Avalon Childcare Centre

Education institution number:
47279
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
33
Address:

30 Avalon Drive, Nawton, Hamilton

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Avalon Childcare Centre

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

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

Background

Avalon Childcare Centre is led by the owner, alongside a team of qualified teachers. The service philosophy highlights love of learning and independence. Among the ethnicities of children attending, are small groups of Māori, of Pacific heritage and Indian learners. The centre has addressed non-compliances identified in ERO’s 2020 Akanuku Review.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Teachers’ positive interactions enhance children’s learning. They support children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. A language-rich environment provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their growth and development.

The quantity and variety of equipment are appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending. A philosophy statement guides operation. The service takes all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of children attending.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • developing the local curriculum to reflect the things that are important to children, their families and teachers

  • increasing the involvement of families in the implementation and evaluation of the local curriculum

  • strengthening the extent to which the environment, curriculum and assessment of children’s learning reflects their identity, language and culture.

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

18 January 2023 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Avalon Childcare Centre
Profile Number 47279
Location Nawton, Hamilton

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

40

Review team on site

November 2022

Date of this report

18 January 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku | Assurance Review, October 2020

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.

Avalon Childcare Centre 28/10/2020
- 28/10/2020

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

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.

Background

Avalon Childcare provides all-day education and care for children from birth to six years of age. The purpose-built facility has three age-based learning areas. The centre owner is responsible for centre operation and leadership. This is the centre’s first ERO review since a change of ownership.

Summary of Review Findings

Positive and meaningful relationships were observed among children and teachers. The service curriculum is responsive to children as confident and competent learners. A range of opportunities supports children’s learning and development, individually and in groups across all play areas. Parents are involved in decision-making concerning their child’s learning. The programme is inclusive of the individual needs of toddlers and young children.

Ongoing external professional development supports the centre’s evaluation and is helping staff to maintain and improve aspects of the centre.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • recording parental acknowledgement that medicine has been administered for category (ii) medication.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS28].

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

  • an annual plan specifying the ‘who, what’, and ‘when’ in relation to specific tasks and goals (GMA8)
  • the hygienic storage of food and the assurance of keeping perishable food at temperature at or below 4 degrees (PF16).

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

28 October 2020

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Avalon Childcare Centre

Profile Number

47279

Location

Hamilton

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

45 children, including up to 15 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

27

Gender composition

Female 15, Male 12

Ethnic composition

Māori 9
NZ European/Pākehā 4
Indian 4
Afgani 4
Other ethnic groups 6

Review team on site

October 2020

Date of this report

28 October 2020

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.