Go Bananas Childcare Target Rd

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

Go Bananas Childcare Target Road is one of 14 education and care services governed by the Go Bananas Childcare organisation. A team of directors oversees operations with support from two area managers and a curriculum advisor. A qualified centre manager is responsible for daily management of the service. Most children enrolled have Asian heritages. This is the first ERO review of the service which opened in 2021.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s curriculum is informed by planning, assessment and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s interests and their life contexts. Positive steps are taken to acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is acknowledged and children are given opportunities to learn about the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

A range of opportunities are made available to children to enhance and extend their learning individually and in groups. Service leaders work with external agencies to enable adults providing education and care to work effectively with children and their parents.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• mentoring the teaching team to develop a deeper understanding of children’s learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education

• implementing a curriculum that is flexible and provides opportunities for children to be involved in decisions about their own learning experiences.

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

20 January 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.