44 Barrett Road, Whalers Gate, New Plymouth
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 |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Little Minds Early Learning Centre is one of two services under the same organisation. A qualified centre manager leads a team of 21 staff, including nine qualified teachers and a cook. A small number of children attending are of Māori heritage, and other children are from diverse cultural backgrounds. This is the first review for this service under new ownership.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning. There are separate spaces for each age group, and children who are under two have teachers who are responsive to their care needs.
A range of experiences and opportunities are provided to children that enhance and extend their learning and development. The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau and life contexts.
Next steps include:
strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, languages and cultures.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
31 July 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Minds Early Learning Centre |
|
Profile Number |
47796 |
|
Location |
Whalers Gate, New Plymouth |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
83 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
86 |
|
Review team on site |
July 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
31 July 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Previously reviewed as Puddleducks’ Nursery & Preschool – New Plymouth: Akanuku | Assurance Review, January 2022 |
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.
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.
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.
Puddleducks’ Nursery & Preschool is a new service. It is one of nine centres in the North Island operating under the same ownership. This is the service’s first ERO review. The teaching team is guided by the centre manager.
The services curriculum is underpinned by Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum. All children experience positive, nurturing and respectful interactions with teachers. Assessment practices support teachers to respond to children’s interests, strengths and capabilities showing their learning progression over time. Whānau have opportunities to contribute to their child’s learning. Children learn in a calm, settled, language rich environment.
The premises and facilities are resourced to provide for the learning and abilities of the children attending. Health and safety practices are consistently implemented. Workforce safety checking processes meet regulatory requirements.
Next steps include:
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
19 January 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Puddleducks' Nursery & Preschool - New Plymouth |
|
Profile Number |
47796 |
|
Location |
New Plymouth |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
83 children, including up to 25 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
94 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 13, NZ European/Pākehā 62, Indian 9, Other ethnic groups 10 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
19 January 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:
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through: