82 McLean Ave, Papatoetoe, 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 (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 One’s Garden Early Education Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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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 |
Little One’s Garden Early Education Centre is a privately owned and operated education and care service. The owner/centre manager leads a relatively new team of 13 staff. Children are grouped into two separate areas, one for infants and toddlers, and one for older children. The service roll reflects the ethnic diversity of the community.
Infants are treated with dignity and respect, and they receive individualised care. Their needs are quickly responded to by teachers who recognise and support their verbal and non-verbal communication cues and signals. An unhurried pace to the programme provides younger children with a calming environment that promotes their independence and wellbeing.
Children confidently move through the well-resourced environment choosing resources for their play. They know this is their place. Teaching practices enable children to fully participate in the programme alongside their peers. They are well supported to develop the skills they need to discuss and negotiate rights, fairness, and justice. The development of children’s independence and self-management skills is actively promoted.
Teachers provide opportunities for children to experience a culturally responsive programme through waiata, food, creative art, cultural events, and celebrations. They are beginning to integrate the languages and cultures of Māori and Pacific children through the curriculum. The team have identified they want to continue to develop these areas of practice, especially knowledge and use of te reo and tikanga Māori.
Leaders and teachers collaboratively develop and maintain responsive, reciprocal, and respectful relationships with children, parents, and whānau. They could now consider how to strengthen learning-focused partnerships with whānau and responding to their aspirations for their children’s learning. This could promote the development of a local curriculum and enhance children’s learning outcomes.
A system of internal evaluation is in place. Relational trust supports whole team collaboration, and openness to change and improve with new knowledge being shared with the service’s community. The establishment of a more robust internal evaluation process would guide teachers to monitor the implementation of improvement actions. Such a process would include evaluating the impact of these actions on outcomes for children’s learning.
Little One’s Garden Early Education Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little One’s Garden Early Education 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.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
22 November 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Little One’s Garden Early Education Centre |
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Profile Number |
46928 |
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Location |
Papatoetoe, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
47 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 3, NZ European/Pākehā 1, Indian 14, Samoan 8, Tongan 5, Filipino 4, other Asian 6, other Pacific 4, |
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Review team on site |
July 2021 |
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Date of this report |
22 November 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 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 One's Garden Early Education Centre, in Papatoetoe, provides all day and sessional education and care for up to 47 children, including 10 up to the age of two years. Children attending the centre reflect the diverse cultural mix of the local community. Indian and Samoan children make up the largest groups.
The privately owned centre opened in 2016, and operates in a purpose-built facility. Two age groups of children have separate indoor and outdoor spaces. The centre owner designed the building, and established the centre to enact her vision for early childhood education and care. Thoughtful consideration and research have contributed to this development.
The centre’s philosophy aims to promote children as self-sufficient, confident and competent learners. Teachers intend to foster trust, respect and care to support this development in children.
This is the first ERO report of the centre.
The centre is welcoming and inclusive. Children are settled and willing to learn. They benefit from positive and affirming relationships with their teachers. Children are familiar with centre routines and expectations. While the centre has an established rhythm to the day, teachers respond to individual children's preferences.
Infants are well cared for by their teachers. Parents share information about the child's home care and wellbeing which helps teachers attend closely to infants' needs. Teachers support the development of oral language. They appropriately encourage infants to develop confidence and independence.
Teachers make good use of te reo Māori during the day. They have welcomed tikanga Māori into staff meeting protocols. This good practice values the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori as tangata whenua. It promotes bicultural perspectives of Aotearoa New Zealand for all children. Various religious, cultural and language days are celebrated relevant to the multicultural backgrounds of children and teachers.
The owner and manager make good use of external expertise to mentor their leadership development, and to ensure that appraisal requirements are met. This is important as several teachers are working towards their full registration.
Approaches such as Reggio Emilia are beginning to influence how teachers plan for and provoke children's learning. Teachers set up and lead relevant activities and learning opportunities for children. They encourage children to engage in this play. Greater access to the full range of equipment on an ongoing basis would further support children's self-directed play.
Teachers ensure that the programme provides ample opportunities for children to be physically active. This focus on children's physical activity is mainly promoted through the provision of equipment that invites children to exercise during their play, and through extended walks in the wider community.
Parents spoken to by ERO appreciate the opportunities children have to learn together. Teachers value partnerships with parents in their children's learning. The centre manager continues to find ways to balance parent expectations of the programme with the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
The owner and manager have defined responsibilities, and formalised processes for meeting and reporting about centre operations. Through the centre's strategic plan, they have identified areas for development and are working to address these.
Policies and procedures have been customised to the centre. A process for internal evaluation of important aspects of the centre's operations supports a culture of improvement. Effective systems are in place for monitoring health and safety requirements.
Key next steps include developing:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little One's Garden Early Education 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.
The next ERO review of Little One's Garden Early Education Centre will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
19 March 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 |
Papatoetoe, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46928 |
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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 |
47 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
56 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
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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 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2018 |
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Date of this report |
19 March 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.