17-19 West Street, Tuakau
View on mapERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Not meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Not meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
The centre caters for children in three age-based groups across two purpose-built buildings. The centre philosophy is underpinned by concepts of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, wairua and whakapapa. The centre owner, supported by centre managers, guides a team of qualified and unqualified teachers. Over half of the children enrolled are Māori.
A strategic and an annual plan guide centre operations. More consistent monitoring and implementation of the service’s practices to meet regulatory standards are required.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
The service provides children with experiences both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and interests. A language-rich learning environment supports children’s learning. The curriculum supports children’s developing social competencies.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
ensuring the service curriculum is consistent with any prescribed curriculum framework that applies to the service
having a curriculum that respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture, and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures
the service curriculum being responsive in relation to daily routines, with children’s preferences respected and their involvement in decision-making about their experiences
implementing the service’s child protection policy and procedures that set out how the service will respond to suspected child abuse and neglect.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, C1, C6, C7, HS31.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Having a nappy change procedure that aims to ensure that children are treated with dignity and respect (HS3).
Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).
Ensuring checks of equipment, premises and facilities made on every day of operation for hazards to children, include checks to windows and other areas of glass (HS12).
Ensuring suitable human resource management practices are implemented, including selection and appointment procedures (GMA7).
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Ensuring every children’s worker is safety checked every three years, and this is carried out by the employer or another person acting on their behalf to meet the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
14 August 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Tuakau Learning Centre |
|
Profile Number |
46223 |
|
Location |
Tuakau |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
118 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable) |
100% |
|
Service roll |
127 |
|
Review team on site |
July 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
14 August 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, September 2019; Education Review, January 2016 |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
discussions with those involved in the service
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Tuakau Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tuakau Learning Centre is a privately-owned service located close to the centre of the township. It provides education and care for children from birth to school age. It is licenced for 118 children, including 30 children up to the age of two years. The current roll of 113 includes 31 Māori, and a number of children from other cultural backgrounds. The philosophy of the centre is underpinned by the concepts of manaakitanga, whānaungatanga, wairua and whakapapa.
The centre has two purpose-built buildings on the one site which cater for three age-based groups. An extensive outdoor area is situated between the two buildings. There are two centre managers who provide professional leadership and guidance to the head teachers and teaching team. One professional development manager has oversight of training and personnel. There are 14 registered teachers, with a head teacher in each room. The majority of teachers are qualified and registered.
Since the last ERO review in 2016, centre ownership and leadership has remained the same. There have been some changes to the teaching team. The centre has responded to the areas identified from the last report.
Children benefit from a wide range of quality resources and opportunities for meaningful learning experiences. The curriculum responds well to children's interests and needs, and empowers them to exercise choice, take risks and solve problems. The outdoor environment provides varied physical challenges for all ages. The programme is enriched through bicultural contexts for learning, celebrations and excursions. Māori children are affirmed in their culture and identity. Children with additional learning needs are well identified and supported through ongoing individualised planning and external support. Children are encouraged to be confident and independent learners. They are safe and nurtured in a caring whānau like environment.
Positive and affirming relationships are evident between teachers, children and their families. Strong personalised communication with whanau supports children's learning and wellbeing. Teachers deliberately develop children's oral language, confidence and skills for self-management. A new framework is supporting teachers to improve assessment and planning for children's learning. Leaders acknowledge the need to embed the new assessment and planning framework to support consistency of teacher practice across the centre. Teachers respond well to the needs of the children in a calm and caring environment. Children up to the age of two benefit from respectful and nurturing interactions.
Leadership is highly collaborative and fosters a positive culture for learning. Relationships between leaders and teachers are based on open communication, respect and trust. Effective liaison with whānau and community has strengthened the place of te reo Māori in the centre. Centre managers provide strong leadership through coaching, mentoring and targeted professional learning and development. Leaders recognise the need to strengthen the appraisal process and internal evaluation to align more closely to the centre's strategic direction.
The centre's owners have a clear vision and direction for the service. Bicultural values are embedded in the philosophy. The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi are strongly evident within all centre relationships and practices. Consultation with parents, family and whānau has contributed to the review and development of a shared vision. Strengthening relationships with the local community is an ongoing focus. Policy review is undertaken regularly to support daily operations. Strategic planning is focused on improving outcomes for all children.
To continue to improve outcomes for children the centre needs to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tuakau Learning 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
11 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 |
Tuakau, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46223 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
118 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
113 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Female 56% |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
27% |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
11 September 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 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.