5 Gladstone Road, Northcote, 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 |
Not meeting |
|
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.
Tui’s Nest Childcare Centre provides for children and infants in two separate areas. Governance and curriculum oversight is provided by two co-managers. The teaching team includes four qualified teachers and three unqualified staff. The service roll reflects the ethnically diverse community and includes a small number of Māori children.
Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. They provide a curriculum that 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 supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.
The design and layout of the premises and the curriculum provide children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.
An increased level of monitoring of procedures, policies and practices is required to maintain regulatory standards.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
ensuring that equipment, premises and facilities are checked every day of operation for hazards that includes consideration of all hazards required for this criterion
ensuring daily parent authorisation is sought for category (ii) medicines; ensuring the child needing medicine has been given the right dose of the right medicine at the right time in accordance with the requirement for the category of medicine outlined in the Appendix.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS12, HS28.
During and since the onsite review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Ensuring that areas of glass accessible to children are either made of safety glass, covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken; or are effectively guarded by barriers which prevent a child striking or falling against the glass (PF7).
Having an outdoor activity space enclosed by structures and/or fences and gates designed to ensure that children are not able to leave the premises without the knowledge of adults providing education and care (PF13).
Having a space where a sick child can be temporarily kept at a safe distance from other children (PF27).
Ensuring the premises having a current fire evacuation scheme that is approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (HS4).
Securing heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage (HS6).
Having a written emergency plan and supplies to ensure the care and safety of the children and adults at the service; ensuring the plan includes details of how the supplies will be maintained and accessed in an emergency, a communication plan for families and support services and evidence of review of the plan on an, at least, annual basis (HS7).
Ensuring records of children’s sleep are consistently and accurately documented (HS9).
Completing documentation required for excursions including assessment and management of risk, prior written approval by parents/caregivers of their child’s participation and informing parents of the proposed ratio for regular excursions (HS17).
Ensuring children are seated and supervised while eating (HS22).
Having a procedure outlining the service’s response to injury, illness, and incident, including the review and implementation of practices as required (HS27).
Ensuring the service notifies a specified agency when there is a serious injury or incident involving a child at the service (HS34).
Ensuring children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
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.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
3 February 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Tui's Nest Childcare Centre |
|
Profile Number |
20115 |
|
Location |
Northcote, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
26 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
3 February 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2019 |
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 |
Tui's Nest Childcare Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tui’s Nest Childcare Centre is a well-established centre in Northcote, Auckland. It is licensed for 45 children, including up to 20 aged under two years. The centre offers full-day education and care in a mixed-age group programme. Children come from diverse cultural backgrounds, with most being Pākehā or Asian.
The centre's philosophy is aligned to the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It emphasises building trusting relationships with children and whānau in a welcoming, respectful environment.
Since ERO’s 2015 report, a new centre manager has been appointed. A representative from an early education management group supports the manager. They lead a team of other teachers, and support staff.
The 2015 ERO report noted areas of good practice that continue to be present. Suggested improvements included internal evaluation, linking planning, evaluation and assessment, and extending children's thinking. The report also noted that further opportunities incorporating te ao Māori would enhance the curriculum. There has been good progress in some of these areas.
Children’s wellbeing is nurtured through positive, respectful relationships and strong connections with teachers and peers. Their care and needs are well supported. Children are warmly welcomed by staff on arrival. The centre's calm tone helps children settle quickly into the programme.
Children are supported to be confident learners. Their independence is fostered during free play. Children have many opportunities to explore the well-resourced, carefully considered environment. They play cooperatively with and alongside their peers, for sustained periods of time, and benefit from playing in mixed-age groups where they may interact with siblings.
Infants and toddlers receive nurturing and respectful care with shared primary caregiving. Teachers' sensitive and careful interactions result in a calm, settled environment. Children's individual needs and communication styles are well catered for. Infants' early language attempts are supported well by teachers.
Teachers model te reo and tikanga Māori. Children are encouraged to support each other in tuakana/teina relationships, particularly with the children under two years. Teachers and leaders have an ongoing commitment to developing bicultural practices.
Teachers work collaboratively. They provide a learning programme that is inclusive and child-centred. Children confidently approach teachers, and trust they will respond positively to questions and ideas. Teachers skilfully support children to develop social competencies and collaboration. They know children well. Teachers foster children's oral language development and confidence in communicating with other children.
Teachers maintain individual portfolios for each child. These assessment records keep parents informed about their children’s learning journey and events in the centre.
The leadership team works collaboratively to provide quality outcomes for children. The philosophy and vision have been developed to guide the centre's direction. This is underpinned by a sound policy and procedure framework, which is continually refined and developed. The centre has an appropriate goal to develop a strategic plan for the next three years. Annual planning, internal evaluation and appraisal goals can then be aligned with the strategic plan to achieve coherence across systems.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps include:
planning and evaluating programmes and strategies to extend children's learning
reviewing the philosophy to align with teaching practices
developing a strategic plan to guide the centre's future development.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tui's Nest Childcare Centre 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.
ERO identified non-compliance in relation to curriculum. To address this, the manager and teachers must plan, implement and evaluate learning programmes based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres, 2008, 1a (i,iv,v,vi).
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
22 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 |
Northcote, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20115 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
41 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 22 Girls 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 March 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2012 |
||
|
Supplementary 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.