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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.
Tic Tac Toe Educare Little Sprouts is a privately owned full-day education and care service located in Huntly. The centre is licensed for children from approximately three to five years. It is licensed for 40 children. The current roll of 34 children includes 21 who identify as Māori.
The centre was purchased by current management in November 2016 and received its full licence in May 2017. Tic Tac Toe Educare Little Sprouts and Tots n Toddlers are owned and managed by a central director. She oversees the governance and business operation in both centres, along with involvement in the day-to-day running.
The centre philosophy was recently reviewed to reflect new ownership and changes to the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. The revised philosophy outlines that cultural diversity is recognised and celebrated, the environment for learning reflects a calm, home-like atmosphere, individuality is respected and children are supported to learn at their own pace so they develop life skills to be competent and confident. A holistic and personal approach facilitates children’s sense of belonging. Little Sprouts aims for a high-quality education and care centre.
This is the first ERO report for this centre.
Children are encouraged to lead their own learning through choices and decision making. A welcoming and caring atmosphere is fostered for each child and their family. Teachers know the children and their families well. Respectful interactions are evident.
A wide range of experiences, opportunities and resources promote a rich curriculum for children. Trips into the local community extend children’s understanding of the world around them. Teachers are extending their understanding and confidence to integrate te reo and tikanga Māori into the learning environment. The environment is spacious with distinct indoor and outdoor areas. Children move freely between these areas exploring and following their interests.
Teachers work alongside children and support their play through conversations, questioning and sharing ideas. Oral language, numeracy and literacy are naturally woven throughout the daily programme. Children are confident to take risks and challenge themselves.
Strengthening transition for children into, through and beyond the centre is a current focus. Staff are deepening their relationships with local schools. Practices and processes are being reviewed between the centres to better respond to individual children’s needs at transition times.
Children with additional needs are supported to fully participate in the experiences and opportunities for learning. Specialist agencies are involved and support the centre with advice and guidance. Children are supported to be confident and competent learners.
Children’s learning stories show individual interests, curiosity and exploration. Programme planning follows themes and group interests, with a mix of activities and experiences offered for children. A new approach for planning has recently been introduced. Continuing to build alignment of assessment, planning and evaluation is a key next step. This should include extending:
the visibility of children’s language, culture and identity in assessment
progress and continuity of learning over time for all children
purposeful inclusion of parent voice and aspirations.
Leaders give priority to equitable outcomes for children. Staff are actively encouraged to engage in relevant professional learning and development opportunities. Collaborative ways of working are fostered with the teaching team. Children’s learning and wellbeing outcomes inform decision making.
Leaders are extending their understanding and implementation of strategies to build teacher capability. This includes a newly developed appraisal system. Active involvement in the local early learning networks supports professional discussions and informs decision making. It is timely for leaders to develop clear expectations for high-quality teaching and learning to better support clarity and consistency of practice.
The philosophy, vision and values effectively support and guide learning outcomes for children. A clear strategic plan guides direction and improvement of the centre. Parents are consulted and have opportunities to contribute to plans, policies and actions. Deepening the understanding of effective strategic evaluation and self review for ongoing centre-wide improvement is a priority.
The key next steps for centre improvement are to:
strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation
develop clear expectations for high-quality teaching and learning
strengthen effective evaluation and self review for ongoing improvement centre wide.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tic Tac Toe Educare Little Sprouts 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.
To improve current practice, the early childhood service management should:
analyse accidents regularly to inform hazards identification
strengthen the process for recording and responding to complaints.
The next ERO review of Tic Tac Toe Educare Little Sprouts will be in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
2 November 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 |
Huntly |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46835 |
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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 |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
34 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 21 Girls 13 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
21 |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2018 |
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Date of this report |
2 November 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.