545 Don Buck Road, Massey, 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 YMCA Early Learning Centre Massey are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakatō Emerging |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakatō Emerging |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakatō Emerging |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakatō Emerging |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakatō Emerging |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
YMCA Early Learning Centre Massey is situated in the Massey Leisure Centre complex. The centre manager is supported by a group manager and leads a small team of teachers. Most children enrolled are of Māori, Pacific or Asian heritage.
Children demonstrate confidence in the environment and security in their relationships with adults. They have good access to resources and engage in activities of their own choice. Positive relationships between older and younger children are evident. Opportunities to visit and learn from people and places in the local community are included in the programme.
Literacy and numeracy concepts are included in the resourcing of the environment to support children’s transitions to school. Teachers could now consider how to base programme plans more strongly on their observations of children’s interests. Leaders have identified the need to develop teachers’ understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and how it can be used to better inform programme planning.
Culturally responsive practices are yet to be fully implemented to provide a rich curriculum for all children. Teachers and leaders recognise the importance of promoting te reo and te ao Māori. Engaging more deeply with Māori whānau and seeking external expertise will help to strengthen this area of teaching practice.
Teachers are in the early stages of gathering whānau expectations for the learning of their children. A newly introduced online platform is enhancing parent engagement.
Teachers take initiative over their professional learning and use research to grow their knowledge. There is a system in place to appraise staff. Leaders now need to ensure that mentoring and coaching processes are meaningful and intentional. The centre leader has good opportunities to access internal support through the wider network in the YMCA organisation.
Teachers need to develop their understanding of internal evaluation and how this can be used to evaluate the impact of curriculum programmes on children’s learning. Policies and procedures are well established and meet current regulatory requirements.
YMCA Early Learning Centre Massey will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of YMCA Early Learning Centre Massey 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
11 November 2021
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Early Childhood Service Name |
YMCA Early Learning Centre Massey |
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Profile Number |
10258 |
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Location |
Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
12 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 3, Pacific 5 |
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Review team on site |
August 2021 |
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Date of this report |
11 November 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, August 2017 |
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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.
YMCA Early Learning Centre is situated in a West Auckland complex that includes a YMCA recreation centre and public library. The centre offers either sessional or all day education and care for up to 30 children including 10 under two years of age. While there is a designated area for toddlers and babies, children mostly interact with each other in mixed-age play. Reggio Emilia principles are evident in the layout of the environment and programme.
Since the 2012 ERO review, the YMCA organisation has established a Group Manager position to coordinate and strengthen its early childhood services. The centre has been relicensed to meet the 2008 Early Childhood criteria. The centre manager has provided steady, positive leadership by developing the centre’s systems, including internal evaluation, during a period of staff change.
Children enjoy each other's company and are confident in their learning and play. Warm, respectful relationships between their parents and staff support children’s sense of belonging and self-worth. Children take turns and are cooperative in their play. Displays of children’s different languages and experiences reflect responsive teaching practices. Teachers promote oral language by involving themselves in meaningful conversations with children. Children have opportunities to talk about what they observe and experience while visiting the gymnasium and library next door, and other places that provide them with educational experiences outside the centre.
Provision for children up to two years of age is well considered and nurturing. Teachers are sensitive to children’s preferences and requirements. They interact with infants and toddlers in a calm, caring manner and encourage children to learn alongside their peers. Tuakana/teina interactions feature significantly in the programme.
The centre's programme reflects the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A teacher focus on children's dispositions has helped strengthen planning and assessment. Children choose from different areas of play that that are continually modified by teachers to suit their current interests. The inclusion of more natural resources has enhanced learning opportunities for children. The planned new native flora environment and messy play area includes input of ideas from children and their parents/whānau.
The centre’s strong commitment to biculturalism is evident in the willingness of staff to improve their use of te reo Māori, and ways to include more of te āo Māori in the programme. The eight Māori children on the roll are well supported in their learning and development. The contributions of the culturally diverse community of children, teachers and parents supports an inclusive centre culture.
Very good relationships with parents/whānau help teachers include family aspirations for their children in programme planning. The centre's use of an online portal, Storypark has been effective in developing partnerships with parents and whānau that are focused on children's learning.
Children with diverse learning and social requirements are well catered for through the centre’s inclusive approaches and good use of the expertise of external agencies. The centre has begun a programme that supports and strengthens parent capability as first teachers.
Centre leaders have implemented very good quality appraisal processes to help teachers become more effective in supporting children’s learning. Teachers have opportunities to develop their leadership skills as part of their professional development. With support from the centre manager and head teacher, staff contribute to internal evaluation that is focused on improving outcomes for all children.
Centre operations are guided by clear future planning and a shared vision. Teachers have responded positively to the centre manager's collaborative leadership. This is evident in the way they are increasingly contributing to the centre's cycle of continuous improvement.
ERO and managers agree that teachers could be further supported to extend children's thinking and increase their opportunities for complex play. This development will build on the centre’s effective planning and assessment that supports children as capable learners.
Before the review, the staff and management of YMCA Early Learning Centre Massey 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 YMCA Early Learning Centre Massey will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
31 August 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.
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Location |
Massey, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10258 |
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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 |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
35 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 21 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
July 2017 |
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Date of this report |
31 August 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2006 |
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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.