78 Apollo Drive, Albany, 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 Natural Steps Albany are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Natural Steps Albany is a well-established, privately owned service. A curriculum leadership team has been established to review the service’s policies and practices. They also provide support for a team of 10 qualified teachers and five unqualified staff. There are three rooms to cater for the different age groups of children.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in this service. Infants and toddlers experience a calm and well-paced curriculum. They have many opportunities to explore and to make choices about their learning. Older children are confident communicators. They have developed positive social and emotional skills and initiate conversations to build friendships with others.
Children’s languages and cultures are acknowledged and valued. Te reo and aspects of tikanga Māori are integrated into teaching practices and daily routines. These approaches align well to the priorities identified in the service’s philosophy statement.
Teachers are responsive to children’s interests. They provide a range of resources to promote exploration and investigation. Children’s imagination and creativity is fostered. Regular excursions help to build children’s knowledge of the community and the natural world. These opportunities contribute to children experiencing a rich local curriculum.
Teachers regularly plan for and assess children’s learning based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They value the aspirations that parents have for their child’s learning. There are documented examples of how teachers have skilfully supported and extended children’s learning. Effective assessment practices of some teachers provide very good models to help build knowledge and capability across the teaching team.
Leaders have a focus on continuous improvement. Internal evaluation documents show how new knowledge results in changes to management systems and teaching practices. There is clear evidence of how change impacts on improved learning outcomes for children.
Natural Steps Albany will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Natural Steps Albany 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.
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
24 September 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Natural Steps Albany |
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Profile Number |
46090 |
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Location |
Albany, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 28 aged under 2. |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
76 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 2, NZ European/Pākehā 48, Chinese 7, South African 4, |
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Review team on site |
June 2021 |
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Date of this report |
24 September 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 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.
Natural Steps Early Childhood Centre (Albany) is a privately owned, purpose-built centre located in Albany on the North Shore of Auckland. It opened in 2013 and is one of two Natural Steps centres.
The centre is licensed for up to 80 children, including a maximum of 28 under two years of age. The centre has four rooms, Pipi, Kina, Paua, and Wahanui, for different age groups. All children share an outside play area to support mixed age play and transition within the centre.
Chinese children make up 23 percent of the roll. There are smaller numbers of Māori and Indian children and a few families with other ethnic backgrounds. The owners have appointed a teacher to support children with English as an additional language.
The owners are both qualified early childhood teachers who are active in the centre. The large stable staff team includes nine registered teachers.
The centre’s philosophy is aligned with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and is influenced by the Pikler and Reggio Emilia philosophical approaches. It prioritises respectful relationships with children and whānau, and a nurturing environment.
Children are confident and articulate. They develop positive relationships with each other and their teachers. Tuakana/teina roles are promoted within the rooms and in the outside area, and help to foster children's growing social and communication skills. Children are encouraged to explore the extensive range of resources and items of interest in playrooms. They are able to make choices about how and where to play.
Teachers thoughtfully promote parent participation and involvement, and bring families together for social and cultural events at the centre.
Teachers transition children into and through the centre well. They are positive and affirming, and work alongside children, talking about their interests. Teachers respect and value children as individuals. There is some use of open-ended questions to prompt and extend children’s thinking.
The centre's cultural celebrations are well supported by families. Teachers are continuing to explore ways to integrate bicultural practices into the centre programme. Considering the competencies in the Ministry of Education resource, Tātaiako, would support this development.
Children's learning experiences are interesting and varied. Science, literacy and maths are part of children's play. Local walks and excursions are an integral part of the curriculum. Daily planning diaries record the programme. Teachers continue to refine their programme planning practices. Leaders have identified that a next step is to strengthen teachers' knowledge and understanding of the natural world and its integration into children's learning.
Portfolios provide parents/whānau with a valued record of their children’s learning over time. Individual journals for the younger children support reciprocal relationships between families and teachers. The use of an online communication tool is increasing contact with whānau.
Leaders provide internal and external professional development, and coaching and mentoring for staff. They have implemented useful appraisal processes.
Collaborative and effective management systems and procedures support centre operations. The centre's vision and values are enacted throughout the service. The owners are increasing the alignment between strategic and annual plans that guide centre direction and developments.
Next steps for centre development are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Natural Steps Early Childhood Centre (Albany) 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 Natural Steps Early Childhood Centre (Albany) will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
26 February 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 |
Albany, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46090 |
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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 |
80 children, including up to 28 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
89 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 48 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
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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 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
September 2017 |
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Date of this report |
26 February 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
|
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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.