245 Bucklands Beach Road, Bucklands Beach, 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 Little Cubs Kindergarten 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 |
Little Cubs Kindergarten is a privately owned service. A centre manager is supported by a new team of two qualified and one unqualified teachers. The philosophy prioritises relationships with families and children, with a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Children and staff reflect the diverse local community.
Children can access a wide range of learning experiences and confidently make decisions about their play. They are encouraged to develop self-help skills through opportunities provided during daily routines and at mealtimes. Children move freely between the indoor and outdoor play spaces, which supports their growing independence.
Responsive, reciprocal and respectful relationships are formed with each family, to build children’s sense of belonging. Teachers support children in their care, and children’s culture is acknowledged in the daily curriculum.
Service leaders and teachers have begun to show commitment to enacting the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to promote a culturally responsive environment. They have yet to implement te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in the daily curriculum, on a regular basis, as part of this commitment.
Parents and whānau are provided with some opportunities to contribute to their children’s learning and development. Increasing parent participation would strengthen learning-focused partnerships that enable collaboration for improvement.
Documented learning stories describe children’s learning experiences at the service. The teaching team is developing a shared understanding of designing and implementing a responsive curriculum for all children. Teachers have opportunities to participate in a range of relevant professional learning from external providers. The service has begun to identify how this learning could impact teaching practice to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Leaders collaboratively enact the service’s philosophy, vision and goals. There are high levels of relational trust between the owner and the centre manager. Those responsible for governance and management monitor service operations to ensure regulatory requirements are met. The service sees internal evaluation as an ongoing process which is regularly revisited. Teachers are yet to use effective evaluation as a tool to guide reflection on practice and improvement over time.
Little Cubs Kindergarten will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Assessment information to show children’s progress and learning overtime in relation to learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Increase opportunities children have to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Leaders and teachers to build shared understanding of internal evaluation, with a focus on the impact of teaching and learning practices on outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Cubs Kindergarten 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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
5 May 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Cubs Kindergarten |
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Profile Number |
46033 |
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Location |
Bucklands Beach, 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 |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
12 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 2, NZ European/Pākehā 3, Asian 5, |
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Review team on site |
January 2022 |
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Date of this report |
5 May 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 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.
Little Cubs Kindergarten provides sessional or full-day education and care for up to 30 children over two years of age. It opened in 2012 and changed ownership in December 2017. The centre serves a diverse multicultural community in Bucklands Beach. This is the centre's first ERO review under new management.
The new owners have increased resources in the inside area of the centre and have plans to improve the outside environment. The centre is managed by an offsite owner/centre manager and a project manager, who visits regularly. They also have responsibility for two other early childhood services. Centre staff includes a team leader and three teachers.
Centre leaders are committed to providing a high standard of education and care. They are developing positive relationships with the teaching team, and with the church congregation in whose building the centre is housed. Centre leaders have introduced new systems and management practices focused on health and safety, and have re-established documented programme planning.
The centre's philosophy is being reviewed and adapted, with an emphasis on respect, trust and inclusion. Some staff have attended professional development to strengthen their skills in internal evaluation and their understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Children are confident, eager learners. They have good opportunities to explore and make choices about their play. Children have fun, play cooperatively, and show care and empathy for others. The outside environment is carefully organised for children to develop their physical skills and engage in imaginative play. Children are able to express their creativity through art, music and dance. Science, literacy and mathematics concepts are also naturally integrated in the programme.
Respectful and responsive relationships underpin the centre’s welcoming and relaxed tone. Centre leaders and staff look for ways to involve parents and make connections with the local community. Parents receive good information about their children's learning, including in online digital portfolios. They are encouraged to share ideas and provide feedback about the centre programme and events.
Teachers nurture children's sense of identity as capable learners. They know children well and promote their sense of belonging and independence. Teachers value and skilfully support learning through play and are enthusiastic about providing a child-led programme underpinned by Te Whāriki. Teachers engage children in sustained conversation and encourage them to talk to each other. Their interactions with children are affirming and supportive of children’s ideas.
Teachers are culturally responsive and include te reo Māori across the programme in meaningful ways. There is good support for children who speak languages other than English at home, both to increase their English and to maintain their first languages. Teachers foster the successful inclusion of children with additional learning needs.
Sound management practices, policies and procedures guide centre operations. Centre leaders have a clear vision and are developing a strategic plan. They encourage staff involvement in professional development and are increasing opportunities for teacher collaboration and leadership.
The parent community is kept well informed about centre developments and directions. Leaders have used internal evaluation to identify areas that need to be progressed. They are aware that internal evaluation could also be more collaborative and evaluative.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps for improvement include:
improving the visibility of teachers' planning in response to individual children's interests and of the continuity of learning over time
fostering more depth and complexity to children's learning
evaluating how effectively resources in the environment support and sustain children's learning and development
improving their understanding and use of internal evaluation to guide and improve practices.
Centre leaders should access external professional development to strengthen teachers' collective understanding of child-led learning, assessment and planning, and to improve the quality of teaching.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Cubs Kindergarten 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 Little Cubs Kindergarten will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
8 June 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 |
Bucklands Beach, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46033 |
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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 the age of 2 years |
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Service roll |
25 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 13 Boys 12 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
March 2018 |
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Date of this report |
8 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2014 |
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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.