Busy Bees Silverdale Central

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 found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

This is the first ERO review of Learning Tree Silverdale since it opened in February 2019. The qualified licensee of the service employs an area manager and centre manager who are responsible for daily operations. Six age-based rooms provide for children from infants to school age. The community is ethnically diverse, and the teaching team reflects this diversity.

Summary of Review Findings

Children experience a curriculum informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning and interests. The curriculum is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Adults provide a language-rich environment that supports children’s development.

The purpose-built service provides a wide range of experiences to enhance children’s learning, both indoors and outdoors. The premises and facilities are resourced to provide age appropriate materials that facilitate the learning and abilities of all children.

An ongoing process of self review and an annual plan help the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.

Key Next Step

A next step is for teachers to continue to seek parent/whānau contributions to the curriculum and to respond to their aspirations for their children’s learning.

Next ERO Review

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

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

3 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.