Our Kids Early Learning Centre - Onehunga

ERO’s Judgement

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

Background

Dynamic Kids serves a diverse community in Onehunga. Children are grouped according to age in three spacious rooms. This is the first ERO review on its new site.

The manager leads a teaching team that includes a lead teacher in each room and a team of qualified teachers. Programmes for children reflect Reggio Emilia and Magda Gerber philosophies.

Summary of Review Findings

Governance, management and administrative practices ensure that all requirements are met. All practical steps are taken to ensure children’s health and safety.

Philosophical approaches respect children as capable learners. The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrate teachers’ understanding of children’s learning. The design of the centre supports the provision of different types of play, including quiet spaces, physically active play, and individual and group experiences. Regular opportunities are provided for whānau/parents to share information about children’s progress, and to be involved in decision-making concerning their child’s learning. The curriculum is inclusive, language-rich and includes practices that affirm Māori as tangata whenua.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include continuing to:

• strengthen internal evaluation to promote ongoing improvement
• strengthen teachers’ focus on integrating te reo and tikanga Māori throughout the programme and making this learning visible in documentation.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

25 October 2019

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 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 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 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 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.