93A Beach Road, Mellons Bay, 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 Stems From Home are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Stems From Home is one of three privately-owned homebased education and care networks. The directors have clear roles and responsibilities in operational and pedagogical leadership. They are supported by four learning advisors who are qualified early childhood teachers.
This network provides home-based education and care to an increasingly diverse community within the Auckland region. Almost all educators have completed relevant qualifications. A small number of Tamariki Māori and children from Pacific heritages attend. As part of this evaluation, ERO visited a sample of educator homes.
Children, including infants and toddlers, are well supported in thoughtfully prepared environments where their learning is fostered by educators who know them and their whānau very well. They have many opportunities to learn in the home and in the local community. Learning advisors and educators ensure that parents’ aspirations influence children’s learning. Children with additional learning needs are well supported to meet their learning goals.
Learning advisors provide strong, respectful mentoring and coaching to educators. They:
Children are very well supported to develop their increasing social and emotional competence through gentle guidance and intentional teaching strategies. Assessment documentation identifies children’s interests and developing capabilities. Learning advisors use learning dispositions in narrative assessments. However, they are yet to fully incorporate the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum into assessment documentation.
There is some recognition of children’s languages, cultures and learner identities through learning advisors’ monthly newsletters. The implementation of a rich bicultural curriculum that also recognises the place of children’s languages, cultures and learner identities is required.
Leaders and learning advisors are embedding the organisational conditions that enable collaboration for improvement. Leaders use a systematic approach to internal evaluation. Consistently monitoring and evaluating the impacts of changes made on outcomes for specific groups of children and all children, requires further development.
Those responsible for governance and management place the learning and wellbeing of children and families at the centre of decision making. They actively pursue external agencies to support children’s ongoing learning, as appropriate, and they develop policies and procedures that guide inclusive practice across the networks.
Stems From Home will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Stems From Home 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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
16 February 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Stems From Home |
| Profile Number | 45617 |
| Location | Auckland |
| Service type | Home-based service |
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 100% |
| Service roll | 76 |
| Review team on site | November 2023 |
| Date of this report | 16 February 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, May 2017; Education Review August 2013 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Stems From Home operates in East Auckland, between Maraetai and Howick/Pakuranga. It currently has 18 educators, who each provide education and care for up to four children at any one time in their homes. The Stems From Home organisation has two networks.
As noted in the 2013 ERO report Stems From Home is well managed with good systems for administration and governance. One director has responsibility for recruitment, management and liaison, both within the service and in the community. The second director is one of two learning advisors, who are registered teachers.
Since ERO's 2013 review service leaders, learning advisors and educators have engaged in professional development to improve outcomes for children. Self review has been strengthened and strategic planning developed. There has been a focus on making children's learning visible in documentation.
The learning advisors regularly visit educators in their homes, support them to plan educational programmes for children, and monitor health and safety. Learning advisers have overall responsibility for the quality of education and care provided for children. The provision of play based learning, based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and a strong belief that all learning stems from home are key aspects of the service's philosophy.
Service documents show that children have fun, and are confident and secure in educators' homes. Environments are well resourced and child focused. Children have a strong sense of belonging and make connections with others and the community. Learning advisors prioritise learning through meaningful everyday experiences that are responsive to children's interests, strengths, preferences and needs. Children have good opportunities to explore and make discoveries at a relaxed and unhurried pace.
Children's learning is recorded in daily journals and online portfolios. Learning advisors model how to analyse children's learning and guide educators in planning individualised programmes. Portfolios show very good quality educator responses to children's interests and strengths, and understanding of infants' and toddlers' ways of learning. Children's communication skills, positive relationships with others and confidence in being part of group situations such as playgroups, are documented clearly.
Parents report high levels of satisfaction with the service. Learning advisors are in regular contact with parents and welcome their feedback. Parents have many effective ways of communicating with the educators.
Leaders and learning advisors have high expectations of educators across the service. They coach and support educators to improve their individual skills and collective understanding of effective teaching strategies. There is a genuine service-wide commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the use of te reo and tikanga Māori. Learning advisors support educators to build on their bicultural practices and their understanding of how to include te ao Māori in their home-based programmes.
The directors and the learning advisors take time to build respectful and trusting relationships with children, educators and families. The service assists parents to choose an educator who is the best match for their family. There are sound processes in place for the recruitment and induction of new educators. Policies and procedures clearly define expectations for learning advisors and educators.
Positive outcomes for children form the basis of the service's strategic goals and overall direction. Strategic and annual plans identify priorities that contribute to the service achieving its vision.. These plans are well monitored and progress documented. Internal evaluation is well understood and a sound process is used. As a result, there have been some significant improvements to documentation.
The directors are committed to building the capacity and skills of all staff. Ongoing professional development and induction are supported through well attended workshops. These assist educators and learning advisors to increase their knowledge and confidence, and improve practices across the service.
Effective health and safety systems are in place and monitored regularly. Monthly reports keep directors informed about children's physical and emotional wellbeing and any issues to be addressed.
Effective management and leadership underpin service operations. The directors have a strong commitment to continuous improvement. The service is driven by a belief in the importance of belonging and wellbeing based on values of care and respect. The philosophy is well understood and clearly articulated at all levels of the organisation and through the network that it serves.
The directors agree that key next steps for the service would be to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Stems From Home completed an ERO Home-based Education and Care 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 Stems From Home will be in three years.
Steffan Brough
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
25 May 2017
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 | Howick, Auckland | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45617 | ||
| Institution type | Homebased Network | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 40 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 43 | ||
| Standard or Quality Funded | Standard | ||
| Gender composition | Girls 22, Boys 21 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Pākehā Chinese African Samoan Asian other | 25 5 3 2 2 6 | |
| Number of qualified coordinators in the network | 1 | ||
| Required ratios of staff educators to children | Under 2 | 1:2 | |
| Over 2 | 1:4 | ||
| Review team on site | March 2017 | ||
| Date of this report | 25 May 2017 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review | August 2013 | |
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 the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services: July 2014
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.
The Stems From Home organisation was established in 2011 and has two networks. The first of these networks was fully licensed in November 2011, and the second became fully licensed in October 2012. Stems From Home operates in East Auckland between Maraetai and Howick/Pakuranga. It currently includes 35 educators, who provide for 93 children and their families.
One of the Stems From Home directors has responsibility for recruitment, management and liaison, both within the service and across the home-based care sector. The second director is one of two learning advisors, who are registered teachers. They provide support and guidance for in-home educators and have overall responsibility for the programmes for children.
The directors’ energy and commitment have enabled them to make significant progress in a short time. They are focused on providing a high quality service and developing a strong community of learners that includes children, parents and educators. They have high expectations of themselves and others in the organisation.
Effective communications and warm relationships contribute to the sense of belonging and ownership that children, families and educators have in the service. Children have opportunities to participate in a wide variety of learning experiences in homes, in the wider community, and as part of Stems From Home events and weekly gatherings. Parents/whānau often participate in these occasions.
Management practices and systems for monitoring compliance and health and safety provisions are well established. Self review supports the directors’ commitment to ongoing improvement and continual professional learning. Key next steps to support this commitment include strengthening self review and continuing to develop processes for documenting planning and evaluation related to children’s learning. Clearly establishing expectations for bicultural practice will help educators to foster children’s awareness of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again within three years.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In-home educators in the Stems From Home networks are supported by two learning advisers, who are registered early childhood teachers. They have overall responsibility for the quality of education provided for children. Several educators also hold early childhood education qualifications and most regularly attend Stems From Home workshops or other professional development opportunities. Each educator cares for up to four children and arrangements for this care are responsive to each family’s requirements.
Areas of good performance
The Stems From Home philosophy and the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, are reflected well in learning advisers’ and educators’ practice.
The directors and learning advisers are focused on developing a high quality service for children and their families. They know families and educators very well, are responsive to their individual needs and value their strengths and the contributions that they make to Stems From Home. The directors and learning advisers balance professional practice and warm, caring personal relationships very well. They promote a sense of ownership for families and educators and nurture a sense of belonging for children.
Children benefit from close relationships with educators and other children in relaxed home environments. Infants and toddlers are particularly well catered for and children participate in a wide variety of learning experiences. They enjoy excursions in their local community, weekly playgroups, sports and movement programmes, and music sessions. Stems organises regular events and excursions for educators and children. Parents report that they appreciate these opportunities for their children to engage with a wider group.
Learning advisers visit educators, observe programmes and interact with children regularly. They work with educators to plan programmes in response to what they know about the children’s interests. There are some very good examples of educators’ assessment and planning.
Parents value daily diaries that describe their children’s learning activities. Children’s portfolios contain photographs and stories, and link their learning to Te Whāriki. Parents also comment on the value of electronic social media and communications, and their daily discussions with educators about their children’s learning. There is a good sense of partnership between families, educators and Stems From Home in supporting children’s learning.
The directors have a high level of commitment to building capacity in the Stems From Home organisation. Educators have varied levels of experience and skill and learning advisers provide practical and professional support for them to extend their learning. They note the positive impact of regular workshops on their work with children. More experienced educators make a positive contribution by mentoring those who are newer to formal early childhood education. Playgroup and other gatherings provide opportunities for educators to develop relationships, and to learn from and support each other.
Stems From Home directors and learning advisers agree that current practices could be enhanced by:
These steps would help learning advisers and educators to evaluate outcomes for children and to continue fostering high quality provision for their learning.
The directors acknowledge that a key area for continued development is increasing the extent to which programmes include, and build knowledge and understanding of, te reo and te Ao Māori. The Stems From Home philosophy includes a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This statement could now be supported by a policy and indications of how this aspect of the curriculum will be implemented. Some educators have good levels of understanding and ability in this area and could provide support for others to increase their knowledge and confidence.
Before the review, the management and staff of Stems From Home completed an ERO Home-Based Education and Care Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO will review the service again within three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Northern Region (Acting)
26 August 2013
| Location | East Auckland, Auckland | |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45617 | |
| Service type | Homebased Network | |
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | |
| Service roll | 56 | |
| Gender composition | Boys 32 Girls 24 | |
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Indian African Pacific Other | 2 38 6 5 2 2 1 |
| Review team on site | June 2013 | |
| Date of this report | 26 August 2013 | |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | No previous ERO reports |