6 Thirteenth Avenue, Queenstown
View on mapERO’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.
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 areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.
Gems Rata is one of three privately owned early childhood education and care services in the wider Queenstown area with common ownership. The newly formed management team consists of a centre manager who is supported by a general manager and the centre owner. This is its first review. A small number of children are of Māori heritage and approximately quarter of the children are from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Children have choice of their involvement within a nature play programme that is consistent with
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to nurture reciprocal relationships.
Infant and toddlers are provided with an environment that is comfortable and are protected from more mobile children. The environment, premises and facilities are resourced and maintained to support the provision for indoor and outdoor play as well as opportunities for small group interactions.
Policies and procedures guide the operation of the service. Consistent implementation of health and safety practices is required to meet all aspects of the regulatory standards.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
evaluation of emergency procedures to inform the review of the emergency management plan
completion of the documentation required when children leave the premises for excursions including the signature of the person responsible giving approval for the excursion to take place
a record of the time medicine was administered to children attending the service and evidence of parental acknowledgement.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8, HS17, HS28.
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
attending to furniture that could topple and cause harm (HS6)
identifying, eliminating, isolating, or minimising hazards to the safety of children (HS12).
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.
The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
21 November 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Gems Rata |
|
Profile Number |
47765 |
|
Location |
Queenstown |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
67 children, including up to 14 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
77 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
21 November 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
First ERO review of the service |
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.
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.
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.