Love and Joy Early Learning Centre Limited

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

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

Background

Love and Joy Early Learning Centre Limited is a privately owned service. A qualified owner/manager provides governance, compliance, and curriculum support to a team of six qualified teachers, six staff, a cook and an administrator. The philosophy values love, happiness, respect and diversity.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum respects the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect each other. It supports children’s developing social competence and provides a language-rich environment that supports their learning.

A policy framework and an annual plan guide center operation. Health and safety procedures are monitored, and changes made when required. The premises and facilities are resourced to provide for the learning of the children attending.

Key Next Steps

Next steps are for teachers to:

• increase opportunities for children to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts

• more deliberately support children’s sustained exploration through an increased range of learning opportunities both indoors and outdoors.

Actions for Compliance

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

• Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).

• Having a record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service that includes name and amount of medicine given (HS28).

• Maintaining attendance records that meet the requirements outlined in the Early Childhood Education Funding Handbook (GMA11).

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

12 June 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 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.