18 Te Kauwhata Road, Te Kauwhata
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 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 Reach Forward Early Learning Centre - TK are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
This centre’s philosophy emphasises joy and passion for living and learning. Led by the service owner and manager, progress has been made in the key next steps in ERO’s 2019 report. A small number of enrolled children are Māori or of Pacific heritages. There is a range of other ethnicities represented in the centre. Four age-based classrooms in a purpose-built facility share three outdoor areas.
Children are meaningfully engaged in a play-based curriculum that actively promotes positive social interactions and respect for others. Children lead their own learning, and predictable routines and rhythms build children’s sense of security. Transition to school is well supported through the ways that emergent literacy, numeracy and children’s oral language skills are promoted. Calm, unhurried, and responsive teacher interactions support younger learners to develop a sense of belonging. Children demonstrate sustained concentration as they learn alongside their peers.
Assessment records reflect children’s interests, and show their progress in relation to skill development and individual dispositions such as curiosity and persistence. Leaders and teachers are yet to document their evaluation of the curriculum or show children’s progress in assessment records in ways that align to the valued outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
The service is taking positive steps in integrating all children’s cultural identities into the curriculum. Elements of tikanga Māori and basic te reo Māori are experienced by children. There are some examples of children from Pacific nations, and those from other cultures, experiencing language weeks and other celebrations as part of the curriculum provided. Children with additional needs are well supported as they learn alongside their peers. Teachers and leaders connect with external agencies to enable children’s inclusion in the curriculum.
Evaluation processes result in knowledge building and positive shifts in teaching practice. Leaders and teachers collaborate to implement changes and incorporate new knowledge. While there is some monitoring of the impact of changes made to the curriculum on children’s learning outcomes, this is yet to be reflected in all areas of evaluation.
Governance initiatives remove barriers for children’s attendance and participation to meet the needs of the learning community. Children’s learning and wellbeing in the context of family relationships are the primary considerations in decision making.
Reach Forward Early Learning Centre - TK will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Reach Forward Early Learning Centre - TK completed an ERO 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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
1 December 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Reach Forward Early Learning Centre - TK |
| Profile Number | 47310 |
| Location | Te Kauwhata, Waikato |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 90 |
| Review team on site | November, 2023 |
| Date of this report | 1 December 2023 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, June 2019 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Reach Forward Early Learning Centre - TK is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Reach Forward Early Learning Centre - TK is a privately owned and operated full-day education and care centre in Te Kauwhata. It is licensed for 80 children from three months to school age, including up to 10 under two years of age. At the time of this ERO review 51 children were enrolled including six who identify as Māori. The purpose-built service has been in operation since December 2017 and runs four age-based classrooms sharing three outdoor areas.
Reach Forward aims to promote joy and passion for learning and living. The philosophy follows three principles which aim to:
The centre philosophy states that relationships underpin the ways of being together and encourage children to explore and ask questions. The philosophy acknowledges God as the creator and sustainer of all life.
This is the centres first ERO review.
Children experience relationships that are a highly affirming. Their interests are followed closely, and they are encouraged to lead their own play and learning. Children's relationships with their peers are supported by a strong tuakana teina approach, developing a positive sense of self. Parents and whānau enjoy positive relationships that support their aspirations for their children’s learning. Children under the age of two years are encouraged to learn in a calm and nurturing environment that fosters their sense of curiosity and focuses on their safety and well-being. Children are supported to become leaders and capable self-managing learners.
The curriculum effectively supports a culture for learning. Children with additional learning needs are well supported to access all areas of the well-resourced curriculum. Children's needs are well known, and they are seen as able to take risks and set their own challenges. Literacy and numeracy are promoted through a child-led learning approach that fosters children’s ability to make decisions and choices. Planning, assessment and evaluation captures the children's learning and parents' aspirations. The next steps is to make the progress of learning related to the aspirations from parents more explicit. Children are encouraged to be confident and competent to actively explore the environment.
Waiata, te reo and tikanga Māori are effectively used to support children's knowledge about te ao Māori. There has been a committed approach to building teachers' knowledge and understanding of the bicultural nature of the curriculum. Leaders and teachers have identified that continued review of bicultural practice is a centre priority.
Leadership has successfully established a positive team culture. Leaders are building teacher capability through appraisal processes. A collaborative approach to leadership is evident. Positive relational trust is contributing to a strong sense of belonging. Internal evaluation processes and systems are effective, and improvement focused. Leadership fosters a culture where children are valued and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to their learning.
The centre's philosophy, vision, systems and processes are effectively promoting positive learning outcomes for children. Policies and procedures are current and reviewed regularly to support daily operations. Relationships are positive and reciprocal across the centre and regular consultation with whānau and children is evident. The decisions about resourcing and planning the environment are collaborative. Children experience an environment where management provide quality opportunities that effectively supports their learning.
Leaders and teachers now need to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Reach Forward Early Learning Centre - TK 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
Central Region
18 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 | Te Kauwhata, Waikato | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 47310 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 51 | ||
| Gender composition | Female 28 Male 23 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other | 6 39 6 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:9 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | May 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 18 June 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| No previous ERO reports | ||
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:
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.