A Kiwiana Childhood

Education institution number:
46268
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
28
Telephone:
Address:

31 Lucknow Street, Wairoa

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A Kiwiana Childhood

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 ​Not meeting​ 
Governance, management and administration ​Not meeting​ 

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

Background 

A Kiwiana Childhood is privately owned. A new centre manager leads a team of 11 kaiako, and a service review officer provides governance support. Children play and learn in two age-based areas. The philosophy emphasises aspects of wairua. Most children enrolled are Māori.   

Summary of Review Findings 

The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Regular opportunities are provided for parents and whānau to communicate with adults providing care and education for their child.  

Adults engage 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.  

A process for reviewing and evaluating learning and teaching practices is in place. Leaders must ensure that policies and procedures for the operations of the service are known and followed by all staff, and that regular monitoring of practices consistently occurs.  

Actions for Compliance  

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

  • ensuring adults providing care and education are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry these out with children on at least a three-monthly basis  
  • ensuring all children’s workers have complete safety checks completed before they are employed or engaged to work; the risk assessment is required to be completed after all relevant information is obtained.   

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8, GMA7A. 

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

  • Ensuring areas of glass accessible to children being either made of safety glass, covered by adhesive film or guarded by barriers (PF7). 
  • Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6). 
  • Having a written emergency plan that ensures the care and safety of children and adults at the service, and includes all elements required by the licensing criterion (HS7). 
  • Ensuring sleeping children can be checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes (HS9).  
  • Ensuring that daily checks to equipment, premises and facilities for hazards to children include all areas required by the licensing criterion (HS12). 
  • Having evidence of assessment and management of risk when children leave the premises on an excursion (HS17). 
  • Maintaining a record of all food served during the service’s hours of operation (other than that provided by parents for their own children) (HS19). 
  • Records of all medicine given to children attending the service consistently include evidence of parental acknowledgement (HS28). 
  • Having an annual plan to guide the service’s operation that identifies who, what, and when in relation to key tasks undertaken each year, and how key tasks will have regard to the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) (GMA8). 

 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. ​ 

Patricia Davey 
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)  

​15 December 2023​   

 Information About the Service 

Early Childhood Service NameA Kiwiana Childhood
Profile Number46268
LocationWairoa
Service type ​Education and care service​ 
Number licensed for 43 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 
Percentage of qualified teachers  ​80-99%​ 
Service roll 37 
Review team on site November 2023  
Date of this report ​15 December 2023​ 
Most recent ERO report(s) Akanuku | Assurance Review​, ​April 2021​; ​Education Review​, ​March 2017​ 

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.  

A Kiwiana Childhood 24/05/2021

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

CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesMeeting
Health and safetyMeeting
Governance, management and administrationMeeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

A Kiwiana Childhood is a privately owned early learning service that was purchased in August 2019. Children learn within a mixed-age setting. The centre owners are responsible for day-to-day operation with leadership shared across the teaching team. This is the first ERO review under the service’s new ownership and name.

Summary of Review Findings

Children experience a curriculum that is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation. Teachers demonstrate an understanding of children’s interests, whānau and life contexts and apply knowledge of learning and development to their teaching.

Adults engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Children’s preferences are respected and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. The service curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. A philosophy statement guides service operation.

Key Next Step

The key next step is to continue to strengthen assessment, planning and evaluation of children’s learning through internal evaluation and use of quality indicators.

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

1 April 2021

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service NameA Kiwiana Childhood
Profile Number46268
LocationWairoa
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for24 children, including up to 8 aged under 2.
Percentage of qualified teachers80%+
Service roll28
Ethnic compositionMāori 22, NZ European/Pākehā 5, Other ethnic groups 1.
Review team on siteNovember 2020
Date of this report1 April 2021
Most recent ERO report(s)First ERO review of 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.

Bright Stars Educare Wairoa - 17/03/2017

1 Evaluation of Bright Stars Educare Wairoa

How well placed is Bright Stars Educare Wairoa to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Bright Stars Educare Wairoa is an all-day early childhood education and care centre located in Wairoa in the Hawkes Bay. It is licensed for 24 children, with a maximum of eight up to two years of age. At the time of this review, 22 children were enrolled. Of these 21 identified as Māori. The centre operates as a mixed age-group programme.

The centre is privately owned. Three qualified teachers are employed, two have full registration. One unqualified staff member supports the teaching team.

Professional learning and development (PLD) was attended by all staff. PLD was sought by the owners privately and also provided through a Ministry of Education-funded programme, Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities (SELO). A more focused approach linked to need has recently been established. This comprehensive level of support has taken some time for the service to access. This has had an impact on the service's ability to make improvement.

The February 2015 ERO report, identified the centre's next steps as: developing human resource processes to support teacher practice; strengthening assessment, planning and evaluation; self review; the programme for infants and toddlers; and governance and management. There has been limited progress in addressing these priorities. These now require urgent attention.

The Review Findings

Children participate in a play-based programme with a strong focus on whakawhanaungatanga. Routines provide a framework for the day. At these times te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are strongly promoted. Teachers work alongside children following their interests and supporting them in their play and learning.

The philosophy has recently been reviewed and this places values on and promotes inclusivity, meaningful relationships, manaakitanga and developing confident children. A next step is for leaders to establish clear high quality expectations to guide teacher practice. Targeted professional learning and development may be required to achieve this. Once these expectations are established leaders should increase the monitoring of teacher practice for accountability, consistency and ongoing improvement.

Professional learning and development, with a focus on infants and toddlers has been attended by staff. Leaders have reflected on current practice and their kaupapa Māori beliefs. As a result they have made some changes to the environment.

Recent changes to group planning have enhanced the process. Stronger connections are made to children's interests. Teachers reflect on what children have participated in during the day. Further development is required in this area. Next steps should include a greater focus on how teachers plan to support and extend children's interests and learning. These strategies should then be enacted in practice and evidenced through the planning documentation.

A narrative approach to assessment highlights children's participation in the programme and centre events. Close links are made to the curriculum framework. Leaders and teachers should investigate further the purpose and use of assessment, to guide the planning for children's learning over time.

A cycle of appraisal is in place. The current process requires strengthening to support building teacher practice. Next steps should include:

  • an improvement focus
  • meaningful observations of teacher practice
  • setting clear, specific and measurable goals
  • alignment to the Practising Teacher Criteria, including sufficiency of evidence.

Policy and practice should then be aligned and reflect best practice. Leaders should be aware of any conflicts of interest in the appraisal process and establish systems to identify and eliminate these.

Leaders have engaged in SELO professional development with a focus on self review. A framework for review has been established and used to guide practice. A key next step is continuing to build leaders' and teachers' understanding of the implementation of effective review and evaluation to improve outcomes for children.

The need for leaders to develop an understanding of the centre's guiding policies was identified in the February 2015 ERO report. This continues to remain a key next step. Guiding policies and procedures should be reviewed in line with current licensing criteria and legislative requirements. Once established, teachers should be supported in building shared understanding of these expectations. In addition, implementation of the policies and procedures must be monitored to ensure all reasonable steps are being taken by staff to promote high quality practices and meet expectations related to health and safety requirements.

Priorities for improvement

To improve outcomes for children, leaders and teachers should:

  • develop clear, high quality expectations to guide teacher practice
  • improve understanding and practice for the purpose and use of assessment
  • build their knowledge of review and internal evaluation, including teacher appraisal
  • review centre policies and procedures in line with current legislation and build staff understanding of the requirements
  • increase monitoring for accountability, consistency and improvement, inclusive of health and safety practices. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Bright Stars Educare Wairoa 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. This includes: the systematic checking, monitoring and response to hazards; appropriate securing of furniture and resources; and minimising accessibility for children to high risk items. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:

  • take all reasonable steps to ensure that the premises, facilities, and equipment are systematically checked, used safely and kept free from hazards; accident/incident records are analysed to identify hazards and appropriate action is taken

ensure that heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage, are secured.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS6, HS12]

ERO found significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to aspects of the curriculum and the application of current knowledge:

  • the practices of adults providing education and care should demonstrate understanding of children’s learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C4] 

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Bright Stars Educare Wairoa. ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Bright Stars Educare Wairoa will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

17 March 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

LocationWairoa
Ministry of Education profile number46268
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for24 children, including up to 8 aged under 2
Service roll22
Gender compositionBoys 12, Girls 10
Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

21

1

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:4Better than minimum requirements
Over 21:8Better than minimum requirements
Review team on siteJanuary 2017
Date of this report17 March 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education ReviewFebruary 2015

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.