Above and Beyond In The City Ltd

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

Above and Beyond In The City Ltd is one of five services in the Bay of Plenty region under the same ownership. Two aged-based rooms cater for children from birth to school age. There are ten Māori learners enrolled at the service. The philosophy prioritises ‘love at the heart of our teaching’.

Summary of Review Findings

The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is acknowledged. Children have opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The curriculum enhances children’s learning and development through a range of experiences and opportunities, both indoors and outdoors. Children experience a language rich environment. Reciprocal relationships are supported through nurturing, meaningful and positive interactions. Parents are given regular opportunities to be involved in decision making about their child’s learning.

Centre systems and processes guide operations. A process of self-review helps the service improve the quality of its education and care.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• Strengthen intentional teaching practices that respond to children’s preferences and learner identities.

• Provide further opportunities for children to be involved in decisions about their learning experiences.

• Increase the extent to which the centre curriculum and assessment practices reflect individual children’s culture, language and identity.

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

16 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 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:

• 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)

• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.