New Shoots Children's Centre - Bayfair

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

New Shoots Children’s Centre - Bayfair is owned and governed by the New Shoots Children’s Centre Group. A centre director is supported by an area manager to guide centre operations. Eighteen children identify as Māori and children from a range of other ethnic groups attend.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development. It is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s developing social competence is supported.

The practices of adults providing education and care demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development in a language-rich environment.

The service curriculum is informed by assessment and planning that reflects and builds on children’s learning and interests. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• Increase the range of opportunities children and whānau have to share aspects of their culture with others in the service.
• Strengthen the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, language and culture.
• Continue to grow kaiako practice in relation to supporting children’s developing social competencies.

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

22 September 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 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.