53 Edward Street, Lincoln, Christchurch
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 Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre 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 |
Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre is one of two centres operated by the same owner. A new curriculum leader has responsibility for day-to-day operations. A small number of Māori learners attend the centre. Good progress has been made in addressing key next steps from the 2020 ERO report, including strategic evaluation for improvement.
Children are seen as confident, competent, independent learners. Environments are paced appropriately for the ages of children to encourage them to lead their learning. Learner-focused partnerships provide parents and whānau opportunities to contribute to the curriculum and share aspirations of learning successes for their children.
Children’s social and emotional competence is fostered through responsive teacher interactions. Individual care practices for infants and toddlers support their developing needs. Children with additional learning needs are well supported within the curriculum. A collaborative approach between their parents, the service and external agencies ensure barriers are removed to enable access to the curriculum.
The service is increasingly intentional in using the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Leaders and teachers are building consistency to use the learning outcomes in assessment, planning, and evaluation. Individual documented assessment could better show the individual languages, cultures, and identity of all children.
Some work has been completed on the service’s local bicultural curriculum but is yet to reflect the histories and stories of mana whenua. Minimal te reo Māori is used. Leaders agree, strengthening bicultural practice is needed and is now a priority.
Those in roles of governance and leadership work collaboratively. Resourcing is aligned to the service’s priorities. Teachers share their professional learning, with opportunities to develop leadership capability. Leaders have established a collaborative and reflective system for review and evaluation. They are building the capability and collective capacity to do and use internal evaluation for improvement.
Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre 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)
7 December 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre |
| Profile Number | 45864 |
| Location | Christchurch |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 84 |
| Review team on site | September 2023 |
| Date of this report | 7 December 2023 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, June 2017 |
| Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre is one of two purpose-built centres operated by the same owner in Lincoln, Canterbury. It provides full-day education and care for up to 80 children including 20 children under two years. The centre has three separate areas; one each for infants, toddlers and children to school age. There are two separate outdoor play spaces with gardens and fruit trees. Children attend from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
A manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the service and supports the head teacher and teaching team. Most teachers are qualified and certified early childhood teachers. The philosophy is based on strong relationships developed by providing primary care-giving across all three rooms, and there is a focus on sustainability.
There have been significant staff changes since the June 2017 ERO review. Leaders and teachers are continuing to progress the areas for development identified from that review report. These include meeting the requirements of the Teaching Council for fully certified teachers, responding to children’s home languages, cultures and identities within individual planning and learning stories, developing a more evaluative approach to internal evaluation and increasing bicultural perspectives in key centre documentation.
The primary care philosophy is evident in practice. Teachers know children well. Transitions into the service and between learning areas are personalised to meet the needs of each child and their whānau. This helps supports their sense of wellbeing and belonging.
Children have choice from a wide range of learning experiences in well-resourced environments. Older children have the option to participate in structured activities at set times during the day. They are calm, settled and engaged in learning.
Infants and toddlers are well supported by teachers who are responsive to their individual cues. There are respectful relationships between teachers and between teachers and children. Teachers in the infants and toddler area, naturally use te reo Māori in their conversations with children.
Children have many opportunities to connect with the local community. They benefit from regular excursions and visitors to the centre providing music and active movement programmes. This helps children develop a wider sense of their local community.
Aspects of te ao Māori are evident in the programme. Teachers are continuing to develop their confidence to use te reo Māori in meaningful ways.
Leaders have identified the need to develop a localised curriculum. This should include finding ways to consult with parents and whānau Māori about their priorities for children's learning at Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre and ensuring that the localised curriculum enables all children to develop an understanding of New Zealand's bicultural heritage.
Teachers actively seek, gather and respond to parents’ aspirations for their children's learning. Leaders are building capability among the teachers to ensure consistency in children's assessment documentation. This includes, recording intentional teaching strategies that expand and add complexity to children's learning and showing progress over time. Sustaining this focus is important and ensuring that children's learning records appropriately reflect their language, culture and identity is a recognised next step.
Leaders and teachers undertake a wide range of internal evaluations to inform future actions. This would be further strengthened by developing evaluative thinking. The strategic planning framework provides a useful to guide to future planning. Annual evaluation of the strategic goals would help to identify progress and outcomes in relation to strategic goals.
The appraisal system requires full implementation, including regular formal observations of teachers, to ensure that practices align with policy and Teaching Council requirements. Consideration should be given to ensuring that each teacher has robust appraisal goals.
ERO recommends the next steps for improvement are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Whippersnappers 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
16 June 2020
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 | Lincoln | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45864 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 91 | ||
| Gender composition | Female 37, Male 54 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other | 16 66 9 | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 80% + | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:4 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:9 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | March 2020 | ||
| Date of this report | 16 June 2020 | ||
| Most recent ERO reports | Education Review | June 2017 | |
| Education Review | February 2014 | ||
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 |
Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre is one of two purpose-built centres owned and operated by the same company in Lincoln, Canterbury. This centre provides education and care for infants, toddlers and children to school age in three separate areas. Families from an increasingly diverse range of cultural backgrounds attend the centre.
Most staff are qualified and certified early childhood teachers. The centre has retained many staff since the last review.
Leaders and teachers have made good progress in addressing the key next steps from the 2014 ERO review. They ensure that the centre philosophy is reflected in the nursery and actively promote literacy and numeracy in the outdoor areas. They are continuing to develop their bicultural practice in the learning programme.
Children play well together and experience respectful relationships with each other and their teachers. They are settled and focused on their learning and have many opportunities to choose from a wide range of attractively presented natural and creative resources. They benefit from meaningful literacy and numeracy learning within the daily programme. Children are actively involved in the spacious, interesting indoor and outside areas.
Teachers acknowledge children as successful and capable learners. They are responsive to children’s interests and use these interests to develop children's skills and knowledge. Teachers regularly set learning goals for individual children in consultation with their parents. They use this information effectively to plan specifically for and evaluate children's learning and progress.
Children's work is displayed in ways that show teachers value their work and learning. Teachers purposefully engage with children to foster their oral language development.
Transitions into and within the centre are flexible, well-planned and focus on the needs of children and their families. Leaders and teachers have made positive links with local schools to support children's transition to school.
Infants and toddlers benefit from calm, unhurried, nurturing interactions and routines with adults who are well known to them. They have easy access to an appropriate range of resources. Teachers work closely with parents and whānau to foster children’s ongoing development and learning. In the toddler area, older children positively support younger children in their play.
Teachers work closely with parents to support positive learning outcomes for children. Parents are well informed about their child's learning and involvement at the centre through a range of methods such as written records, photos and technologies that provide ongoing opportunities for parent feedback.
Centre leaders have built a positive team culture. They work well together and create many opportunities for teachers to take leadership roles. Leaders and teachers regularly reflect on what could be improved and what is working well for children. Leaders provide targeted professional learning to support the achievement of the centre's goals.
Centre leaders and ERO agree, that the key next steps to improve outcomes for children are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Whippersnappers 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:
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 Whippersnappers Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)
30 June 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 | Lincoln | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 45864 | ||
| Licence type | Education & Care Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 80 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | 105 | ||
| Gender composition | Girls: 58 Boys: 47 | ||
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Samoan African Australian Other | 11% 79% 1% 2% 2% 5% | |
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates | 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 | April 2017 | ||
| Date of this report | 30 June 2017 | ||
Most recent ERO report
| Education Review | 2014 | |
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.