Pakuranga Heights School 77 Udys Road, Pakuranga Heights, 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakatō Emerging |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whāngai Establishing Whakatō Emerging |
The centre is located on the grounds of Pakuranga Heights School. It is one of six services in the Pukeko Preschool group. An operations manager and a curriculum manager provide governance and leadership support. A qualified centre manager leads a team of six teachers and three staff. Majority of children attending are of Māori, or Samoan descent.
Children are supported to develop their oral language. They have opportunities to engage in conversations, to express their feelings and needs with their peers and teachers. Children are independent and familiar with routines. They can predict what happens next in the daily curriculum. As a result, they have a strong sense of belonging.
Infants and toddlers are supported by a pedagogy of respectful practice. Teachers engage in one-to-one responsive interactions and follow the child’s lead. Children benefit from having an unhurried pace to their programme.
Children’s cultural identity is acknowledged through the celebration of cultures in the curriculum. They have opportunities to participate in cultural events at the local school. Resources including wall displays reflects the cultural identity of Māori and Pacific learners. It is timely now for teachers to explicitly document children’s identity, cultures, and languages in assessment records.
Planning and assessment processes follow a framework of notice, recognise, and respond. Teachers are at an early stage of building their shared understanding to increase the visibility of teachers’ responses to children’s interests and dispositions. They are yet to record their response to parents’ aspirations for their child’s learning in assessment, planning and evaluation information. Aligning the curriculum with the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki the early children curriculum, is yet to be established.
Governance and leadership are establishing processes to build teacher capability. Teachers have opportunities to access relevant professional learning and development. Professional leaders have recently been appointed with an aim to further improve teaching practice.
A culture of relational trust is evident amongst leaders and teachers. A process of self-review is in place. Internal evaluation systems are in the early stage of development in individual services and at an organisational level. Better monitoring of health and safety requirements is needed.
Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning: Leaders and teachers to continue to:
Governance and management is to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights completed an ERO 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.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows that it has addressed the following non-compliances:
The service has provided ERO with evidence to show the following non-compliances have been addressed:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
22 November 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights |
| Profile Number | 46138 |
| Location | Pakuranga, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 46 |
| Review team on site | August 2023 |
| Date of this report | 22 November 2023 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, May 2019; Education Review, June 2015 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights is one of four privately owned centres providing education and care for local communities. This service provides both sessional and full-day options for up to 40 children, including a maximum of 10 aged under two years. Staff and children reflect the diverse local community. The roll includes small groups of Māori children and those with Pacific heritage. The majority of teachers are qualified.
The owners have developed vision, mission and philosophy statements in collaboration with all staff across the organisation and with whānau. These statements guide teachers' thinking about responsibilities and expectations for teaching practices, and inform whānau about centres' teaching and learning values. The centre is led by a manager, under the guidance of the owners, who provide ongoing support and guidance, and operational frameworks for teachers.
Children are grouped according to age. Younger children spend most of the day in their own indoor and outdoor spaces. Older children have spacious environments, including a large enclosed deck for play. Teachers include some aspects of Reggio Emilia philosophical approaches in their presentation of the environment.
ERO's 2015 report noted good practices that have been sustained. It also identified areas for development, including self review, the alignment of guiding documents, and planning to support extended learning.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the centre. Children make choices about their play and settle quickly. Whānau and caregivers who spoke to ERO generally think highly of the care and education their children receive. They have good opportunities to share their aspirations and expectations for their children's learning.
Infants and toddlers are settled and have prolonged opportunities to explore their learning spaces. Teachers provide a selection of appropriate resources to extend children's play. They interact consistently with children as they play, and comfort those still settling.
Older children are highly engaged in their play. They work together and actively explore a wide range of activities and experiences, both indoors and outdoors. The environment is accessible and attracts children's interest. Teachers engage children in conversations and support their ideas, to extend their play. This also helps to extend children's language capability.
Teachers support children's basic understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori. Children are learning about the value teachers place on their cultural identity and languages. Many wall displays highlight children's cultural backgrounds and languages. Some teachers are able to talk to children and their whānau in their home languages. This helps both whānau and children to settle in the centre.
Teachers use a framework provided by managers to guide internal evaluation. This has contributed to their knowledge and understanding about Te Whāriki, the revised early childhood curriculum. Teachers are linking this understanding to their assessment and planning processes, using their knowledge about children as a starting point. Teachers could now strengthen their evaluation of the curriculum to determine the impact of their practices on learning outcomes for children.
Management of the service is efficient. Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed. Strategic and annual plans are linked, and have a focus on positive outcomes for children. As key next steps, the owners' leadership should support changes to teaching and learning, appraisal, and internal evaluation processes.
The owners and teachers should continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
24 May 2019
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 | Pakuranga Heights, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 46138 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 47 | ||
| Gender composition | Boys 27 Girls 20 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ/European Pākehā Fijian Indian Indian other ethnic groups | 9 14 5 4 15 | |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | February 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 24 May 2019 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | June 2015 | |
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 will depend on how well the service promotes 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.
| Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights is located within the grounds of Pakuranga Heights School. It provides all-day care and education for up to 39 children from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, and has become an integral part of the school’s community. Eleven children are Māori and seven are of Pacific nationalities. The teaching team is also culturally diverse.
Children have good access from the main playroom and enclosed deck area to the outdoor learning environment. There is a separate space with its own outdoor play area for up to 10 children under two years of age.
In February 2013 the owners opened Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights in a building that had previously been used by another early childhood service. They have made significant improvements, including new bathroom facilities, display surfaces and furniture.
The owners support the manager and teaching team to explore ways to improve their practice. They foster close working relationships with their Pukeko Preschool in Mangere. One of the owners, the manager and four teachers hold early childhood education qualifications. They are supported by three unqualified staff. One of the teaching team is a fully registered teacher.
Children have friendly relationships with each other and interact well together. They play both independently and cooperatively, and direct their own imaginative ideas. Infants and toddlers are well cared for in a warm and nurturing atmosphere. Whānau talked with ERO about good relationships with the teaching team and a sense of being included and belonging in the centre.
Teachers work closely with children and support their play well. They are becoming more skilled at engaging children in extended conversations to support their learning. Teachers use some good literacy learning practices throughout the programme. Children experiment with drawing and writing, and enjoy books independently. Their stories are often recorded. Teachers should now extend these good practices. The centre’s close association with the school supports smooth transitions for children when they turn five.
Displays in the centre celebrate children’s creative work and provide useful information for whānau. The influence of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is apparent in attractively presented play areas, both outdoors and inside. The outdoor area has interesting garden spaces, a good level of physical challenge and resources to support children’s learning. Children help to care for the centre’s chickens and have good opportunities to explore in the outdoors.
Teachers include cultural celebrations in the programme and use some te reo Māori phrases. They could now consider how to increase their recognition and inclusion of children’s cultural backgrounds and home languages in assessment records and planning for individual children. Teachers are considering ways to strengthen their partnerships with whānau, to support children’s learning.
Teachers have established a useful cycle of assessment, planning and evaluation. Some examples show their good practices in recording and recognising children’s learning. Teachers are now trialling new assessment and planning processes as part of strategies for establishing a more child-led learning programme. Professional support and more purposeful planning and evaluation should help teachers to respond better to children’s individual interests and strengths.
The owner currently leads curriculum developments and encourages teachers to reflect on and improve their teaching practice. In-depth review of the centre’s philosophy of teaching and learning, and the development of indicators to guide teaching practice, would support greater shared understandings and consistent teaching practices across the centre.
Processes for self review have recently been improved and teachers are becoming more familiar with expectations. Good governance and management systems, and strategic planning, guide centre operations. The owners are focused on ongoing learning and improvement.
As part of this review, owners have identified appropriate next steps for centre development. They recognise the value of:
The owners should also prioritise improved levels of teacher training. They should consider accessing external support for teachers to become fully registered, and to strengthen curriculum leadership within the centre.
Before the review, the staff and management of Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights 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 Pukeko Preschool Pakuranga Heights will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
10 June 2015
| Location | Pakuranga Heights, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 46138 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 39 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 56 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 35 Boys 21 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Indian Niuean Samoan Sri Lankan other | 1 38 3 2 2 2 8 | |
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 | April 2015 | ||
| Date of this report | 10 June 2015 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| No previous ERO reports |
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.