73 Omaunu Road, Kaeo
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 |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
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.
Creative Minds (Kaeo) Ltd is a privately owned centre. The service owner provides governance and management. A qualified centre manager oversees daily operations and is supported by a qualified teacher and two support staff. The teachers and children reflect the diverse cultures of the community the centre is located in.
The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The service curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and an understanding of appropriate behaviour. It provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both indoors and outdoors, as well as individually and in groups.
Consistent implementation of health and safety, premises and facilities, governance, management and administration practices is required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.
During and since the onsite review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Having a current fire evacuation scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service (HS4).
Securing heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage (HS6).
Keeping a record of relevant emergency drills carried out and evidence of how evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS7).
Checking equipment, premises, and facilities every day of operation for hazards to children (HS12).
Having evidence of parental permission for any travel by motor vehicle when children leave the premises on an excursion (HS18).
Keeping a record of all food served during the service’s hours of operation to show the type of food provided and are available for inspection for three months after the food is served (HS19).
Having evidence of parental acknowledgement of medication (prescription and non-prescription) given to a child (HS28).
Having a record of training and/or information provided to adults who administer medication to children (other than their own) while at the service (HS29).
Ensuring there is a record of safety checks carried out every three years for every children’s worker. (GMA7A).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
9 November 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Creative Minds (Kaeo) Ltd |
| Profile Number |
10200 |
| Location |
Kaeo, Northland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
|
Service roll |
23 |
|
Review team on site |
June 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
9 November 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2018; Education Review, August 2015 |
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 license 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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
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.
Creative Minds (Kaeo) Ltd is a privately owned centre licensed to provide full day education and care for up to 25 children, including five aged under two years. There is a separate indoor play space available for infants and toddlers. Most of the children enrolled are Māori.
The centre owner manages the centre. The responsibilities of the role of head teacher are shared amongst the teachers on a rotational basis. The teaching team consists of five qualified teachers and one teacher in training.
The service's vision is to create a secure, nurturing environment that enhances the wellbeing of all tamariki and their whānau. There is a focus on freedom of expression inclusive of individual development and culture, and working in partnership with the wider community.
The 2015 ERO report highlighted that children were secure and settled. In addition, it noted the caring relationships between adults and children, and the well-developed programme planning process implemented by teachers.
The ERO report also contained recommendations to improve strategic and annual planning, self-review, policy review, hazard management, and teacher appraisal. The centre owner and teachers have responded very positively to these recommendations.
The service's vision is evident in practice. Teachers know children and their whānau well. There are good opportunities for discussions between teachers and parents at pick up and drop off times. These conversations have a focus on children's learning and help to deepen teachers' knowledge of families and the community. Consultation with whānau is used to inform centre developments.
Teachers promote children's sense of wellbeing and belonging in the centre. Children aged under two years benefit from the team's focus on consistent caregiving. This ensures a developing and collective knowledge of how to support and comfort individual children.
Centre routines provide good opportunities for children to experience long periods of uninterrupted play. This enables them to become deeply engaged in their explorations and learning. Older children set up high level co-operative play scenarios where they collaboratively assign and accept roles, negotiate and take turns. They are well supported to develop social competence.
Children are conversational and articulate. Teachers engage children in conversations, providing new vocabulary and modelling language. They also skilfully use te reo Māori as part of their interactions with children. Tikanga Māori is woven through the programme and evident in the use of karakia and waiata. Children's identity, language and culture are enhanced as Māori.
Teachers provide a wide curriculum that includes science, mathematics and literacy. Visitors to the centre and excursions enrich the programme. Children's knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy is developed through a focus on healthy eating and opportunities to participate in regular exercise, which include events run by the community.
Assessment of learning is used well by teachers to plan the curriculum. Teachers use a range of approaches to identify children's capabilities and diagnose where extra support may be needed. Portfolios of learning are individual to the child and are starting to reflect both the continuity and developing complexity of their learning. Assessment practices give children agency and enhance their mana.
The centre has been through a process of significant development which has resulted in the establishment and implementation of:
Teachers evaluate various aspects of practice that result in positive outcomes for children. The centre owner and team have developed an annual plan to guide centre operations. They could now evaluate their progress towards meeting annual goals, and plan more strategically for the future by setting longer term goals.
Centre leaders have discussed with ERO key next steps, which include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Creative Minds (Kaeo) Ltd 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 Creative Minds (Kaeo) Ltd will be in three years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
23 February 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.
|
Location |
Kaeo, Northland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10200 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
29 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 15 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
21 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
23 February 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
August 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2009 |
||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
This centre requires Ministry of Education support to improve the quality of teaching and learning programmes, and to develop governance and management systems and processes to rectify health and safety concerns. This support should help the centre to make the required changes in an effective and timely manner.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Creative Minds Childcare is a privately owned centre located in the township of Kaeo, Northland. The centre is licensed for up to twenty-five children from birth to five years of age. Recent hardships have impacted the centre which is in the process of changing ownership.
The majority of children who come to Creative Minds are Māori. Families regard the centre as a community hub; a place that has their wellbeing at heart. Most families attending the centre live in Kaeo and surrounding areas.
The centre provides a welcoming and spacious environment. Children enjoy the large outdoor play area and the natural bush setting that surrounds the centre.
There are two large areas for programme delivery that are shared by both younger infants and toddlers and older children over two years of age. The sleeping area is warm, roomy and contains cots for younger babies and floor mats for older children.
A covered outdoor area allows for outside play while protecting children from wet weather or excessive exposure to sun. This area is overlooked by an attractive natural bush setting. The kitchen is an integral part of the centre. Wholesome food is prepared for children and cooking and eating routines are an important part of centre life.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed on arrival at the centre. Teachers know children well, understand the importance of good relationships, and take time to interact and share information with parents and whānau. Children settle easily on arrival and display a sense of ownership, responding positively to the homely environment that the centre provides.
Children have caring relaxed relationships with each other and adults. They are confident and secure in their interactions and their environment. Children play collaboratively and for sustained periods of time. They respect each other and examples of children successfully managing conflict through to a happy resolution are evident. Tuakana-teina relationships are a feature of the centre, with older children showing care and consideration for their younger peers.
Separate planning is used for the infant /toddler group and children over two. Teachers plan for individual children and for groups of children. This approach to planning is made visible for parents, and teachers’ document children’s learning through group and individual learning stories. Teachers have worked well to develop their planning and recognise that their next steps are to develop self review, assessment and evaluation elements and to strengthen curriculum delivery. Developing these areas of centre practice should have a positive impact on children’s learning.
The leadership team and new owner have a strong vision for the centre. Recent teacher professional learning and development has had a positive impact on improving teaching and learning practices. A current professional learning contract is already promoting better teacher understanding and use of self review as a tool for improvement. This useful developmental work should continue to further build teachers’ professional practice. Centre owners should also ensure the centre is resourced with adequate teaching and learning materials that support quality programme delivery for children.
To improve governance and management practice, centre owners and ERO agree that key next steps for the centre include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Creative Minds Childcare 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.
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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance. In order to address these centre managers must:
ensure that hazards that pose a risk to the safety of children and adults are promptly identified and minimised or removed.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 HS12.
In order to improve practice centre owners and managers should also:
undertake a programme of policy review and update that includes updating and implementing the child protection and protected disclosure policies, and ensuring excursion policies and procedures are in place
ensure that required staff-to-children ratios are maintained at all times
ensure that police vetting is carried out on all non-teaching staff on a three year cycle.
ERO recommends that the service consult with the Ministry of Education and plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Creative Minds Childcare will be within two years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
19 August 2015
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 |
Kaeo, Northland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10200 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
21 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 12 Boys 9 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā |
19 2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
50-79% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:9 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
19 August 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
May 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
May 2006 |
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.