6 D Carr Road, Mount Roskill, 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 Little Scholars Early 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 |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua |
Whakaū Embedding |
|
Kaihautū |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
|
Te Whakaruruhau |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Little Scholars Early Learning Centre is one of three services under the same ownership. A centre kaitiaki is responsible for daily operations. An operations manager provides support and guidance to the kaitiaki and teaching staff. Twenty percent of children attending are Māori. Children come from a range of diverse cultural backgrounds.
Infants and toddlers are nurtured in a calm, welcoming and unhurried environment. A focus on free movement enables them to actively explore, investigate and take appropriate risks. Teachers recognise and respond to infants' non-verbal cues. Care routines are sensitive and respectful.
Children demonstrate a positive sense of belonging at the centre. They know the centre routines and expectations very well. A good range of resources supports children’s ongoing interests and enables them to make independent choices about their learning. Children engage in play for sustained periods of time.
Transitions within the service and to school are well supported through a curriculum that is responsive to each child and their family. A language rich environment helps children to develop early literacy and numeracy skills.
Teachers value and are committed to a bicultural curriculum. They use te reo and tikanga Māori in their daily practice. Whānau Māori are encouraged to participate as learning partners in designing, with their children and the teachers, a culturally responsive curriculum. Assessment documentation provides valuable insight into children's progress and learning over time.
Collaborative leadership within the service sets a clear direction for teachers. The kaitiaki provides regular guidance and mentoring of teachers as part of the teacher registration and appraisal process. Teachers have very good opportunities to attend professional development that helps to grow their teaching practices and leadership skills.
Operational systems are well-aligned. The operations manager has made significant progress in improving governance and management systems. Leaders and teachers have an ongoing focus on implementing processes and practices that support the provision of equitable outcomes for all children.
Little Scholars Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Scholars Early Learning Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have 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
28 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Little Scholars Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 10270 |
| Location | Mt Roskill, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
55 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Maori 10 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
23 June 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Scholars Early Learning Centre has been operating in Mount Roskill for 16 years. The centre serves a diverse local community, and staff reflect this diversity.
Centre operations are overseen by a manager, who works closely with the owner. The majority of staff are qualified, with the remainder in training. The centre has three areas that are organised for groups of children, according to their ages and stages of development.
The service's philosophy, curriculum and programme reflect an inclusive, positive and welcoming perspective. Staff actively build open and positive relationships with whānau.
The 2014 ERO review identified the need to strengthen self review, performance management, and strategies that promote children's leadership of learning and critical thinking. Since the 2014 ERO review, centre leaders have worked to strengthen practice in a number of areas of centre operations.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed by staff. Teachers foster respectful and caring relationships, and their practice strongly promotes children's wellbeing in a settled and peaceful atmosphere. Children play together amicably, show respect for others and engage actively in play and exploration with their friends.
Children demonstrate a sense of ownership of their environment, are confident to investigate the activities provided, and have a strong sense of belonging. Routines are aligned to children's individual schedules and preferences. Teachers are considerate and caring, supporting each child's development at their own pace. A collaborative team approach is used to support and supervise children as they learn through play.
Children's interests and preferences, and parents' aspirations, drive their individual programmes. Learning stories show how teachers support children to sustain their interests and develop dispositions for learning over time. Early literacy and mathematical learning is integrated through play and exploration. The oldest children experience a 'Ready for School' programme. As part of this extended programme, children participate in excursions into the local community.
Infants and toddlers are nurtured and cared for in a designated area of the centre, with appropriate materials and experiences. They have access to an outside play area at certain points during the day. Teachers' interactions are gentle, unhurried and responsive to individual needs. Teachers are attuned to children's communications and stages of development. Leaders are taking steps to create a more social and interactive meal-time experience for these children.
Sound transition practices are in place to support children as they progress through the rooms. The centre has also developed relationships with local new entrant classes, and there are opportunities for children in the preschool room to make visits in preparation for school.
The service continues to demonstrate a commitment to supporting equity and success for Māori children. Teachers are able to demonstrate their growing knowledge of te reo Māori in their conversations with children as well as in singing waiata and reciting karakia. The environment reflects the various activities that children have been involved in, such as weaving and kowhaiwhai pattern-making for Waitangi Day. The manager is keen to continue to make whānau and community connections to enhance partnerships and to support learning and wellbeing for Māori children.
Open communication between parents and staff means that information is freely and frequently shared. A digital platform also supports shared information around children's interests, strengths and progress. Teachers evaluate children's learning and development at regular intervals, and share their thoughts with whānau. The cultures, languages, key festivals and celebrations of the community, are valued in learning stories, artefacts and photos around the centre.
The owner and manager have a focus on improvement and have strengthened centre practices since ERO's 2014 review. There is now a clear strategic direction for the service. Staff appraisal processes and teachers' inquiry into their practices have been purposefully improved. There are also positive changes to the programme, the organisation of the environment and routines to promote greater child-led learning opportunities.
The manager has used internal evaluation to identify ways to enhance areas of centre operations. Internal evaluation is a collaborative and consultative process, which has clear benefits for children, their families and the centre community.
The owner and manager are keen to sustain and embed centre improvements. They agree that the next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Scholars 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:
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.
The next ERO review of Little Scholars Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
3 April 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.
|
Location |
Mount Roskill, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10270 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
49 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 25 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
February 2018 |
||
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Date of this report |
3 April 2018 |
||
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2008 |
||
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.