88b Teasdale Street, Te Awamutu
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 The Learning Nest are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
The Learning Nest provides for an ethnically diverse roll that reflects the community and includes a small number of Māori learners. There are two rooms for different age groups of children and a shared outdoor play area.
Children experience a calm and well-paced curriculum that responds to their interests and fosters their
self-confidence. A language-rich learning environment promotes children’s oral language development. Olderchildren are empowered to grow their leadership through leading waiata and karakia. Respectful teaching practice enables younger children to have time and space to make independent choices. Transitions into, through the service, and onto school are responsive to children’s individual needs.
Teachers have formed positive relationships with parents/whānau and provide opportunities for them to contribute to planning for their child’s learning. Planning for individual children is in the early stages of development. Teachers are beginning to develop a shared understanding of the valued outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in relation to assessing children’s learning and progress.
Teachers are starting to develop cultural knowledge to help them respond to all children’s cultures and languages. Basic te reo Māori and aspects of tikanga Māori are embedded in daily routines. Children’s home languages are used by some teachers. Teachers along with older children, are starting to explore local areas of significance and local Māori history.
Leaders are establishing the conditions that enable the team to collaborate for improvement. Relational trust between the leaders supports teachers’ openness to change. Professional development and teacher reflections about their practice are beginning to contribute to their learning and growth. Internal evaluation is undertaken within a useful framework. This process is yet to show the learning for individuals and groups of children over time.
Governance initiatives promote aspects of equity for participation and inclusion of children and their families. Children’s wellbeing is at the centre of decision making. However, the understanding and implementation of the centre philosophy is inconsistent.
The Learning Nest will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of The Learning Nest 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 February 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | The Learning Nest |
| Profile Number | 47395 |
| Location | Te Awamutu |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 40 children, including up to 13 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 31 |
| Review team on site | November 2023 |
| Date of this report | 1 February 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, December 2022; Education Review, May 2019 |
ERO’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 |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
The Learning Nest provides education and care to an ethnically diverse roll that reflects the community and includes a small number of Māori learners. Children play and learn in two aged-based rooms with a shared outside play area. The service returned to a full licence in May 2021.
Children experience an inclusive curriculum where they are involved in decisions about their learning. Adults providing education and care engage with children in positive interactions to nurture reciprocal relationships with children.
Planning, assessment, and evaluation demonstrate understanding of children’s interests as well as relevant theories relating to early childhood development.
Māori are acknowledged as tangata whenua. Children are encouraged to be confident in their own culture and to understand others.
A sufficient variety and quantity of equipment is provided that is appropriate to the abilities of children attending. A philosophy guides the service’s operation.
Next steps include:
Continue to explore ways to increase the involvement of whānau Māori in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the service’s local curriculum.
Increase the range of opportunities children and their families have to share aspects of their culture with others in the service.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
2 December 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
The Learning Nest |
|
Profile Number |
47395 |
|
Location |
Te Awamutu |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 13 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
35 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
2 December 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, May 2019. |
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.
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
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:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory 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:
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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
discussions with those involved in the service
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.