108 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington, 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.
Junior Junction is a privately-owned, stand-alone service. The centre manager, along with a curriculum leader, manages the daily running of the centre. The community is culturally diverse. A small number of enrolled children are Māori or have Pacific heritages. The centre philosophy is underpinned by responsive, reciprocal relationships.
The service curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. It is an inclusive and responsive curriculum that views children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning.
The curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. Information and guidance are sought, when necessary, from external agencies to enable effective education and care.
A continual focus on practices that promote the health and safety of children enrolled in the service is required.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance.
Having a record of relevant emergency drills being carried out with children on at least a 3 monthly basis (HS8).
During the onsite visit, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
Having a documented daily hazard checking system that includes all areas required by the licensing criterion (HS12).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
16 August 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Junior Junction Lunn Ave |
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Profile Number |
46361 |
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Location |
Mt Wellington, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
66 |
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Review team on site |
June 2023 |
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Date of this report |
16 August 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, May 2020; Education Review, February 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.
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 Akanuku | 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 Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | 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 |
Junior Junction Lunn Ave is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Junior Junction Lunn Ave is a purpose-built facility providing care and education for up to 100 children, including 30 under the age of two. The service is organised into four main rooms catering to different ages. The outdoor environment is separated into two play spaces and provides children with opportunities to play in mixed-age groups.
Junior Junction is part of a wider network owned by the same licensee. This network shares administrative and professional support. The service is managed by an experienced leader who is responsible for leading a team of 10 qualified teachers and nine unqualified teachers.
The service's philosophy highlights a commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. The philosophy's four guiding principles are nurture, protect, empower and relationships. Teachers use these principles to develop philosophies that reflect the needs of the children in each room.
The 2016 ERO report noted teachers' skilful assessment of and planning for children's learning. Since that report, Junior Junction has had some staffing changes, and managers have identified that staff capability is now an area to strengthen.
Refining the appraisal system was identified for development in the 2016 ERO report. Very good progress in this area is evident.
Children are encouraged to be enthusiastic and active participants in their own learning. Friendships among children are evident. The environment offers physical challenge and opportunities to problem solve and be curious. Teachers' inclusive practices enable all children to participate fully within the service. Children's mana is recognised, and they have opportunities to take responsibility and lead aspects of the programme.
Children benefit from culturally respectful practices. They experience a curriculum that celebrates te reo and tikanga Māori. Teachers incorporate kupu Māori naturally into the environment. Children sing waiata and make use of resources with Māori themes. Tuakana/teina relationships are evident with older children supporting and modelling play for younger children.
Teachers who work with infants and toddlers maintain a calm pace for children to have space and time to follow their interests. They are responsive to children's verbal and non-verbal cues, and routines reflect children's individual needs.
Sensitive and responsive relationships reflect the service's guiding principles and philosophy. Working collaboratively, teachers identify, and plan, based on children's interests. Service leaders agree that documentation could be strengthened to reflect these individual interests and to evaluate their progress over time.
Professional learning is provided for teachers to develop their capability in managing children's diverse behaviours. Teachers identify and support children with additional needs. Their early intervention is responsive to specific goals for each of these children. Leaders could consider how well progress towards these goals is documented. They also acknowledge that professional development around the Pasifika framework Tapasā, could support their Pacific learners.
Teachers value and consider parents'/whānau aspirations for their children's care and education. An online platform provides access to relevant information about their child's learning. Whānau are regularly consulted, and opportunities to contribute to policy review and centre operations are actively sought.
Service leaders have established an organisational culture of ongoing improvement. Teachers are offered a wide range of opportunities to engage in ongoing professional learning. Leaders could strengthen evaluation by identifying how well teaching practices impact on outcomes for children.
Governance and management of the service is efficient and effective. Service leaders are experienced and well informed. Policy frameworks and operational systems are aligned to annual and strategic plans. Professional development is clearly linked to the service's long-term and annual goals. A robust appraisal system supports the setting and implementation of individual goals for teacher growth. Policies are regularly reviewed in consultation with staff and whānau.
Service managers have identified relevant next steps that include:
refining evaluation to show the impact of the curriculum and teaching practices on improved outcomes for children
further building leader and teacher capability to develop the service's collective capacity.
Before the review, the staff and management of Junior Junction Lunn Ave 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:
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
28 May 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.
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Location |
Mt Wellington, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46361 |
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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 |
100 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
82 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 50 Girls 32 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
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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 minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
February 2020 |
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Date of this report |
28 May 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
February 2016 |
|
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:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.