58 Panorama Drive, RD 5, Welcome Bay, Tauranga
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 |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Seedlings Preschool, previously known as Earth Kids Childcare Centre, is one of two privately run centres operated by the same owner. The service offers mixed-age education and care. The new centre owner, supported by the manager assistant, are responsible for all governance, management and curriculum requirements.
The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Adults engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Children are provided with a range of opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.
An ongoing process of self-review helps the service improve the quality of its education and care. The philosophy and annual plan guide the service’s operation. The premises and facilities are resourced to provide for the abilities of the mixed ages of the children attending.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
29 November 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Seedlings Preschool |
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Profile Number |
46813 |
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Location |
Tauranga |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 6 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
44 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 5, NZ European/Pākehā 30, Other ethnic groups 9. |
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Review team on site |
October 2021 |
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Date of this report |
29 November 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, October 2017 |
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.
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
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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.
Earth Kids provides full-day education and care for children from birth to school age in a mixed age group setting. The centre is family owned and operated and is situated in a rural area of Welcome Bay in Tauranga. The centre management is shared by the two owners. The centre is licensed for 35 children, including six up to the age of two years. Currently there are 54 children on the roll, including 17 who identify as Māori.
The centre philosophy is family-based and inclusive of all children and whānau. The bi-cultural focus recognises the uniqueness of New Zealand, as teachers apply the principles of Te Tirity o Waitangi into the programme. Environmental sustainability is an important focus of the programme.
Since the centre opened in 2015 there has been significant roll growth. This has resulted in the need to extend the centre's license and employ extra teaching staff.
This is the centres first ERO review.
Teachers have a strong commitment to establishing and maintaining reciprocal and positive relationships for children and their families. They prepare a well-designed learning environment where children’s interests and strengths are built on. This promotes opportunities for children to learn alongside each other at their own pace, including those with diverse needs. Communication with parents encourages them to take an active role in centre life and provides them with opportunities to have input into the programme. Collaborative teaching practice promotes a culture where children are valued and affirmed.
Children up to the age of two benefit from nurturing interactions. The design of the learning space allows young children to explore the environment in a safe, secure and calm way. Their communication skills are enhanced by teachers' deliberate use of rich language through responsive and engaging relationships. Children are encouraged to become increasingly knowledgeable and capable self-managing learners.
A special feature of the centre is the extensive farm-like environment. There are many opportunities for children to care for the centre's animals and to grow produce that is shared with the local community. The mixed age environment effectively promotes tuakana-teina relationships. All areas of play are visible and accessible to children. Children benefit from a fun, stimulating, and engaging learning area.
Māori children benefit from many experiences and opportunities to learn about te ao Māori. Tikanga and te reo practices such as waiata and karakia, are integrated into the programme, and Māori culture and language is visible throughout the environment. Children are supported to increasingly build their knowledge and understanding of the uniqueness of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
The curriculum strongly reflects a play-based approach to learning. There is an emphasis on child-directed learning experiences that promote social competence and independence. Literacy and numeracy learning is well-embedded authentically into aspects the curriculum. Transition processes are individualised and developed to meet the needs of the children and their families. A feature of the programme is the bush learning programme 'Beyond the Fence' which effectively promotes the outside curriculum as a rich learning experience. Children experience a rich curriculum where they are listened to and encouraged to become confident and successful learners and explorers.
Leaders empower teachers to take responsibility and lead aspects of the centre programme. Extensive professional learning and development supports teachers to build their capability and enhance practice. Leaders have established a culture in which children are first and foremost valued, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning.
The processes governing the centre are undergoing further development. The services philosophy and commitment to environmental sustainability are well-embedded in centre operations. Current governance systems have been developed in response to the rapid growth of the centre. There is a need to strengthen self review, including ensuring that all policies are fully implemented. A shared understanding for effective centre operations among owners and teachers is likely to further enhance the centre's commitment to providing positive outcomes for children.
Leaders and ERO agree that there is a need to strengthen strategic planning and key operational procedures. This should include strengthening and aligning teacher appraisal and self-review processes
Before the review, the staff and management of Earth Kids Childcare 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:
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 Earth Kids Childcare Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
25 October 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 |
Tauranga |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46813 |
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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 |
35 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
54 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 20 Boys 34 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
14 |
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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 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2017 |
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Date of this report |
25 October 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
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.