16 Mission Street, Tauranga
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 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 Elm Tree Early Learning Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whāngai Establishing |
Elm Tree Early Learning Centre is privately owned. The owner delegates most of the governance responsibilities to a qualified centre manager. The ethnic diversity of the teaching team reflects the roll and community. Groups of Māori, Fijian Indian and Indian children are enrolled, and there is a small number from other ethnicities. There are three rooms for different age groups of children.
Children experience a curriculum which is increasingly responsive to the aspirations of families. Over the past year the localised curriculum has been under development. This has included a review of the service’s values, priorities and philosophy, in consultation with teachers and whānau. These are now being embedded into practice. Excursions into the local community help children and families develop a sense of belonging at the centre.
Infants and toddlers experience a calm and settled atmosphere. The spacious environment and a primary caregiving approach promote their development. Children with additional learning needs are well supported through inclusive practices. Teachers work alongside external agencies when needed.
Māori children and others, see and hear aspects of te reo Māori and experience waiata, centre wide pēpeha, Māori legends and some tikanga Māori practices. Leaders have attended recent professional development led by local iwi and are now accessing more resources to further enhance the service’s bicultural curriculum.
Aspects of the languages, cultures and identity of all children attending are reflected in the curriculum. This is evident mainly through cultural celebrations where parents are invited to share their expertise. Service leaders acknowledge that their response to Pacific learners needs to be improved. Consistent consideration of all children’s cultural identities is not yet evident within individual assessment information.
Leaders have established relational trust, and they regularly mentor teachers. There are examples of governance decision-making that show children are being positively supported to participate in the curriculum provided.
Some curriculum and operational systems and practices across the centre have been strengthened. Leaders and teachers now need time to embed these new expectations. There is a variability in the understanding and use of the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Internal evaluation has not recently had an intentional focus on the impact of improvement actions on outcomes for learners, although there is some evidence of this as result of the work on the curriculum design.
Elm Tree Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Elm Tree 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:
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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
20 November 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Elm Tree Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 47108 |
| Location | Tauranga |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 83 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 83 |
| Review team on site | October 2023 |
| Date of this report | 20 November 2023 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, September 2021; Akanuku | Assurance Review, April 2019 |
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.
Regulatory standards | ERO’s judgement |
| Curriculum | Meeting |
| Premises and facilities | Meeting |
| Health and safety | Meeting |
| 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.
Elm Tree Early Learning Centre is a privately owned education and care centre. The service regained its full licence in November 2020. The centre manager leads a team of ten qualified and two unqualified teachers. The centre philosophy values whanaungatanga, curiosity, wonder and a child-led, play-based curriculum.
Infants, toddlers, and young children experience nurturing reciprocal relationships with kaiako. A range of experiences is offered indoors and out to enhance children’s learning and development. The service curriculum acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua. Children have opportunities to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Assessment, planning, and evaluation demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and their interests. An ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care. Policies and procedures align with the licensing criteria.
Next steps include:
During and 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.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
9 September 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Elm Tree Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 47108 |
| Location | Tauranga |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 83 children, including up to 18 aged under 2. |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 76 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 55, Indian 5, Other ethnic groups 12 |
| Review team on site | July 2021 |
| Date of this report | 9 September 2021 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, April 2019. |
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:
ERO’s Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards | |
| 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.
Elm Tree Early Learning Centre is a privately owned and operated service. It was established in 2016, and two new co-managers were appointed in November 2018. The service has eight qualified and registered teachers in three age-based learning areas. This is the centre’s first ERO review.
The service’s curriculum is inclusive, responsive and consistent with Te Whāriki. Interactions between teachers and children are respectful and enhance their learning. A range of activities and experiences supports children’s learning and development. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to communicate about the care and education of their child.
The centre’s philosophy, mission, vision and strategic plan guide the service’s operation. There is a process in place for reviewing policies and improving practice. Policies and procedures are implemented to maintain safe and hygienic practices.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.
Phillip Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
11 April 2019
| Early Childhood Service Name | Elm Tree Early Learning Centre | |
| Profile Number | 47108 | |
| Location | Tauranga | |
| Service type | Education and care service | |
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | |
| Reported ratios of staff children | Under 2 | 1:4 –Better regulatory standards |
| Over 2 | 1:8 – Better than regulatory standards | |
| Service roll | 76 | |
| Gender composition | Girls 42 Boys 34 | |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 3 Pākehā 57 Indian 5 Other ethnic groups 11 | |
| Review team on site | March 2019 | |
| Date of this report | 11 April 2019 | |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | First ERO review of the service | |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include:
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 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 Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through: