60 Finlayson Avenue, Clendon, Auckland
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.
Barnardos Early Learning Centre is a community-based service. The service provides full-day education and care for up to 50 children, including up to 12 children under two years of age. Most children have Māori or Pacific heritage. The service is part of the national Barnardos organisation. The teaching team includes long serving staff and a newly appointed centre manager.
The Barnardos philosophy statement guides the service’s operations. The service curriculum gives children opportunities to develop their knowledge of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The curriculum supports children to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures.
Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance their learning and development. Their preferences are respected, and children 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:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
20 January 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Barnardos Early Learning Centre Clendon |
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Profile Number |
25364 |
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Location |
Clendon, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
31 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 13 |
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Review team on site |
November 2020 |
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Date of this report |
20 January 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, April 2016 |
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.
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:
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
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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.
Barnardos Kidstart Childcare - Clendon Early Learning Centre has been established in South Auckland since January 2008. The service provides full day education and care for up to 50 children, including a small number under two years of age. Almost all the children on the roll have Māori or Pacific heritage and staff represent a diverse range of cultures. This is the second ERO review of the centre.
The centre is one of five in the Auckland area administered by the Barnardos organisation. Staff are well supported by a business manager and practice team to implement Barnardos’ systems and policies and to monitor the quality of centre practices. Barnardos has recently undergone some restructuring and the centre has had several staff changes, including the appointment of a new head teacher in November 2015. As a result of these changes many care and education practices are still being developed or strengthened.
The centre currently has five registered teachers, three of whom are still completing their full certification process. As a new team, teachers have recently reviewed their philosophy and endorsed a focus on using natural materials to enhance learning. They value the cultural diversity of the community and endeavour to foster children's first languages and identities. Teachers are supported by Barnardos’ Māori Strategic Plan Ngā Pou E Wha to further develop their knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori.
In 2013 ERO commended the quality of care and interactions in the centre. Several areas for development relating to programme management and the quality of learning were also identified. While teachers have made positive progress in some areas, leaders recognise the need for further improvements to enhance outcomes for children.
Children are happy and settled in the centre. They have positive relationships with teachers and show a sense of belonging in an environment that effectively promotes their wellbeing and selfmanagement skills. Children enthusiastically engage in play and work respectfully alongside their friends. They benefit from opportunities to explore natural materials and make independent choices about their learning. The calm, unhurried environment supports tuakana-teina relationships between children and encourages them to be patient and caring towards others.
Babies and toddlers are relaxed and confident. They benefit from arrangements that enable them to enjoy time with older children, and also to withdraw for more focused infant play. The high ratio of adults ensures these children receive individual support and personalised routines for care. They have easy access to the outdoor environment and are encouraged to investigate resources and practise new skills.
Teachers consistently support children to engage with resources. They frequently ask questions to encourage children's ideas and foster their interests. Teachers interact well with children, but could now consider ways to encourage more interaction between children through group work. Teachers regularly include cultural activities in the programme. They could further enhance cultural opportunities by increasing their use of children's home languages and continuing to strengthen their confidence in promoting te reo and tikanga Māori within the programme.
Leaders recognise the need to improve programme planning, assessment and evaluation. Teachers regularly discuss their observed interests of children. However, they are currently not formally documenting programme plans to guide their teaching strategies. Neither are they evaluating the impact of their teaching on children's learning. While there are some good examples of assessment in children's portfolios, these records are inconsistent and not providing strong evidence of progress for some children. A greater focus on specific learning areas such as literacy, numeracy and science could help teachers to provide more complex learning experiences and meaningful contexts for enriching children's conversations and learning.
Parents who were interviewed express enthusiasm for the centre. They appreciate the multicultural diversity of the staff and the caring relationships their children share with teachers. They value the quality of communication they have with staff, and the extent to which the service is responsive to family needs. Parents notice that their children develop their oral language in the centre and that they feel secure in the centre. Some parents are also pleased that teachers are reviewing transition- to-school procedures to make this an easier process for children.
The centre has a sound management framework, with work currently underway to update policies and procedures. The new head teacher is ready to strengthen her leadership of the centre after a prolonged period of deputising in the role. A willingness to further develop self-review processes, and focused staff professional development on improving outcomes for children are positive indicators for the centre’s future.
Centre leaders agree that the key next steps for centre development should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Barnardos KidStart Childcare - Clendon 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:
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; 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.
In order to further improve current practices centre leaders should consider providing improved shade in the outdoors area for children up to two years old and improved ventilation in the infant sleep room.
The next ERO review of Barnardos KidStart Childcare - Clendon Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
11 April 2016
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 |
Clendon, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25364 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
52 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 30 Girls 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Samoan Tongan Cook Island Māori Fijian others |
28 12 5 2 2 3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
January 2016 |
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Date of this report |
11 April 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2013 |
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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:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
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.