Lets Grow Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
46371
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
70
Telephone:
Address:

248 Wainui Road, Raglan

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Lets Grow Early Learning Centre

ERO’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.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory 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.

Background

Lets Grow Early Learning Centre is a privately owned, purpose-built all-day education and care service. Following a change of ownership, the service was issued its full licence in November 2019.

Summary of Review Findings

Children are supported as confident and competent learners. Their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Meaningful and positive interactions with teachers enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. A range of experiences and opportunities support children’s learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki.

An ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care. Opportunities are provided for parents to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents.

Key Next Steps

Next steps:

  • provide further opportunities to respect and acknowledge the aspirations of parents and whānau for their children
  • increase the range of opportunities for children to be confident in their own culture and to understand and respect other cultures.  

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

  • heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage have been secured (HS6).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
21 January 2021 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Lets Grow Early Learning Centre
Profile Number 46371
Location Raglan

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 14 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

87

Gender composition

Female 41, Male 46

Ethnic composition

Māori 7, NZ European/Pākehā 71, Other ethnic groups 9

Review team on site

October 2020

Date of this report

20 January 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review July 2015, Education Review May 2019

General Information about Assurance Reviews

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.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

  • 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.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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 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:

  • 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 certification; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.

Lets Grow Early Learning Centre - 02/05/2019

1 Evaluation of Lets Grow Early Learning Centre

How well placed is Lets Grow Early Learning Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Lets Grow Early Learning Centre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Lets Grow Early Learning Centre is a privately owned, purpose-built education and care service located in Raglan, west of Hamilton. The centre is licensed to provide all-day care for 70 children, including 14 up to the age of two years. At the time of this review there were 86 children enrolled, including 11 who identify as Māori.

The centre's philosophy states that a culture of emerging independence of children, respect, responsibility, ako, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga is valued and encouraged.

Children are grouped in three age-based areas. Construction of a new classroom for the preschool children was completed in November 2018. A feature of the teaching team is the inclusion of several male staff. Eight of the teachers hold a teaching qualification.

The centre owners form part of the leadership team, supported by the assistant manager who is the curriculum leader. The owners have engaged an external consultant who supports professional learning and performance management of the staff.

The Review Findings

Children experience a high-quality curriculum. The centre's philosophy is strongly evident in all aspects of practice. The curriculum prioritises a holistic approach. Children are supported to make decisions about their own learning and selfcare. They are provided with opportunities to learn through uninterrupted play in meaningful contexts. Assessment and planning is responsive to children’s interests and strengths. The localised curriculum includes Māori stories about the surrounding area and aspects of tikanga Māori. Literacy and mathematics are naturally integrated. Children are well supported to develop as capable and confident learners.

Teaching practice is strongly focused on positive outcomes for children. ERO observed high-quality interactions and warm, respectful relationships. Teachers know children well and support them to engage in sustained learning activities. Intentional teaching practices scaffold learning and add increasing complexity to children's play. Positive behaviour strategies contribute to a settled environment. Transitions throughout the centre are well managed and responsive to children’s needs and emotional wellbeing. Children with additional needs are very well supported to ensure they have equitable opportunities to participate in learning. Infants are cared for in a calm and unhurried environment. Teachers skilfully interpret verbal and non-verbal communication and model appropriate language. Children’s sense of belonging and wellbeing is nurtured.

Centre leadership is highly effective. Leaders have clearly defined roles based on strengths and skills. Strong curriculum leadership ensures that the theories underpinning the revised early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, inform teaching and learning in the centre. Decision making is strategic and research-based. Emergent leadership is encouraged and supported. A system of specific, individualised guidance and support is focused on building teacher capacity. Children benefit from knowledgeable leadership and teaching practice.

Robust systems and processes support effective organisational practice. There is a shared understanding of the centre's vision and philosophy, and a commitment to te ao Māori concepts and values. Self-review processes are systematic, well embedded and coherent, and lead to improved outcomes for children. Positive and responsive relationships have been developed with parents and the community, and opportunities for consultation are provided. Positive outcomes for children and their families are at the forefront of decision making.

Key Next Steps

Leaders and ERO agree that the key next steps are to:

  • evaluate methods to increase whānau engagement in order to continue to develop partnerships for learning

  • continue to support the development of teachers’ knowledge and confidence to further integrate te ao Māori into children’s learning opportunities.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Lets Grow Early 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:

  • 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.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

2 May 2019

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Raglan

Ministry of Education profile number

46371

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

70 children, including up to 14 aged under 2

Service roll

86

Gender composition

Boys 44 Girls 42

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other

11
58
17

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

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

January 2019

Date of this report

2 May 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

August 2015

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement

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.

Review Coverage

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.