71 Reeves Road, Pakuranga, Auckland
View on mapRegulatory standards | ERO’s judgement |
| 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.
Kidspace Early Learning Centre Pakuranga 2 is licensed to provide for up to 120 children over two years of age. The centre is one of three located on a large site. These centres are part of the nationwide Provincial Education Group. The centre manager/licensee is a registered teacher and leads a team of nine qualified teachers, as well as teachers in training and other staff. This is the first ERO review of Kidspace Early Learning Centre Pakuranga 2 since the change of ownership.
The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Teachers provide a language-rich environment that supports children to be confident in their own culture. They engage in meaningful, positive interactions with children that nurture reciprocal relationships.
A philosophy statement and annual plan guide centre operations. An ongoing process of self review keeps the service focused on improving outcomes for children. There are opportunities for parents to communicate with teachers about the care and learning of their children.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
29 November 2019
| Early Childhood Service Name | Kidspace Early Learning Centre Pakuranga 2 |
| Profile Number | 25090 |
| Location | Pakuranga, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 120 children over two years. |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
| Reported ratio of staff to children under 2 | NA |
| Reported ratio of staff to children over 2 | 1:10 - Meets regulatory standards. |
| Service roll | 114 |
| Gender composition | Girls 53% Boys 47% |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 7% NZ European/Pākehā 13% Chinese 30% Middle Eastern 12% Indian 9% African 8% Filipino 6% Sri Lankan 3% other ethnic groups 12% |
| Review team on site | October 2019 |
| Date of this report | 29 November 2019 |
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Previous reviews as Tinytown Pakuranga 2 Learning Centre Education Review December 2016 Education Review June 2013 Education Review September 2009 |
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 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:
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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.
Tinytown Pakuranga 2 Learning Centre is one of three centres on two sites. It is part of the Tinytown organisation, which also operates early childhood centres in Otahuhu and Mt Wellington. Long serving owners provide family focused education and care for children. A Christian ethos is an important part of their philosophy and centre operations.
This centre provides programmes for up to 120 children over three years of age and the adjacent centre provides for younger children. Teachers and children have access to a large carpeted hall that is used frequently for events and indoor activities in inclement weather. The centre serves a multicultural community with diverse languages, cultures and needs.
Tinytown employs a complex manager to oversee centre operations and provide professional support to all three centres on the site. The 2013 report recommended that the centre should ensure that the programme reflects Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Since the 2013 ERO review there have been changes of staff and a new complex manager appointed. Children now have improved access to resources that support their interests and play. Teachers have engaged in professional development and improved documentation with an increased focus on child-initiated play.
Children are confident, capable and caring learners. They actively engage in play and enjoy the company of their teachers and peers. They have fun and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They explore, make discoveries and have good opportunities to make choices about their play. Dispositions such as persistence are encouraged.
Respectful and responsive relationships underpin the centre’s welcoming and inclusive tone. Centre leaders and staff encourage family and community involvement. There is a relaxed atmosphere and teachers are attentive and accepting of children’s ideas, cultural needs and preferences.
Teachers work alongside children and support their play. They know children well, listen carefully and encourage children to talk with peers. Teachers encourage children to use and maintain their first languages and increase their English language. Support for children with diverse languages is a feature of the service.
The programme is underpinned by Te Whāriki and by the teaching philosophy of the centre. Teachers' interactions with children are positive and supportive. They provide good opportunities for children to develop their physical skills and foster their creativity and imagination. The environment is well resourced and carefully organised, and staff have increased the use of natural resources. Early science, literacy and mathematics concepts are also encouraged though play and planned activities
Parents receive good information about their children's day and are able to take an active part in the centre programme and events. They have regular communication and opportunities for consultation and information sharing about their children. Some families have more than one child at the centre, and some children are the second generation using the service. Teachers are reflecting on ways to further develop partnerships with parents that focus on children's learning.
Centre leaders have a strong commitment to providing a good quality service and this includes developing a culture of teacher reflection. They are aware that self review is also an area of development. Centre operations are guided by sound management practices and a comprehensive framework of polices.
Teachers’ professional capabilities and leadership are fostered through mentoring and ongoing professional development. Recent professional development is assisting teachers to use self review as a tool to guide ongoing improvement. Teachers are also strengthening their knowledge and understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori through personal studies and external professional development.
Centre leaders agree that next steps should include:
refining assessment, planning and evaluation processes to more clearly show how teachers notice, respond to and build on children’s individual interests
reviewing how well bicultural practices are enacted and promote Māori language, culture and identity
increasing strategies that maximise learning in the outside environment, and include literacy and mathematics in play
deepening self review to be more evaluative and evidence based
building on existing long and short term management planning to more clearly align with the centre's vision and philosophy.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tinytown Pakuranga 2 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:
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 improve current practices the service could develop a more consistent and robust appraisal process aligned with the Practicing Teacher Criteria.
The next ERO review of Tinytown Pakuranga 2 Learning Centre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
22 December 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 |
Pakuranga, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25090 |
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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 |
120 children, over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
99 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 54 Girls 45 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Chinese Indian Filipino Middle Eastern South African European Samoan other Asian other |
10 20 22 11 9 8 5 3 3 4 4 |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
October 2016 |
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Date of this report |
22 December 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
June 2013 |
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Education Review |
September 2009 |
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Education Review |
September 2006 |
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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.