76 Alexander Avenue, Whakatane
View on mapERO’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.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Not meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.
Bizzy Buddyz Ltd provides home-based education and care in educarers' homes. The privately owned service operates three networks covering the Eastern Bay of Plenty. A centralised team of visiting teachers, management, and administration guide daily operations. Most children attending identify as Māori. The service philosophy values whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and aroha.
Children are responded to as confident and competent learners within an inclusive curriculum. Māori are acknowledged as tangata whenua. Assessment, planning, and evaluation demonstrates an understanding of children’s interests, learning, whānau, and life contexts.
Premises support different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. A variety of equipment and materials is provided that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending.
Health and safety practices require strengthening to meet all aspects of regulatory requirements.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
carrying out each type of relevant drill with all children present in the home on an, at least, three‑monthly basis and recording evidence of how the evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service's emergency plan
ensuring excursion documentation includes developing and implementing specific supervision plans
ensuring medication records document parental acknowledgement of medication given
[Licensing Criteria for Homebased Education and Care Services, 2008: HS7, HS14, HS25].
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non‑compliances:
Providing parents with information on how to access the service's operational documents; the most recent Education Review Office report regarding the service; the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, and the Licensing Criteria for Home-based Education and Care Services 2008; the full names and qualifications of each person counting towards regulated qualification requirement; and the service's current licence certificate (GMA1).
Including a definition of serious misconduct in human resourcing documentation (GMA6).
Ensuring a written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers is in place, that meets the safety checking requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA6A).
Documenting the results of safety checking for all children’s workers (GMA6A).
Ensuring the positive guidance policy sets out appropriate guidelines for managing children’s behaviour (C10).
Including a communication plan for parents and support services in emergency planning (HS4).
Reviewing emergency plans on, at least, an annual basis (HS4).
Checking premises on every day of operation for hazards to children including all required areas in the licensing criteria (HS11).
Developing written supervision plans to ensure that the good health and safety of children enrolled in the service is maintained at all times (HS34).
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.
The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
21 November 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Bizzy Buddyz Ltd |
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Profile Number |
40282 |
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Location |
Whakatane |
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Service type |
Home-based service |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
0-49% |
|
Service roll |
24 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
21 November 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, January 2018; Education Review, April 2014 |
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.
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.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Bizzy Buddyz Ltd provides home-based education and care for children from birth to school age in educarers' homes. The service is privately owned and operates three networks in Whakatane covering the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Bizzy Buddyz Ltd network operates on a standard licence within which each educarer does not yet have a home-based training qualification. The network is supported by a team of qualified visiting teachers and centralised management and administration.
The network is licensed for a maximum of 80 children. Each educarer may have a maximum of four children at any one time, including two under the age of two years. Currently the roll consists of 64 children which includes 50 who identify as Māori.
The service's philosophy is to provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment to promote children's learning in which they feel nurtured and experience a sense of belonging. Educarers are supported and provided with opportunities for professional development. Respectful relationships with educarers and whānau are promoted through open communication.
The owner/managing director retains overall responsibility for governance including strategic direction, the policy framework to meet legislative requirements, financial and personnel management.
While the 2014 ERO report recommended the service management access external guidance and development to strengthen professional leadership in self review and staff appraisal practices, this has not occurred. There has been improvement to self-review practices, and monitoring of health and safety procedures. However, appraisals for visiting teachers and other aspects of quality assurance remain areas for further development.
Children and their whānau are made to feel welcome. At enrolment whānau are provided with useful information to support their role in choosing an appropriate educarer for them and their children. Children's sense of wellbeing is fostered by educarers who develop close and trusting relationships with them and their families.
The rhythms and routines of children up to the age of two years are respectfully followed. Inclusive and affirming interactions are promoted by educarers in calm and secure environments. The very young benefit from the ongoing presence and example set by older children. Those who have diverse learning needs are well provided for through services and outside agencies.
A feature is the recognition and valuing of te ao Māori at the heart of the service. Whānau aspirations to have their children learn within a culturally responsive context is strongly supported. Māori children continue to have their cultural identity affirmed and celebrated through participation in te reo and tikanga Māori within whānau home environments. Consideration could be given to reviewing the current philosophy and other guiding documents to more strongly reflect this service's commitment to te ao Māori.
Children experience a curriculum that is thoughtfully planned and enriched by community events and trips. Educarers provide children with many opportunities for authentic and purposeful learning through play in familiar and home-like environments. Educarers, with the support of visiting teachers, make effective use of the wider community as a resource for learning. This support includes weekly playgroups, visits to the library, gymnastics, music and movement groups, beach, mārae and local parks. Children are gaining confidence and social competence through participation in the curriculum.
Educarers and visiting teachers prepare well illustrated portfolios that record children’s engagement in the programme. These portfolios are available in both hard copy and digital format. They include anecdotal observations, art work and references to the strands and goals of Te Whāriki and relevant information about each child’s cultural identity and family background.
Service leaders are providing educarers and whānau with regular opportunities for relevant professional and personal development. Visiting teachers access externally facilitated professional learning to strengthen their capacity to support educarers through workshops and regular visits. Systematic self review is leading to better informed decision making focused on improvements to the service. Responsive service leadership is building trusting and productive relationships with educarers.
Leadership of teaching and learning in order to establish a shared understanding and expectations for programme planning, resourcing and evaluation is an essential area for further development. There is a need for the service to review its current transition-to-school programme to ensure it reflects best practice about learning through play in authentic contexts. There is also a need to review the provision of playgroup resources. Literacy, including art, music/movement and dramatic play are well-supported. However, there was limited evidence of the use of natural resources, construction and opportunities for risk and challenge in both indoor and outdoor environments.
The owner/managing director has successfully established and maintained mutually supportive relationships with the staff, whānau and the community. She provides an inclusive and caring culture focused on the wellbeing of others. The owner/managing director recognises the urgent need to appoint an appropriately experienced and qualified leader of teaching and learning. This appointee will support the owner to ensure teacher appraisal processes meet the legislative requirements and further strengthen quality assurance processes.
Leaders and ERO agree that the professional leadership of teaching and learning needs urgent review and strengthening. This is necessary to:
develop clear processes for the appraisal of visiting teachers that meet the legislation requirements of Education Council New Zealand
ensure a more consistent approach to quality assurance, including visiting teachers' practice and documentation
enhance planning, assessment and evaluation practices that focus on dispositional learning pathways and developmentally appropriate literacy and mathematical learning.
ERO recommends that the service provides an action plan to be monitored by ERO, to address the issues identified in the compliance and key next steps section of the report.
Before the review, the staff and management of Bizzy Buddyz Ltd 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:
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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to governance and management policies and procedures. To meet requirements the service needs to improve in the following area:
update current policies and procedures to align to current regulatory requirements, including appraisal for visiting teacher that supports teacher registration
Licensing Criteria for Home-based Education and Care Services 2008, GMA6.
The next ERO review of Bizzy Buddyz Ltd will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
11 January 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 |
Whakatane |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
40282 |
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Institution type |
Homebased Network |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
64 |
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Standard or Quality Funded |
Standard |
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Gender composition |
Girls 35 Boys 29 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
50 |
|
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Number of qualified coordinators in the network |
1 |
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Required ratios of staff educators to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:4 |
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Review team on site |
October 2017 |
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Date of this report |
11 January 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
2011 |
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|
Education Review |
2009 |
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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 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.