2 Morrison Crescent, Glenview, Hamilton
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 Little Preschoolers are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Little Preschoolers is a privately-owned education and care centre. The centre provides a kaupapa Māori curriculum in a mixed-aged setting for children aged up to six years. Values of ako, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tuakana teina provide the foundation for the centre vision. The service has been operating since 2014.
Tamariki Māori are immersed in a curriculum that reflects Māori ways of being and doing. Te reo Māori is promoted as a living and relevant language. Te reo me ōna tikanga Māori are integrated throughout the curriculum. Infants and toddlers benefit from cultural practices such as communal care, aroha and tuakana teina relationships. Children’s mana is upheld.
Tamariki experience an environment where they are nurtured in a loving and caring, whānau- orientated setting. The learning environment allows tamariki access to a variety of experiences and activities. A shared understanding of children’s developing social competence is yet to be explored.
The learning of tamariki is enhanced by partnerships between kaiako and whānau. Parents and whānau have regular informal opportunities to talk with kaiako about the learning and needs of their tamariki. Kaiako are building opportunities for parents to contribute to curriculum decisions. Kaiako are beginning to explore the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children’s language, culture and identity are beginning to be reflected in documented assessment and planning. A greater understanding of kaupapa Māori theories and curriculum is yet to be explored.
Leaders and kaiako are embedding the conditions and collective capacity to use evaluation for improvement. They have a shared understanding of what matters for children and whānau, and articulate valued priorities for children’s learning. Deliberate and systematic internal evaluation processes are beginning to contribute to improved outcomes for children. Leaders and kaiako are beginning to consider equity in relation to positive outcomes of children.
Little Preschoolers will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Preschoolers 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
17 February 2022
| Early Childhood Service Name | Little Preschoolers |
| Profile Number | 46569 |
| Location | Hamilton |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
29 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
32 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 26, NZ European/Pākehā 4, Other ethnic groups 2 |
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Review team on site |
November/December 2021 |
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Date of this report |
17 February 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2017 |
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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 Preschoolers is an early learning centre located in Glenview, Hamilton. This mixed-age service is licensed for 29 children including 10 children under two years of age. At the time of this review there were 40 children enrolled, including 26 Māori. Centre operating hours are from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Little Preschoolers is a stand-alone service owned and operated by four directors who are whānau. Staffing has been consistent and stable since the opening of the centre in 2014. Management and leadership work alongside each other to provide future direction for the centre.
The centre's vision is to provide a 'home away from home experience' and inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all children. Tikanga and te reo Māori is embraced in the daily programme. Values such as ako, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tuakana-teina are reflected in the philosophy and programme.
This is the centre's first Education Review Office (ERO) evaluation.
Teachers' value whakawhanaungatanga and building strong relational trust with children and their whānau. Principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi are evident throughout the learning programme and incorporated in teaching practice. Whānau and parents are invited to share their aspirations, expertise, knowledge and concerns for their children through kanohi-ki-te-kanohi, a whānau feedback book, and online portfolio portals. Whānau and parents are informed about children's progress, strengths and dispositions, and are also provided with next steps in their child's learning through individual portfolios and learning stories. This is building positive learning partnerships with parents and whānau to improve learning outcomes for children.
The tuakana-teina based learning programme allows children to lead their own learning, and builds social and emotional competency skills as they learn alongside one another. Teachers take the time to listen to children and show care and manaakitanga as they foster each child's holistic wellbeing. Children experience a bicultural environment and are confident in te ao Māori. They enjoy expressing themselves through kapahaka, waiata, tohutohu, dance and storytelling. They experience the narratives of their own and other cultures, including Pacific, and are confident in discovering different ways to be creative through art, dramatic play, and music. Teachers support children from a number of cultural backgrounds and value the practice of ako, reciprocal learning, to foster children's identity, language and culture.
Children are encouraged to explore their natural world around them with a designated science area and animal life cycles investigation and display. The spacious homely learning area allows children to access all centre activities. ERO and leaders agree that encouraging children to follow their interests, and strengthening the intentional teaching practice, will engage and extend children's learning and language development.
Transitions into the centre are managed well. A 'getting ready for school' programme builds on their numeracy and literacy skills, social confidence, and independence. Routines are consistently implemented giving children security and a strong sense of belonging. As a new centre, it would be timely to consult with whānau, kaiako and children to review and document the curriculum to:
reflect the bicultural and bilingual aspects of the programme
strengthen the learning programme for infants and toddler to cater for their rapidly growing capabilities.
A special feature of the centre is the strength in leadership as a whānau, for whānau whānui. All members are well respected and have established links to their community. The passionate manager and leadership team work collaboratively together, and have established systems and processes to run day-to-day operations aligned to the centre vision and strategic plan. Policies and procedures are scheduled and are being kept up-to-date. Leaders access external professional learning and development and have now developed a system for ongoing self review. A performance management system is in place and contributes to the service achieving its vision and goals. There are good examples of teachers' reflecting on their practice as they work towards building their capabilities as teachers. There is a need for leaders of learning to continue to strengthen the appraisal process and build professional capabilities through regular opportunities to model best practice, undertake peer observations, and provide feedback on effective teaching and learning.
Leadership is committed to continuing to improve future development for equitable outcomes for children.
Centre leaders now need to:
consult with the community to review and document the curriculum, including the programme for babies and toddlers, to incorporate and reflect more of the centre's vision and values
strengthen the performance management system to continue to build teacher capability.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Preschoolers 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 Preschoolers will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty
13 June 2017
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 |
Hamilton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46569 |
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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 |
29 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
40 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 21 Girls 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Fijian Indian Pacific Island African |
26 7 4 2 1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2017 |
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Date of this report |
13 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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No previous ERO reports |
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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.