Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way

Education institution number:
47714
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
53
Address:

3 Mataki Way, Glen Eden, Auckland

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Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whāngai Establishing

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 
Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whāngai Establishing

Whāngai Establishing

2 Context of the Service

Our Kids Early Learning Centre – Mataki Way is one of four services under the same ownership. The owner and business manager work closely with a centre manager, eight qualified teachers and four support staff including a cook. The community is ethnically diverse. A small number of children enrolled are Māori or of Pacific heritages.

3 Summary of findings

Children benefit from a play-based curriculum that promotes their independence and decision-making. Teachers use appropriate strategies to encourage children to problem-solve and experiment, individually and in groups. Their practice demonstrates that care is understood to be an integral part of the curriculum, particularly for infants and toddlers. Warm, reciprocal relationships between teachers and children are evident. Transitions into, within and from the service are well considered and aim to meet the individual needs of children and whānau

Planning and assessment documentation aims to make visible children’s learning against the strands and goals of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The team is currently trialling individual development plans to strengthen teachers' response to children’s learning and interests. Leaders have identified a need to develop teachers’ shared understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They are yet to document children’s progress in relation to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki. 

Basic te reo Māori and some aspects of tikanga Māori are evident within teaching practices. Teachers provide opportunities for children, parents and whānau to celebrate different cultures though service-wide cultural events. Leaders and teachers are yet to use the Tātaiako and Tapasā frameworks to further develop the cultural competencies needed to effectively respond to Māori and Pacific learners.

Systems and practices for internal evaluation have been established. Increasing the capability of all teachers to undertake service-wide evaluation for improvement is now a priority. Leaders have begun to develop the relational trust needed to support team collaboration. Those responsible for governance allocate time and resources for managers across the organisation to meet regularly to share information, knowledge and build the capability of staff. 

4 Improvement actions

Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Increase teachers’ understanding of children’s learning in relation to the identified outcomes in Te Whāriki.
  • Make children’s languages and cultures visible within documented curriculum planning and assessment practices.

The organisation will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Use Tātaiako and Tapasā to support culturally responsive teaching practices across the organisation.
  • Implement deliberate and systematic evaluation processes that focus on identifying how the curriculum and teaching practices contribute to improved outcomes for learners. 

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way 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:

  • 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

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)

7 December 2023

6 About the Early Childhood Service 

Early Childhood Service NameOur Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way
Profile Number47714
LocationGlen Eden, Auckland
Service type Education and care service
Number licensed for 60 children, including up to 18 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers80-99%
Service roll58
Review team on siteSeptember 2023
Date of this report7 December 2023
Most recent ERO report(s)Akanuku | Assurance Review, March 2022

Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way

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.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesMeeting
Health and safetyMeeting
Governance, management and administrationMeeting

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Mataki Way caters for children from infant to school age in purpose-built facilities. The owner/director provides governance. The centre manager leads a team of nine qualified teachers. This is the first ERO review of the service.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

The service provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance their learning and development. The design and layout of the premises supports the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, interests, whānau, and life contexts. A philosophy statement, annual plan and policy framework guide the service’s operation.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • Checking all indoor and outdoor items and surfaces, furniture, equipment, and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use (PF5).
  • Ensuring all furniture and items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) that will be used by more than one child over time are securely covered with, or made of, a non-porous material (that is, a material that does not allow liquid to pass through it) (PF30).
  • Heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).
  • Completing documentation required for when children leave the premises on a regular or special excursion, including the excursion to be approved and signed off by the person responsible (HS17).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

17 March 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service NameOur Kids Early Learning Centre – Mataki Way
Profile Number47714
LocationGlen Eden, Auckland
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for60 children, including up to 18 aged under 2.
Percentage of qualified teachers80-99%
Service roll57
Ethnic compositionMāori 4, European/Pākehā 33, Indian 5, other Asian 5,
other European 5, Other ethnic groups 5
Review team on siteFebruary 2022
Date of this report17 March 2022
Most recent ERO report(s)First ERO review of the service.

General Information about Assurance Reviews

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.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • 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.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.