Giraffe Early Learning Center

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

Giraffe Early Learning Centre is one of two services that are privately operated under the same ownership. The owner is responsible for governance and management, and a qualified centre manager leads daily operations of the service. The majority of children attending are Chinese, Indian or from other Asian backgrounds. Approximately 10 percent of children enrolled are Māori or Samoan. This is ERO’s first review of this service, which was fully licensed in March 2022.

Summary of Review Findings

Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. The curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Assessment, planning and evaluation information demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau and life contexts. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

Service leaders need to monitor systems and processes to ensure that regulatory standards are maintained.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• building teachers’ bicultural knowledge and the use of te reo Māori in their daily practice

• continuing to use Te Whāriki as a basis for developing the service’s local curriculum.

Actions for Compliance

During and since the onsite visit the service provided ERO with evidence to show it has addressed the following non-compliances:

• Maintaining a documented daily hazard checklist that includes checking of windows and other areas of glass (HS12).

• Ensuring police vetting of all staff members meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

22 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 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.