Learning Edge Montessori Preschool

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

Learning Edge Montessori Preschool is a privately owned and operated education and care service. The service provides sessional and full-day care and education for a maximum of 20 children aged between two and six years. The owner/manager is a qualified registered teacher. She leads a team of three staff including two qualified registered teachers.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

The curriculum provided is inclusive and supports children to develop their social competency and understand appropriate behaviour. The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation. Teaching practice demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, development and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education.

Compliance

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

• Having systems to monitor that premises, furniture, furnishings, fittings, equipment, and materials are kept safe, hygienic, and maintained in good condition (HS1).
• Documenting a procedure for changing nappies that shows all documented requirements including that all children are treated with dignity and respect (HS3).
• Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).
• Displaying and implementing a procedure for monitoring children's sleep, including that children are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9).
• Checking equipment, premises, and facilities on each day of operation for hazards to children including all cleaning agents and hazards present in the kitchen (HS12).
• Having a means to monitor that the temperature of warm water delivered from any taps that children can access independently is no higher than 40°C, and comfortable for children at the centre to use (HS13).
• Ensuring water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14).
• Ensuring that whenever children leave the premises on an excursion, parents have given prior written approval to their child's participation and of the proposed ratio for regular excursions at the time of enrolment; and special excursions prior to the excursion taking place (HS17).
• Ensuring if children travel in a motor vehicle while in the care of the service each child is restrained as required by Land Transport legislation (HS18).
• Having a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medicine in accordance with the requirement for the category of medicine used, including evidence of parental acknowledgement (HS28).
• Having evidence of training and/or information provided to adults who administer medicine to children (other than their own) while at the service (HS29).
• Having a written child protection policy that meets all the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (HS31).
• Monitoring that all indoor and outdoor items and surfaces, furniture, equipment, and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use (PF5).
• Ensuring any windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are either made of safety glass; or covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken; or effectively guarded by barriers which prevent a child striking or falling against the glass (PF7).
• Ensuring there are facilities for the hygienic preparation, storage and/or serving of food and drink that contain a means of keeping perishable food at a temperature at or below 4°C (PF16).
• Having evidence that a tempering valve or other accurate means of limiting hot water temperature is installed (PF24).
• Having a first aid kit that complies with licensing requirements (PF28).
• Ensuring suitable human resource management practices are implemented, including selection and appointment procedures that meet the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7).
• Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014, including safety checking every three years. Safety checks must be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

6 August 2021 

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 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.