- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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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.
Mangorei Early Learning Centre, formally Wrinkles Early Learning Centre, is situated in Merrilands, New Plymouth. It caters for 44 children, including 14 aged up to two. The centre operates under management of Evolve Education Group Ltd.
Since the centre was full licensed in 2015, it has had several changes of staff and leadership. A new manager and head teacher were appointed during 2015.
Since the March 2011 ERO report, the centre’s roll has grown and improvements have been made to the outdoor area.
The teaching team is currently reviewing the philosophy underpinning the learning programmes, to better acknowledge the aspirations and the beliefs of the community, for provision of high quality education for young children.
The curriculum is responsive to the needs and interests of children. Opportunities are taken to weave numeracy and literacy throughout activities. Good use is made of external expertise to promote children’s physical skills.
Children are encouraged to be independent, respectful learners. Teachers treat them as competent, valuing their points of view and decisions. Teachers model expected behaviours and actively support the development of children's oral language and expression of feelings and ideas.
Children are supported in their transition to school through the exchange of relevant information. School visits foster a sense of belonging. Teachers have strengthened their relationships with local schools and support agencies.
Infants and toddlers are offered choices and opportunities to make decisions about their day. A family-like atmosphere supports them to confidently interact with older children and siblings. Their learning environment is well designed and resourced to encourage interaction and exploration.
Teachers have worked to develop their understanding of te ao Māori and use of te reo Māori. They should continue to build their confidence and capability in the use of Māori language and protocols, to further enrich the learning experiences they provide for children.
Interactions and relationships are positive and support children and their families. Teachers are strengthening their relationships with parents and whānau to develop partnerships for learning. The recent introduction of a digital assessment tool has helped parents to give feedback and contribute to their children's learning at the centre.
The recently revised appraisal framework has been improved. It is well aligned to good appraisal practices. Next steps for managers are to further develop goal setting to make it more explicitly linked to outcomes for children, and support teachers to inquire into the impact of their practice on children’s learning.
Internal evaluation is useful, ongoing and responsive to centre priorities. Findings inform decision making and result in improvement. All staff regularly contribute to centre and programme evaluations. Regular discussion is leading to shared and clarified expectations for processes used.
Leaders are supportive, collaborative and improvement focused. They involve teachers in their decision making and use evidence and feedback well to inform decisions about change.
Business and administration procedures have been strengthened. The centre manager and head teacher have been well supported to undertake their new roles and responsibilities. Managers provide support through ongoing professional development for teachers, based on teacher needs and centre priorities. The next steps for leaders are to further develop systems that encourage parent and community involvement and ensure consistency of high quality teacher practice.
Managers and leaders identify that next steps are to continue to:
ERO's external evaluation supports these next steps as key priorities. In addition ERO identifies the need to further develop teachers’ confidence and capability to use te reo Māori and their understanding of te ao Māori.
Before the review, the staff and management of Mangorei 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:
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 Mangorei Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
5 August 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 |
New Plymouth |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
50116 |
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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 |
44 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
62 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 32, Girls 30 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Other ethnic groups |
13 41 3 5 |
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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 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
April 2016 |
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Date of this report |
5 August 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2011 |
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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.