First Years Richmond

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

Regulatory standards	ERO’s judgement
Curriculum	Meeting
Premises and facilities	Meeting
Health and safety	Not meeting
Governance, management and administration	Not meeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.

Background

First Years Richmond is a community-based non-profit service. It has been operating for over thirty years and is governed by a parent board. The service has a long-serving manager and a range of
full-time and part-time staff, most of whom are registered teachers.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is inclusive and informed by assessment, planning and evaluation aligned to the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Infants, toddlers and older children experience positive, respectful interactions with adults within calm, settled environments. 

The premises and facilities are resourced to provide for the learning and abilities of the children attending. Leaders appraisal continues to be an area for development. Consistent implementation and monitoring of health and safety practices and governance, management and administration are required to meet all aspects of the Licensing Criteria.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

• consistent evidence of approval from the person responsible for excursions 
• evidence that parents have been informed of an accident that occurs at the service
• consistent practices and recording of administration of medication to children 
• records of training and/or information provided to adults who administer medication to children while at the service
• suitable human resource management practices are implemented, specifically a system of regular appraisal for leaders
• procedures and practices that ensure safety checking of workers who have access to children
• an annual plan identifying when key tasks will be undertaken.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, 2008, HS17, HS27, HS28, HS29, GMA7, GMA7A, GMA8.  

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

• mirrors that are accessible to children are covered in adhesive film to hold the glass in place if broken
• heavy equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured
• evidence of the review of the written emergency plan and management of emergency supplies
• record of emergency drills carried out on at least a three-monthly basis
• a procedure that includes that children must be checked for warmth and breathing while sleeping
• consistent completion of daily hazard checks
• ongoing process of self-review that helps the service to maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, 2008, PF7, HS6, HS7, HS8, HS9, HS12, GMA6.

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

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.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

1 June 2021 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name	First Years Richmond
Profile Number	65412
Location	Richmond
Service type	Education and care service
Number licensed for	37 children, including up to 7 aged under 2.
Percentage of qualified teachers	80%+
Service roll	57
Ethnic composition	Māori 17, NZ European/Pākehā 32, Other ethnicities 8.
Review team on site	January 2021
Date of this report	1 June 2021
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review, December 2016; Education Review, July 2013

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 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.

1 Evaluation of First Years Richmond

How well placed is First Years Richmond to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

First Years Richmond Early Learning Service is well placed to promote positive outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

This early learning service is a community-based non-profit service. It has been operating for almost thirty years and is governed by a board made up of parents of currently enrolled children.

The service has a long-serving manager and a range of full-time and part-time staff, most of whom are registered teachers.

Aspects of the service's programme and its facilities are tailored to meet the needs of children of different ages, including infants and toddlers.

The board and staff have continued to make improvements to the service's environment and facilities. The centre has an extensive outdoor play area.

The service's programme and practices have continued to evolve since the 2013 ERO review. The manager and teachers have maintained many of the strengths evident at that time. Improvements include the successful integration of Māori perspectives into the centre's curriculum.

The Review Findings

The centre's philosophy is clearly evident in its programmes and practices. This is particularly apparent in the:

• varied curriculum
• quality of relationships with children and their whānau
• way children are highly engaged in exploratory play.

Teachers actively promote children's sense of wellbeing and belonging. They develop positive, responsive and inclusive relationships with children. Teachers boost children's confidence and foster children's creative play through their interactions and by actively promoting centre virtues and a sense of whanungatanga.

Teachers of the youngest children, in particular, are nurturing and flexible in responding to their immediate needs. Children's transitions within and beyond the centre are well managed.

The high importance staff give to promoting positive partnerships is reflected in the quality of relationships between teachers, parents and whānau. Teachers make good use of what they know about children and their families to provide a range of support. A strong sense of community exists within the centre.

The service's curriculum provides children with appropriate opportunities to exercise choice, extend their interests and learn through play. These opportunities include a wide variety of experiences both within and beyond the centre.

The programme continues to incorporate an extensive range of physical and exploratory activities that motivate children. Teachers place particular emphasis on promoting children's literacy learning, including oral language, environmental education, healthy living and social competence.

Teachers successfully integrate aspects of children's culture and heritage into the service's curriculum. They also give appropriate emphasis to fostering bicultural understanding.

Teachers interact with children in ways that support their play and foster both their language development and curiosity. They are responsive to children's interests and strengths and to children who require additional learning support.

The board actively promotes and supports the work of the centre. They work in partnership with the manager and other staff to achieve common goals.

The manager and other centre leaders have a shared vision for the centre and a strong commitment to realising this. Leadership and management practices help to promote a cohesive teaching team, collaborative practices and a commitment to ongoing centre improvement.

Regular internal evaluation is supporting ongoing centre improvement. The manager and centre leaders demonstrate a willingness to critically reflect on programmes and practices.

Key Next Steps

The centre manager, leaders and teachers should now focus on:

• improving assessment practices to make clearer the next learning steps for children and identify how teachers intend to promote this learning

• building on recent initiatives to improve the quality of group planning

• refining internal evaluation to better evaluate outcomes for children and the quality of teaching

• completing their current revision of the leadership structure.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of First Years Richmond 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.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

The board has not always made sure that the service manager is appraised annually.

Action

The board must implement a system of regular appraisal. [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centre 2008 GMA7]

Recommendations

The board and centre leaders should:

• update the service's appraisal policy and procedures to better reflect Education Council requirements
• ensure the service's policies and procedures better incorporate provisions for meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children's Act.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of First Years Richmond will be in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Te Waipounamu Southern

5 December 2016

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location		Richmond, Nelson
Ministry of Education profile number		65412
Licence type		Education & Care Service
Licensed under		Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for		37 children, including up to 7 aged under two
Service roll		65
Gender composition		Boys 35; Girls 30
Ethnic composition		Māori Pākehā Other ethnicities	5 52 8
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+Based on funding rates		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		October 2016
Date of this report		5 December 2016
Most recent ERO reports		Education Review	July 2013
		Education Review	June 2010
		Education Review	June 2007

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.