The Meadows Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
47788
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
77
Address:

165c Matangi Road, Tamahere, Hamilton

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The Meadows Early Learning Centre

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 The Meadows Early Learning Centre 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

The Meadows Early Learning Centre is privately owned service located in Tamahere. Approximately a quarter of tamariki enrolled identify as Māori, and a small number as of Pacific heritage. There have been recent significant staff changes. The service philosophy places value on curiosity, creativity, respectful practice, and kindness while nurtured in nature.

3 Summary of findings

Tamariki experience a curriculum that positively promotes their autonomy and supports their social competence and sense of belonging at the service. Through the daily programme:

  • tamariki have ongoing opportunities to lead their own learning

  • infants and toddlers experience freedom of movement

  • tamariki benefit from well-resourced learning environments

  • tamariki have ready access to the spacious outdoor play areas.

The service is at an early stage of integrating cultures of all tamariki into daily experiences. There are some intentional teaching practices in place to promote positive outcomes for tamariki, including Māori. Pacific cultures are yet to be integrated into the curriculum.

The newly established leadership team are working towards building all kaiako capability to recognise and respond to the learning of tamariki. Positive relationships with parents and whānau support the gathering and response to aspirations for learning. Assessment documentation is beginning to consider learning in relation to valued outcomes for learners in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Tamariki with additional learning needs is supported through partnerships with parents and external agencies.

Centre Leaders have established a useful internal evaluation process. A professional growth cycle for kaiako is newly established. Leaders and kaiako have regular access to professional learning to develop their understandings of how tamariki learn. The service is yet to consider the impact of changes in practice on tamariki learning outcomes.

Governance upholds Te Tiriti o Waitangi based practices through partnerships and centre policies. The centre environment and organisation supports positive outcomes for tamariki.

4 Improvement actions

The Meadows Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Continue to build consistency of kaiako practices that are responsive to children’s learning.

  • Deepen understanding of the languages, cultures, and identities of individual tamariki and use this knowledge to inform curriculum, planning and assessment.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of The Meadows Early Learning Centre 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.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

4 April 2023 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

The Meadows Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

47788

Location

Hamilton

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

95 children, including up to 25 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers (delete if not applicable)

80-99%

Service roll

95

Review team on site

February 2023

Date of this report

4 April 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku | Assurance Review, December 2021;

The Meadows Early Learning Centre

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

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.

Background

The Meadows Early Learning Centre is a privately owned, newly established centre in Matangi. The purpose-built centre caters for children up to school age. The owner leads a teaching team of qualified and unqualified teachers. This is the centre’s first ERO review.

Summary of Review Findings

Children learn and develop through a curriculum that provides a range of experiences and opportunities, in the large indoor and outdoor areas. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. There is meaningful engagement and positive interaction between children and teachers. The development of social and emotional competence is supported.

The centre philosophy statement guides operations. Policy review is consistent with criteria requirements. A process of self-review helps the service improve the quality of its education and care. The service is meeting all regulatory standards.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • strengthening the extent to which information documented about all children’s learning reflects their identities, languages and cultures
  • continuing to improve the service’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by exploring ways to involve whānau Māori in the design and implementation of the service’s local curriculum.

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

  • the service has made available to parents the amount and details of the expenditure of Ministry of Education funding received (GMA3).

Next ERO Review

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

Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

1 December 2021 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name The Meadows Early Learning Centre
Profile Number 47788
Location Matangi, Hamilton

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

56

Ethnic composition

Māori 14, NZ European/Pākehā 29, South African 4, Other ethnic groups 9.

Review team on site

July 2021

Date of this report

1 December 2021

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.