Little People Learning Centre

Education institution number:
45544
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
25
Telephone:
Address:

12 Chartwell Avenue, Glenfield, Auckland

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Little People Learning Centre

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 Little People Learning Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

ERO’s judgement

What the service knows about outcomes for learners

Whakawhanake Sustaining

Ngā Akatoro Domains

ERO’s judgement

He Whāriki Motuhake

The learner and their learning

Whakaū Embedding

Whakangungu Ngaio

Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Aronga Whai Hua

Evaluation for improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Kaihautū

Leaders foster collaboration and improvement

Whakaū Embedding

Te Whakaruruhau

Stewardship through effective governance and management

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Little People Learning Centre serves a community with diverse cultural backgrounds. The teaching team reflects this diversity. The owner and centre manager are experienced, qualified teachers. They lead a team of two qualified teachers and two teachers in training.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience respectful and reciprocal relationships with their peers and teachers in an unhurried learning environment. They are valued and celebrated for who they are and what they bring to their learning.

The well-resourced environment is set up to encourage children to be creative and expressive through a variety of learning experiences. Children with additional needs are encouraged to participate fully in the curriculum provided. Individual plans guide their learning and development over time.

Kaiako intentionally prioritise oral language and recognise its importance in children’s learning and development. They are committed to promoting te ao Māori to further develop a culturally responsive curriculum and build teachers’ bicultural practice. This could help kaiako to support the multicultural community and to maintain children’s connections to their cultural identities and home languages.

Kaiako and leaders work well together and take a collaborative approach to professional learning and development. Kaiako reflect on teaching practices to increase professional knowledge and expertise. In addition, leaders ensure kaiako undertake regular professional development to enhance practice. Kaiako should now continue to strengthen assessment information about individual children’s learning and development. This would help to identify what children know, can do and recognise their progress over time.

The service philosophy is underpinned by shared values and beliefs. Leaders foster a collaborative way of working with everyone involved in the service. Parents and extended whānau have opportunities to be involved in their child’s education.

An internal evaluation system guides a process for service improvement. Reviews are documented, and leaders ensure that improved outcomes are shared with those involved in the evaluation.

4 Improvement actions

Little People Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • continue to strengthen assessment information of individual children’s learning and development
  • use the Ministry of Education resource Tātaiako-Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners to guide teachers’ bicultural practices
  • use the Ministry of Education resource Tapasā to support teachers’ individual goals to be more culturally competent working with Pacific learners.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little People 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.

6 Compliance

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

  • evidence of parental acknowledgement on the medication register (HS28)
  • a documented risk management system that includes daily checks of cleaning agents, medicines, poisons, and other hazardous materials; hazards present in kitchen or laundry facilities; vandalism, dangerous objects, and foreign materials (e.g. broken glass, animal droppings); the condition and placement of learning, play and other equipment; windows and other areas of glass (HS12)
  • stretchers used by children for sleep are made of a non-porous material that protects these from becoming soiled and allows for easy cleaning (PF30).

Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

15 July 2021 

7 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name Little People Learning Centre
Profile Number 45544
Location Glenfield, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

30 children over 2 years

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

33

Ethnic composition

Māori 2
NZ European/Pākehā 4
Chinese 17
other Asian 6
other ethnic groups 4

Review team on site

April 2021

Date of this report

15 July 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2016
Education Review, November 2012

Little People Learning Centre - 21/06/2016

1 Evaluation of Little People Learning Centre

How well placed is Little People Learning Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Little People in Chartwell Avenue, Glenfield, is licensed to provide all day education and care for up to 30 children aged between two years and five years. The centre caters for a community of increasingly diverse cultural backgrounds. This diversity is reflected in the members of teaching team.

The centre owner works alongside a manager to oversee the running of the service. Both are experienced, qualified teachers. They lead a team of three qualified teachers.

The centre's philosophy is strongly focused on responding to children as unique individuals. It includes a commitment to developing children's knowledge and understanding of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Establishing partnerships with parents, who are acknowledged as a child's first teacher, is important to the team. The service's aim is to implement an inclusive, play based curriculum underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

The 2012 ERO report highlighted the attractive learning environment and positive relationships. The programme supported children's developing literacy and numeracy concepts. Leadership and collaboration across the teaching team were noted as strengths. These positive aspects have been maintained and enhanced.

Areas for continued development included the review of the centre philosophy, the programme, and planning processes. The establishment of strategic and annual plans, strengthening of teacher appraisals and self review were identified goals for more effective centre management. There have been very positive developments in these areas.

The Review Findings

The philosophy is very evident in the programme. Children settle well and become fully engaged in their play. They have easy access to a wide range of resources and are very comfortable with centre routines. Children's artwork is valued and sensitively exhibited. Physical activity and science feature strongly in the programme.

Children enjoy good relationships with their teachers. Each child is recognised as a unique learner and teachers plan a programme based on children's interests. Teachers work well with the goals and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki.

The indoor environment is attractively presented. There are many opportunities for children to revisit their learning through photos and learning stories carefully displayed at their height. Families' cultures are visible and a range of home languages, including te reo Māori, Tongan and Chinese, are used incidentally by children and some teachers.

Bicultural development is an ongoing feature of the teacher's professional learning. Teachers use te reo Māori in ways that recognise it as a living language, indigenous to Aotearoa. Children are accustomed to hearing te reo on a regular basis and respond spontaneously. There is a commitment to better representing te ao Māori perspectives in the programme and the centre philosophy.

There are good opportunities for whānau to make meaningful contributions to the programme. Information is available to parents about the alignment between the centre programme and the school curriculum. Good connections have been established with local schools.

The organisational culture of continuous improvement supports teachers to lead in areas of personal strength or interest. Teachers are reflective practitioners who are very open to new learning and feedback. Well established appraisal and self-review processes support the ongoing growth and development of teaching practices and lead to positive outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

To enhance their current good quality provision for children, leaders and teachers plan to:

  • continue strengthening their bicultural practices

  • improve the alignment of strategic and annual plans, self review and appraisal goals

  • strengthen opportunities for children to take increased responsibility for the running of the programme.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little People 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Little People Learning Centre will be in four years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

21 June 2016

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

Glenfield, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45544

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 0 aged under 2

Service roll

32

Gender composition

Boys 21 Girls 11

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Chinese

Filipino

Korean

other

4

7

12

4

2

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

May 2016

Date of this report

21 June 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

November 2012

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 and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

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.