Biggles @ The Mount

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

Biggles @ The Mount opened in September 2019. It is one of three services in Bay of Plenty under the same ownership. The principles of Montessori and the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, underpin practice. This is ERO’s first review of this service.

Summary of Review Findings

Infants, toddlers, and young children experience meaningful and positive interactions with their teachers, enhancing their learning and nurturing reciprocal relationships. They make decisions about their learning and their choices are respected. Children learn in a language-rich environment. Parents’ aspirations and children’s interests inform the curriculum. Teachers support children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. The curriculum acknowledges the place of Māori as tangata whenua.

Self-review practices help improve the quality of education and care for children. Management processes and health and safety systems are in place.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• increasing the involvement of whānau Māori in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the service’s local curriculum
• strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, language and culture.

Actions for Compliance

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

• heavy furniture that could fall and topple and cause serious injury or damage was secured (HS6).

Next ERO Review

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

Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
8 March 2022 

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.