3 Alten Road, Auckland CBD, Auckland
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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Alten Road Early Childhood Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
|
What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakaū Embedding |
Alten Road Early Childhood Centre is one of six services operated by the University of Auckland. A qualified general manager oversees governance and management, supported by a qualified centre leader, six qualified teachers, two unqualified staff and a cook. The service caters for a diverse group of children from 15 different ethnic groups.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. Their mana and identity as successful learners are affirmed by teachers’ respectful and responsive interactions. They confidently express their feelings and share their interests and ideas with each other.
Teachers offer children opportunities to revisit their learning. They provide effective support when children first enrol and as they move through the centre and beyond. Teachers support and comfort children when needed. They are skilled in promoting children’s independence and decision making.
Teachers purposefully integrate te reo and tikanga Māori into everyday practice. They value children’s home languages and culture in meaningful ways. These practices enhance children’s positive experiences and progress their learning. Parents who spoke with ERO, appreciated teachers’ support with settling their children, teaching te reo Māori using waiata, karakia and providing opportunities for children to learn about their own and other languages and cultures.
Teachers respond sensitively and effectively to younger children’s non-verbal language and gestures. Older children have opportunities to recognise and understand early mathematical symbols, concepts, and printed language. The service provides purposefully designed and well-resourced learning environments so children can access materials to express their ideas meaningfully. Teachers prioritise opportunities for children to develop oral language skills.
Teachers work effectively to build learning-focused partnerships with parents and promote positive outcomes for children. They regularly communicate with parents about their child’s progress and suggest ways to support ongoing learning at home. Teachers use information from observations of children at play, discussions with parents and children to inform curriculum design and plan to further progress children’s learning.
The service has established systems, processes and practices that support organisational decision making with a focus on children and their learning. Leaders and teachers review different aspects of service operations for ongoing improvement and promote positive outcomes for children.
Alten Road Early Childhood Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Alten Road Early Childhood 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
During the onsite review, changes were made by the service leaders to ensure that the service is meeting regulatory requirements relating to health and safety, and governance and management as below:
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
8 July 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Alten Road Early Childhood Centre |
| Profile Number | 20450 |
| Location | Auckland CBD, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
39 children, including up to 24 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
42 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 1 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
8 July 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Alten Road Early Childhood Centre is one of six services operated by the University of Auckland to cater for the children of university staff, students and the local community. This centre operates in an adapted villa and caters for infants and toddlers. The sister centre, nearby in Symonds Street, caters for older children who move there from the Alten Road Centre.
The centre serves a diverse and multicultural community, with children from 14 ethnic backgrounds. Some children are enrolled for short periods of time while their parents attend university.
Two centre leaders are responsible for the day-to-day programme and operations and are responsible to a centre manager. The team of qualified teachers reflects the multicultural community.
The centre's philosophy guides centre operations. It embraces Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and different philosophies including Reggio Emilia approaches. It emphasises the importance of children leading their own learning and developing their independence by being trusted to make their own choices. Respectful relationships underpin centre practices.
The team has responded positively to recommendations in the 2014 ERO report. Teachers have continued to strengthen their practices through systematic internal evaluation and have ensured that the good practice outlined in the previous ERO review has been sustained.
Respectful and responsive relationships and inclusive practice underpin the curriculum. Special attention is paid to ensuring that infants develop strong secure attachment relationships with adults. Children are confident, curious learners with a strong sense of place and belonging. Their independence is nurtured by teachers who encourage them to make choices and develop their self-management skills in a peaceful, unhurried atmosphere.
Infants and toddlers play in a spacious, well-resourced and attractive environment that provides good opportunities for them to experience physical challenge and enjoy sustained purposeful play. Large, well-positioned photos maintain a connection with whānau and allow children to revisit centre events. Teachers provide resources that foster exploration, oral language and problem solving and literacy skills.
Teachers actively foster partnerships with parents. Assessment portfolios provide good information about children's individual learning journeys. Families make good use of the online portal that allows them to contribute to their children's digital portfolios. Families' languages and cultural backgrounds are celebrated in cultural displays. Centre events are well supported.
Children's transitions into and through the centre are sensitively managed. A team of teachers works closely together to support families entering the centre. A robust programme has been established for children transitioning from Alten Road to the Symonds Street centre. A designated transition teacher communicates and connects with both centres.
Centre leaders have a commitment to bicultural practices. Their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is evident in the centre's culture and in the relationships between children and whānau. Opportunities for children to become familiar with te reo and tikanga Māori are fostered through their play and centre practices. Tuakana/teina relationships are a strength of the centre. Relationships with the kaiako at the adjacent Kohanga Reo have deepened. Centre leaders are eager to continue to engage with the Kohanga Reo to help them to continue developing their bicultural practices.
Leaders and teachers work collaboratively as a team. Professional learning is encouraged, as are opportunities to build teachers' leadership capability. A robust appraisal process encourages teachers to be reflective practitioners.
Sound management and governance systems are in place. The centre is well supported by the University to implement effective management systems. Sound policies and procedures guide centre operations. Internal evaluation is established and promotes continual improvement.
Centre leaders agree that key s next steps are to continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Alten Road Early Childhood 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:
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 Alten Road Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
22 February 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.
|
Location |
Auckland City |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20450 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
39 children, including up to 24 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
34 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 20 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
12 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 February 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2011 |
||
|
|
Education Review |
May 2008 |
|
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.