16 Mountain Road, Mount Wellington, Auckland
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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Kidstown Childcare are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Kidstown Childcare, located at the base of Maungarei, provides education and care for children from infancy to school age. Children attending the centre are from diverse cultural backgrounds, including a number with Māori heritage. The owner and centre manager lead a team of 14 qualified teachers and eight unqualified staff.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the centre and a confidence in their identity, language and culture. They show respect for and take care of the environment. Children use a wide range of strategies to socialise with their peers and adults. Tuakana/teina relationships between younger and older children are evident.
Kaiako provide meaningful opportunities for children to learn about their local and wider communities, with a focus on te Maunga. The learning environment is well resourced and promotes children’s critical thinking and wondering. Opportunities for children to extend their literacy and mathematical skills are thoughtfully incorporated in the curriculum. Infants’ and toddlers’ individual needs are well met by a primary caregiving programme.
Māori children are valued as tangata whenua. Kaiako integrate aspects of tikanga and te reo Māori very well. Kaupapa Māori values are promoted through the curriculum. The service philosophy reflects the strong commitment of leaders and kaiako to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Kaiako build highly effective learning partnerships with parents and maintain children’s connections to their home cultures. An inclusive curriculum provides very well for children with additional learning needs. Children have opportunities to learn multiple languages, including New Zealand Sign Language.
Leaders and kaiako have an ongoing commitment to high quality professional learning that results in improved teaching practices and enhances children’s learning. A robust internal evaluation system informs continuous change and effectiveness of systems and processes. Leaders promote a shared understanding of the service’s vision and goals. They successfully collaborate with relevant agencies, whānau and the community to support and promote equitable outcomes for all children.
Kidstown Childcare will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidstown Childcare 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
2 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Kidstown Childcare |
| Profile Number | 25068 |
| Location | Mt Wellington, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
87 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
98 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 5 |
|
Review team on site |
March 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
2 June 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, October 2016 Education Review, October 2013 |
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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.
Kidstown Childcare in Mt Wellington is licensed for 87 children including 20 up to the age of two years. A new owner bought the business in 2015. There are 16 staff members including a cook. Centre leaders include the owner, centre manager, and two head teachers.
The building is divided into three separate areas to cater for different age groups. The older children share a large outdoor learning environment. Infants and toddlers have separate indoor and outdoor play spaces.
The 2013 ERO report recognised teachers' responsive support for infants and toddlers, their good relationships with families, and a calm and nurturing environment. These positive aspects of the centre continue to be evident. The report also recommended further development in assessment of children's learning and in teacher appraisals. Good progress in these areas is promoting improved learning outcomes for children.
The centre’s welcoming and calm environment supports children’s sense of belonging. Adults' interactions with children are respectful. Teachers form close, positive relationships with children and their families. Parents speak appreciatively of the family atmosphere and of the effective communication and support they have from teachers and centre leaders. Parents feel valued and contribute willingly to support the centre.
The learning environment is attractive and invites children’s exploration. Good use of indoor and outdoor spaces and equipment encourages children’s creativity, independence and cooperative play. Teachers provide a wide variety of learning experiences and encourage children to make choices in their play and their use of resources. Many opportunities are provided for children's physical activity, and exploration of the natural world.
The programme for infants and toddlers is based on trust, respect and individualised relationships. Children are encouraged to explore independently. Teachers who work with infants and toddlers recognise and respond to learning opportunities. They maintain a peaceful, slow pace so children can follow their own interests.
Learning programmes clearly reflect the centre’s inclusive approach. Programmes are planned in response to children’s interests and learning needs, and are underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Teachers work well together to plan programmes for children. They demonstrate a good level of professional understanding of their roles and show a commitment to using te reo and tikanga Māori. Teachers respect children as competent learners and value who they are and what they bring to the programme. Some children speak languages other than English and several teachers use children's home language to communicate with them and their families. Children's sense of identity could be further supported by making their cultures more visible in the curriculum.
Recent initiatives such as the online e-portfolios have increased opportunities for parents to be involved in curriculum planning, and have strengthened the learning partnership between teachers and whānau. Teachers are continuing to develop processes for documenting their planning and assessment practices. Hardcopy portfolios are an important booklet for children to use to revisit their play and contribute to their learning stories.
The centre is well led. The owner, manager and staff work well as a collaborative team. The owner has supported staff through the management change. She has developed a useful strategic plan to guide improvements in centre management and the curriculum for children.
Teachers could further review curriculum planning and assessment by evaluating:
the quality, consistency and currency of learning assessment in children's portfolios
how well planning and assessment recognises and builds on children's strengths, interests and cultural identity
the extent to which portfolios show children's learning progress over time.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidstown Childcare 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.
The next ERO review of Kidstown Childcare will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
13 October 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 |
Mt Wellington, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25068 |
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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 |
87 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
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|
Service roll |
84 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 44 Boys 40 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian Chinese Dutch Scottish Pacific |
5 61 8 4 2 2 2 |
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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 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2016 |
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Date of this report |
13 October 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2010 |
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|
Education Review |
October 2007 |
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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.