11 Metcalfe Road, Henderson, 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 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 Akarangi Quality 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 Krafty Kidz are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakatō Emerging |
Learning Conditions |
ERO’s judgement |
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Whakatō Emerging |
Organisational Conditions |
ERO’s judgement |
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Whakatō Emerging |
Krafty Kidz is a small, mixed-age centre. Children attending are from ethnically diverse backgrounds. The owner/manager is one of three qualified early childhood teachers. She currently covers the role of cook due to recent staffing changes. Two unqualified teachers are also employed. Recommendations from ERO’s August 2018 report have not yet been fully addressed.
Children have opportunities to learn through play. Learning environments are resourced to offer a variety of experiences to support children’s learning and development.
Caring, respectful interactions between children and their teachers contribute to children’s engagement in learning. Teachers maintain relationships with children and their whānau that help them build a sense of wellbeing and belonging in the centre. They seek external agency support and guidance for children with additional learning needs to remove barriers to their participation in all aspects of the curriculum.
Children’s cultural backgrounds, including the diversity of Pacific heritages, are visible through children’s learning stories, and cultural symbols and artefacts in the centre’s environment. Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are valued and visible in the environment. Service leaders plan to continue building teachers’ capability to use te reo Māori in their interactions with children and with each other.
Service leaders continue to build staff leadership and a cohesive teaching team to promote positive outcomes for all children. They are continuing to establish systems and processes to guide centre operations. Assessment for learning practices require improvement to strengthen children’s learning and to enhance the curriculum. While there are policies and procedures for internal evaluation, and appraisals and provision of professional learning for staff, these are either in the early stages of development or yet to be implemented.
Krafty Kidz will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Planning, assessment, and evaluation to clearly link with individual children’s learning to guide teaching practices that extend children’s learning through more complex play opportunities and experiences.
Continue to develop robust organisational conditions through improved processes and practices, in particular, staff appraisal, and building staff capability to do and use evaluation for improvement.
Before the review, the staff and management of Krafty Kidz 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.
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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
11 May 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Krafty Kidz |
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Profile Number |
20250 |
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Location |
Henderson, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
27 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
30 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 15, NZ European/Pākehā 3, Pacific 6, Asian 6. |
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Review team on site |
January 2022 |
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Date of this report |
11 May 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, August 2018 |
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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.
Krafty Kidz is a small, well established, mixed-age centre. It offers a full-day or sessional service for children aged up to five years. The service is licensed for 27 children, with a maximum of eight under two years. Children attending the centre reflect the diverse cultural groups in the local community. Māori children make up half the roll.
The owner/manager leads a small group of qualified early childhood teachers. Two unqualified teachers and a cook are also employed in the centre. A curriculum manager provides advice and guidance for teachers. Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, informs the learning programme.
The 2016 ERO report identified the need for significant improvement in management practices and the curriculum. Previous ERO reviews have consistently reported that improvements are needed in self review, appraisal and management planning. The recently appointed curriculum manager has been instrumental in beginning to address these areas for improvement.
Children are happy and settled, and confidently explore the environment. Infants and toddlers enjoy a warm, caring environment. Toddlers are friendly and inquisitive learners who make independent choices and freely access the range of play activities. Teachers have positive, respectful relationships with the children, whānau and the wider early childhood and school community.
Children are respectful of each other and the resources. Older children play cooperatively. The calm, unhurried pace and play-based programme enable children to sustain play for long periods. The outdoor environment provides opportunities for children to develop their physical capabilities. Literacy and numeracy learning opportunities are integrated into the programme. Teachers encourage children to be independent and develop their social skills to support smooth transitions to school.
Teachers promote conversations with children and encourage them to share their ideas. Teachers should now make better use of their high adult-to-child ratios to deepen children's learning. A stronger focus on more challenging investigations, meaningful inquiries and conversations would support increased complexity in children's play.
Displays promote and celebrate the cultures of all children. Respect for Māori values and concepts is evident in the centre environment. Some teachers confidently integrate karakia and aspects of te reo Māori. These positive role models will help to build confidence and use of te reo Māori by other staff. These approaches help to strengthen children's language development and cultural understandings.
Teachers are developing assessment, planning and evaluation practices. A recently introduced format for individual planning should help them to focus more on teaching strategies to enhance the learning for each child. Stronger links between assessment and planning should also support the process.
The recently appointed curriculum manager has worked to establish processes and practices in the centre. Her influence is evident in the planning and teaching expectations that are in the early stage of being introduced into the centre. Teachers' professional development is currently focused on developing their knowledge of Te Whāriki 2017. It is essential that there is provision for regular ongoing professional learning.
Internal evaluation is starting to guide ongoing improvement and encourages teachers to think more deeply about their practice. Ensuring that internal evaluation determines effectiveness and quality in relation to outcomes for children should now be a key focus for centre leaders.
Managers recognise the need to strengthen leadership and centre practices to improve the quality of teaching and learning. They should ensure that strategic planning is based on sound goals and actions to support ongoing improvement. The recently introduced appraisal system needs to be refined. External support is now essential in guiding the team to build capacity, support leadership and improve professional practice, through rigorous appraisal and coaching.
Managers agree that the next key steps for centre development and improvement are to:
strengthen planning, assessment and evaluation so they are clearly linked to individual children's learning and effectively guide teaching practices
further develop teachers' capacity to extend children's learning and support the development of more complex play
continue to strengthen bicultural practices throughout the learning programme
implement appraisal processes that help to build teachers' capability
establish clear strategic goals and linked annual plans.
The service will provide ERO with an action plan that shows how the priorities for improvement, including health and safety concerns, will be addressed. ERO will evaluate the extent of this progress within six months.
ERO recommends that centre leaders continue to engage external advisory support to build on recent progress and to improve leadership capability and professional teaching practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Krafty Kidz 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.
To improve current practice, centre leaders and teachers must ensure that premises, furniture, furnishings, fittings, equipment, and materials are kept safe and hygienic, and maintained in good condition.
The next ERO review of Krafty Kidz will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
28 August 2018
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 |
Henderson, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20250 |
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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 |
27 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
21 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 14 Boys 7 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
10 |
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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 |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2018 |
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Date of this report |
28 August 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Supplementary Review |
October 2016 |
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|
Supplementary Review |
August 2013 |
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Education Review |
May 2012 |
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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:
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.