32 a Clarence Street, Devonport, Auckland
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.
Devonport Community Creche is well established and known in the local community. It operates as a not-for-profit community-based service. A board of trustees provides governance, and delegates management of the service to an onsite manager who is a qualified teacher. She leads a team of six qualified teachers.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences.
The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation (documented and undocumented) that demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts.
Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.
A next step is to strengthen the extent to which information documented in children’s assessment records reflects their languages and cultures.
The service has provided ERO with evidence to show the following non compliances have been addressed:
Having a procedure that ensures that children do not have access to food or liquids in bed and are checked for warmth, breathing and general wellbeing at least every 5 to 10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9).
Having a record of illnesses that occur at the service that includes the name of the child, the date, time, and description of the illness, actions taken and by whom and evidence that the parents have been notified/informed (HS27).
Having a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medication in accordance with the requirements for category (i) and (ii) outlined in appendix 3 of the licensing criteria for centre-based education and care services (HS28).
Having a written child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014. The policy is to contain provisions for the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect, and how it will respond to suspected child abuse and neglect. The policy must be reviewed every three years (HS31).
Having a record of all safety checks and the results for all workers who have access to children (GMA7A).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
15 September 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Devonport Community Creche |
|
Profile Number |
20041 |
|
Location |
Devonport, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
|
Service roll |
50 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
15 September 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2019; Education Review, April 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 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 |
Devonport Community Creche is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Devonport Community Creche is licensed to provide full-day and sessional education and care for 25 children, including up to 5 children under two years of age. It is a not-for-profit centre, and has been part of the Devonport Community for 23 years.
Prior to 2018, the creche was governed by the Devonport Community House Board (DCHB). A centre manager, assisted by a parent committee, managed the creche. During 2017, the DCHB and the creche committee agreed to separate to ensure continued sustainability of the creche. In December 2017, a new legal entity, the Devonport Community Creche Incorporated (DCCI), was established. The official separation and handover was effective from 1 April 2018.
The creche committee is now a governance board, responsible for financial, legal and governance obligations. The board has received training for these new roles and has reviewed all of the creche policies.
The manager, a fully qualified and experienced early childhood teacher, manages and leads the centre. She is supported by a team of qualified and experienced teachers.
The recently reviewed philosophy emphasises the creche as a celebration of community partnership between families and teachers to ensure tamariki have the best start in life. This partnership emphasises kindness and caring to support children to grow and develop as valued members of society.
The 2015 ERO report acknowledged families as valued partners in the provision of good quality learning programmes. These positive partnerships have been maintained. The centre's next steps were to continue to use self review and strategic planning to respond to, and align with, the changing needs of the centre's community. There has been positive progress in these areas.
Children display a genuine sense of belonging at the creche. They are supported to reach their potential through a high quality curriculum. Children learn in a nurturing environment that develops their knowledge, skills and dispositions. Teachers' conversations and positive interactions with children help to develop strong relationships that enrich children's language and support their wellbeing.
Leaders and teachers know each child very well. Teachers listen and respond to individual children to extend their learning. They ensure that children's inquiries drive their learning journey. Teachers use intentional strategies to maximise opportunities for all children to be creative and thoughtful.
The learning environment and resources provided by leaders and teachers encourage children to think critically, to wonder, and to revisit their learning. Their easy access to equipment enriches their sense of belonging and ownership of environment.
Children demonstrate social skills that enable positive relationships with their peers. They are well supported to take responsibility for their own and others' wellbeing. Established routines encourage children to play confidently in small groups or independently, for sustained periods.
The inclusive learning environment is purposeful and unhurried. Children with additional learning needs are well supported to participate fully in all aspects of the programme alongside their peers. Child-teacher-family relationships enable toddlers to engage and respond positively and confidently in a calm environment.
High quality assessment records are a feature of the curriculum and are valued by children, families and staff. These records reflect children's languages and cultures, and individual interests. Teachers document children's progress in learning and dispositions, and identify next steps in their learning. Assessment records are well used during children's transition to kindergarten or school.
Teachers' shared understanding of the centre's philosophy drives their practice, and is strengthened by well-developed partnerships with whānau. Teachers' high quality implementation of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, skilfully integrates bicultural features and practices into routines and the environment.
Leaders and teachers use evaluation well to guide developments. Internal evaluation is reflective of all stakeholders' perspectives. Evaluation results in positive change, lifting teaching practice and improving outcomes for children's learning and wellbeing. A high level of relational trust empowers leaders and teachers to take ownership of their roles, resulting in a transparent, collaborative way of working that facilitates continuous centre improvement. Ongoing teacher development is valued and supported by a relevant appraisal system.
The centre manager and creche staff agree a next step is to continue using evaluation to sustain high quality practice for positive outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Devonport Community Creche 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:
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
28 March 2019
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 |
Devonport, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20041 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
71 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 40 Boys 31 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
63 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
28 March 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
April 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
December 2008 |
||
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.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Devonport Community House Creche in Auckland is a well established centre providing good quality sessional and full day education and care. This popular centre offers nine sessions a week. A small number of children stay all day. It is licensed for 25 children including five under two. Most children attending are under four years of age.
The manager of the centre is employed by, and accountable to, Devonport Community House Inc. Governance committee. A management committee made of a representative group of parents of the crèche community support the manager. The centre is staffed by a stable teaching team of experienced well qualified teachers.
The 2012 ERO report acknowledged the strong trusting relationships that characterise the crèche as well as the effective teaching, governance and management. The report identified the complexity of children’s play, responding to Māori whānau cultural aspirations and aspects of centre administration and documentation as areas for development and review.
Children are engaged, eager learners. They confidently choose and access resources and seek support from their teachers. They happily play independently as well as beside and with others. They are familiar with centre routines and enjoy group times. They are capable learners and communicators who are developing lifelong learning tools such as creativity, perseverance, and taking responsibility.
Teachers know children and their families well. They warmly welcome children and their whānau. They are responsive to the diversity of children’s cultures and learning needs. They build warm, trusting, and respectful relationships with children and their families. There is a strong sense of whanaungatanga/belonging in the centre for children, their parents, families and teachers.
The learning programme and teaching practices are highly reflective of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children are empowered to learn and grow. Teachers know and respect the holistic way children learn. Children under the age of two receive particular attention and gentle, nurturing care. Teachers effectively connect with children and their families to promote children’s well-being.
The children’s parents and families are valued partners in the provision of good quality learning programmes. Parents share family stories and photographs that enable teachers to acknowledge and respond to children’s capabilities and interests. Attractive and informative learning stories enable children, teachers, parents and families to review centre programmes and children’s learning.
The resource-rich environment promotes child-initiated learning. New playground equipment gives more opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. Good quality literacy resources encourage children to enjoy reading. Science resources are numerous and entice children to explore and wonder. Well equipped learning areas promote children’s fine motor skills, artistic skills and mathematical understandings. Frequent meaningful conversations between children and with teachers help children develop their oral language and problem-solving. Learning is celebrated and supported in the centre’s language-rich environment.
A key factor underlying centre success is the dedication and commitment of the teaching team to provide a highly valued service for the children and families in the Devonport community. The manager and teachers work collegially to review and research ways to continually improve the centre. A notable development since the 2012 ERO review has been the team approach to increasing their knowledge of Matauranga Māori and to strengthening biculturalism in the centre curriculum.
The centre manager and staff are committed to future planning so that they are able to continue to cater well for the community they serve. More long term strategic planning, in consultation with families, could help to guide this development over the next three to five years.
ERO, the centre manager and staff agree that they should continue to use self review and strategic planning to respond to and align with the changing needs of the centre's community.
Before the review, the staff and management of Devonport Community House Creche 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.
In order to improve current practice, an appraisal process for non-registered staff should be established.
The next ERO review of Devonport Community House Creche will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
22 April 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 |
Devonport, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20041 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
91 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 48 Girls 43 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā British Latin American Chinese Japanese Turkish |
83 3 2 1 1 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:9 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 April 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
December 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 2005 |
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.