100 Cameron Road, Te Puke
View on mapERO’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 |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
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.
At 4woods Early Learning Centre children learn in two aged-based areas. The philosophy values a bicultural curriculum within a whānau orientated learning environment. A large number of children identify as Māori and small numbers identify as Pacific. The service was fully licensed in September 2022.
Children are seen as competent and confident learners. The curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation. Teachers demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning, their interests and life contexts. Children’s social and emotional competencies are supported. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Having documented selection and appointment processes (GMA7).
Ensuring documented risk assessment is undertaken for all children’s workers that meets the requirements of the Childrens Act 2014 (GMA7A).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
29 May 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
4woods Early Learning Centre |
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Profile Number |
47109 |
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Location |
Te Puke |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
56 |
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Review team on site |
April 2023 |
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Date of this report |
29 May 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, March 2015 |
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
4woods Early Learning Centre is a privately owned education and care service located in Te Puke. The centre is licensed for 45 children including up to 15 under two years of age. The roll is 61, including 11 children who identify as Māori. The two owners manage the centre on a day-to-day basis. Six teachers hold early childhood qualifications and two are unqualified.
The service has relocated since the 2015 ERO review. The new purpose-built centre was opened in October 2016. There is a mixed-age outdoor area and a separate room for children under two years of age.
The centre philosophy states that they are family/whānau orientated, have an inclusive approach to bi-culturalism and are focused on individual children’s interests and strengths. Children will develop self confidence and courage to become competent, confident learners.
The centre managers and teachers have addressed the key next steps identified in the 2015 ERO report that related to strengthening strategic planning and self review, developing performance management for leaders and assessment, planning and evaluation.
Management have collaboratively developed a vision and philosophy that promotes positive learning outcomes for all children. The philosophy is a living document that underpins all that they do. Goals for ongoing improvement have been identified and prioritised. Progress towards achievement of these goals is regularly reviewed. Planned and spontaneous self reviews are ongoing, responsive to identified priorities and lead to improved outcomes for children.
The co-owners/managers work collaboratively to build teacher capability within the centre. They have established a culture of respect and trust with teachers, parents and whānau. Emergent leadership amongst teachers is encouraged. Leaders have supported teachers to access professional learning and development to increase their individual and collective knowledge.
The centre’s responsive curriculum is promoting positive learning outcomes for all children. Teachers have created learning experiences that incorporate children’s interests through different areas of the curriculum. They have effectively integrated aspects of literacy, numeracy, oral language and science into daily programmes. The curriculum strongly reflects the living world and environmental sustainability. Māori concepts and language are naturally woven into the day-to-day life of the centre. Children are nurtured during transitions into and within the service, and when moving to school.
Assessment is effectively used to identify individual learning and development. Teachers have an understanding of each child as a unique learner and effectively support children’s sense of belonging.
Respectful interactions between teachers and children support the building of independent, self-confident learners. Teachers encourage children’s curiosity and thinking by using open-ended questions and promoting conversations. ERO observed teachers recognising and responding to opportunities to engage with and extend children’s learning through problem solving and experimentation.
The environment promotes choice, is calm and children can learn at their own pace. The outdoor areas include a wide range of natural resources and supports children's exploration and imaginative play. Processes are in place to meet the needs of any child who requires additional support. Children are highly engaged in sustained and uninterrupted play and learning.
Provision for children up to two years of age is positive, sensitive and responsive. Teachers recognise and use learning opportunities within the routines. They interact with young children in a calm, unhurried way giving them time and space to lead their learning.
Parents spoken to by ERO were well informed about their children's learning and care and expressed high levels of confidence in teachers to provide an environment where each child is respected and valued as an individual.
ERO and centre management agree that the key next steps are to:
review the centre philosophy to reflect the revised Te Whāriki
continue to develop teaching as inquiry.
Before the review, the staff and management of 4woods Early Learning Centre 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.
The next ERO review of 4woods Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
18 June 2018
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.
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Location |
Te Puke, Bay of Plenty |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
47109 |
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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 |
45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
61 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 34 Boys 27 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
11 |
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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 |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2018 |
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Date of this report |
18 June 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2015 |
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Education Review |
February 2012 |
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Education Review |
November 2010 |
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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:
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 and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote 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.