8 Cairnfield Rd, Kensington-Whangarei, Whangarei
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 Giggles Learning Centre are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akitomo Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakawhanake Sustaining Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Giggles Learning Centre is privately owned and well established in the community. The owner and manager (kaiwhakahaere), a registered teacher, is actively involved in governance, management, and teaching within the curriculum. She leads a team of six qualified kaimahi, two kaimahi in training and a kaimahi in a support role. All children enrolled are of Māori heritage.
Giggles Learning Centre will include the following action in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Giggles 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)
10 January 2024
Service type | Education and care service |
Early Childhood Service Name | Giggles Learning Centre |
Profile Number | 45226 |
Location | Whangarei, Northland |
Number licensed for | 33 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers | 100% |
Service roll | 34 |
Review team on site | November 2023 |
Date of this report | 10 January 2024 |
Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, April 2020; Education Review, August 2016 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Giggles Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Giggles Learning Centre is a privately-owned, well-established centre, licensed for 33 children, including up to 20 children under the age of two years. The kaiwhakahaere (owner), is a registered teacher and oversees the management, appraisals and curriculum implementation at the centre.
She leads a team of seven registered teachers, and two staff members. Children are separated into two groups, teina and tuakana. Teina children, generally under the age of two years, access a separate indoor and outdoor environment from the tuakana children, who are over two years of age. Most of the children are of Māori heritage.
The 2016 ERO report noted teachers' purposeful approach to fostering children's social competence and supporting them to develop a sense of mana in their identity as Māori. These positive aspects remain evident. The report recommended areas for improvement related to extending children's learning, resourcing, and improving the documentation of the aromatawai or internal evaluation process. Progress has been made in all these areas.
The service is a member of Ngā Kura mo te ako o Whangarei Kāhui Ako group | Community of Learning (COL)
Children are settled and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the centre. They approach teachers easily for comfort or help. Children in the Teina room experience a calm environment, and access comfortable, safe spaces to play and explore, both inside and outdoors. Children experience a strong sense of cultural identity.
Teachers in both Teina and Tuakana rooms, interact with children in positive and reciprocal ways. They appreciate children's attempts at verbal and non-verbal communication and respond well to their needs, particularly in the Teina room. The owner is committed to employing teachers who can naturally integrate te ao Māori perspectives into everyday learning. This ensures that children can be confident in their language, culture and identity at the centre.
Teachers have created an environment that supports Māori children and their whānau to feel at home. They weave Māori perspectives through the programme and follow the maramataka, the Māori calendar, to guide centre operations. Teachers are responsive to the needs of individual children and inclusive in their approach to engage with whānau. They are committed to ensuring that all children, including those with additional learning needs, have equitable access to the learning programme.
Teachers integrate te ao Māori concepts, such as kaiako sharing responsibilities to support children's transitions into and within the centre. Children from the centre regularly visit the local school to watch kapa haka. These visits support their transition to school.
Learning environments are purposefully designed to ensure that children can easily access resources. Leaders and teachers should ensure that a wide variety of resources are available when children cannot use the outdoor play area.
Teachers have made good progress in improving the recording of children's assessments and programme planning. They know children and families well and use a bicultural framework, Mihāro Ahau, to record individual children's interests and dispositions. Centre-wide group planning also forms a part of the programme. Leaders and teachers plan to continue developing a shared understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They also plan to make children's learning outcomes more explicit in programme planning and implementation.
The centre uses a bicultural approach to internal evaluation aligned to the centre's strategic goals and focused on teaching and learning. Leaders and teachers now need to clearly show the impact of centre developments on improving outcomes for children and whānau.
Leaders have established a professional culture focused on improvement. Teachers participate in relevant professional learning aligned to the centre's vision and philosophy. Teachers provide a programme that promotes te reo Māori me ōna Tikanga. Leaders and teachers are continuing to build their capability to provide a high-quality programme for children.
A policy framework guides practice, and policies are reviewed in collaboration with teachers and whānau.
Key next steps include continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Giggles 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
To improve current practice, the service provider should strengthen systems for recording actual times of sleep checks.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
3 April 2020
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 | Kensington, Whangarei | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45226 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 33 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 years | ||
| Service roll | 34 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 18 Girls 16 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā other ethnic groups | 27 4 3 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:3 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:6 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | February 2020 | ||
| Date of this report | 3 April 2020 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | August 2016 | |
| Education Review | April 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 will depend on how well the service promotes 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.
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Giggles Learning Centre is near Kensington in Whangarei. It provides for up to 30 children, with infants and toddlers in the Teina room in their own outdoor space, and older children in the Tuakana areas.
The centre's owner manages the centre and employs six other registered teachers. She demonstrates a high level of commitment to providing a bicultural service that foregrounds Te Tiriti o Waitangi and enacts Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It is strongly influenced by Te Whatu Pōkeka, a kaupapa Māori framework for assessing children's learning. All aspects of centre operations are underpinned by the concepts of whanaungatanga, kotahitanga, whakamana and kaitiakitanga.
ERO's 2013 review recognised whānau relationships, the support that teachers provide for whānau, cultural inclusion and the integration of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori as strengths. It identified effective management and well considered planning. ERO suggested improvements in strategic planning, self review and the provision of more consistent support for child-led learning.
Children are comfortable and have a sense of belonging in this centre. Teachers have a purposeful approach to fostering children's social competence and promoting positive interactions. They have an intentional focus on supporting children's belief in their own capability, their developing sense of mana and pride in their identity as Māori. Teachers maintain a calm tone, sit alongside children to support play and model appropriate interactions. Whānau and staff appreciate the aroha that underpins relationships at Giggles.
The owner and teachers recognise the specialised nature of providing infant and toddler programmes. The Teina room is attractively presented and the small outdoor play area is also inviting and appropriately resourced. Teachers provide nurturing care and thoughtful support for learning that is responsive to individual children's preferences, interests and needs. A centre-wide whānau approach ensures that transitions from Teina to Tuakana are flexible and children move easily between the two areas.
Older children are confident to initiate conversations with adults and there are high levels of cooperative interaction amongst children as they play. They are able to choose from the selection of activities and resources available and find creative ways to use equipment. Children are physically active and often sustain imaginative play for long periods. They have opportunities to experiment with drawing and writing, and to include mathematical concepts in their play. Children's individual assessment portfolios are a valued record of children's engagement in the programme and reflect the Giggles kaupapa.
The owner and teachers have engaged in a variety of opportunities to extend their understanding about kaupapa Māori approaches to early childhood education. Teachers incorporate te reo me ngā tikanga Maori during the programme in a variety of ways. They are proactive in building their knowledge and confidence to help them to enact their vision of providing a bilingual programme for children.
Teachers use their professional learning and research to reflect on and improve their practices. This reflection has led to the development of new approaches to planning and assessment. It has helped them to more closely identify and respond to individual children's strengths and interests and to better reflect Te Whatu Pōkeka. They continue to explore ways for whānau to engage in the assessment and planning processes. They are working towards making their partnerships with whānau more visible in centre documentation. The increasing use of online communications should support this development.
There is very good alignment between teachers' philosophical beliefs and centre practices, including a collaborative leadership model. Together, the owner and teachers plan for centre development under the headings of whanaungatanga, kotahitanga, whakamana and kaitiakitanga. The goals identified in this planning inform specific annual plans.
Te Whatu Pōkeka has also influenced the development of an aromatawai framework for internal evaluation. This framework supports systematic and cyclical, as well as spontaneous, evaluation for improvement. A very good process of appraisal and mentoring is a critical factor in affirming and encouraging teachers' ongoing professional growth.
The owner and teachers have established a strong foundation for continuing the journey towards their vision of an authentically bicultural service for tamariki and their whānau.
As several recent developments in the centre have required significant shifts in thinking, the owner and teachers are focused on refining and consolidating new practices in a measured approach to strategic development. As part of this ongoing process, it is timely for teachers to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Giggles 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:
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 Giggles Learning Centre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
17 August 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.
| Location | Kensington, Whangarei | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45226 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 30 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 31 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 17 Boys 14 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Fijian | 25 5 1 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:3 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:5 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | June 2016 | ||
| Date of this report | 17 August 2016 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review | April 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.