Creative Kids

Education institution number:
20186
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
56
Telephone:
Address:

46 Mayall Avenue, Beach Haven, Auckland

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Creative Kids

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

Creative Kids provides for children and infants in two separate areas. Governance is provided by the owner and manager. The teachers are responsible for the planning and implementation of the curriculum, supported by the manager. The service roll includes a small number of Māori and Pacific children.

Summary of Review Findings

Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. They provide a programme 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. Their learning is supported in a language rich environment.

Teachers demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practices in early childhood education. The curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.

Consistent monitoring and implementation of practices is required to maintain regulatory standards.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • Consistently recording children’s sleep times and checks made by adults during that time (HS9).

  • Ensuring that daily checking of equipment, premises, and facilities for hazards to the children includes consideration of all hazards required for this criterion (HS12).

  • Having a record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service that includes all requirements of this criterion (HS28).

  • Ensuring children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

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

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

10 March 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Creative Kids

Profile Number

20186

Location 

Beach Haven, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

60 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

57

Review team on site

December 2022

Date of this report

10 March 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, March 2019; Education Review, April 2015

 

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 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.

Creative Kids - 21/03/2019

1 Evaluation of Creative Kids

How well placed is Creative Kids to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Creative Kids is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Creative Kids is a well-established, family owned centre located in Beach Haven on Auckland's North Shore. It provides education and care for infants, toddlers and children up to school age. It is licensed for up to 60 children, including 15 up to the age of two years.

The philosophy of the centre is guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It identifies a commitment to developing children in an environment that inspires and empowers them to think, investigate and be active participants in their learning.

Since the 2015 ERO report, the centre has a new owner and there have been changes in the teaching team. There has been significant building restructuring and environment redesign inside and outside, including a new room with a purpose-built outside area for infants and toddlers.

The centre has responded positively to the recommendations in the 2015 ERO report. Many of the positive comments from the last ERO report continue to be a feature of the centre.

The Review Findings

Children and families are warmly welcomed when they arrive at the centre. They experience respectful relationships that promote a sense of belonging. Children are confident and see themselves as capable learners. Inclusive practices ensure all children, including those with additional learning needs, are valued and well supported.

Children experience spacious and inviting environments that promote opportunities for exploration and imagination. They have access to high quality resources. Teachers foster children's independence and promote self-management skills.

Children are involved in leading and contributing to the programme. Older children are friendly, curious and confident. Tuakana/teina relationships are well promoted. Children engage in sustained play, show high levels of concentration, and are supported to develop their problem solving and thinking skills. Teachers use skilful questioning techniques to extend children's vocabulary and understanding. Literacy, mathematics, science and creative arts are promoted in meaningful ways that engage children. Teachers foster smooth transitions for children attending the local school.

Infants and toddlers experience respectful, nurturing relationships with staff. Their individual developments are celebrated and well documented in learning stories. Teachers help children form relationships with others. Children are well supported as they transition into and through the centre.

Tikanga Māori concepts and te reo Māori are reflected in the programme and environment. Teachers' knowledge of tikanga Māori is reflected in the depth of bicultural practices in the centre.

Teachers regularly write good quality learning stories that provide parents and whānau with a valuable record of their children's learning, strengths and interests. Learning stories recognise and celebrate children's milestones. Parents and whānau have access to relevant information about children's participation in centre programmes. Well documented assessment portfolios, planning and wall displays inform them about their children's progress. Parents and whānau are regularly consulted and have opportunities to contribute their perspectives to the centre's curriculum.

Leaders promote a shared understanding of the centre's philosophy, vision and goals. Teachers are highly reflective and continually seek ways of improving their practices. The newly formed teaching teams work collaboratively. Teachers are supported to take on leadership roles. Their individual strengths are valued and contribute to the quality of education and care. Leaders and teachers participate in a range of relevant professional learning and development opportunities. Leaders have strengthened performance management processes. Teachers' goals align to strategic goals and professional development opportunities.

The centre is well led and governed. Leaders set high expectations for themselves and staff. The centre has an effective policy framework and systems that guide its overall operation. Internal evaluation is used effectively to inform ongoing improvement. Strategic and annual planning guides centre operations. To further support the centre's strategic direction, it would be timely to refine strategic goals and identify ways to evaluate progress towards these.

Key Next Steps

Centre managers agree that key next steps are:

  • continuing to build the curriculum leadership team to help sustain quality practices

  • refining strategic goals and measuring the impact of these over time.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Creative Kids 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

21 March 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

Beach Haven, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20186

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

60 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

50

Gender composition

Boys 28 Girls 22

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
other European
other ethnic groups

7
32
6
5

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

February 2019

Date of this report

21 March 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

April 2015

Education Review

April 2012

Education Review

March 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.