80 Sutton Crescent, Papakura Central, 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Tiny Turtles Educare are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Tiny Turtles Educare is an established education and care centre. A qualified owner and manager lead a team of two qualified and four support kaiako. The centre philosophy focuses on how kaiako value close relationships with tamariki and whānau. Approximately a third of tamariki attending are Māori. Twenty percent have Pacific heritages.
Tamariki experience a curriculum that values and respects their cultures and languages. Tamariki Māori and their whānau have regular opportunities to engage in a meaningful curriculum that reflects Māori ways of knowing, being and doing.
The centre philosophy is well enacted. Kaiako demonstrate culturally responsive and respectful practices. They highly value close, trusting, and positive relationships, which has fostered learning-focused partnerships with families. Kaiako know tamariki, parents and whānau well.
Children develop a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing at the service. Infants and toddlers experience calm routines throughout the day. Kaiako are responsive to the verbal and non-verbal cues of these younger children.
Kaiako implement a curriculum that recognises and responds to the interests of tamariki and the aspirations of their whānau. Individual assessment records acknowledge children’s efforts, challenges, and successes. Tamariki are encouraged to lead their own learning, and kaiako respect the decisions about learning made by tamariki.
Kaiako are committed to their ongoing professional learning. They actively engage in reflection, problem solving and collaborative practices to support ongoing improvements to teaching practices. Strengthening internal evaluation processes could help kaiako to deepen their insights into the effectiveness of teaching practices on improving tamariki learning outcomes.
Leaders promote collective accountability and shared responsibility, using the strengths of all kaiako. There are robust systems and processes to monitor children’s health and safety.
Tiny Turtles Educare will include the following action in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Implement a systematic process for evidence-based evaluation that focuses on the impact of improvement actions on equitable outcomes for learners.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tiny Turtles Educare 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.
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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
16 November 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Tiny Turtles Educare |
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Profile Number |
46967 |
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Location |
Papakura, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
32 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
28 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
16 November 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2019 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Tiny Turtles Educare is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
This is the first ERO report for Tiny Turtles Educare, which is licensed for 32 children, including 10 under the age of two years. About two-thirds of the children attending are Māori, and 21 percent have Pacific heritage. A shared outdoor area and two indoor areas provide for different age groups.
The two co-owners have responsibility for the daily management of the centre. They work with a centre supervisor, a head teacher, and four teachers. Most of the teachers and one of the owners are registered teachers.
The centre's philosophy is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Relationships with parents are highly valued. The philosophy prioritises relationships with parents, the integration of a bicultural perspective, and respect for diverse cultures.
Children have a strong sense of belonging and engage enthusiastically with the programme. They work together cooperatively and enjoy long periods of uninterrupted play. Teachers have responsive and caring relationships with children and provide a welcoming environment for families. They skilfully support children's developing language, and respectful practices foster children's and self-management skills.
Learning environments are inviting, spacious and thoughtfully presented. Children have easy access to a variety of quality resources. The large outdoor area offers opportunities for children to develop physical capability and enjoy creative and imaginative play. Children learn about literacy, numeracy and science as they play. Learning promoted through the play programme supports children's transition to school.
Infants and toddlers enjoy a calm and attractive environment. They benefit from the mixed-age outdoor play activities. Teachers nurture their independence and confidence. Transitions between rooms are personalised to meet children's needs.
Some teachers have made a determined effort to embed te ao Māori into the programme and learning environment. These good models are building the confidence and capability of all staff. Teachers' use of te reo and inclusion of aspects of tikanga Māori during the programme, support children's developing understanding of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Teachers work collaboratively, share their knowledge about the children, and focus on how learning can be extended. They demonstrate their understanding of children through their discussions and written observations. Children's individual and group interests are documented in their portfolios. Features of the local history and landmarks are integrated into planning.
Parents/whānau receive good information about their children's learning and development. Teachers are eager to support parents to be partners in their children's learning. They provide opportunities for whānau to give feedback and provide their perspectives. Team leaders use this information to inform the programme and individual planning. Documenting parents' aspirations for their children will support planning and enhance learning stories.
The owners and teachers are committed to ongoing improvement, and use internal evaluation to identify areas for further development. Focusing evaluative questions about the effectiveness of teaching practice and outcomes for children will help to deepen teachers' reflective and evaluative thinking.
Teachers' participation in professional development has impacted positively on their knowledge and capability. An appraisal process is in place to support teachers' growth and professional development. Developing a 'teaching as inquiry' approach would help to strengthen teachers' appraisal and professional growth.
Effective leadership contributes to positive outcomes for children. The owners have a strong social awareness and a clear commitment to the community. Comprehensive policies and procedures guide the professional practice in the centre. Making centre goals specific and visible will ensure the strategic plan is future focused and a more useful guide for centre development.
Key next steps for ongoing centre development include:
building teachers' capacity to critically reflect on their practice, and increasing the depth and rigour of internal evaluation
developing teachers' leadership roles so they can confidently lead the learning programmes and promote positive outcomes for children
aligning the annual plan with clear strategic goals.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tiny Turtles Educare 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
20 June 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 |
Papakura, Auckland |
||
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46967 |
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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 |
32 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
32 |
||
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Gender composition |
Girls 21 Boys 11 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
21 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
March 2019 |
||
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Date of this report |
20 June 2019 |
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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:
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:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.