promoting positive outcomes for children. Professional learning opportunities are linked to strategic planning and teacher needs, providing further opportunities to develop capability and practices that support children's learning.
To ensure that planning and learning experiences identify and promote language, culture and identity for all, particularly for Māori children and children from other cultures, centre leaders and teachers should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Leap Ahead 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.
ERO identified two areas of non-compliance:
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
13 September 2019
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.
| Location | Methven | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45720 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 41 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 60 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 31, Boys 29 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnicities | 5 43 6 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:3 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | July 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 13 September 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | June 2016 | |
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 will depend on how well the service promotes 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.
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre is a spacious, purpose-built, privately-owned centre in Methven. It provides full-day education and care for children from three months to five years of age. It is licenced for 41 children including 14 under two years old. The centre operates as two rooms. This service opened in 2011 and this is its first ERO review.
The vision for this centre includes being an integral part of the community. Its philosophy is for children to; learn through play, feel safe and secure, explore, discover and experiment.
The owner/licensee is a member of the management team along with the head teacher and centre manager. A head teacher and lead teacher guide each room's teaching team. Most of the staff are qualified EC teachers.
Children play and learn in an environment where their needs/care and interests are well provided for. Interactions between teachers and children are positive and respectful. Children's contributions, ideas and interests are encouraged, valued and shared. Teaching practices and engaging activities extend children's interests. Some activities for children link closely with seasonal and current events, and resources in the local community.
Children's learning is well planned for. Programme planning is well-informed by evidence-based, formative assessment of learning for individuals and groups of children. Teachers use very good systems to analyse children's learning and progress. Priorities for children's learning are effectively shared with the teaching team and reflected in children's learning stories.
Children also benefit from:
Centre managers have developed and embedded effective systems for smooth day-to-day running of the centre. Routines for children are well understood, flexible and followed. There are clearly defined expectations for teachers with systems and prompts to ensure these are met. A very useful strategic plan has been implemented which identifies key priorities and guides future developments.
Centre leaders have deliberatively built a very cohesive, collaborative teaching team who communicate well to support children's needs. Relationships among staff are inclusive and positive. Leaders have high expectations and provide effective guidance and support to achieve these. Managers and teachers are reflective and improvement focused. They have made a very good start to using self review for improvement with the help of some external professional learning and development (PLD). A more evaluative approach within this will strengthen self review.
Centre leaders have identified and ERO agrees that:
In addition, ERO recommends and leaders agree that:
Before the review, the staff and management of Leap Ahead 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 next ERO review of Leap Ahead Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.
Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
14 June 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.
| Location | Methven, Mid Canterbury | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45720 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 41 children, including up to 14 aged under two | ||
| Service roll | 46 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 27; Boys 19 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Fijian Asian Dutch Other ethnicities | 6 23 1 1 3 2 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:3 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | April 2016 | ||
| Date of this report | 14 June 2016 | ||
| Most recent ERO report | No previous ERO reports | ||
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.