Apii Potiki Glen Innes Community Pre-School

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

At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.

Background

Apii Potiki Glen Innes Community Pre-School is a well-established bilingual service, that promotes the languages, culture and values of the Cook Islands. The managers lead a team of five qualified teachers and four support teachers. A kaumatua provides cultural knowledge and understandings to support children, teachers and families.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early learning curriculum. It respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. Adults in the service engage in meaningful interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum provides a language-rich environment.

Consistent implementation of health and safety, premises and facilities, and governance, management and administration practices are required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

• ensuring that the contents of the first aid kit complies with licensing requirements
• ensuring that furniture and items intended for children to sleep on, that will be used by more than one child over time, are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material
• securing heavy shelving indoors that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage
• documenting the review of the service’s emergency management plan on an at least annual basis, including implementation of improved practices as required
• ensuring adults providing education and care are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry these out with children on an at least three-monthly basis
• documenting that teachers are consistently checking sleeping children under the age of 2 years, for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs
• ensuring furniture or items intended for children to sleep on is hygienically stored when not in use
• developing a documented risk management system that identifies, minimises, eliminates or isolates potential hazards to children and that includes the list of hazards required
• ensuring the temperature of warm water delivered from taps that are accessible to children is no higher than 40°C, and comfortable for children at the centre to use
• having evidence that water stored in the hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C
• maintaining records of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios for regular excursions
• maintaining a record of all food served during the service's hours of operation (other than that provided by parents for their own children) is required. Records show the type of food provided and are available for inspection for 3 months after the food is served
• developing and implementing procedures to ensure that children do not come into contact with any person (adult or child) on the premises who is suffering from a disease or condition likely to be passed on to children and likely to have a detrimental effect on them
• developing a procedure to outline the practicable steps to be taken to get immediate medical assistance for a child who is seriously injured or becomes seriously ill, and to notify a parent of what has happened, including the review and implementation of practices as required
• documenting the name and amount of medication (prescription and non-prescription), the date and time medicine was administered and by whom, and evidence of parental acknowledgment
• displaying the full names and qualifications of each person counting towards regulated qualification requirements
• providing parents of children attending the service and adults providing education and care with opportunities to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents
• documenting a process for reviewing and evaluating the service’s operation, including having a schedule showing timelines for planned review of different areas of operation and recorded outcomes from the review process
• ensuring safety checking of all adults with access to children at the service, meets the safety checking requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 and that written records of all safety checks and the results are kept at the service for the time staff are employed
• having an annual plan identifying ‘who’, ‘what’, and ’when’ in relation to key tasks undertaken each year
• documenting an annual budget to guide financial expenditure
• ensuring enrolment records for each child attending are kept for at least 7 years
• ensuring attendance records that show the times and dates of every child’s attendance at the service are kept for at least 7 years.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, PF28, PF30, HS6, HS7, HS8, HS9, HS11, HS12, HS13, HS14, HS17, HS19, HS26, HS27, HS28, GMA1, GMA4, GMA6, GMA7A, GMA8, GMA9, GMA10, GMA11.

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

• having a tempering valve or other accurate means of limiting hot water temperature installed (PF24)
• documenting a procedure for the hygienic laundering of linen used by the children (HS2)
• advising parents how to access information concerning their child, the service’s operational documents and the most recent Education Review Office report regarding the service (GMA2).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

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.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

11 June 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.

1 Evaluation of Apii Potiki Glen Innes Community Pre-School

How well placed is Apii Potiki Glen Innes Community Pre-School to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Apii Potiki Glen Innes Community Pre-School is family owned and operated. The service is licensed to provide education and care for 50 children, including up to 10 aged under two years. Infants and toddlers have their own separate play space. Children attend sessions similar to school hours.

The centre managers, and head teacher work together to ensure the smooth operation of the centre. Since opening in May 2013 they have worked to establish and maintain relationships within the early childhood sector and the local and wider business and Cook Islands communities. Seven qualified teachers make up the teaching team. The Apii Potiki Reo Kuki Airani Preschool Trust has a governance role. This is the service's first ERO review.

The centre philosophy promotes and encourages recognition, respect and appreciation for the cultural values, language and customs of the Cook Islands. It strongly foregrounds families, relationships, respect for all, partnerships, bicultural practice and growth. Centre personnel, alongside the parents and whānau of an increasingly culturally diverse community, continue to review the philosophy statement to ensure it embraces the aspirations of a changing community.

The Review Findings

The values that underpin the service's philosophy are strongly evident in practice. Children and families of all cultures have a sense of belonging in the centre environment. They are affirmed in their culture, and as individuals.

Children are friendly. They confidently approach adults and each other for conversation, to question and for support. They are engaged, happy and having fun. Teachers positively interact with children, follow their lead and become partners in play.

Children are curious and competent. They are able to sustain their play in small groups or on their own. Teachers are perceptive to the diverse needs of individual children. They respond well to children's conversations and model language and new vocabulary. The environment is literacy rich and reflects children's stories. Effective teaching practice promotes positive outcomes for all children.

Infants and toddlers are sensitively cared for by teachers who respond to their cues and support their decisions. Children settle quickly into a spacious environment that encourages exploration and discovery. The calm pace maintained by teachers allows children the time they need to make choices.

A bicultural partnership is promoted alongside the language and culture of the Cook Islands. Karakia and waiata and their cultural equivalents feature strongly, particularly at group times. Children are provided with opportunities to see and hear at least three languages on a regular basis.

The "mamas and papas" (grandparents) present throughout the sessions play a significant role in bringing the Cook Islands culture and language to life. They contribute to the heart of the centre, bringing a depth of knowledge of their culture to share with others.

Parents who spoke with ERO shared how highly they value what this centre provides for their children and the support for their families. The response of teachers and centre leaders to the diverse needs of children have promoted very positive outcomes for them within the centre, within the community, and in transitions to school.

Teachers plan a programme for children based on their interests and strengths. Children's emerging interests are identified through daily recordings of their engagement with resources and through conversations. Attractively presented portfolios of children's learning are individual, family centred, and present a holistic view of the child's learning.

Teachers and leaders choose relevant topics for internal evaluation focussed on lifting teaching practice and strengthening positive outcomes for children. This process could be improved through the use of research in findings and more evaluative questions to guide review practices.

Centre leaders promote and use good systems for accountability. They are deliberate, proactive and considered in supporting and encouraging continuous improvement, and in strengthening their links to their community. Teachers are given good opportunities to engage in relevant professional learning and development. They participate well in robust discussions about their practice.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders agree that in order to strengthen their current good practice, key next steps include:

• continuing to implement and refine systems of programme planning and evaluation
• a review of how effectively the resourcing and layout of the outdoor environment extends children's play and provides challenges to their thinking
• continuing to refine the process of strategic planning, evaluating and monitoring progress against strategic goals.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Apii Potiki Glen Innes Community Pre-School 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Apii Potiki Glen Innes Community Pre-School will be in three years. 

Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

31 August 2017

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 

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 and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

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.