Happy Kids Parrs Park 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

Happy Kids Parrs Park Early Learning Centre opened in 2020. It is one of two centres under the same ownership. A qualified owner and centre manager provide governance and curriculum oversight. They lead a team of six qualified teachers, two unqualified staff and a service chef. A third of the children attending are of Asian heritage, and 20 percent have Pacific heritages.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

The design and layout of the service includes quiet spaces, areas for physical active play and space for a range of individual and group learning experiences.

The service’s curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The curriculum acknowledges and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• increasing the range of experiences and opportunities available for children to extend the complexity of their play within the outdoor space
• providing further opportunities for children to be involved in decisions about their learning experiences.

Action for Compliance

To improve current practice, the service should ensure that the time medicine is administered to children is accurately recorded.

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

• Maintaining a record of written authority from parents for the administration of medicine in accordance with the requirements of Appendix 3 (HS28).

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

23 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 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.