The Village 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 The Village Early Learning Centre which opened in August 2020. A centre director and a registered centre manager lead a team of six registered teachers, three unqualified teachers and a cook. Children attending the centre are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, predominantly Asian. This diversity is reflected in the teaching team.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Teachers engage in positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor play with space for children to play individually and in groups. The service provides opportunities to collaborate with parents and whānau about service operations and their child’s learning.

Ongoing monitoring is required to ensure regulatory standards are maintained.

Key Next Steps

Next steps are for leaders and teachers to:

• continue building a shared understanding of quality assessment and planning processes

• focus on evaluating the effectiveness of teaching practice on learning outcomes for children.

Actions for Compliance

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

• A record of all medicine given to children attending the service that consistently records the name and amount of medicine given, date and time medicine was administered and evidence of parental acknowledgement (HS28).

• All children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

• An attendance record that have been marked by staff on a twice daily basis or once a day for services that operate only one session (GMA11).

Next ERO Review

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

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

21 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 Licencing 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 license 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.