Piece of Cake Education

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

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed a non-compliance and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Backgrounds

Piece of Cake Education is a home-based service operating seven days a week. A qualified owner, alongside a qualified coordinator support educators to provide education and care in either their own home, or the child’s home. Most of the educators are family members. All children enrolled are of Chinese heritage.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. 

Educators engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to communicate with educators and coordinators about their child and share specific evidence of the child’s learning.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include the owner, co-ordinator and educators:

• increasing opportunities for children to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts

• developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Action for Compliance

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

• Having a record of all medicine given to children attending the service that includes the name and amount of medication given (HS25).

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

4 August 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 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.