Little Sparrows Preschool

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

Little Sparrows Preschool is a purpose-built service opened in December 2020. Working closely with Little Sparrows Educare, the directors oversee administration and finance for both services. The centre manager and head teacher oversee daily operations. A small number of Māori children attend. This is the service’s first ERO review.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum provides a language rich environment to support children’s learning. Children are responded to as confident and competent learners. Māori are acknowledged as tangata whenua. Teaching practices demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development.

A philosophy and annual plan guide the service’s operations. Internal evaluation processes help the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences, and a range of individual and group experiences appropriate to the ages and abilities of children attending.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• Strengthen the extent to which information documented about all children’s learning reflects their identity, language, and culture.
• Increase the range of opportunities children and their families have to share aspects of their home cultures with others in the service.

Actions for Compliance

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

• ensuring daily hazard checks include kitchen and laundry facilities, medicines, poisons, and other hazardous materials.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Education & Care Services 2008, HS12].

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

30 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.