Seven Stars Kindergarten

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

Seven Stars Kindergarten is situated on the grounds of Massey High School. It is a privately owned centre, managed by two qualified leaders, who lead a team of four qualified teachers and three other staff. Approximately a quarter of children enrolled are of Māori heritage. High numbers of Pacific children are enrolled at the centre.

Summary of Review Findings

Children benefit from a curriculum informed by assessment, planning and evaluation. The curriculum demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau and life contexts. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour are supported.

The service curriculum is language rich and acknowledges the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.  Children develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The service’s philosophy guides centre operations and expresses the services’ beliefs, values, and attitudes about the provision of education and care.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include strengthening:

• children’s connection to their languages, cultures and identity through the curriculum

• learning-focused partnerships that provide parents and children opportunities to contribute to curriculum planning.

Compliance

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

• A record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service that meets the requirements of the criterion (HS28).

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

16 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.