Lollipops Warkworth

Education institution number:
20184
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
26
Telephone:
Address:

23 - 25 Campbell Drive, Warkworth

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Learning Adventures Warkworth - 11/02/2021

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

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.

Background

Learning Adventures Warkworth caters for children and their families from its diverse local community. The service has had a change of staff since ERO’s 2018 review. The newly appointed centre manager oversees the daily operations of the service, supported by an area manager and a curriculum adviser.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Adults provide children with a range of experiences to extend their learning and development. Children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour is supported. Adultsengage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. Consistent implementation of health and safety practices is required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • when children leave the premises on an excursion there is evidence of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios (HS17)
  • any windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are made of safety glass (PF7).

Next ERO Review

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

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

11 February 2021

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Learning Adventures Warkworth

Profile Number

20184

Location

Warkworth

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 years

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

32

Ethnic composition

Māori 5
NZ European/Pākehā 18
Kiribati 4
other ethnic groups 5

Review team on site

November 2020

Date of this report

11 February 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, November 2019
Previously Known as Kowhai Educare, Education Review, May 2016

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.

Learning Adventures Warkworth - 27/11/2019

1 Evaluation of Learning Adventures Warkworth

How well placed is Learning Adventures Warkworth to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Learning Adventures Warkworth is not well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Learning Adventures Warkworth was previously known as Kowhai Kids Educare. It is licensed to provide education and care for 50 children, including up to 15 aged under two years. Children are grouped according to age, and programmes are provided in two separate neighbouring houses. A gate allows easy access between the two sites. The roll includes small numbers of Māori and Pacific children.

The centre has been owned by Evolve Education Group (EEG) since 2014 and its name was changed in 2016. Visiting personnel from EEG support the centre in its day-to-day operations and long-term planning and development projects.

The manager and two head teachers work alongside three other qualified teachers and three unqualified support staff. During a recent review of the centre philosophy, five main priorities for learning were identified. These include respect, empathy and compassion, sustainability, health and happiness, and confidence and curiosity.

The service has responded positively to the 2016 ERO report, which identified leadership, self review and increasing the challenge and complexity of children's play as areas for improvement.

This review was part of a cluster of 10 reviews in the Evolve Education Group.

The Review Findings

Children play well together and with their teachers in the centre environment. Infants and toddlers benefit from good teacher to child ratios. Teachers know the children well. They plan individual programmes for children, whose individual portfolios contain some well written learning stories.

Leaders and teachers have worked well with support staff to provide attractively presented indoor learning environments.

EEG has developed a robust appraisal process. Leaders need to ensure that this process is implemented consistently, and purposefully supports the development of effective teaching practice leading to endorsement of teacher registration.

There are significant concerns about health and safety provisions in the service. EEG support staff and centre leaders have not yet established systems to ensure all health and safety policies and procedures are implemented as required. Records and practices that require improvement include those relating to fire and other emergency evacuations, accident reporting and medication administration.

Managers need to take urgent action to respond to and implement a recently developed management plan relating to asbestos in the preschool premises. Management attention is also required to expedite repairs to the flooring in the preschool building and to eliminate vermin safely across both sites.

A drainage issue in the outdoor activity space should also be addressed urgently. Outdoor areas need to be clean and suitably surfaced for a variety of activities. Soft fall areas around outdoor equipment need to be replenished or replaced. Damaged equipment needs to be removed and all other identified hazards eliminated.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Adventures Warkworth 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.

Actions for compliance

ERO found significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to health and safety, premises and facilities, governance and management. Since the on-site phase of ERO's review, EEG and centre managers have begun to take steps to ensure:

  • all indoor and outdoor surfaces and furniture are safe and suitable for their intended use

  • premises and facilities are kept in good repair, maintained regularly, used safely and kept free from hazards

  • processes for teacher appraisal and the endorsement of practising certificates are robust.

Education (ECS) Regulations 2008, 46; Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS1,8,27,28; PF2,5,13,16; GMA7.

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Learning Adventures Warkworth. ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

27 November 2019

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

Warkworth, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20184

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

50

Gender composition

Boys 25 Girls 25

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
Pacific groups
other ethnic groups

4
33
8
5

Percentage of qualified teachers

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

October 2019

Date of this report

27 November 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Previous reviews as Kowhai Kids Educare

May 2016

Education Review

February 2013

Education Review

October 2009

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

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.

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.