52 Alfriston Road, Manurewa East, Auckland
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Regulatory standards |
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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 |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Choicekids Alfriston Road is one of eight ChoiceKids services in South Auckland. Its community, families and staff are culturally diverse, with the largest groups on the roll being Māori, Pacific and Indian. Programmes are provided for children in three areas, according to age. The centre manager leads a team of nine qualified teachers and six unqualified staff.
Since ERO’s 2016 review, the centre’s building has been extended and licence numbers increased. ERO’s last report identified a number of areas for improvement. Some progress has been made in each of these areas.
ERO’s 2018 special review of the ChoiceKids organisation identified a high number of areas for improvement. The service had been on a provisional licence and monitored by the Ministry of Education. It was returned to a full licence in April 2018. ChoiceKids personnel continue to support the service’s ongoing improvement.
This review was part of a cluster of eight reviews in the ChoiceKids organisation.
The service’s curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children’s needs and development. It is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and is becoming better informed by assessment, planning and evaluation.
The service regularly collaborates with parents and whānau, who are advised on how to access information about their children’s learning and the operation of the service. An ongoing process of internal evaluation helps to maintain and improve centre practices. Premises and facilities are hygienic and maintained in good condition.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
23 May 2019
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Choicekids Alfriston Road |
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Profile Number |
45923 |
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Location |
Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
90 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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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 regulatory standards |
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Over 2 |
1:8 - Better than regulatory standards |
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Service roll |
116 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 57% Girls 43% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 39% NZ European/Pākehā 8% Indian 20% Samoan 16% other ethnic groups 17% |
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Review team on site |
April 2019 |
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Date of this report |
23 May 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2016 |
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Education Review |
November 2015 |
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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 Home-based Education and Care Services 2008
the Licensing Criteria for Hospital-based 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 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 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 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 |
Choice Kids Alfriston Road has made considerable progress since its 2013 ERO review. Centre leaders and staff have improved their use of self review and made improvements to develop a more responsive and relevant curriculum for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Choice Kids Alfriston Road caters for children from birth to school age. The centre is licensed for thirty-seven children, including five up to the age of two years. It offers sessional and full day education and care. The centre caters for a diverse community where many children speak more than one language. Several staff are also bilingual and share the children’s cultures and languages.
The centre is part of a privately owned and operated network which includes five centres. In consultation with families, owners have begun a significant purpose-built extension to the existing centre. They intend to cater for up to eighty children, including twenty children up to the age of two years.
To help manage the organisation’s growth, a new management and leadership structure is developing. A general manager role has been created to enable the operation manager to focus on developing the quality of teaching and learning. Administration and additional support staff are in place to improve centre management.
The service has begun to design an emerging managers’ programme to support leaders to develop their leadership skills. This is likely to be a valuable strategy to build professional capability and maintain the momentum for improvement. New and additional leadership roles in the under and over two areas are planned to further support the centre manager.
The 2013 ERO report identified a number of significant challenges for the centre to improve the quality of the programme and the outcomes for children. Leaders, teachers and staff have worked diligently to make many positive changes. Centre leaders and staff have made very good use of external professional learning and development support through the Ministry of Education.
Centre managers and staff have maintained a strong commitment to providing for and working with families. Social justice and partnership are a key part of the centre’s approach. Staff enact the centre’s philosophy through whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga. Children benefit from this genuine family-friendly approach and an environment that welcomes children and their whānau.
Children are well supported to develop positive social skills. They demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and connection to the centre. Positive interactions with their teachers and each other helps contribute to a warm and settled atmosphere. Children enjoy learning alongside their friends and teachers.
Teachers are approachable and friendly. They provide good support for children’s wellbeing. Teachers have improved opportunities for children to offer their contributions and inform the programme. Continuing to review the purpose of routines could offer further opportunities for teachers and children to extend decision making and sustain learning.
The programme has become more child led and responsive. Several improvements to the planning, assessment and evaluation systems have promoted more relevant and meaningful learning experiences. Children have better access to a wider range of resources. Individual learning portfolios are attractive and useful records of children’s learning and engagement in the programme.
Children up to the age of two benefit from caring teachers who promote a calm and peaceful environment. Care routines for younger children are appropriately individualised. Positive and responsive interactions are very evident. Teachers could now increase opportunities for younger children to choose to access the outdoors.
Māori perspectives are well integrated into learning experiences along with highly valued contributions from whānau. Māori children’s mana is enhanced through ongoing professional development that helps teachers engage in respectful ways with children and whānau. Te reo Māori is used well and teachers are increasing their confidence and expertise in this area through well chosen professional development.
Children of Pacific Island heritage benefit from several teachers who are able to speak their home language. These skilled bilingual teachers also help new children settle quickly and they make positive connections with families. Teachers are also writing useful bilingual learning stories to help promote learning partnerships with families. The individual culture, language and identity of children from Pacific heritage is recognised through regular, meaningful events and celebrations.
Leadership and management of the centre is now more effective and clearly focused on improvement. Leaders work collaboratively and respectfully with staff. They are focused on increasing positive outcomes for children. Clear policies and procedures support centre operations well. Regular internal audits by organisational leaders offer valuable input to centre leaders about centre operations.
An appropriate focus for the wider organisation is continuing to enhance the professional knowledge and expertise of staff through useful and relevant external professional development. Strengthening the depth of evaluation using the centre’s philosophy could also support leaders to consolidate the centre’s progress and manage the future expansion.
ERO and centre leaders agree leaders and staff are well placed to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Choice Kids Alfriston Road 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.
In order to improve practice, centre leaders should ensure adequate shade is provided over the playground and that teachers ensure all children wear hats during outdoor play.
The next ERO review of Choice Kids Alfriston Road will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
18 January 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 |
Manurewa East, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45923 |
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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 |
37 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
59 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 38 Girls 21 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Tongan Indian Asian Cook Island Māori Niue other |
22 5 8 7 6 2 2 2 5 |
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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 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2015 |
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Date of this report |
18 January 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2013 |
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.