91 Thomas Road, Rototuna, 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 Littlelees Preschool 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 |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Littlelees Preschool is a privately owned and operated care service. The staff and community are ethnically diverse. The teaching team is made up of three qualified teachers, and two teacher aides. The centre philosophy is based on love and relationships where diversity is celebrated.
There are many opportunities for parents and whanau to be involved and share information about their child. Children benefit from teachers who value care, relationships and whānau involvement as integral to what happens in the centre. Children learn in a calm and nurturing environment.
The centre leader has established responsive connections within the local community. This supports equity for diverse learners. The views of parents and whānau are informally sought on an ongoing basis. This promotes responsiveness to the language, culture, and identity of children. The leader and kaiako are building on these relationships to increase the focus on children’s learning.
Engagement with professional learning and internal evaluation is growing teachers’ understanding of curriculum. Leaders and kaiako have learned about Matauranga Māori to help support their developing cultural responsiveness. They are yet to explore the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki or build a shared understanding of their priorities for children’s learning in relation to these.
Kaiako are beginning to prioritise children’s learning dispositions and working theories through assessment. Information that identifies the learning outcomes to show the breadth, depth and complexity of children’s capabilities is yet to be realised. Current assessment documentation focuses on noticing children’s play and learning with some analysis of learning. Children and families are yet to see progress and continuity of learning consistently visible within documented assessment.
Teachers are in the early stages of providing and developing a learning environment that supports children’s independence and decision making. A focus on school readiness has become integrated and inclusive of all ages. Planning that guides the teacher led and an activity-based curriculum is limiting children’s ability to lead their own learning.
Littlelees Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Littlelees Preschool 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 Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
11 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Littlelees Preschool |
| Profile Number | 46889 |
| Location | Hamilton |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
30 children aged over 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
20 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Chinese 13, Other ethnic groups 7. |
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Review team on site |
April 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
11 June 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Littlelees is a privately-owned centre that opened in January 2016. The service provides early childhood education and care for children over two years of age in a mixed-age setting. The centre is licensed for 30 children. The current roll is 32, with the majority of children identified as Chinese.
The owner is also the centre manager. She retains overall governance and management responsibilities including strategic planning, and compliance with legislative requirements. The manager is a highly-qualified teacher and leads a team of two full-time and two part-time teachers who are all qualified and registered.
The philosophy of the centre is to promote loving and nurturing relationships where children are valued and respected as uniquely created with talents, potential and creativity.
This is the first ERO report for this centre.
The owner, as centre leader, successfully creates conditions that support the centre’s philosophy. A useful policy framework and clear guidelines for regular self review have been implemented. The centre's focus is on providing quality education and care through a shared vision of valuing and respecting each child. Relevant professional learning and development is provided for all teachers. High levels of relational trust between teachers, parents, and children are evident. Children experience learning in a safe, nurturing and welcoming environment.
The curriculum is responsive to children’s emerging interests and cultural backgrounds. There is a strong focus on language development for children whose first language is not English, and te reo Māori and other languages are naturally integrated into the programme. The curriculum is enriched by frequent visitors who share their knowledge and expertise. Transition to school is supported through regular involvement and visits to the neighbouring school. Well-presented portfolios provide parents with a record of children’s participation in the programme. Children benefit from participating in a relevant curriculum that meets their developmental needs.
Teachers have positive and affirming relationships with children and parents. Interactions with children are caring and consistent. Teachers work well together to provide for children’s emotional, physical and learning needs, and they actively participate with children in meaningful play. Children with additional needs are well supported by the centre leader, who has a specialist qualification and experience in Early Intervention. Parents appreciate personalised communication with teachers and opportunities to be involved in centre events and activities. Responsive interactions support children’s sense of wellbeing and belonging.
The centre leader and ERO agree that a key next step is to develop shared expectations for assessment and planning, including:
consistent identification of children's learning and next steps
collecting parent voice
sharing assessment information between teachers to inform planning.
The centre leader and ERO also agree that priority should be given to extending the range of learning opportunities for children, and adding greater complexity and challenge to learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Littlelees Preschool 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 Littlelees Preschool will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
20 February 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 |
Rototuna, Hamilton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46889 |
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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, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
32 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 18 Girls 14 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
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 |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
January 2018 |
||
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Date of this report |
20 February 2018 |
||
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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.