Henderson Early Learning Centre

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Henderson Early Learning Centre provides mixed-age education and care for children from diverse ethnicities. A qualified owner and manager lead a team of seven staff that includes three registered teachers. Staff reflect the ethnic backgrounds of children enrolled. Small numbers of Māori and Pacific children attend this service.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts. It is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A range of experiences and opportunities are provided to children.

Service leaders seek information and guidance from agencies/services to enable adults providing education and care to work with children with diverse needs. 

Consistent implementation and monitoring of the service’s systems and practices is required to maintain regulatory standards.

Actions for Compliance 

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

• Adults providing education and care interacting in meaningful, positive ways with children.
• Ensuring that windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are made of safety glass; or covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken.
• Ensuring checks made by adults on sleeping children include checking them for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs.
• Having a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medicine in accordance with the requirement for the category of medicine outlined in Appendix 3.
• Having a record of training and/or information provided to adults who administer medicine to children (other than their own) while at the service.
• Having details of expenditure of any MoE funding received by the service being provided to parents.
• Implementing a safety checking process that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.
• Ensuring that no child is ill-treated while at the service.
  Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood and Education and Care Centres (2008); C3, PF7, HS9, HS28, HS29, GMA3, GMA7a and Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, 56(1)b.

Next ERO Review 

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation. 

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

10 April 2024 

Information About the Service

General Information about Assurance Reviews 

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate. 

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

• having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
• previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
• that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
• that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
• where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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:

• curriculum
• premises and facilities
• health and safety practices
• governance, management and administration.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
• relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

• discussions with those involved in the service
• consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
• observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.