Genius Kids Early Childhood Educational Centre

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 identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed. 

Background

Genuis Kids Early Childhood Education Centre is privately owned and operated. A qualified centre manager and licensee oversee daily operations. They lead a team of four additionally qualified teachers and five unqualified staff. A small number of children enrolled are Māori or have Pacific heritages.

Summary of Review Findings

A philosophy statement guides the service’s operation and expresses its beliefs, values, and attitudes about the provision of early childhood education and care. 

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences, including quiet spaces, and areas for physical active play. The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by whānau for their children.

Consistent monitoring of the systems and practices for premises and facilities, health and safety and governance and management are required to ensure regulatory standards are met and maintained. 

Actions for Compliance 

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

• ensuring the emergency management plan is reviewed on an annual basis
• ensuring the accuracy of records for the times each child attending the service sleeps and checks made by adults during that time
• ensuring excursion records that show the names of adults attending, an assessment and management of associated risks, and evidence of parental permission and approval of the adult: child ratios for regular excursions
• ensuring accurate records of authority from parents for the administration of medicines in accordance with their category and ensuring authorisation for the time medications are to be administered
• having a documented process for reviewing and evaluating the services operation, that shows outcomes on how the service has regard for the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities
• ensuring enrolment records is meeting the requirements of the Funding handbook.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS7, HS9, HS17, HS28, GMA6, & GMA10.

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances: 

• Ensuring the consistent implementation of nappy changing procedures within the service (HS3).
• Ensuring emergency drills are carried out on an at least three-monthly basis and include an evaluation of drills used to inform the annual review of their emergency plan (HS8).
• Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Childrens Act 2014 (GMA7A).
• Ensuring attendance records meet the requirements of the Funding handbook (GMA11).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education 

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.

Next ERO Review 

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

21 February 2024 

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.