Childsteps Early Learning 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

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

This is the first ERO review of Childsteps Early Learning Centre that opened in October 2020. Governance is provided by two directors and a qualified centre manager. The teaching team includes 12 qualified teachers. Six age-based learning environments cater for children from infants to school age. An increasing number of children from ethnically diverse backgrounds are enrolled, including a small number of Māori or Pacific children.

Summary of Review Findings

Children benefit from adults engaging in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance their learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The design and layout of the premises supports the provision of different types of experiences for children.

The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts. It provides a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning, their developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.

Consistent monitoring and implementation of systems and practices is required to maintain all aspects of regulatory compliance.

Key Next Step 

A next step is to increase opportunities for Pacific children and their families to share aspects of their cultures with others in the service. 

Actions for Compliance

The service has provided ERO with evidence to show the following non-compliances have been addressed:

• Adults providing education and care are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry out each type of drill with the children (as appropriate) on an at least three-monthly basis. This includes having evidence of how evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan. 
• Maintaining a record of the 5-10 minutes checks made by adults of sleeping children.
• The list of hazards for daily checking of equipment, premises and facilities includes hazards present in kitchen or laundry facilities and the condition of learning, play and other equipment.
• When children leave the premises on a special excursion the record of excursions includes evidence of parental permission for their child to participate and their approval of proposed adult:child ratios.
• Having a written procedure for safety checking of all children’s workers that includes a process for undertaking three-yearly periodic re-checks, that periodic rechecks are undertaken and that risk assessment of owners are undertaken by a third party. 

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8, HS9, HS12, HS17, GMA7A. 

Next ERO Review 

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

21 December 2023 

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.